This is Yamaha’s all-new NEO’s electric scooter – the first mass-market electric machine from one of many ‘Big Four’ producers and a motorbike which is ready to spearhead the Japanese trade’s zero-emission future.
Costing simply £3005, which incorporates on the highway costs plus the Government’s £150 OZEV grant, the NEO’s is a 50cc equal commuter and goes on sale within the UK in May.
Although electric bikes and scooters are persevering with to make in-roads into the UK market, notably via devoted manufacturers akin to Zero, Horwin and Super Soco, we’ve but to any severe electric machines from the ‘Big Four’ Japanese motorbike giants, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki – till now.
Yamaha says the all-new NEO’s has been developed with the advantage of the marque’s lengthy historical past of petrol-powered scooters which incorporates the Aerox, BW’s and immediately’s NMAX and TMAX collection. Its first electric scooter, the Frog, was unveiled as an idea machine 30 years in the past, though by no means made it into full manufacturing. Other Yamaha electric scooters since, nonetheless, have been produced in restricted quantites for the south-east Asian markets.
The new NEO’s, nonetheless, takes issues to the subsequent degree by being Yamaha’s first mass-produced electric scooter aimed on the European market.
The machine’s identify is adopted from Yamaha’s earlier, petrol-powered, 50cc NEO’s scooter which was identified for its easy, inexpensive spec and concrete versatility.
The new electric model continues that theme with sensible, new, fashionable styling, a twin LED headlight ‘face’ and is available in plain black or white, each with blue accents which are meant to be the signature of all future Yamaha EVs.
At its coronary heart is the most recent technology electric ‘Yamaha Integrated Power Unit’ (YIPU). This includes: a newly-developed, hub-mounted, electric motor, chosen to scale back the load and transmission losses related to drive belts and so on; a single-sided swing arm accommodates the Motor Contro, Unit (MCU) which governs energy output, whereas a modern technology, removeable, 19.2Ah lithium ion battery is positioned below the seat on the centro of the chassis. Developed in-house, Yamaha say the battery weighs simply 8kg and is able to offering a variety of as much as 37km (approx. 24 miles).
Although equipped as normal with one battery, the NEO’s comes with a connector and housing for an non-obligatory second battery which, if fitted, raises the scooter’s vary to roughly 68km (42.5miles). The intelligent MCU, in the meantime, mechanically reduces energy if the battery is working low (indicated by a tortoise icon on the sprint) and can mechanically change to the second battery if fitted when required.
The NEO’s additionally comes with two switchable modes: ‘STD’ delivers the best energy output, 2.06kW and a prime pace of 40kph (25mph); ‘ECO’ reduces energy to 1.58kW, prime pace to 22mph and improves vary.
The NEO’s additionally delivers a wide range of options by being paired along with your Smartphone by way of Yamaha’s devoted ‘MyRide’ app. Through it, the bike’s sprint shows notifications of incoming calls or messages and likewise offers entry to information about battery life, charging standing and so on.
The LCD sprint additionally shows pace, odometer, clock and battery cost ranges. Yamaha says a full recharge utilizing the usual charger will take eight hours.
With its trendy design, 27-litres of underseat storage (with out second battery), Smartphone options, Yamaha credibility and inexpensive value, may the NEO’s be the beginning of a Japanese electric future? Yamaha is definitely hoping so…