While some may be disappointed with the longer than expected wait for a Yamaha e-scooter, it is probably a good thing. Yamaha has already started working on this project for India and we are looking at a two to three year timeline before it is ready. So we will take some time, but offer something unique.”

I recognise that even if we rush the product, we will not be introducing anything to our brand. “So we shifted our direction from the Neo’s. He went on to say that they won’t chase volumes, but the scooter should contribute to reinforcing the brand. With this in mind, Chihana tells us that Yamaha decided that in case they make an electric vehicle, it should be ‘something exciting, something outstanding, something sporty’. So we are also stressing on making a product that is exciting, stylish and sporty. That is different from our internal combustion customers who buy our products not only for economical value but buy bikes like the R15 and MT-15 for the aspiration value, style and performance. With petrol prices being so high, people buy mainly for economic value. “In India, the biggest motivation is low running costs. However, Chihana says that as time passed, Yamaha started to observe that the typical EV customer in India is different from those in Europe who buy EV scooters primarily for green, eco-friendly reasons. The original plan was to bring an adapted version of the stylish Neo’s scooter to India, and at the time, Chihana told us that it would offer more than the Euro spec scooter’s 37km range, but meeting the 100km range figure offered by existing rivals would be difficult. However, a lot has changed since then, especially around regulatory structures and subsidies for electric bikes in India, and, as it appears, Yamaha’s own plans have also changed.

Around a year back, Yamaha India chairman Eishin Chihana informed us that the company was working on adapting its Neo’s electric scooter for an India launch.

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