In the spirit of One Yamaha, Yamaha Marine and Yamaha Golf Car (YGC) forged a partnership revolving around multiple technology solutions and its place in the company’s future to achieve carbon neutrality. The two business units worked together at several high-profile events to demonstrate Yamaha’s hydrogen technology and the company’s commitment to carbon neutrality to audiences that stretch beyond putting greens and marinas.

The collaboration began in April 2024 when Marine and YGC worked together to give the first public demonstration of the prototype H2 Golf Car following a meeting of the Georgia Hydrogen Brain Trust held at the Marine Innovation Center in Kennesaw, Ga. Members of the media and the Georgia Hydrogen Brain Trust, including public and private partners, energy companies, universities and transportation agencies, saw firsthand the viability of hydrogen as an alternative fuel and the level of advancement in Yamaha’s hydrogen technologies.

Both groups came together again the next month at the American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C., where Stephen Donnell, President, YGC, Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit and Martin Peters, Director, External Affairs, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit, participated in their respective industry associations’ “fly-ins”. These mass visits allow industry professionals to lobby and raise awareness with members of Congress. The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) extended an invitation for the H2 Golf Car to be a part of the “Cars at the Capitol” display, a car show intended to impress upon members of Congress the size and scope of the automotive enthusiast industry. SEMA executives and board members also had the opportunity to take demo rides on the hydrogen golf car, facilitated by Morgan Johnson, Project Manager, Yamaha Golf Car Research and Design and sustainable fuel boat, facilitated by Nicholas Genesi, Manager, Government Relations, U.S. Marine Business Unit and John O’Keefe, Senior Specialist, Government Relations, U.S. Marine Business Unit.

In July, Marine and YGC teamed up again to join the Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow which is designed to educate government, private industry and citizens about the latest in alternative clean energy technology. Led by Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols, this event displayed the hydrogen golf car and the sustainable fuel boat along with other alternative energy vehicles at locations in Austell, Cartersville and Alpharetta. Grant Suzuki, Chief of Technology, U.S. Marine Business Unit, spoke about Yamaha’s environmental goals and carbon neutral strategies through a multiple technology approach.

The month of August saw both teams at the prestigious Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach as a part of Monterey Car Week. Mark Blankers, Division Manager, Yamaha Golf Car Research and Development and Morgan Johnson displayed the hydrogen golf car amongst some of the rarest and most elite automobiles in the world. Ben Speciale joined executives from across several industries to discuss methods of achieving carbon neutrality during the 2024 Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum. The panel, which included representatives from automotive, oil, marine and the automotive supplier industries, unanimously called for multiple pathways to achieving carbon neutrality and agreed that a “one size fits all” electric approach method is not viable. The hope is that the discussion will lead to a cross-industry approach to multiple technology solutions and advocating for them.

Marine and YGC will continue working together to promote Yamaha’s carbon neutrality message to a variety of audiences, why it is important and how a multiple technology solutions approach is the best way to achieve the company’s goals. Both groups are evaluating future opportunities to display and demonstrate Yamaha’s hydrogen technology and sustainable fuels to government regulators and legislators, industry executives and associations and citizens around the country.