It's been a time of transition for Yamaha as of late. Most recently, there have been several switches in leadership. Earlier in 2025, the company acquired German e-bike company Brose's drive subsidiary, e-Kit. At the time, it seemed poised to make larger moves in a segment it pretty much created several decades in the past.
But according to new reporting from Nikkei Asia, the tides appear to be turning. As you may recall, Yamaha pulled out of the e-bike business in the US at the end of 2024, while still remaining active in other international markets including Europe and Asia. Now, though, it appears that the company plans to remove itself from the realm of fully-assembled e-bikes in Europe as well, while continuing to retain a focus on this area in Japan. It's unclear how soon this plan will unfold, however.
What will take the place of e-bikes as Yamaha's additional ray of hope? Motorcycles and the company's marine division form two solid pillars of Yamaha's multi-pronged business strategy, but diversification is key to achieving its goals. After all, if one area is struggling, focusing on more than one area can hopefully make it possible to pull through whether times are good or bad in any given niche.
That's why Yamaha is doubling down on robotics. No, I'm not talking about Motoroid2, although that could theoretically make an interesting synergistic test case for all three of Yamaha's core businesses; that is, if someone teaches the little guy to swim.
The name might seem slightly misleading to a layperson, as you might understandably be picturing Team Blue making robots and robotic-assistive machinery, like the kind you've probably seen operating in some of your favorite motorcycle and automotive factories already. But in truth, the new Yamaha Robotics firm's specialty is semiconductors.
As of 2024, Yamaha's robotics activities accounted for around 4 percent of its revenue, but it hopes to expand that in the future to something closer to what the Marine Division brings in. Around 20% would hit the mark, but it remains to be seen whether this strategy will play out as intended.
It's a little sad to see Yamaha pull away even further from e-bikes, but the market has changed considerably since it first broke ground in the category back in the 1990s. You can't stay stuck in the past if you want to succeed, and that's true across multiple areas. Here's hoping this new strategy works well for Yamaha, and its continued development of the motor vehicles that many of us continue to enjoy.
