Exclusive: Next new Piaggio electric scooter to be introduced in only 2021
The Piaggio Elettrica electric scooter introduced last year is unlikely to be launched in India. It is mainly intended for Europe and the USA. However, IAB understands that Piaggio plans to introduce another electric scooter, in the year 2021. Maybe this will be the model that reaches India, perhaps even celebrate its market debut here.
The company had in an investor report Piaggio had reported that it had borrowed EUR 70 million from the European Investment Bank. This amount is to be used for R&D, including the development of electric motors in the time period 2019-2021
Powering the Elettrica is a 4 kW electric motor. This scooter features regenerative braking and has a claimed range of 100 km. Hawk-eyed readers will recall that even the new Bajaj Chetak Electric has a similar range and output. Charging the battery takes just 4 hours and can be juiced up by charging it with a standard wall socket.
The Vespa Elettrica is fitted with a 4.3-inch coloured TFT display which allows smartphone connectivity, a feature similar to the SmartXonnect seen in the TVS NTorq 125. Besides that, the scooter also features an LED headlamp. At EICMA 2019, Piaggio had unveiled a new variant of the Elettrica which has a top speed of 70 km/h. The old variant has a top speed of 45 km/h.
Piaggio has confirmed that it will introduce artificial intelligence systems in its electric scooters. This technology will be both adaptive and responsive to all human input. Also, future Piaggio electric scooters will be aware of people and other vehicles operating in the vicinity. Besides that, new technology will also help the rider to sense potential hazards while riding. It will even provide real-time mapping and traffic data that contributes to improving the design of transportation infrastructures in cities.
Taking the ball game even more sci-fi, Piaggio is working on a technology which will allow the scooter to recognise the rider without a key fob. It will interact with other devices and vehicles on the road. However, it still remains to be seen how many of these features will be seen in the new Piaggio electric vehicle.
Also Read: Piaggio to launch two new products at Auto Expo 2020