Tested Online Motorcycle, Yamaha Neos Electric Motorcycle to be Sold to the Public?

JAKARTA - Yamaha actually gave a strong signal about its seriousness in the field of electric motorcycles in the country. Two EV models were exhibited, and road tests were also carried out.

However, until now, the Japanese brand is still holding back from actually selling its electric motorcycle in Indonesia. One of the most eye-catching is the Yamaha Neos.

This electric scooter was tested on the streets of the capital with online taxi partners as part of a development with a battery swap system. Unfortunately, the future of Neos in the domestic market is still shrouded in question marks.

"The test is indeed a project directly from Yamaha Motor Company," said Manager of Public Relations, YRA & Community PT Yamaha Indonesia Motor Mfg Rifki Maulana, in Jakarta.

Rifki emphasized that Yamaha Indonesia's role so far is limited to facilitating trials in the country. All directions and strategic decisions are still in the hands of the principal, and it seems to be still in the evaluation stage.

"The original target was actually three months, but it could be possible to extend it," he said.

Furthermore, Yamaha is said to still be looking for the most suitable formula before actually releasing an electric motorcycle to the Indonesian market. Starting from the sales approach, battery scheme, to the characteristics and needs of local consumers are still being studied.

"YMC is again looking for strategies on how to collaborate with YIMM to find the most efficient launch of electric motorcycles for Indonesia," said Rifki.

In other words, even though the trial has been carried out, Yamaha is not yet brave enough to put an official launch calendar for Neos. The certainty of when this electric scooter will really hit the road and can be owned by Indonesian consumers still has to be waited for.

As part of the study, Yamaha previously partnered with a ride-sharing company to test the performance of electric vehicles with a battery swap system. The motorcycles are operated directly by driver partners to measure their effectiveness in urban mobility.

"Through this project, we will see how the effectiveness of Yamaha's EV vehicles in supporting urban community mobility and also its business potential," said Director of PT Yamaha Indonesia Motor Mfg. Satoshi Takagi.

He hopes that the study will be able to produce a comprehensive picture of the most environmentally friendly vehicles that are most suitable for the character of Indonesian consumers. To support the trial, Yamaha also collaborates with various parties in providing independent battery exchange stations at a number of strategic points.

In terms of specifications, the Yamaha Neos is equipped with a 2.3 kW electric motor or the equivalent of 3.0 hp with a peak torque of 138.3 Nm. This power is supplied by a lithium-ion/BFM1 battery with a capacity of 51.1 V and 23.2 Ah, which is claimed to be able to travel up to 72 kilometers in full battery condition.