Today, both companies simultaneously sent the same press release, confirming the story. They verify that Honda will start providing Yamaha with electric bike platforms based on the previously available EM1 e and BENLY e: Class 1 electric bikes.
In the Japanese motorbike market, class 1 bikes are small, light vehicles primarily used in urban settings. In the electric sector, they particularly refer to bikes similar to a 50cc moped or with an electric motor delivering 0.60 kW (around 1 bhp) or less—the power at the wheel may be higher thanks to gearing.
Press releases of Honda and Yamaha
Following the revelation in 2017 that the Japanese “Big Four”—Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha—formed the Swapable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles, the news tracked this development closely. This working group’s design aimed to improve cooperation within the Japanese motorcycle sector and develop a common battery type for small and medium electric bikes and other lightweight vehicles.
Launched only in May, the Honda EM1 e boasts a 2.2 bhp peak power and tips at 95 kg (with the battery). It takes six hours to completely recharge and covers thirty kilometers. First unveiled in 2019, the Benly e has been in the market for some time. Its 55-mile range is somewhat longer than that, and it takes four hours or so to recharge completely. Powered by a 3.6 bhp engine, the BENLY e: I weighs 125 kg.
EM1 vs BENLY e: I
Although the EM1 is a slick-looking urban commuter, the BENLY e: I is an out-and-out utility bike mostly targeted at small businesses, delivery, and courier riders. Although the new bikes will retain the majority of the Honda base, we expect them to continue catering to both the general public and business users. Once Yamaha completes their modifications, we can’t predict how they will appear.
The press release confirms that the two titans of the Japanese motorcycle industry will collaborate closely to address the “challenges facing electric motorcycles such as range, charging time, performance, and cost,” but it does not specify the release date of the first bikes from this partnership. For more news and updates keep visiting BikersInsider.
