Yamaha is reportedly developing a new electric scooter codenamed RY01, which will be based on the River Indie. While the Japanese-based motorcycle manufacturer is not currently active in the Indian electric scooter market, it has some big plans incoming.
Yamaha’s new E-scooter is coming soon
The Indian electric scooter market is going through a major shift in scale as the market leader, OLA Electric, has suffered significant losses, which have benefited its fellow competitors like TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and Ather. It seems the time has finally come for Yamaha to enter this segment. Honda recently entered the segment Activa e and QC1, and Suzuki with the e-Access. So, while Yamaha might be late to the party, but better late than never.
Team Blue has already commenced development of its first electric scooter for India, which is a joint operation with the Indian electric mobility startup River. Codenamed RY01 internally, it could also mean River Yamaha 01. This marks the brand’s entry into India’s rapidly growing e-scooter market.
The launch is expected to happen by the end of 2025, and production will begin around July 2025 and September 2025. Yamaha is reportedly having complete ownership, while River is looking after innovation and execution. This means the startup will handle R&D, engineering, powertrain, battery and overall manufacturing for Yamaha.
Furthermore, Yamaha is also rumoured to be working on a new global electric 2W platform that will debut in 2026 or 2027. With River’s plant in Bengaluru deemed compatible with Yamaha’s quality and production standards, the joint project is expected to be beneficial for the Japanese brand in terms of cost, localisation and engineering.
Design is where Yamaha’s electric scooter will differ from River’s offerings and will fall in line with the brand’s reputation for sporty and premium offerings. For context, the River Indie offers a 4 kWh battery pack, which powers a 6.7 kW PMSM electric motor and is rated for 161 km of range from a single charge.
