Yamaha Passol

The Yamaha Passol was an electric scooter manufactured by Yamaha Motor Company beginning in 2002,[1] and sold only in Japan.[2] Weight was 44 kilograms (97 lb) and claimed range 32 kilometres (20 mi).[1] It was described as the first mass-produced electric motorcycle in Japan[3][4] (the Peugeot Scoot'Elec was produced earlier). It had a lithium-ion battery. A Passol-L model with the same motor and bigger battery was released in 2005,[5][6] and a related electric, the EC-02, featuring a built-in iPod dock, also was released in 2005.[7]

Yamaha Passol/Passol-L
Passol-L at its 2005 Tokyo Motor Show introduction
ManufacturerYamaha Motor Company
Production2002–2007
ClassElectric scooter
EngineBrushless DC electric wheel hub motor
Power0.58 kW (0.78 hp)
Frame typeAluminum pipe backbone
SuspensionTelescopic fork
BrakesDrum front and rear
Tires60/100-12
Wheelbase1,040 mm
DimensionsL: 1,530 mm
W: 600 mm
H: 995 mm
Seat height745 mm
Weight44 kg (97 lb) (dry)
Fuel capacity14 Ah battery (Passol)
Turning radius1.6 m
RelatedYamaha EC-02

A recall for battery problems in the Passol and EC-02 was issued in late 2006,[8] followed by the halting of production of all Yamaha electric motorcycles in 2007 due to the recall coupled with weak sales.[3][9]

Records and awards

In 2003, the Passol won the Good Design Gold Award (MITI Prize) from Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry.[10]

In 2004, Japanese long-distance motorcyclist Kanichi Fujiwara set off to circumnavigate the world on a Passol.[11] It may have been the first global circumnavigation by electric two-wheeler.[12]

In 2004, Yamaha won the Hong Kong Design Centre's Design for Asia Award for Product Design for the Passol.[4]

In exhibitions

A Passol was exhibited in an international show on Japanese design at Metropolitan State College of Denver's Center for Visual Art in 2005.[13]

Specifications

Specifications in infobox from Ono & Undated:6.

Notes and references

Notes
  1. AFP 2002.
  2. Moodie 2007.
  3. AFP 2010.
  4. Hong Kong Design Centre 2004.
  5. CNET 2005.
  6. Hanlon 2005.
  7. Top Gear 2007.
  8. Yamaha 2006.
  9. Kume 2010.
  10. MITI 2003.
  11. Hedge 2004.
  12. Tesch 2013.
  13. MacMillan 2005.

References
  • Passol-L electronic brochure from Yamaha Museum's 2003 Tokyo Motor Show display
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