Yamaha India’s Debut Electric Scooter Will Be Based On The River Indie

It has been known for quite some time that Yamaha wants to enter the Indian EV space. The brand has already revealed how it wants to play in the premium EV space, which then transitioned into a desire to develop high-performance EVs. And the platform for the new e-scooter could be quite familiar as it might use the same underpinnings as the River Indie. 

Production for this upcoming two-wheeler, which is codenamed RY01, will start anytime between July and September 2025. And while it is being co-developed by Yamaha’s engineering teams in Japan, the USA, and Europe, along with River’s engineers, Yamaha will own the project, and River will be executing the whole thing. So, right from the powertrain to the battery management system and the electric motors will all be River’s. Therefore, Yamaha’s upcoming electric scooter will basically be a River Indie underneath, even if it boasts of a sporty, premium aesthetic. Moreover, the electric scooter will also be exported to global markets, so we’re expecting Yamaha to go for posh, universal design here. 

Details of the Yamaha debut electric scooter for India are still under wraps. But for reference, the River Indie is powered by a 4 kWh battery that is good for a claimed range of 120 km. The battery powers an 6.7 kW electric motor that can produce 26 Nm of peak torque, which can help the scooter accelerate from 0-40 kmph in just 3.9 seconds. This is quite the impressive timing for the Indie given its bulky design – thereby, the Yamaha electric scooter can very well be quicker. 

Yamaha developing an electric scooter based on technology developed by River shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Iwata-based company had already invested ₹332 crore in River which has helped the start-up develop a unique, reliable electric two-wheeler. What remains to be seen is how the RY01 performs, and most importantly, if it will be able to overshadow electric scooters not only from Suzuki and Honda, but also market leaders like TVS, Bajaj, Ather and Ola.

(Source)