Yamaha’s First True ‘Blue’ Indian Electric Scooter Spied Testing

Quick Highlights: 

• Yamaha’s first electric scooter for India has been spied testing 

• It will be based on the River Indie electric scooter

• Gets a maxi-style design language as opposed to the utilitarian looks of the Indie 

Yamaha’s first-ever electric scooter for India has been spotted testing for the first time, and it looks promising! The spied e-scooter is based on the River’s Indie electric scooter but gets a lot of aesthetic changes, which should make it worthy of Yamaha’s ‘blue’ genes. 

Vadapav Meets Sushi

In a lot of ways, the spied scooter looks similar to the River Indie, the scooter on which it is based. The overall size and visual mass of the scooter are the same, but the Japanese brand has given it a maxi-style design, which will allow it to stand apart from its Indian counterpart. 

Unlike the Indie, which gets dual-LED lights which are placed horizontally, Yamaha’s version has new, vertically stacked ones. While the chunky mid-section and the underpinnings (14-inch wheels, telescopic front and twin rear suspension, and brakes) look the same as the Indie, the body panels have been revised. The rear, in particular, looks completely different with the new, slimmer body panels, a different tailight and a different grabrail.    

Expect the upcoming electric Yamaha to share the motor and battery pack with the Indie. The River Indie is powered by a 6.7kW motor paired to a 4kWh battery pack. The scooter has a claimed top speed of 90kmph, which is quite decent, and offers a claimed range of 161km. That said, Yamaha might just give its own zig to the motor to ensure the e-scooter rides differently than the Indie.

A Fruitful Partnership

In February 2024, Yamaha announced that it has partnered up with the Bengaluru-based startup, River, with an investment, and also with the intention to make its version of an electric scooter for the Indian market. Making an electric scooter specifically for the Indian market (with its harsh environment and challenging demands) is a very resource and time-intensive process. Moreover, most of the EV brands are based in Bengaluru, which is where the supply chain is well-established. 

Yamaha has manufacturing plants only in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, so developing an e-scooter without being able to exploit the well-established supply chain in Karnataka will be difficult for the brand. This is why Yamaha cleverly chose to base its made-in-India electric scooter on the River Indie as River, at this point, has pretty much figured out the intricacies of the Indian EV segment. 

Making changes to an already existing product will not only allow Yamaha to reduce its R&D cost, but also allow it to get its first electric scooter in the market fast. Yes, Yamaha is late to the party as other Japanese manufacturers such as Honda and Suzuki as they already have their e-scooters in India. But better late than never, Yamaha’s cautious approach will allow them to fine-tune the scooter further to make it suitable for our condition. 

Yamaha is known to make light weight two-wheelers, so we can expect some of this magic in the upcoming electric scooter too. Where the River Indie is priced at Rs 1,44,259 (ex-showroom, Bengaluru), expect Yamaha’s counterpart to be a bit more expensive, perhaps about Rs 1.6 lakh ex-showroom. The Japanese bikemaker may launch the e-scooter at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in February 2027 (AKA Auto Expo 2027). 

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