Italian icon goes electric
The first mainstream Italian brand to go electric won’t be FiatRomantic Italian city streets might soon fall relatively silent without the high-pitched screams of protesting tiny two-stroke motors.
That’s right, the Piaggio Vespa, the iconic 70-year-old city scooter, is about to go electric.
Piaggio will show the all-electric Vespa (“Wasp” in Italian) Elettrica at this week’s Milano motorbike show and promises it will be on sale before the end of 2017.
"It will be a real Vespa," Piaggio press release insisted. "The style, agility, ease of use and driving pleasure will be the same."
It will keep not only the name, but the shape as well; though it’s blue trim will distinguish it from the petrol-powered versions it will keep building.
Piaggio has made no comment on the pricing of the Vespa Elettrica, but the petrol-powered versions sell in Italy for between 3,500 and 5,500 euros.
It has yet to reveal details of the scooter’s powertrain, battery size, weight or range, or whether it has plans to establish its own network of charging stations in Italy’s notoriously crowded and somewhat haphazard city parking areas.
It launched hybrid versions of three of its scooters in 2007 and also introduced the tilting three-wheel MP3 as the world’s first plug-in hybrid scooter.
It has sold more than 18 million Vespas over the past 70 years, including the one used famously by Gregory Peck to chase down Audrey Hepburn in 1953’s classic Roman Holiday.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
