The Yamaha MOTIV.e electric city car has been unveiled, showcasing the result of the collaboration between the Japanese motor company and Gordon Murray Design.
The Yamaha MOTIV.e electric vehicle follows on from Gordon Murray’s own T.25 and T.27 city cars, and claims to offer “ground-breaking manufacturing and materials technology” based on the McLaren F1 designer’s iStream concept.
Measuring 2.6m long, and 1.4m wide and tall, the MOTIV.e’s 730kg body is clothed in a Formula One-inspired composite plastic shell, which Yamaha and Murray claim is both rigid and environmentally friendly.
The car is built upon a steel frame, and uses all independent suspension and 15-inch wheels to “deliver new levels of ride and handling”.
The MOTIV.e is powered by a 15kW motor (capable of 25kW in short bursts), and uses a 7.2kWh battery. Despite the meagre power output, the city car also produces 658Nm of torque (with an 896Nm peak) – only 4Nm less than that generated by the V12-powered Mercedes S63 AMG, which weighs approximately three times as much as the MOTIV.e.
Yamaha claims the MOTIV.e has a top speed of more than 105km/h, and completes the 0-100km/h benchmark in less than 15 seconds. It also says the car has a real-world range of more than 160km.
The Yamaha MOTIV.e is on display at the Tokyo motor show.
