Yamaha cancels Neo’s electric scooter launch in India, will now bring a new model

Yamaha cancels Neo’s electric scooter launch

The team at Yamaha has moved on from its plans to launch the Yamaha Neo’s electric scooter in India. Yamaha India Chairman Eishin Chihana had earlier announced that the company was interested in bringing an Indian-adapted version of the Yamaha Neo’s electric scooter. However, the model’s 37km range will not be suitable for the requirements that Indian consumers have especially in a market where popular EV brands like Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X and TVS iQube all offer a real-world range of more than 100km on a single charge.

Moreover, according to Chairman Chihana Yamaha’s European market audience acquire EVs for eco-friendly and sustainability reasons. On the other hand, an average Indian customer is looking for a cost-effective offering. Yamaha’s current portfolio of ICE-based motorcycles also offers multiple products which are stylish, sporty and economical and the brand is associated with its Racing Blue paint scheme and ample amounts of performance. The company intends to carry forward this DNA into its first EV offering for India.

After the Indian Government tightened incentives for EVs, the proposition to sell a premium electric scooter with a low range per charge becomes a more difficult sell for the manufacturer. The company is thus banking on its motorsport lineage and brand value to offer a unique electric two-wheeler for the Indian market. 

Yamaha electric two-wheeler launch timeline

Yamaha India Chairman Eishin Chihana suggests that the company could take some time to debut its first product in a quest to conceive a product that imbibes the brand’s intrinsic qualities. The current estimate stands at two to three years for the product to reach the market.