Automotive

Yamaha MOTIV.e city car to use ultra-high-speed Zytek electric drive train

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The respective presidents of Yamaha Motor and Gordon Murray Design at the launch of the MOTIV.e. That's Hiroyuki Yanagi on the left and Gordon Murray at right.
The respective presidents of Yamaha Motor and Gordon Murray Design at the launch of the MOTIV.e. That's Hiroyuki Yanagi on the left and Gordon Murray at right.
Gordon Murray at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
The MOTIV.e frame
One of the drive-trains being built for the MOTIV.e is this 1000cc three cylinder engine
Zytek's electric engine
Display from 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
Display from 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
The MOTIV.e on display at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
The MOTIV.e on display at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
Display from 2013 Tokyo Motor Show
One of the drive-trains being built for the MOTIV.e is this 1000cc three cylinder engine
One of the drive-trains being built for the MOTIV.e is this 1000cc three cylinder engine
Zytek's electric engine and reduction gearbox
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e
The Yamaha MOTIV.e is expected to be marketed with a range of interchangeable bodies
The latest Yamaha MOTIV.e specs
View gallery - 22 images

More details have emerged on the development of the Yamaha MOTIV.e city car concept which was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show last November. The MOTIV.e will be offered with several drivetrains, including an electric version, and EV specialist Zytek will supply a purpose-built ultra-high-speed motor for the project.

The 25 kW Zytek motor spins to 15,000 rpm and comes with advanced thermal management and control integration. The unit has been designed to cut cost, weight and size and this appears to have been achieved as the motor weighs just 13 kg (29 lbs), the gearbox just 11 kg (24 lbs) and the inverter just 7.5 kg (17 lbs).

Gordon Murray at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

The Yamaha MOTIV.e emanated from a partnership between Yamaha and Gordon Murray Design, using Murray’s iStream manufacturing technology and what appears to be a close relative of Murray's much-vaunted City Car – billed as an efficient electric vehicle at an affordable price. The car is Yamaha's first step into the automotive industry, and more cars will follow, though the aim is to produce cars of excellent drivability and with an emphasis on Yamaha's reputation for producing outstanding engines.

Zytek's electric engine

“Yamaha wanted the vehicle to reflect the company’s reputation for outstanding engines,” according to Zytek Marketing Director Steve Tremble. “Interpreting this in an electric vehicle has driven excellence in performance and driveability, as well as in weight reduction and efficiency, building on the potential of iStream to deliver an agile drivers’ car as well as maximizing the range.”

Zytek's electric engine and reduction gearbox

Zytek will supply Yamaha with the electric motor, Vocis single speed reduction gearbox, and an Electronic Vehicle Control Module (EVCM) which includes thermal management within the decision-making algorithms.

The Yamaha MOTIV.e is expected to be marketed with a range of interchangeable bodies

“This is a new generation of EVCM that integrates torque arbitration, temperature control and voltage management to allow better decision making,” Zytek’s engineering program manager, Neil Cheeseman explains. “It optimizes the driver’s torque request based on a broad range of parameters including battery charge and temperature and the grip available at the tires. By integrating these decisions, we can provide more with less to improve both the driving experience and the range while reducing the size, weight and cost of the power electronics and battery pack.”

The latest Yamaha MOTIV.e specs

View gallery - 22 images
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7 comments
BigGoofyGuy
I think those are way cool. Some seemed to be inspired by the Smart Fortwo (a good thing IMO since I like and own a Smart Fortwo). Some are even cooler and would - IMO - appeal to a great audience.
Since they are into building engines, perhaps they could be used in other vehicles? The electric motor seems ideal for the Smart ED, similar in size of one of the vehicle designs.
BeWalt
Wow, what an impressive list of specs, and what an amazing project! Finally, the Tesla bug of thinking outside the box is starting to get around.
I keep reading it over and over again, just look at the vehicle mass, the range, and that torque! Holy! If these guys really can deliver on this, that'll be the the first thing out there that can be called the next step up the ladder to the perfect electric vehicle, the first one being the Model S.
George Parrott
Seems a little optimistic in terms of range (>100 miles) on 7.2kWh of usable battery capacity. THAT means a new "record" in terms of efficiency for sure. It is hard to believe more than even 60 miles range on that small a battery pack.
The Skud
Looks like a goer! Sacrifice a little speed if necessary by adding a bigger battery pack for more distance, and we're on! My little Daewo Matiz - 4 seater hatchback / 3 cylinders, petrol - will good a long, long way on $40 of petrol ($1. 60+ a litre, still not a full tank), and at 110-120 Km/h, so it is still hard to justify changing 'green' for 'distance'. But it DOES look neat.
Gavin Roe
unless the car weighs less than 500kg or you have one of those motors on each wheel you will be under powered
Mel Tisdale
I would prefer it to be front wheel drive, especially seeing as I live where we get more than enough snow to contend with, without having to put extra effort into extricating my car out of the stuff because I can't point the power, so to speak. I suppose they have good reasons for driving the rear wheels, but it would put me off buying one.
duh3000
Excellent news. Brilliant specs. I notice there is no use of the conditional in this article. It's "will" everywhere. So the questions are: When? And for how much?