Vespa unveiled a production model of its upcoming electric scooter at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. Called the Vespa Elettrica, the upcoming electric scooter will have a range of almost 100 kilometres on a single charge, and the battery fully charges in four hours from a home wall socket or public charging station. The Elettrica has been designed with urban usability in mind, and is expected to go on sale in Europe sometime in 2018. So far, Piaggio India is tightlipped about any plans for an India launch.
The Vespa Elettrica has a 4.3-inch TFT screen with multimedia options
The Vespa Elettrica will have continuous power of 2.7 bhp with a peak of 5.4 bhp and operates in complete silence, according to Piaggio. An additional 'X' variant features a generator alongside the electric motor, doubling the claimed range. The Elettrica is powered by a lightweight lithium-ion battery, and is good for 1000 cycles, which should see a life of between 50,000 and 70,000 km. The scooter has two riding modes - Eco and Power - with the Eco mode limiting the top speed of the scooter to just 30 kmph.
The Elettrica follows traditional Vespa scooter design
The Vespa Elettrica comes with a multimedia system that allows pairing of a smartphone and Bluetooth headset to the scooter. A 4.3-inch TFT dash displays a lot of information and interactive options, including notifications of incoming calls and messages, as well as speed, residual range and remaining battery charge. The multimedia system can be operated through an easily accessible joystick on the right handlebar, and the rider can also use voice commands to operate a phone when connected to a headset. The Vespa Elettrica will be designed with the traditional Vespa scooter styling, and will be offered in a range of seven different colours as well as a range of additional accessories.
