Yamaha Motor announces investment in French EV company Electric Motion SAS to “raise presence and dive into electric motorcycle competition.”

French company Electric Motion are one of the biggest success stories in the electric motorcycle world. Specialists in the sport of trials, they have developed a genuine alternative to combustion-engined bikes in the sport and recreational activity of riding trials. From grass roots level to world championship victories, their EM trials machines are the real deal.

Enter Yamaha Motor, no stranger to an electric trials bike with their TY-E model, the manufacture of electric motors for a wide range of two-wheeled ‘vehicles’, or indeed the collaboration with other brands in Europe which incudes Fantic Motor. 

There is no quoted figure in the press material released but it is a significant move from Yamaha to invest in a specialist company with just 20 employees.

The founder, main shareholder and CEO of Electric Motion, Philippe Aresten, says he is very happy and extremely proud that a company like Yamaha is joining the company’s capital. “This brand has always been close to my heart, especially after having collaborated professionally 20 years ago. The avant-garde technology developed within our company is the basis of the interest shown by Yamaha Motor Company.”

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Yamaha say the aim of this investment is to “raise the presence of both companies in the electric motorcycle market as well as to delve into the possibilities available with electric motorcycles for competition”.

As strategic partners, the two companies will bring together their respective expertise “to explore collaborative avenues in technology development”.

Since its founding in 2009, Electric Motion has sold its products under the “EM” brand name in approximately 40 countries around the world and is steadily increasing its presence in the market for competition trials and off-road bikes.

Electric Motion’s products have achieved spectacular results in the Trial World Championship, the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup including a milestone victory in the Trial 2 World Championship.

Yamaha Motor, in line with its Yamaha Motor Group Environmental Plan 2050, is working toward being carbon neutral throughout all of its supply chains, including the company’s business activities by 2050.

Yamaha Motor say they will continue to promote the research and development of technologies and products that contribute to sustainability.