Yamaha Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. have agreed for Honda to supply Yamaha with electric two-wheelers for the Japanese market. These will be based on Honda’s ‘EM1 e:’ and ‘Benly e: I’ models, designed for the Japanese Class-1 category, which includes vehicles with engines up to 50cc or electric motors with outputs of 0.60 kW or less.
In May 2023, Honda introduced the EM1 e:, an electric moped aimed at young urban riders. It features a swappable Honda Mobile Power Pack, a range of 41.3 km, and a top speed of 45 kph. Key features include a digital display, underseat storage, USB socket, pillion footpegs, and a rear carrier. The Benly e-series, revealed in December 2019, focuses on user-friendliness, with a large rear deck for loads and a reverse assist function.
Since October 2016, Yamaha and Honda have discussed a business alliance to tackle challenges in the motorcycle industry, such as stricter safety and emission standards and the shift to electrification. They began cooperating in March 2018 when Honda started supplying 50cc scooters to Yamaha.
In April 2019, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki formed the Swappable Battery Consortium to promote electric motorcycles with standardized swappable batteries. This collaboration between Yamaha and Honda will see Honda providing Class-1 electric models powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: swappable battery.
This move aims to meet the needs of personal and business users in Japan’s Class-1 category. The companies plan to enhance their electric two-wheeler lineup and address challenges like range, charging time, performance, and cost.
