Yamaha launches new electric scooter with Honda’s swappable batteries

Yamaha is doubling down on urban electrification in Japan with the launch of its new Jog E electric scooter – and in a twist that we’ve been waiting years to see, it runs on Honda’s Mobile Power Pack e: swappable batteries.

Yamaha shared on its social media that the Jog E is set to begin a region-limited pre-sale on December 22, 2025, exclusively through Yamaha EV shops in Tokyo and Osaka. This rollout makes it the first Yamaha two-wheeler built around the Mobile Power Pack e system, which is becoming Japan’s de facto standard thanks to the joint battery-swap venture Gachaco.

It’s the result of an initiative that began way back in 2019, when many of the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers built a consortium to develop a single swappable battery standard. At the time, it was seen largely as a way to compete against Gogoro, which had already developed a single swappable battery standard. Ultimately, instead of developing a battery standard, the consortium simply chose to elect Honda’s relatively little-used battery design as its standard. Now we’re finally seeing that battery employed in another major motorcycle maker’s vehicles.

A Yamaha built for battery swapping

Unlike typical electric scooters sold with a fixed battery, the Jog E is offered as a body-only purchase. Riders must separately subscribe to Gachaco’s paid battery-sharing service, which gives access to swap stations located throughout major cities.

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As of now, Gachaco operates 42 battery swapping stations in Tokyo, 7 stations in Osaka, and 2 stations in Saitama. It’s a far cry from the thousands of stations operated by Taiwanese competitors like Gogoro and Kymco, but it’s a start.

It also means Yamaha is restricting initial sales to Tokyo and Osaka EV stores, ensuring that buyers actually have infrastructure available. Yamaha says standalone batteries and chargers will arrive in the second half of 2026 for riders who prefer to own rather than swap.

Built for stop-and-go city life

Yamaha says the Jog E is tuned specifically for dense urban commuting, with smooth acceleration for constant stop-and-go traffic, plus familiar Yamaha scooter ergonomics and universal EV-forward design touches. We don’t get performance specs yet, but the urban focus means we’re likely looking at limited power and speed figures.

Riders will get two color options at launch: dark gray and light gray. Not exactly going nuts with the color wheel, there.

Pricing lands at 159,500 yen (about US$1,050), though that excludes battery service fees, registration, insurance, and other common costs.

Part of Yamaha’s bigger climate strategy

Yamaha says the Jog E plays a key role in the company’s path toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Specifically, it helps reduce emissions under “Scope 3, Category 11” – basically emissions generated from customers using Yamaha products.

The scooter also symbolizes a closer collaboration among Japan’s Big Four motorcycle makers, all of whom co-founded Gachaco along with energy giant ENEOS. Battery swapping is shaping up to be Japan’s most aggressive approach to mainstreaming electric two-wheelers, and the Jog E is a big step in that direction.