The first step to an all-electric future, for a manufacturer of cars or motorbikes, is to create a dedicated platform for EVs, and that is exactly what Yamaha is doing.
Many have grown up idolising Valentino Rossi who has battled in MotoGP for the past 20 years, wearing his fluorescent number 46, winning multiple world championships with the Yamaha Racing team. The Japanese team however not only has a glorious past, but it is also planning for an even brighter future with its new high-performance Electric Motor Prototype.
According to the company, this new engine will range in power from 46 bhp to 260 bhp and could be used on a wide variety of models. Having a dedicated platform for EVs is advantageous as it allows a certain flexibility in the creation of new models and reduces the cost of production.
Yamaha will customise the prototype to the specific needs of individual customers and deliver in short time spans utilising production technology that the company flexibly adapts to its various product groups, including motorcycles.
This new high-performance and ultra-compact engine is just the latest sign that Yamaha is pushing to extend its leadership to electric solutions. Just last year at the Tokyo Motor Show the company presented two new EVs: the E01, which is a 125cc-class electric scooter with fast charging capabilities; and the E02, which is a 50cc-class scooter which will likely hit slower speeds of around 45-50 km/h (28-31 mph).
Solely last year, Yamaha sold over 5 million motorbikes making it one of the leaders of the sector, so the choice to create a dedicated electric platform does not come as a surprise since innovation is the only way for a brand to stay on top.
Something to consider from the presentation of this new prototype is that the most powerful version of the electric motor will be used on cars instead of motorbikes, so it will definitely be interesting to see what is going to be next step for Yamaha.