Yamaha XMax series hybrid scooter concept showcased

The Yamaha XMax series-parallel hybrid scooter concept has been revealed overseas. It is powered by both a single-cylinder engine and an electric motor, and the company claims that the XMax SHEV concept can run solely on electric power too.

1. Yamaha XMax SHEV has a single-cylinder engine
2. Engine supplemented by electric motor
3. Company hasn’t confirmed whether it enter production

The Yamaha XMax SHEV concept’s engine and gearbox are mounted in the conventional location; the motor is mounted just ahead of the engine and the battery is mounted under the rider’s feet. Before we get into how all this works, it is worth mentioning that these additional components will surely make the scooter significantly heavier. This is evident from the twin front disc brakes on the concept; every other Yamaha maxi-scooter sold overseas with a single-cylinder engine uses a single front disc brake.

Yamaha has opted for a series-parallel hybrid system, just like Kawasaki with its Ninja 7 Hybrid. The XMax hybrid concept can run using just the engine like a conventional bike, use the electric motor to assist the engine (parallel hybrid), and use the engine can to recharge the battery like a range extender (series hybrid).

While the prototype has been on test for quite some time now (no exact specifics given), Yamaha has revealed no details about what capacity the engine in this concept is, only that it is a single-cylinder mill. Yamaha has single-cylinder engines with capacities of 125cc and 300cc in its international line-up, and we believe it is the latter that's in use here. This is because the added weight of the hybrid system would be partially offset by the higher power output of the larger engine. Additionally, the price premium that the hybrid system will command over its equivalent pure-ICE counterpart is another factor that could mean the larger 300cc engine is in play here. That being said, Yamaha hasn’t confirmed whether this concept is just a design study or if it will make it into series production.