Yamaha Motor Company has joined hands with Taiwan-based electric scooter manufacturer, Gogoro, and unveiled its EC-05 electric scooter. The electric vehicle will most likely enter the Taiwanese market by August this year.
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In terms of styling, the Yamaha EC-05 features an apron mounted LED headlight and front blinkers. The design of the light is unlike any other product that we have seen in the recent past. The dual-tone paint brings an appealing touch to the electric scooter that will attract the attention of the young buyers. The new electric vehicle features a digital instrument console as well.
The EC-05, as seen in the video (at 1 minute 15 seconds), seems to have a proximity sensor that most likely works with a key-fob, thus giving keyless access to the scooter. The EC-05 starts the lights and makes a notification sound as soon as the rider reaches close to the bike.
The product was designed by Yamaha in Japan, while the production tasks would most likely be handled by Gogoro. The scooter will feature a dual battery pack that should offer excellent range before the battery needs to be recharged or swapped. A similar feature was seen on the 22KYMCO iFlow electric scooter that was launched in the Indian market this month.
Like KYMCO, also a Taiwanese brand, Gogoro has a charging and battery-swapping infrastructure in the country. The Yamaha EC-05 owners can swap their batteries for a rented unit, or recharge their scooters at the charging points. Yamaha has remained silent about the battery range, maximum power from the electric motor and other details for now. We expect to hear more information about the product closer to its launch in the Taiwanese market.
Meanwhile, Yamaha is yet to make an announcement about its plans to introduce electric two-wheelers in the Indian market. Regular readers would know that the Ministry of Road and Transport reportedly plans mass electrification of all two- and three-wheelers with less than 150 cc of displacement by 2025 and 2023 respectively. Domestic brands like Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company are preparing their respective electric two- and three-wheelers, while Hero Electric plans to expand its reach in the country.
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Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, on the other hand, plans to stay away from the electric two-wheelers space till 2020.
