Yamaha has been slowly clawing its way back to relevance in the electric motorcycle industry, determined not to be passed by a new wave of electric two-wheeler startups. Now we’re getting our first look at the production version of the upcoming Yamaha E01 electric scooter, which could be a big leap forward for the company.
Yamaha first unveiled the E01 electric scooter at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
Unlike some of Yamaha’s weaker electric scooter attempts, the E01 is designed to be a 125 class-equivalent scooter with a higher power motor and more impressive top speed.
The concept scooter was flashy, but it obviously sported a number of design elements that were unlikely to ever make it past the concept vehicle stage.
When Yamaha officially trademarked the E01 and its suite of components for production earlier this year, the scooter’s future suddenly looked a lot less concept-y.
Now a new Japanese patent is giving us our first look at the production version of the Yamaha E01 electric scooter, showing off design changes necessary for full-scale production.
And while it looses a bit of the flash and pizazz of the original concept below, the production version still retains most of the character of the concept.
Gone are the concept’s flowing upholstery, tiny mirrors, shrouded fork and oddly sharp rear fender.
Instead, the updated design sports a more realistic tune, making the bike easier to produce as well as to ride.
Much of that upholstery that wrapped around the rider-facing surfaces is now gone, replaced by more conventional plastic panels.
The conventional fork is now revealed as well, no longer hidden by integrated paneling. Larger headlights can be seen recessed under the front cowl, and the charger port is revealed to be mounted in that front panel right over the nose.
A more traditional tail light assembly has also been included along with reflectors required for street riding.
Looking under the skin, the patent drawings also reveal that the battery pack will be a large, non-removable unit mounted in a similar style to the BMW C Evolution’s battery.
That explains the lack of a step-through design on the Yamaha E01, granting it a more hybrid style between a motorcycle and a scooter.
Yamaha has joined a removable battery consortium along with Piaggio, KTM and Honda. The goal is to create a standard removable battery design that can be shared across electric motorcycle and scooter manufacturers, though it doesn’t appear the E01 will take advantage of any such advances.
The motor is also visible in the patent drawings, mounted just behind the frame.
There’s no indication as to the true motor power yet, though Cycle World has speculated an 11 kW (15 hp) rating based on current European limits for this class of scooter. That wouldn’t be much compared to Yamaha’s impressive electric crate motors, but would be a large upgrade over its last low-powered electric scooter.
There’s also no indication of when Yamaha will release the E01 to the public, but the presence of these production-ready designs and the Japanese patent show that the clock appears to be ticking down.
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
