Yamaha promises unheard of levels of performance from its two-wheel drive EV motorbike concept. Called PES2, it’s an evolution of 2013’s PES1 concept and one that looks much closer to production.
It doesn’t say how much power the PES2 makes, but it does have two brushless motors driving the wheels. The front motor is located inside the wheel hub, while the rear one is found within the chassis of the bike, driving the rear wheel via chain.
Energy is stored in a removable battery pack that is also apparently part of the bike’s structure. They call it Smart Power Module and we presume you’ll be able to carry it and charge it indoors – this could make the bike much more useful to more types of riders.
Yamaha will be the first major motorbike manufacturer to enter the electric market, especially if it keeps its promise of delivering a commercially viable model to market by 2016. The company will also show an off-road oriented electric bike too; it’s called PED2, but it’s only rear-wheel drive.