Yamaha Motor Europe and Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial and TV rights holder for the FIM MotoGP World Championship, have announced that the all-new electric Yamaha EC-03 will be added to the official paddock scooter fleet for the 2011 racing season. The EC-03 will be used in addition to the existing fleet of special Yamaha JogRR MotoGP scooters. As the Official MotoGP scooter supplier, Yamaha Motor Europe will provide a range of EC-03 units for use throughout the 2011 race season. Each unit will be customised with special graphics and logos, reflecting its official MotoGP role. The units were officially presented to Dorna during the race weekend in Estoril, Portugal. Yamaha has provided Dorna Sports with paddock scooters since 2005. This year’s addition of an all-electric model marks the latest move in Dorna’s ongoing programme in order to raise awareness, the MotoGP rights holder has been supporting various projects revolving around environmental sustainability and safety issues under the banner “For a Safer and Greener Future”. “Yamaha’s longstanding relationship with Dorna Sports is a source of continued pride and inspiration to us,” said Raffaella Pasquino, Marketing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe. “The introduction of the EC-03 to the MotoGP paddock fleet reflects our shared commitment to a greener future”. Dorna Sports’ Managing Director, Pau Serracanta said: “We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Yamaha Motor Europe through this initiative to use environment-friendly vehicles, as it matches our CSR values”. Committed to Electric: The EC-03 For some time, Yamaha has been perfecting designs for vehicles that use electric power as a viable, low-emission alternative to petrol. The EC-03 is the result of that continuous effort. This pure electric commuter draws on knowledge and technologies developed over three decades, to define a new kind of convenient, low-impact urban travel. Designed for busy city-dwellers who are ready to make the switch to independent electric transport, the EC-03 provides a fast, convenient way to get round town. It’s slim and compact enough to take into the office, can be fully charged in around seven hours from any standard wall socket, and boasts a stylish, retro, minimalistic design that guarantees to turn heads on any street. A timely response to the increasing need for urban transport with a low environmental impact, the EC-03 offers a fun, approachable way to travel. With virtually no operating costs, it’s economical to run, and combines silent, clean operation with surprisingly nippy performance.