A Japanese design registration has surfaced showing what appears to be a production-ready Yamaha electric scooter. While the model doesn’t correspond to anything in the brand’s current line-up, its overall silhouette draws inspiration from the Ray ZR 125, albeit with several notable departures from the norm in terms of its mechanical layout.
- Features a centrally mounted motor with belt drive
- Battery is housed under the seat; it could be swappable
- Overall silhouette draws inspiration from the Ray ZR 125
New Yamaha electric scooter: What we know
The centrally mounted motor drives the rear wheel via a belt
The most significant detail revealed by the design registration is the scooter’s drivetrain. Unlike the Yamaha Aerox-E, which uses a swingarm-mounted motor, this scooter features a centrally mounted motor (like on the EC-06) that transmits power to the rear wheel via a belt drive.
The registration also reveals that the battery is housed beneath the seat, with the design suggesting it could be swappable. Another interesting detail is the rear suspension layout. The twin shock absorbers are mounted much further forward on the swingarm than is typical, straddling the battery compartment under the seat. The scooter also gets disc brakes at both ends, a telescopic front fork and a long single-piece seat.
Other visible details include a distinctive headlight featuring two rectangular LED units flanking a centrally positioned V-shaped daytime running lamp (DRL). The tail-light also has a sharp, angular design, while the inside of the front apron appears to house multiple storage pockets. The absence of a visible keyhole suggests keyless ignition and seat access, and a small TFT display is also visible.
Yamaha’s global electric two-wheeler line-up remains relatively limited. In Europe, the company sells the Neo’s, a compact urban commuter with a claimed range of 68km. In India, Yamaha currently offers the EC-06, based on the River Indie, alongside the in-house-developed Aerox-E. Judging by its proportions and design, this newly patented scooter could be positioned as a 125cc-equivalent model, which could make it well suited to our market. That said, this is only a Japanese design registration at this stage, and Yamaha has not announced any details regarding the scooter or a potential production timeline.
Source: AMCN
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
