According to a media report, Yamaha has filed a design patent for electric charging sockets to be used on their upcoming electric bikes. The design patents lead us to believe that the Japanese manufacturer is going to develop a fully electric motorcycle soon. Recently the Government of India proposed a mass electrification plan which also proposes banning of internal combustion engine two-wheelers under the 150cc segment by 2025 and it is important to note the segment has a substantial market share in India.
In the pictures that have been circulating on the internet, three different designs can be seen. The first one is on a semi-faired motorcycle which has the socket on the fuel tank, where the conventional motorcycle fills petrol. The second design has a charging socket under the pillion seat of a naked motorcycle and the third motorcycle which resembles the front nose of the old generation YZF-R1 has the socket placed in between the headlights.
The Japanese manufacturers – Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki have teamed up to develop a standardised charging and battery swapping station in their home country and are expected to create a standard interchangeable battery to do duty on their upcoming electric two-wheelers. This design patent could be the charging socket that will be used on their charging system for better convenience on a daily basis.
In related news, Yamaha has recently teased a video of an upcoming electric scooter EC-05, which will be developed with a Taiwanese manufacturer, Gogoro. The scooter will be currently developed only for the Taiwanese market, which has more than 1,000 battery exchange stations. The company is likely to venture in other world markets and in India as charging infrastructure improves.
In India, the Government has already proposed for reduced GST (Goods and Service Tax) and various other subsidies on clean green vehicles. Recently the Government also proposed to complete waiver-off on registration charges to encourage the sales of electric vehicles.