This is going to sound shameful, but I'm not a fan of using public transport, generally. Well, specifically, I hate taking city buses in Ireland. They're rarely on time, you never know what kind of incident could happen—they're where I've seen some of the craziest stuff on Irish soil—and it's usually raining, so you're wet when you get on and embrace the rain again when you get off.
But when I discovered the state of public transport in the likes of Los Angeles and anywhere in Texas, I was appalled. It's not my favorite thing, but people deserve this; even need it, in cities. But if the government isn't doing anything about it, and you don't want to drown in car payments, it's time to take things into your own hands.
Yamaha Europe just added the NEO'S Core to its NEO'S electric scooter lineup, and it tackles one of the main issues folks take with electric motorcycles: price, or rather, value.
The NEO'S Core takes all the best attributes of the top-spec NEO'S, including its swappable 50.4V/19.2AH portable lithium-ion dual batteries and a maximum power of 2.5 kW from its rear wheel's hub motor, but cuts out the things you don't need. Hence the name "Core".
You get the same maximum range of 42 miles, which is the most important thing. But you also lose the electronic key fob in favor of a mechanical key, and you get a classic dashboard instead of an LED screen. The result is a 10 percent reduction in MSRP. The range-topping NEO'S Dual Battery costs €2,999 ($3,111), whereas the NEO'S Core can be yours for €2,699 ($2,800) if you live in Europe.
If you live in the US, unfortunately, you only have a fraction of Yamaha's global scooter lineup to choose from, and the NEO'S lineup isn't a part of it. If you'd like this range to hit US dealerships, let your voice be heard in the comments.
