Yamaha releases NEO’S electric scooter in Europe
A small commuter scooter with a hot-swap battery pack aims to end Europe’s traffic woesYamaha has announced it will start selling the uniquely named NEO’S electric scooter in Europe as a way to dodge congestion, zip through low-emission vehicle zones and make parking easy.
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The new 2.5kW scooter will feature a backpack-sized hot-swap battery that will allow users to carry a spare just in case the daily commute saps the energy of the one already powering the bike.
Yamaha is marketing the NEO’S as an alternative to a conventional petrol-fuelled 50cc scooter, believing that the smallest end of the two-wheeled market is ready to make the switch to electric alternatives.
The bike will be built in Vietnam and feature a “Yamaha Integrated Power Unit II”, otherwise known as a second-generation electric motor, a battery capable of providing up to 37km of range in ideal conditions, and a lightweight frame and “new” low rolling resistance tyres that will provide “a comfortable, energy-efficient ride”.
Futuristic design
The NEO’S will adopt Yamaha’s Jin-Ki Kanno design mantra of providing the rider with a sense they are one with the scooter, as well as tapping into the design DNA of the radical Motoroid two-wheeler concept launched by Yamaha in 2017.
The Motoroid envisioned a futuristic electric bike that could operate autonomously and keep itself upright without any input from the rider.
However, rather than look too Tron-like, the NEO'S scooter remains very derivative of the world’s best-selling motorbike, the Honda SuperCub.
Yamaha has priced the NEO’S at €2999 ($A4500), with sales expected to hit 10,000 units a year.
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