River, the Indian manufacturer of electric powered two-wheelers, has received investment from Yamaha.
The investment from Yamaha has come as part of a round of funding from third-party investors.
The reasons for choosing an Indian manufacturer are clear. Firstly, as well as India being home to the largest motorcycle market in the world, it also has the world’s largest market for electric powered two-wheelers (PTWs). Secondly, the Indian government is an active advocate of electric vehicles, running several initiatives to incentivise people to buy them over traditional, combustion vehicles.
Therefore, it is clear to see the upside for Yamaha, which does build its own electric scooters (namely the Yamaha NEO’s and E01, as well as the new Booster pedelec) in acquiring a share of that market. Further, Yamaha makes clear that it wants to further its presence. It says: “Through this investment in River, Yamaha Motor is seeking new business partnerships together with the company in India's EV market.”
The investment also fits with Yamaha’s own environmental goals, notably the target of reducing CO2 emissions in what Yamaha calls its “value chain” by 90 per cent by the year 2050.
As for River itself, its range is headlined by its Indie scooter, which features a fairly welcoming, if square, design, and bright-coloured paint schemes. In terms of performance, it achieves figures of 9bhp and 19lb ft, and it featured a 4kWh battery that takes five hours to charge from flat to 80 per cent.
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