Yamaha recently rolled out a pair of electric scooters in the form of the Neo's and the E01. The former will be going on sale overseas very soon, while the latter will begin its life as part of a ride-sharing fleet in one of Europe’s capital cities.
In an unexpected move, Yamaha has showcased the two electric scooters to dealers in India. While this doesn't guarantee a launch, it does hint that the electric two-wheeler space in India is on the Japanese manufacturer's radar.
If it should choose to enter the market, it has a pair of competent offerings on its hands. The Neo's is a 50cc-equivalent electric scooter powered by a hub motor whose output will likely be around the 2kW mark. It features swappable batteries, like the Bounce Infinity E1, and is based on the E02 concept that the brand showed at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
The E01 has higher performance levels and is a 125cc-equivalent electric scooter based on the E01 Concept, which was also shown at the same time as the E02. Select Japanese media have already had a chance to try out a development unit of this e-scooter, which featured basic LCD instrumentation showing a range estimate of 70km at full charge.
There are three riding modes available – Eco, Normal and Power. The warning lights surrounding the display seem to contain something that resembles a connectivity icon, indicating that Bluetooth connectivity could be part of the mix. Keeping in mind European regulations, it’s likely that the E01 will have a power output capped at 11kW (15hp) to conform to the light electric scooter regulatory class.
Rishaad Mody
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
