Yamaha launches special edition electric bike to celebrate 30 years of building e-bikes
Yamaha has just announced a new limited edition electric bicycle known as the 30th Anniversary Special Edition YDX-MORO 07.
The launch celebrates Yamaha’s 30 years of e-bike building, which made the company the first to bring a production e-bike to market. Technically there are electric bicycle patents going back around a century, but most were experimental prototypes, and none reached mass production. Similarly to the lengthy hiatus that electric cars suffered before rediscovering a broader audience, electric bikes largely disappeared for most of the 20th century until Yamaha brought its first e-bike model to market in 1993.
The rest, as they say, is history. And 30 years of history is as good a reason as any to celebrate, especially if it means a special edition of Yamaha’s most innovative electric mountain bike model to date.
The YDX-MORO e-MTB was first launched in the summer of 2020 and then refreshed in 2022 with several updates, including an advanced new motor.
The full-suspension e-bike uses a novel frame design known as a Dual Twin that divides both the down tube and top tube into two separate frame members. The patented design features air gaps between the tubes that provide space for the battery and rear suspension, creating a compact, lightweight frame that doesn’t skimp on performance.
It’s the kind of innovation you’d expect to see from a company with 30 years of e-bike design under its belt. According to National Sales and Marketing Manager Drew Engelmann, we should expect to see more of this type of advanced design and innovative tech from Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles:
Yamaha has been a pioneer in e-bikes for more than three decades, and this is an exciting time to be pushing the industry forward in the US. In 2023, we affirm our dedication to continue further advancing our technologies and offerings to bring riders in the U.S. e-bikes that make every day more fun and fulfilling.
The 30th Anniversary Special Edition YDX-MORO 07 features impressive range efficiency, higher torque, and Yamaha’s most advanced drive technology yet in the PW-X3 motor. That drive unit includes the Interface X control unit, Yamaha’s quad sensor system and what the company describes as “the smoothest delivery of assist felt on a power assist bicycle in a lighter and more powerful complete package.”
The new Special Edition model will also include a unique polished aluminum finish coat, Yamaha racing blue rocker link and headtube, a 30th Anniversary 3D badge on the top tube and a commemorative decal on the rear of the seat tube.
Yamaha has long produced its own electric bicycle motors, and the PW-X3 is the most advanced e-bike drive system in its lineup. The motor offers a major performance boost in a package that is both smaller and more powerful than previous Yamaha motors.
Don’t let its regulatory rating of 250W fool you – the mid-drive motor has a maximum torque of 85 Nm and comes with a 500W peak power rating in its highest power operation mode.
Those ride modes include Eco, Standard, High, MTB, Extra-Power, and Automatic-Mode, as well as a Walk-Assist mode. Yamaha’s Automatic Mode lets the bike intelligently select the power mode based on the rider’s climbing, descending or braking behavior, thus allowing the rider to focus entirely on the trail.
Yamaha’s Automatic Support Mode uses a quad-sensor system, which is more refined than a cadence or torque sensor. It allows the bike to select the right amount of assistance based on riding conditions, whether accelerating, braking, or climbing, and lets riders leave ride mode changes to the system so they can focus on the trail.
The 30th Anniversary Special Edition YDX-MORO 07 is priced at $6,499, which puts this commemorative piece of e-bike history at just a $100 premium over the existing YDX-MORO 07.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Trump approves U.S. Steel merger with Japan’s Nippon after companies sign national security agreement
European EV charging provider Allego has launched what is says is Europe’s first rollout of the “world’s safest and most secure” Plug & Charge technology.
The new tech is based on the open industry standard OCPP 2.0.1 and promises to make EV charging as easy as, well, plugging in your car. Forget apps, cards, and complicated sign-ins. If your EV is compatible, all you have to do is pull up and plug in.
Jean Gadrat, Allego’s CMO, said, “By removing digital friction points, apps, and cards, we give drivers the confidence to travel further and charge more conveniently. Whether in the city, on the highway, or abroad, Plug & Charge delivers the same secure, one-step charging experience.”
Here’s how Allego’s Plug & Charge works
Plug & Charge is an ISO 15118-based authentication and payment method built by Allego on OCPP 2.0.1, standardizing communication between OCPP-compliant chargers and networks.
Once your car is enabled for Plug & Charge, the process is completely hands-off. You plug in, and your EV and the charger swap secure digital certificates to authenticate your account. There’s no need to tap an RFID card, open an app, or even press a button.
Allego’s system supports Mutual TLS encryption and certificate-based authentication, so only authorized vehicles can charge. That means no billing mistakes or fraudulent access, which has been a big concern with some older public charging setups.
Available across Europe now
Allego’s Plug & Charge functionality is at more than 5,000 fast and ultra-fast chargers across Europe, and it also works across partner networks, deploying a truly cross-network Plug & Charge experience.
It’s a future-ready platform, too. Thanks to OCPP 2.0.1, the protocol supports remote firmware updates, advanced security, and new features as they become available. So your charger can grow along with your EV.
“As new vehicle models and charging technologies emerge, OCPP 2.0.1 ensures your car always ‘speaks the same language’ as the charger,” said Manuel Trotta, Allego’s head of mobility solutions.
Allego partnered with Alpitronic, Hubject, and Ford to bring its cross-network Plug & Charge to life.
Read more: Waffle House is getting DC fast chargers – and it’s a genius move
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
The Kia PV5 is a real-life Transformer: Here’s our first look at it as an electric truck
Kia is looking to shake things up with its new custom-tailored Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBVs). The PV5, Kia’s first electric van based on the platform, is already showing how versatile it is. After the PV5 was spotted for the first time with an open bed, Kia looks about ready to drop an electric truck variant.
Is Kia launching an electric truck PV5 variant?
At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Kia revealed its PBV strategy for the first time. The vehicles are designed as “total mobility solutions” that combine fit-for-purpose EVs with Hyundai’s latest software and tech.
Kia’s PBVs are based on Hyundai’s new ultra-flexible E-GMP.S EV platform, which can be custom-tailored for different uses. The first EV based on the platform, the PV5, launched earlier this year in the UK in two variations, Cargo and Passenger.
The Passenger model is fairly self-explanatory as a personal, everyday van, while the Cargo version is designed for commercial use.
Kia said more variants were on the way, including a refrigerated truck, chassis cab, open-bed, luxury “Prime” passenger, and sliding truck models.
The open-bed variant was recently captured driving in Korea, giving us our first look at the Kia PV5 as an electric truck.
Although brief, the video from HealerTV, taken as the vehicle was driving by, reveals a few new details. It’s our closest look at the open-bed variant so far.
Like other PV5 variants, it appears to be the same up front. In fact, it’s almost identical to the first teaser Kia showed.
It’s hard to tell from a video, but the reporter mentioned the electric truck “seemed like it was just the right size.” Since the PV5 Passenger is 4,695 mm in length, 1,895 mm in width, and 1,899 mm in height, we can expect it to be about the same size. To give you a better idea, it’s slightly smaller than the Volkswagen ID.Buzz SWB.
More variants on the way
The electric truck, or open-bed variant, comes after we saw the PV5 “Conversion,” which will feature new models, including a light camper and a camper van.
We got a preview of the camper van after Kia revealed two new “Spielraum” PV5 concepts, including one with a refrigerator, microwave oven, and even a wine cellar. And then we got a look at the PV5 “WKNDR,” an “adventure-ready” electric van concept. Kia’s electric van even has a wheelchair-friendly version, the PV5 WAV.
What’s next? Kia plans to launch a full range of electric vans. Next up will be the larger PV7 in 2027, followed by the PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1, expected to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.
In the future, Kia plans ot launch a Robotaxi model through a collaboration with Motional. All PBV models will be built at Kia’s Hwaseong EVO plant in South Korea. The facility can build up to 150,000 vehicles annually.
Kia said its goal is to “design PBVs that are simple and intuitive to operate and engage with, regardless of where, when or how they are used.” In other words, Kia wants to make your life easier, “Whether the purpose of the vehicle is to transport people, move goods, or meet logistics or personal mobility needs.”
In the UK, the PV5 Passenger and Cargo models start at £32,995 ($44,000) and £27,645 ($37,000), respectively.
It’s available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, offering WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version gets slightly more range with 181 miles or 247 miles, respectively.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut