Yamaha Unveils New 469 HP (350 kW) Electric Motor For Third Party ‘Hyper EVs’

Yamaha has announced its entry into the 350 kW EV motor segment. The Japanese manufacturer says its compact electric motor is aimed for use in “hyper-EV models.”

The motor is important because it means that Yamaha will be able to manufacture EV components that keep up with the best EVs today. The 350 kW (equal to 469-hp) class motor can work at an operating voltage of 800V, like the Porsche Taycan and others.

Yamaha is heralding the compact size of its electric motor as one of its primary benefits. Indeed, the design combines electrical and mechanical components to save space. That means, for example, that the gear and inverter have been integrated into one unit.

The manufacturer has been accepting commissions for the development of electric motors since 2020, albeit less powerful (35–200 kW), and it seems that it intends to sell this motor and components to other manufacturers interested in making EVs. Although Yamaha is better known for its motorcycles, it has long helped design components for cars and other vehicles.

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The Japanese firm says that it has a wealth of experience making prototypes on commission and boasts that it can build them to customers’ specifications in a short period of time.

The race to go electric is pushing many major automakers to invest heavily in electric mobility. The acceleration of EV production is happening at such a pace that some will doubtless struggle to keep up, which may be where Yamaha wants to come in, helping to supply smaller companies with credible EV components.

It wouldn’t be the first to sell components to other automakers, though. Volkswagen has already inked a deal to sell its MEB electric platform to Ford, while Audi and Porsche have said they’d be open to licensing their PPE architecture to other automakers.

As with gearboxes and other parts, it will certainly be cheaper for some automakers to buy motors than to produce their own. And given the small size of electric motors, designing a car around them shouldn’t be too challenging.