Piaggio continue their foray into the world of electric-powered vehicles with the recent announcement of their forthcoming ONE scooter, which will apparently debut at the Beijing Motor Show on 28 May before being launched into the European market in late June of this year.
The Italian scooter giants have been looking at alternative fuel options to power their range of scooters for some time now.
Hybrid Era
Back in 1990 Piaggio a presented the Vespa Bimodale concept hybrid at the Köln Motorcycle show. Later on the Zip & Zip “Bimodal” was launched, a hybrid scooter with a conventional 2-stroke 50cc engine as well as featuring electric power. They also announced an electric 3-wheeled Ape around that time as well.
In the 2000s Piaggio launched hybrid ‘HYS’ versions of both the Vespa LX and MP3 scooters, again using a petrol engine along with electric power.
With the Vespa LX the undersea storage compartment was filled with batteries (hence being supplied with a top box too) while the larger MP3 accommodated it’s extra source of power a little more discreetly.
All-Electric Vespa
In the 21st century, the Vespa Elettrica was born, a full electric powered, metal-bodied scooter. But this is aimed at the higher end of the scooter market, so the Piaggio ONE will hopefully plug (sic) that gap of affordability.
Designed in Italy the Piaggio ONE is apparently a ‘global project’ for Piaggio and marks the arrival of a new generation of e-scooters for them. They say that the ONE is, “Light, easy to ride, essential yet smart – as an e-scooter should be – the Piaggio ONE also delivers the best content of Piaggio scooters: quality, reliability and a robust chassis for maximum riding pleasure and guaranteed safety and enjoyment.”
The press-release continues, “Style, eco-sustainability with its zero emissions, lightweight, brilliant performance, the Piaggio ONE has everything to delight the youngest generations.
The Piaggio ONE features a wealth of technological features, including a digital colour instrument panel with a sensor to adapt the background and luminosity to ambient conditions, full LED lights, a keyless start system, two motor maps.”
As a keyless vehicle, the Piaggio ONE uses a remote start system. It has a comfortable riding position, a low seat, a flat roomy footplate, plus practical and robust pull-out footpegs for the passenger. Piaggio also claim that their ONE is the only e-scooter in its category to provide a capacious compartment below the seat.
The Piaggio ONE will be available in several versions offering different powers (moped and motorcycle) and different ranges, all powered by an electric motor whose lithium ion batteries can be easily extracted for recharging at home or in the office.
Having recently ridden a Vespa Elettrica, and having an interest in alternative fuel options for powered-two-wheelers, I’m keen to see how the Piaggio ONE both performs and progresses. We’re told more information will follow in due course and off course we’ll keep you up to date as and when.
*ScooterNova is an independent scooter magazine that has been produced since 2017, by scooterists for scooterists.
ScooterNova is available from all good scooter shops in the UK and Europe, with magazines and subscriptions available for readers around the world directly from our online shop.
The brand new edition 25 is hot off the press and available from our NEW online shop – click here to buy an individual magazine and click here to subscribe.
