A quick look at the Yamaha E01

MANILA: During a recent trip at Sepang for this year’s Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP), Zigwheels Philippines had the opportunity to see in the metal some examples of the Yamaha E01.

The said motorcycles were driven by riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli to go around the VIP area during the competition days. Seeing the electric scooter parked outside the brand’s paddocks at the race, we were able to check out the electric scooter and asked Yamaha Motor Philippines to bring it to the local market after learning some notable details about it.

Here’s why the Yamaha E01 is believed to have a strong market in the country.

Outside, the electric motorcycle has a strong resemblance to one of the brand’s famous models in the country — the NMax — but with few welcomed tweaks. The said styling is based on Yamaha's Jin-Ki Kanno EV Design concept.

At the front of the vehicle are headlights neatly tucked beneath the front fairing (near the suspension). The charging port is placed at the middle covered by a lid that sports the E01 badging. Such layout will help riders to easily juice up its battery and for others to easily distinguish the model apart from the other nameplates.

It also has slim and pointed turning lights below the handlebars that look very similar to the one found in the well-loved scooter in the country.

To its sides are the long footrests that assure ergonomics to riders while onboard the vehicle. Further at the back are a pair of aluminum footpegs for the pillion. However, we have yet to see a Yamaha E01 version that has grab handles.

At the rear are dual shocks that are expected to dampen the ruts on the roads, mudguard instead of flap, and bar-type brake lights.

Underneath the seat is the lithium-ion non-removable battery that reportedly gives its rider a range of up to 104 kilometers (more than enough to cover a day’s worth of commute in Metro Manila).

Propelling the motorcycle is a Yamaha-developed electric mill that can dish out around 11 horses. The Yamaha E01 is a clean way to move around the metro since it does not give out fumes that could pollute air. Weaving through traffic would be easy since it nearly has the same dimension as the famous scooter in the Philippines.

According to the Japanese motorcycle marque, the Yamaha E01 is suitable for inter-urban mobility as it features usability comparable to 50-125 cubic centimeter gasoline-fed scooters.

Overall, the Yamaha E01 will be a strong contender in the market, should it be brought into the country. We are keeping our fingers crossed for this.

While Photos from Ruben Manahan IV

Also read:

Yamaha to introduce two new electric scooters - E01 and EC-05