Yamaha Developing New Electric Scooter For India

While major Indian two-wheeler manufacturers have introduced EV offerings in their portfolio, the Japanese giants have been cautious and are yet to make their move. However, according to recent reports, Yamaha is actively developing an electric two-wheeler for the Indian market. The new Yamaha electric scooter is developed by engineers in its headquarters in Japan and its subsidiary in India. Work on this project has commenced over the past one year and according to Yamaha officials the approach for this electric scooter is to deliver a “unique offering” which maintains the brand’s DNA of performance and styling. 

While still in its initial days of development, the Yamaha electric scooter could be a rugged offering to take on the rough roads of our country. It should be noted that Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, Japan had invested ₹ 332 crore in the Indian EV brand River Mobility last year. This investment by Yamaha signifies that it clearly wants to fastrack its EV operations. Having said that, the Japanese brand also claims that the EV business is still not profitable and most of the brands that sell electric scooters in the market have done so to get a jumpstart in understanding and refining EV technology.

This isn’t the Japanese brand’s first attempt in the Indian EV space. Yamaha India had imported the Yamaha Neo’s electric scooter and modified the battery pack and motor to better suit Indian conditions. In fact, Yamaha was also looking at Indian suppliers for components of the Neo’s electric scooter to keep the cost under check as the Neo’s was pretty expensive at ₹ 3 lakh in the European market. With the partnership with River, it confirms that Yamaha is developing a ground-up electric scooter for the Indian market which will not only be rugged but also be affordable keeping in mind its rivals.