Remember our sweet sixteen when we came to friends’ parties riding our rotten overage but still glorious Vespa, the never ending Italian scooter brand. Back to the future, anyway… and the future is green.
Piaggio president Roberto Colaninno confirmed it. The Vespa goes hybrid. As the experimental vehicle has gone into production, the City council of Milan contracted Piaggio to feed the municipal fleet of two-wheel vehicles with the new Hybrid Vespa.
The two models 50 Vespa LX and Piaggio X8 125 combine an electrical propulsion engine with the traditional gas power. The hybrid system is nothing but similar to car hybrid systems. In the hybrid mode, both are working in synergy. The scooter could run faster while sucking less gas down (around 20% less) and while the gas motor recharges the electrical siamese engine. In mono electrical mode, the two-wheel runs slower but doesn’t emit any greenhouse gas.
For those who dream to ride an all electric Vespa, provided batteries are pluggable on a 220V power station, which still is quite rare throughout Europe so they would better be charged directly at home.
Although Piaggio is not the first vehicle maker to embrace electrical engine ― Peugeot, the French car and two-wheel constructor, has been doing this for several years ― this move has to be considered at the symbolic level. Piaggio having set the standard of a polluting scooter.
Now, one question: would you want to see more Piaggio vehicles running with the hybrid system?
But something told us that you will be the first to add a comment to this story. Simply click on the button 'Add your comment' to start expressing your opinion.