Yamaha’s New Electric Scooter Features Swappable Batteries!

A few months ago, the big four from Japan - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki - joined hands to develop electric motorcycles. While this partnership is yet to bear any fruit, Yamaha has unveiled a new electric scooter it developed along with Taiwanese e-scooter maker, Gogoro, called the EC-05.

While Yamaha took charge of designing the scooter, Gogoro took care of all the mechanical bits. The Taiwanese company is known for its swappable battery technology, which is similar to the one seen in Kymco scooters. The rider can swap the batteries and plug them at dedicated charging stations or at home.

Yamaha’s teaser video has revealed that the EC-05 will get LED headlamps, a fully digital instrument cluster, disc brake at the front and adjustable suspension at the front and rear. The exact specifications of the scooter are yet to be revealed but expect it to offer similar features and performance numbers as Gogoro’s own e-scooter, the S2. The S2 produces a max power output of 7.6kW at 3000rpm and the company claims that it can go from 0-50kmph in 3.9 seconds.

So when will Yamaha launch its latest e-scooter? The Japanese manufacturer is planning to start deliveries in Taiwan by August this year. But don’t get excited just yet as the chances of Yamaha bringing this e-scooter to India are quite bleak. Meanwhile, Yamaha is busy developing multiple electric motorcycles! So is the company planning to build an all-electric YZF-R1? More on that here.