Honda to supply Yamaha electric motorcycles
The agreement between the two Japanese automakers is based on the OEM supply of Honda “EM1 e:” and “BENLY e: I” Class-1 category models.
Honda Motor will supply Yamaha Motor with electric motorcycle models for the Japanese market as an OEM, the two companies have announced.
The agreement is based on the supply of Honda “EM1 e:” and “BENLY e: I” Class-1 category models, according to a press release.
According to the Road Vehicles Act of Japan, the Class-1 category includes “vehicles equipped with two or more wheels and an engine with total displacement of 50 cc or less or an electric motor with rated output of 0.60 kW or less.”
In October 2016, the two Japanese automakers began discussions toward a possible business alliance in the Japanese Class-1 category motorcycle market to address various challenges motorcycle manufacturers would face, including compliance with increasingly stringent safety standards and emissions regulations, and the pursuit of electrification.
The key areas of discussion included supplying 50cc scooter models as an OEM; joint development or OEM supply of next-generation 50cc business scooter models; and collaboration toward popularizing electric motorcycles in the Class-1 category.
Based on that discussion, in March 2018, Honda began supplying 50cc scooter models to Yamaha as an OEM.
In April 2019, Honda and Yamaha, together with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Suzuki, established the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles to popularize electric motorcycle models. The Consortium discussed the possibility of standardizing mutual-use swappable batteries and their swapping systems as one of the solutions to address key challenges in the popularization of electric motorcycles — range and charging time — and reached an agreement to establish common specifications in March 2021.
Following these initiatives, Honda and Yamaha have agreed that Honda would supply models in the Class-1 category to Yamaha as an OEM, based on the EM1 e: and BENLY e: I, powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: swappable battery that comply with the common specifications. Through this collaboration, the two companies will continue to offer electric motorcycle models to more customers in the Class-1 category, a popular category for both personal mobility and business uses.
To further popularize electric motorcycles in the Class-1 category in Japan, the two companies will enhance their product lineup and continue to address challenges facing electric motorcycles such as range, charging time, performance and cost, the press release said.
