Switch ON: The beginning of a new era of electric mobility at the hands of Yamaha
It seems that Yamaha has opened the “Pandora’s Box” when it comes to Japanese manufacturers and their production of electric motorcycles. Eric de Seynes – President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe – has announced the company’s entry into the world of electric mobility. “The concept of mobility has not stopped evolving over the years and our cities and infrastructures have adapted to these changes.
However, one thing that has not changed over time is the universal desire and need for personal mobility that gives us a true sense of freedom.” Yamaha has focused its efforts on offering new creative and innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of their customers With the introduction of Switch ON, Yamaha reveals the details of its future electric models and how they have been developed to meet the needs of a wide range of customers in this ever-changing world.
Two new Yamaha electric scootersNew Yamaha MT-125 and Yamaha MT-03.
In the coming weeks, Yamaha will launch the new NEO’S, a “50cc equivalent” electric scooter that is smart, practical and high quality. This scooter was first shown at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show as the E02 prototype. The second scooter will be a “125cc equivalent”, featuring the company’s most advanced engineering and technology.
This as-yet-unnamed model derives from the E01 prototype that was also on display in Tokyo, and will be the star of an intense test program that Yamaha will carry out in a major European city with a scooter sharing partner.
30 years of experience in electric bicycle drive units
Yamaha has a long and illustrious history of developing electric vehicles dating back to the early 1990s, when the company created the first electric power assist system (PAS) that formed the basis of the world’s first production electric bicycle. world.
Since then, Yamaha has been at the forefront of developing lightweight and compact electric drive units for electric bicycles, producing around 7 million of them over more than three decades. In recent years, the demand for electric bicycles has grown exponentially and in 2021 alone, more than 5 million units have been sold in Europe.
Many of them are equipped with Yamaha drive units, so the company has made the decision to expand its production capacity and start manufacturing drive units in Europe. This fact demonstrates that Yamaha is fully committed to developing state-of-the-art drive unit systems for the many OEM bicycle manufacturers the company works with. In addition, as the main novelty in this sector, starting this year Yamaha will launch three new “own brand” electric bicycles in the All Mountain, Gravel and Urban segments. All details will be released during the summer.
These new Yamaha electric bikes will be available at the end of 2022 through the Yamaha motorcycle and scooter dealer network, with a commitment to expand and complete the construction of this distribution chain during the year 2023.
The moped is back
Yamaha Delight 125 2021
But this is just the beginning, Yamaha’s future in all kinds of electric urban mobility will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years, and to demonstrate this, Yamaha presents the B01, a new hybrid prototype that intelligently combines the functionality of the S-Pedelec electric bicycle with the performance of a moped and the ability to tackle all types of terrain in urban environments.
Currently a concept model created by Yamaha Motor Europe in collaboration with partners Fantic Motor and Motori Minarelli, the B01 will evolve into a series production vehicle to further expand Yamaha’s range of electric mobility.
In closing, Eric de Seynes reaffirms Yamaha’s determined future in this new sector “Yamaha is excited about expanding its personal mobility range and starting a whole new chapter in the company’s history. Thanks to the engineering capabilities from Yamaha, a world leader, and supported by its professional and committed dealer network, the introduction of these new electric products and related services will inspire a new generation of customers.”
