JAKARTA - Yamaha is reopening a long road that was delayed. The Japanese manufacturer is developing a hybrid scooter with two electric motors, one combustion engine, CVT transmission, and automatic clutch.
Cycle World, quoted Friday, July 10, reported that the technology was seen in Yamaha's latest patent application. The document shows how the Proto HEV drive system works and how the technology can be installed on a maxi scooter with a conventional shape.
This move is interesting because Yamaha has actually been playing with the idea of a hybrid motorcycle for a long time. However, until 2026, the manufacturer does not have a hybrid motorcycle in its mass product line.
Yamaha's trail in this technology began in 2005 through the Gen-Ryu concept. The art deco cruiser-tourer style motorcycle combines an electric motor with a 599 cc inline four-cylinder engine from the YZF-R6.
The system uses a Toyota Prius-style planetary transmission to balance the power of the engine and electric motor. The idea continued in 2007 and 2008 through the HV-X concept.
The HV-X uses a parallel two-cylinder engine from the TMax 500 scooter. Yamaha again uses a planetary transmission to combine the power of the combustion engine and the electric motor.
Yamaha and Toyota have long worked together on various projects. When the Toyota Prius was strong in the global market, hybrid technology began to be looked at for motorcycles.
However, HV-X never went into production. After the 2008 global economic crisis, many manufacturers cut research budgets and withdrew from new projects considered risky, including hybrid technology.
Now, the direction is open again. Last year, Yamaha introduced two hybrid prototypes, namely the Proto PHEV and Proto HEV.
The PHEV prototype is a three-cylinder naked bike based on the MT-09 with a plug-in hybrid system to improve performance and reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the HEV prototype uses a single-cylinder engine, two electric motors, and a twist-and-go belt CVT transmission.
CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission is an automatic transmission that smoothly transmits power without fixed gear shifts. On a scooter, the rider simply turns the gas without having to shift gears.
In Yamaha's patent, the Proto HEV is described as a parallel-series hybrid. This means that the scooter can run on electric power alone, combustion engine alone, or a combination of the two.
The key is in two electric motor-generator units. The first motor is placed behind the swingarm unit as well as the scooter transmission and works directly to the rear wheel.
The bike gets its power from a large battery pack between the rider's feet. In full electric mode, the combustion engine is turned off and disconnected from the CVT via an electromagnetic clutch.
The rear motor can also help recharge the battery when the scooter slows down. This process is called power regeneration, which is converting energy when the vehicle slows down into electricity for the battery.
The second motor is attached to the crankshaft of the engine. Its function is dual, as a motor and a generator. When the battery is weakened to a certain extent, the combustion engine can start automatically.
When the electromagnetic clutch is disconnected from the CVT, the engine can work at a constant speed that is more efficient for driving the generator and recharging the battery. In this way, the engine acts as an extender for mileage, while the scooter continues to run in electric mode.
If the rider needs more power, the automatic clutch will be active. The combustion engine is connected to the CVT transmission to drive the rear wheels like a regular matic scooter.
At the same time, the front motor-generator continues to recharge the battery. The rear motor can also assist the engine in parallel hybrid mode.
Yamaha also prepares a boost mode for performance. In this mode, the front and rear electric motors help the combustion engine so that the torque and power on the rear wheel is greater.
Cycle World said Yamaha's patent focuses on two things. First, how the system switches between modes automatically without the driver's intervention. The driving computer must regulate the work of two electric motors, power regeneration, engine gas opening, as well as active and passive clutch.
The transition should be smooth. Drivers don't need to worry about whether the power is coming from the battery, the engine, or a combination of the two.
The second focus is the placement of the hybrid system on a scooter whose shape remains practical. The patent illustration shows that the components can be packed into the scooter body with a foot deck and a front panel like a maxi scooter in general.
The opportunity for scooters like the Proto HEV could open up even more as many cities around the world implement zero-emission zones. These scooters can run on full electric mode in certain areas, but still have a range and ease of refueling from a combustion engine.
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