Last year, MotoPinas.com has reported about Yamaha’s new high-output electric motors that are being developed for multiple applications, including motorcycles. Now, just barely a year after that announcement, the Iwata-based manufacturer says it has developed an electric motor that reached the industry's highest class in output density.
These new electric motors are so powerful, their output can be compared to that of a V8 muscle car. To give you an idea, a new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 5.0L V8 engine produces a claimed 480 horsepower (486 Ps), whereas these new Yamaha electric motors can produce 470 horsepower (476 Ps). Of course, you'll also need a large battery to sustain that kind of power.
These electric motors were designed for use in electric vehicles (EVs), especially sporty models and other vehicles that require high-output. Yamaha will begin accepting orders for prototype development starting this month.
Motorcycle use
Like what Yamaha mentioned, these electric motors were developed for a wide range of vehicles, including motorcycles. These new electric motors are light and compact, with its gear and inverter integrated into one unit, the size could be smaller than Yamaha’s existing inline-four gasoline-powered engines. Best of all, they're also modular, allowing any EV maker to put them side by side and easily make an all-wheel drive, 4-motor EV.
As you can tell by the photo, this particular modular electric motor is designed for a four-wheeled vehicle, but Yamaha is also working on a version that will easily fit a motorcycle.
Yamaha plans to exhibit the 470-hp class unit and its other electric motor prototypes at the 2021 Automotive Engineering Exposition in Yokohama from May 26 to May 28, 2021.
