Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Europe inaugurates the new Drive Unit assembly line

Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. (YME) and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Europe (YMME) celebrated today the inauguration of the completely new Drive Unit assembly line at the factory in Saint Quentin, France.

The new Drive Unit assembly line follows Yamaha Motor’s commitment to a local European manufacturing as a competitive and sustainable advantage to better and quicker serve its eBikes OEM customers’ needs in Europe.

The assembly line is a new addition to the already large portfolio of YMME, which continues its diversification into a multi-products factory and towards the electric mobility. YMME – formerly known as MBK Industrie – has been manufacturing Yamaha flagship models such as the Ténéré 700, MT-125 and XMAX, assembling the new range of Yamaha eBikes and customizing Yamaha’s Powered Two-Wheelers and ATVs for European-specific needs already for many years.

Giving the event extra lustre, the inauguration took place in the presence of Mr. Thomas Campeaux, Prefect of Aisne France, Mr. Xavier Bertrand, President of region Hauts-de-France, Mrs. Fréderique Macarez, mayor of Saint Quentin France, Mr. Tjeerd Jegen, CEO of Accell Group, Mr. Kenichi Muraki, Executive Officer and Executive General Manager of Smart Power Vehicle Business Unit at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and other representatives from Yamaha headquarters in Japan and Yamaha Motor Europe.

This production line will produce Yamaha’s drive unit PWseries S2, designed for the high volume Sport and Trail sectors.

Olivier Prévost, President and CEO, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

I’m very pleased with the establishment and opening of this new production line at our factory in France as already for some years this has been in our plans for the future. For YMME it means that it heightens its vital role within the Yamaha operations and also that it underlines once more its status as a Yamaha multi-products manufacturing site. And, last but not least, producing locally in Europe contributes to leaving a more sustainable footprint within our operations, which remains a key target for Yamaha at global level, and is providing a competitive advantage in an industrial environment where we give more and more importance to the sustainability and flexibility in the supply chain.

Clement Villet, Director Land Mobility, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

Whether it is for our traditional business or electric mobility, the role of YMME is important to better serve the European markets and to respond swiftly to the ever-changing needs of customers. In that respect, with the opening of the Drive Unit assembly line we will be able to supply our eBikes OEM customers swiftly and with shorter lead times, contributing to a more agile and reactive production planning.