Yamaha Motor plans to be a carbon neutral company by 2050, both in its business activities as well as in the emissions of its new motorcycle products.
This doesn’t mean a complete loss of petrol-powered streetbikes from the Tuning Fork brand though. Carbon neutrality is all about offsets. It’s not a zero-carbon plan, but a plan to implement enough carbon offset initiatives to account for the emissions it does create.
That’s not to say the future isn’t electric either, and there’s no doubt the brand will release a bevvy of epowered machines in all categories, including electric motorcycles.
This is all part of a plan first devised in 2018, and the company is on pace to hit its goals so far. It’s reduced its business activity emissions by 41 percent already and the emissions produced by its products are down a purported 16 percent. Some midpoint goals are also set, with a 24 percent overall reduction in emissions from products predicted by 2030 and a 50 percent overall reduction in business activities. The brand will perform check-ins every three years and adjust initiatives as needed to stay on track.
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Some of the methods the company uses now include utilizing efficient power sources and migrating existing power sources to those with lower carbon emissions. It’s also working to promote the use of mobility options that are low-emission as well.
In the fiscal year-end report, Yamaha states that it’s taking a “defensive” stance with respect to emissions reductions in the coming years. And the first consideration in whether to electrify its fleet is customer satisfaction. As long as demand is there, Yamaha plans to do whatever it can to provide the goods. So it will ease into the shift with smaller, electric commuter vehicles first. Yamaha is confident its technological prowess will allow it to soon be on the “offensive” regarding electric mobility when the time comes, but the performance capabilities just aren’t there yet.
It’s all a balancing act at this point, but as with many companies these days, it’s a balancing act they’ll have to navigate as more and more emissions restrictions gain hold around the world.
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com