50 Years of Yamaha Golf Cars and the Future Ahead

Over 1 Million Units Produced Since 1975

Born from combining technological assets from other businesses Yamaha Motor developed and launched its first golf car—the YG292 - in June 1975. Based on the Land Car created for leisure facilities that was launched the previous year, the YG292 (the “292” indicated its two-stroke engine displacement) was specialised for use on golf courses and effectively kickstarted Yamaha Motor’s golf car business.

That first big step was made by combining technologies and resources accrued across various businesses, i.e., using the highly reliable 5-port, air-cooled, two-stroke 292cc engine from our snowmobiles, and its fiberreinforced plastic bodywork leveraged expertise from Yamaha Motor's boat hull and swimming pool building technologies.

At the time, North America and Japan were envisioned as the primary markets for the YG292, and while there were already well-established brands in both markets, research indicated that the product appeal and

services of the leading manufacturer in North America were lacking. The growing population of golfers in Japan that was leading to many new golf courses being planned also led to the decision that, even as a latecomer, Yamaha Motor had plenty of room to compete in the golf car market.

The Yamaha YG292 golf car was based on a Land Car model with the chassis weight reduced and low-pressure tyres adopted to minimise damage to golf course turf. The following year (1986), the gasoline-powered Turfmate was launched. Developed for the Japanese market and utilising a unique, single-rider stand-up design it was a popular choice for the domestic market.

In the same way the golf car business used technologies and expertise refined in other Yamaha businesses, the golf car business itself has in-turn influenced other Yamaha Motor businesses and products throughout its 50-year history. A major example of this is electrification. Golf cars must be clean as well as quiet, so they were among the earliest Yamaha mobility products to be electrified. Additionally, golf cars made a significant contributions to Yamaha Motor’s experience with automated driving technology, such as the development of an electromagneticguided model operable by remote control in 1993, and the effi-vision driving support feature with auto-logging for drive paths in 2018.

But what is now drawing the most attention in Japan as a result of adapting technologies from our Land Cars and golf cars are Green Slow Mobility projects, which use electric versions of our golf cars retooled for use on public roads. These vehicles are used to supplement the public transportation systems in areas with insufficient coverage as well as to provide short-distance travel options in tourist destinations. Real-world testing and implementation of Green Slow Mobility is spreading throughout Japan, and Yamaha vehicles are being used for Japan’s first Level 4 automated driving service, which began in May 2023.

Meanwhile, the market itself is also growing; in addition to the mainstay North American and Japanese markets, Yamaha golf cars are now being introduced to Europe, Australia, and various countries in Asia, and are currently manufactured in Japan and the United States.

Yamaha Motor’s golf cars today are clean, quiet, open-air, and able to seat multiple passengers, and with features for automated driving and driver aids, their possibilities continue to grow even as the business marks its 50th anniversary this year.

Message from the Editor

In recent years, golf courses have been working to address the issues presented by a decreasing workforce and various other problems by reducing needed labour, transitioning to self-service means, and reducing the workload on caddies. Golf cars have evolved while constantly meeting these needs, gaining enhanced functions and performance while breaking into new fields of use.

Over the last few years, low-speed mobility has been drawing attention and we are seeing more product categories and uses emerge, from personal transportation vehicles (PTVs) to low-speed vehicles (LSVs). Yamaha Motor is planning to expand its Low-Speed Mobility business by developing a versatile platform leveraging the technologies it has honed over the golf car business’ 50 years of operation.

MATSUO, Kaoru