Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha has unveiled its first electric scooter offering. The scooter christened the EC-03 is the first of a series of electric scooters which the manufacturer plans to launch in its home country of Japan.

Yamaha has designed the EC-03 on the philosophy of it being a ‘smart minimal commuter’. The EC-03 has a 50v Lithium-Ion battery pack supplied by Sanyo and is powered by a Yamaha Integrated Power Unit (YIPU).

The YIPU comprises a brushless DC motor, control unit and a planetary gear transmission system, all of which are integrated into the hub of the rear wheel of the scooter.

The YIPU of the EC-03 has power and torque outputs of 1.9 hp and 7.1lb-ft respectively. The scooter has a range of 43 kilometres alongwith a top speed of 30 kmph while having a 55 kg rider onboard. The EC-03′s batteries take six hours to attain a full charge. The EC-03 electric scooter weighs just 56 kgs, which is about 30 % of the weight of a conventional petrol powered 50 cc scooter.

Yamaha has started accepting bookings for the EC-03 electric scooter in Tokyo since July 15 and will start accepting bookings countrywide in Japan from September 15 2010. The company will put the EC-03 up for sale from September 1 in Tokyo and the rest of Japan can get their hands on it a month later.

Yamaha aims to become the market leader in electric motorcycles by the year 2020. The company aims to do so by expanding its presence in electric two-wheelers other than its home country of Japan by venturing into markets like China, Europe and Taiwan. India may not be on the company’s radar for now, but this could change as soon as the Indian two-wheeler matures and Indian customers are offered electric two-wheelers at wallet friendly price points.

Yamaha EC-03 Electric Scooter Official Promotional Video

Source - Auto Evolution