EXCLUSIVE: Yamaha Neo’s E-scooter Confirmed For Indian Market

The Neo’s will be heading to our shores next year, and Yamaha India has plans to bring more electric scooters as well

Following our exclusive news last week, our sources have now confirmed that the Japanese brand will be stepping into the EV segment. Yamaha showcased the Neo’s and E01 electric scooters at the dealer event on April 11, and has confirmed that the Neo’s will be heading to our shores next year. However, the company is still evaluating the E01, but more on that later.

The Yamaha Neo’s e-scooter’s debut in India is a bit of a shocker considering its specifications. Team Blue has launched it in the European market already as an electric alternative to a 50cc scooter – a segment that is non-existent in India.

The Neo’s electric scooter features a brushless DC hub motor that produces 2.06kW with a top speed of 40kmph in Std mode, and in Eco mode, it makes 1.58kW, and a top speed of 35kmph. Furthermore, it has a claimed range of just 38.5km (eco mode) and can be extended to 68km with the dual battery pack. With these specs, it retails for an equivalent of Rs 2.98 lakh in the European market, and even with heavy localisation, the price wouldn’t be competitive.

For perspective, the Hero Optima CX (Rs 77,490) has a top speed of 45kmph and packs a range of upto  140km while the Ampere Magnus EX (Rs 73,999) has a range of 121km and a top speed of 50kmph.

The feature list on the Neo’s doesn’t run long, either with the only notable features being a keyless startand Bluetooth connectivity via Yamaha MyRide app. The connectivity module doesn’t include navigation or other sophisticated features to justify a premium.

We hope that Yamaha India reworks the specs of the Noe’s to make it a better fit for the Indian market, but that looks unlikley. For a much lower price tag, you have better desi electric scooters ssuch as the . TVS iQube Electric, Ola S1 and Ather 450X.

Yamaha also displayed the E01 e-scooter at the event, however, there isn’t any confirmation whether it will make it to India. It flaunts a 4.9kWh non-removable battery pack that has a claimed range of 104km. The premium Yamaha electric scooter comes with three charging methods: a quick charger (0-90 percent in an hour), normal charger (full charge in five hours) and portable charger (14 hours to full charge).

But given that the product is still in the developmental phase, and available only under a leasing program in Japan and soon in Europe, we reckon it won’t be until 2024 that it hits the Indian roads.

Image Credits: Hari Sankar