Piaggio marked its attendance at the Auto Expo 2018 with the unveiling of the Vespa Electtrica. The Electtrica is the first ever electric scooter from Piaggio. This will be the latest addition to the Vespa series of scooters sold in India. Vespa Electtrica concept was first unveiled at the 2017 EICMA. In terms of design, the Vespa Electtrica is a retro styled scooter, but on the inside, it will get a technologically advance powertrain. Along with the Vespa Electtrica, Piaggio also took cover off three more new scooters – Aprilia SR 125, Aprilia Strom and Vespa 125. Piaggio launched the Aprilia 125 in India during the Auto Expo 2018 at a price of Rs 65,310 (ex-showroom, Pune). The Aprilia 125 is powered by a 125cc three-valve engine. It gets 14-inch wheels and wider tyres. It will be available in an array of new colours.
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Auto Expo 2018 also saw the unveiling of the Aprilia Storm in India. It comes in various colour options, rides on 12-inch wheels with wide terrain tyres and is powered by a 125cc engine.
Furthermore, Piaggio launched a mobile connectivity app at the 2018 Auto Expo, which will allow the riders to operate features on their Aprilia and Vespa scooters. The app will be available on iOS and Android soon.
Besides the unveiling of the Vespa Electtrica, Aprilia 125, Aprilia Storm and the launch of the mobile phone app, Piaggio also put their renowned global models on display, that included Vespa GTS, Aprilia RS 150, Tuono 150.
At the heart of the Elettrica is a power unit capable of making a continuous power of 2.68 hp as well as a peak power of 5.36 hp with a maximum range of 100km. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery and it features Vespa’s new Kinetic Energy Recovery System (or KERS) which charges while decelerating. The full charge time is reportedly four hours.
Vespa Electtrica’s all-electric powertrain promises a range of about 100 km on one full charge. The Italian manufacturer also has a hybrid version of the Vespa Electtrica, which has a 4-stroke petrol engine that also serves as a generator to charge the batteries. The electric motor and engine combined deliver up to 200 km of range.