Former rivals, Honda and Yamaha will collaborate on an electric motorcycle initiative in Saitama city, Japan. This is intended to resolve issues in those areas lacking in transport accessibility.

This evaluation testing programme marks the first joint initiative between a local government body (which aims for a low-carbon society in which electric vehicles can be used in safety and comfort), and the two motorcycle manufacturers (which aim for the spread of EV motorcycles). It is an important step towards the reduction of CO2 emissions and the spread of electric motorcycles.

Evaluation testing will use Honda and Yamaha’s electric technology and Saitama City’s existing infrastructure in order to realise a low-carbon society and verify the extent of improvement in transportation convenience in areas lacking in transport accessibility.

As the next step in this evaluation testing programme, an EV motorcycle sharing scheme is under consideration. Building on its previous initiatives towards the expansion of use of electric automobiles, Saitama City hopes that encouraging the usage of EV motorcycles will contribute towards realising a low-carbon society.

Honda and Yamaha’s partnership, announced last year, will largely be confined to Japan. It was targeted at the 50cc scooter space, which is minuscule and the idea was that synergies here would keep costs in check.

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