YAMAHA

Global brand president bets on biofuel-powered motorcycles for the Asian market

In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Yamaha Motor President Yoshihiro Hidaka said the company does not plan to drastically increase the number of electric motorcycle models in the Asian region. Electricity in Asian countries is far from good everywhere, so the company intends to actively promote biofuel-powered motorcycles in those countries and, only to a limited extent, battery-powered motorcycles.

Asia accounts for around 80% of Yamaha Motor's annual deliveries. Like other vehicle manufacturers, the company is actively developing electric motorcycle models. By 2024, this Japanese manufacturer plans to bring more than 10 models of battery-powered traction motorcycles to the world market. At the same time, the head of the company is categorical: “We are in no hurry to launch all models of electric motorcycles in the Asian region”.

Instead of electric vehicles, Yamaha Motor will introduce many models of synthetic fuel motorcycles in Asia. As a rule, this is a mixture of gasoline and ethanol (bioethanol), whose combustion exhaust emits less CO2 into the atmosphere. Yamaha Motor has already launched several of these models in Brazil. Next are deliveries of these motorcycles to India and Indonesia.

“Although we may have to change some specifications, the current internal combustion engine will run as it is even when [the tank] is full of biofuel,” President Yoshihiro Hidaka said in an interview with Nikkei Asia on Monday.

In parallel, the company is developing an internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen. Refueling hydrogen will also prevent the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and eliminate dependence on electrical grids. But this will be in the next phase of introducing environmentally friendly transport.

Image source: Yamaha Motor