Monday, August 31, 2015
Yamaha Motiv electric car: Price could be a big letdown
So, we have news that Yamaha is venturing into the four-wheel or car segment, which of course is not its area of expertise, and for a start, the Japanese bike major is going to launch a basic (Tata Nano-like) car, the Motiv, which is a next gen electric vehicle but the high price could be a big letdown, especially in developing markets like India.
But Honda had made such cars five decades ago (by diversifying into the car business) and should this give Yamaha some reason to smile?
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| The Yamaha Motiv. |
Yamaha, which has been successful with two-wheelers, will showcase the Motiv at the Tokyo Motor Show and the car could be seen in the streets in about two to three years.
But whether it would come to India and when is the big question.
The Motiv is all set to be a light weight car having plastic panels surrounding the body, weighing 730 kg and with 2.6 metres length along with 1.46 metres width.
The Yamaha concept car is set to be propelled by a 25 KW (33.5 PS and 658 Nm) electric motor, which, according to its maker, has a stunning range to travel more than 165 km and needs a charging time of three hours. The top speed of the Motiv is 100 miles per hour.
Although not confirmed, the Motiv could also come with a 1,000 cc, three-cylinder, four-stroke, petrol engine, which is set to belt out 100 PS power. Alongside the light chassis and body, the Motiv will have a rear-mounted power plant and an independent suspension on all wheels.
The Motiv will be a two-seater car with two normal doors that open from the side instead of the ones that open vertically.
Yamaha has experience in four-wheel engines with car makers like Ford, Volvo as well as Toyota sourcing engines from the two-wheeler giant.
The Yamaha Motiv car will be based on Gordon Murray’s coveted T.25 and T.27 small cars. Murray is a F1 designer, who designed cars which have won many F1 accolades.
He designed the well known McLaren F1 supercar, which holds the record for being one of the fastest cars with a top speed of 384 km per hour.
If things go as per Yamaha’s plan, the Motiv could hit the roads in 2016 and be priced around £10,000 but may not ideally be suited for developing markets, at that price, at least!
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