Engine swaps of the future just got way more interesting.
Yamaha has just opened its order books for its new performance electric motor prototype today.
This new electric motor is specifically developed to be ‘capable of producing the industry-leading high power density for automobiles and other types of vehicles’. In other words, its electric motors for EVs.
All you technically need to know here is that these new Yamaha EV motors can generate up to 200 kW (268 hp) and these compact units can be customised to suit the specific needs of individual customers with a short delivery time. Which means that this may be the key to the floodgates for the next generation of engine swapping enthusiasts out there.
The EV conversion scene is already huge with queues of people jamming EV powertrains into everything from old Beetles to classic Range Rovers. Look online and you’ll see even the V8s in retro Ferraris and air cooled flat-sixes of Porsche 911s aren’t immune to the trend of electrification.
While some may consider it historical revisionism or straight up vandalism to ‘ruin’ a classic like this, it is nonetheless still interesting to see where these Yamaha motors will end up in next.
A 300 hp Kelisa with the instant torque you only get from an EV sounds like a right hoot.
To readers who prefer two wheels, just know too that these EV motors can also be adapted for motorcycle use.
More information can be found in the press release below:
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 7272) announced today it has begun accepting orders for a high-performance electric motor prototype that is capable of producing the industry-leading high power density for automobiles and other types of vehicles. The compact unit generates up to 200kW in output thanks to a high-efficiency segment conductor and advanced casting and processing technologies that Yamaha has cultivated over many years.
Yamaha will customize the prototype to the specific needs of individual customers and deliver in short time spans utilizing production technology that the company flexibly adapts to its various product groups, including motorcycles.
Going forward, Yamaha expects to deepen its knowledge of evolving market needs by adapting the motor to the requirements of individual customers.
This initiative is part of Yamaha Motor’s “Transforming Mobility” business strategy, which the company announced together with its long-term vision to 2030 under the banner of “ART for Human Possibilities” on December 11, 2018.
