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Yamaha steps up its electric program

Yamaha E01 electric program
E01 scooter

Yamaha is stepping up its electric program with removable batteries, but not in a full-size electric motorcycle.

That’s probably just as well as Harley-Davidson has hit a short circuit with the introduction of its LiveWire.

Instead, Yamaha will unveil two electric scooters, an electric bicycle, an electric mobility scooter and an electric personal scooter at next week’s 46th Tokyo Motor Show.

Yamaha has not revealed many details of its new electric program at the Tokyo show, but they do promise fast-charging, extra range and removable batteries.

Electric program

So far, Yamaha has only produced the electric PES1 (Passion Electric Street) road bike and PED1 (Passion Electric Dirt), but neither is available in Australia.

In June, Yamaha unveiled their EC-05 electric scooter with Gogoro lithium-ion battery packs you can easily swap at a convenient roadside vending machine.

Yamaha Gogoro battery swap electric scooter
Yamaha electric scooter with removable Gogoro battery

Yamaha was also recently believed to be co-operating with the other Japanese motorcycle manufacturers to standardise electric motorcycle and scooter technology, including charging infrastructure and swappable battery packs.

In Tokyo they will unveil the small E02 scooter and classic-looking E-Vino, both with removable batteries.

There will also be a YPJ-YZ pedal-assisted e-bike, an electric tilting three-wheelers mobility scooter, and the electric Land Link Concept.

The latter uses artificial intelligence image recognition technology to autonomously move over “vast” outdoor terrain. It is likely designed to transport cargo.

  1. The distinction between “scooter” and “motorcycle” is going to disappear. Everything will be a “scooter” …. as in twist and go. At the moment manufacturers are still making electric motorcycles that look more or less like normal motorcycles. That will change too as designers realise they are free to do pretty much anything without big engines and fuel tanks and the market matures in terms of what it will accept looks-wise. Two-wheeled vehicles are about to evolve into something we can’t even imagine at the moment. The current electric bikes are kind of the equivalent of the first motor cars which still looked like horse-drawn carriages as that was all people could imagine at the time. Buckle up, it’s gonna be wild. Amazing looking bikes full of amazing technology. We’re right on the cusp. Adapt or die, manufacturers.

  2. I couldn’t agree with you more Geepers, the above scooter battery layout is the better option, that is getting the batteries as low as possible for greater stability which will determine the overall shape of the scooter/bike layout. Probably the only distinction between either, will be the size of the wheels.
    Quote from Geepers: (without big engines and fuel tanks) radiators, gearbox and exhaust.
    Expect Harley to have a downloadable app that makes the sound of a V-twin for it’s electric bikes so the rider can fell ‘tough’.

  3. Couldn’t agree with you more Geepers, the only difference between either maybe the size of the tyres but expect the Harleys to have downloadable apps that makes the sound of a V-twin so the rider can feel tough.
    No radiator, gearbox or exhaust.

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