EXCLUSIVE: Yamaha Fascino Electric Scooter Incoming?

A Yamaha dealer event that will be held on April 11 could see the Japanese bikemaker present its plans of introducing electric two-wheelers in the Indian market. Yamaha is also likely to showcase the 2022 Yamaha MT-15.

Team Blue had announced its roadmap for electric vehicles for the European market earlier this month. In fact, soon after the brand launched the Yamaha Neo’s e-scooter overseas and introduced the E01 with a leasing programme to study the market and improve the product before launching it by 2025.

So, will the Indian market see the Yamaha Neo’s as the first EV from the Japanese manufacturer? It is unlikely, given that its 2.06kW DC hub motor and the 38.5km range (68km with the optional extra battery pack) brings it on par with Hero Electric and Ampere e-scooters. The Yamaha Neo’s costs GBP 3,005 or Rs 3 lakh, and even if the bikemaker manages to localise it extensively, it will still cost significantly more for what it has to offer.

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What Yamaha might do instead, is go the Suzuki way and introduce an India-specific model using an existing platform just like what we have seen with the Burgman Electric. That would not just cut down on the R&D and production costs, but also give customers a product that they are familiar with.

Right now, Yamaha’s 125cc scooter portfolio includes the Fascino hybrid, RayZR and Street Rally Hybrid. Of these, the Fascino seems to be an ideal candidate for the EV platform, given that it caters to a wider audience.

The EV segment has already seen a lot of traction lately with young players like Ather Energy and Ola Electric. Even Bajaj, TVS and Hero MotoCorp have now stepped into the EV segment and will soon be joined by Suzuki. So, it is high time that Yamaha Motor India joins the bandwagon especially with the government incentivising EV adoption.