Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing and Marketing

Plug-in Electric Motorcycle Launched in Japan

Electric vehicles produce no carbon dioxide emissions during operation and help reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As a result, efforts to support the widespread adoption of these vehicles have started on a global scale. Yamaha Motor launched the EC-03 electric commuter vehicle, which operates on a rechargeable battery and electric motor, in the Tokyo metropolitan area in September 2010, followed by a nationwide launch in October.
Yamaha Motor launched its first mass production electric motorcycle, the Passol, in 2002, and has worked to support the spread of "Smart Minimal Commuter" vehicles which will play an important role in next-generation urban transportation infrastructure. We also promote the spread of electrically power assisted bicycles with our PAS brand, which has enjoyed rapid growth in popularity in recent years. Yamaha Motor is committed to undertaking global initiatives that focus on optimal future mobility over the medium to long term tailored to the development of infrastructure that meets various societal needs, including vehicle charging infrastructure in homes and at travel destinations and the adoption of systems and regulations in Japan and overseas.

PAS Lineup of Electrically Power Assisted Bicycles Expanded

As appreciation of the convenience of electrically power assisted bicycles increases and concern about health and the environment rise, there has been growing use of these bicycles among housewives with children and seniors and demand for them as vehicles for commuting to work and school as well as business use by government agencies, local governments, and companies have also been increasing.
Yamaha Motor expanded its lineup of electrically power assisted bicycles in 2010. Since a high percentage of business users are men, the existing lineup of products with U-shaped frames was augmented with the September launch of the PAS Gear-S with a staggered frame.

Yamaha Motor Wins Innovation Award in the U.S. for its Outboard Motors

In September 2010, Yamaha Motor's VF250 4-stroke outboard engine for bass boats received the Innovation Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association at the 2010 International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX 2010) held in the United States. The VF250 was recognized as "a revolutionary 4-stroke engine with exceptional speed performance demanded in the bass boat category while achieving lightness comparable to or exceeding that of the existing 2-stroke models and maintaining the inherent 4-stroke strengths of environmental friendliness, fuel economy, and quietness."

Further details can be found on the website below (Yamaha Motor October 2010 official announcement).
http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/news/2010/1014/vf250.html

Golf Cars Provide Support at First-Aid and Rescue Sites

Yamaha Motor Powered Products Co., Ltd. launched in March 2010 the golf car based ambulance, which is outfitted with equipment necessary for first-aid services such as an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a stretcher.
Golf cars are used to transport people and goods not only at golf courses but also in airports, factories, hospitals, and many other facilities. Golf cars outfitted with special equipment are used to drive relief pitchers to the mound in baseball stadiums and even in amusements at theme parks. The use of golf cars to provide first-aid services constituted the beginning of the development of this new product. The installation of AEDs at sporting facilities and event venues is increasing, with AEDs playing an important role in lifesaving when every minute counts. As a result, the benefits of affording mobility to AEDs are significant.
An importer-distributor of Yamaha Motor group products in South Africa deployed rescue cars based on golf cars to each stadium for the Football World Cup in June 2010. Going forward, the Yamaha Motor group will continue to propose and promote the use of socially significant products.

Ongoing Testing of Specially-Equipped Vehicles with Nikko City

Yamaha Motor began working with a Nikko City project team in 2006 on researching specially-equipped vehicles intended to provide mobility support to seniors who are experiencing a decline in function with advancing age. In 2010, Yamaha Motor Engineering Co., Ltd. conducted verification trials using a prototype at a nursing home in Nikko City (vehicle type certification was obtained in January 2011).
The "Life Walker," which draws on technologies used in electrically power assisted bicycles, is operated by pedals assisted by a battery-powered electric motor. When the rider stops pedaling or removes his or her feet, the regenerative brakes automatically apply, and when the vehicle stops, the parking brake engages (the speed is limited to less than 6 km/h, the legal limit for electric wheelchairs).
The trials confirmed that the Life Walker could be a useful means of mobility for seniors who are concerned about going out because of loss of physical strength with advancing age, as well as being effective in recovery by persons suffering from disability on one side of the body. The Yamaha Motor group remains committed to utilizing its resources including its engineering, manufacturing and marketing capabilities and control technologies to solve social problems.

Providing Engineering and Manufacturing with Consistent Quality to Customers Around the World

As engineering and manufacturing become increasingly globalized and supply chains become longer, the standardization of engineering and skill levels at production bases located around the world has become a crucial issue. The Yamaha Motor group believes that handing down the tangible and intangible engineering and manufacturing assets that it has accumulated over the years to a new generation of personnel at overseas bases is also vital for maintaining our ability to provide "Yamaha quality" to customers in the future.
The Global Training Center, a production technician training facility opened in Indonesia to standardize technologies in engineering and manufacturing in different regions around the world and to develop essential human resources, entered its third year of operation in 2011. The Center features classroom training facilities such as large conference rooms and classrooms and practical training facilities for welding, machining, assembly, paint application, and final inspection training. The Center accepts recently hired employees from Indonesia and trainees from neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam for training conducted in accordance with a standardized global curriculum, providing the knowledge and raising the skills essential for engineering and manufacturing.