Have you been wondering what Yamaha’s next move is with its E01 electric scooter? Team Blue first introduced its 125cc-equivalent electric scoot in Japan in March 2022, shortly after unveiling a slightly less powerful electric scoot (the NEO’s) in Europe. The plan, Yamaha said, was for the E01 to eventually find its way to release in Europe, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan.
Since its initial introduction, the E01 was the subject of an experimental leasing program in Japan in November 2022. When that program was announced, Yamaha’s stated intent was to collect information from participating users about how it could better enhance the service for future use.
Fast forward to May 2023, and it seems that Yamaha is reasonably satisfied with what it’s learned so far. Like other OEMs, the company offers own-brand motorbike rental facilities throughout Japan—and the E01 is the latest model to find its way to official rental vehicle status.
Gallery: Yamaha E01 Now Available to Rent in Japan
As of May 10, 2023, interested riders can rent a Yamaha E01 from four select Yamaha Bike Rental locations: Yamaha Bike Rental Sapporo, Yamaha Bike Rental Nagoya, Yamaha Bike Rental Osaka, and Yamaha Bike Rental Fukuoka Airport. Riders over age 20 with a license allowing them to ride class 2 mopeds in Japan (which uses a tiered licensing system, for the unfamiliar) can rent an E01.
What do you need to know about charging? Each Yamaha E01 rental will come with a portable charging cable that renters can use to charge their E01 as needed. The charging port is conveniently located just under the headlight, on the front face of the scoot—right beneath the Yamaha logo, which acts as a cover for the charging port. Yamaha’s claimed range on a single charge is 104 kilometers, or about 64 miles. As with all electric vehicles, that range will vary greatly depending on multiple factors during actual use.
Yamaha’s claimed charging time from empty using a standard household socket and the provided charger is about 14 hours. That said, few riders will run their batteries down to empty in regular use, so your charging time will likely be less than that—but you should still be sure to plan accordingly if you rent one. During rental periods, Yamaha explicitly states that renters will not be allowed to charge their E01s at Yamaha rental outlets, nor at Yamaha dealerships. (The FAQ entry for this part is essentially a very polite version of “you don’t have to ride home, but you can’t stay here.”)
The under-seat storage area offers about 23 liters of space—which is enough for the charger, if you want to carry it with you, but is not particularly expansive. If you need to carry items with you on your ride, you’ll probably want to have some type of bag strapped to the pillion seat, or else wear a backpack while riding.
