Kawasaki Motor Philippines (KMPC) recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, and with it, the motorcycle manufacturer unveiled its revamped lineup for 2024. But two models were arguably the biggest highlights among all of them: the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1.
If you hadn’t heard of them yet, those are Kawasaki’s electric motorcycles—the brand’s first, and the big step it took towards its goal of going all-electric by 2035. While we’re still not certain when the actual launch will be, units have already arrived in the Philippines, and we already have some important details.
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KMPC presented both models during the official program as seen in the bigger photo above, then it left the Ninja e-1 on display for all of us at the event to see. It doesn’t exactly look anything out of the ordinary, save for the dominant silver colorway which isn’t something we usually see from Kawasaki. It still bears the Ninja’s signature aggressive styling that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.
It also looks like a standard motorcycle—disc brakes all around, a chain drive at the rear, buttons on the handlebars with the throttle and the brake lever on the right. The only giveaway here—and it’s not even a blatant one—would be the lack of a clutch lever.
There’s also still a ‘fuel tank,’ but instead of actual fuel, it functions as a storage compartment. When you open the gas cap lid, you’ll see a charging port instead. Speaking of which, let’s move on to the important part: the electric powertrain.
For context, the Z e-1 is mechanically identical to the Ninja e-1. They both get two lithium-ion battery packs that each take 1.6 hours to fully recharge. These batteries enable a maximum range of about 72km on one full charge.
The batteries also power an interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor that generates 6.7hp and 40.5Nm of torque. That’s a glaring difference in power output figures, but that just goes to show how torquey these electric bikes can be. And by the way, both electric motorcycles come with an ‘E-Boost’ function that supposedly makes acceleration even quicker.
Both bikes also get three ride modes as standard: Eco, Road, and Walk. The main difference between the two is weight—the Ninja e-1 has a curb weight of 140kg, while the Z e-1 is 5kg lighter.
Both of these bikes fall under the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) L3 classification code, so a motorcycle helmet, LTO registration, and a driver’s license are all required for would-be users. No pricing on the bikes nor on the chargers and other accessories are available just yet, but KMPC will begin sales in March. That’s right around the corner, so if you’re looking to get one yourself, keep an eye out—Kawasaki says stocks will be limited here in our market.
Rest assured, we’ll keep you guys posted once more details are out. For now, you can check out some more photos of the Ninja e-1 below.
More photos of the Kawasaki Ninja e-1:
