The Vespa Elettrica will not be launched in India anytime soon as the Italian company is looking at local production of e-scooters, which will take some more time to setup.
The Vespa Elettrica is available in Europe and the USA, and is produced in the company’s plant in Italy. The electric scooter is powered by a 4.3 kWh lithium-ion battery that powers a DC motor and generates a maximum power output of 4 kW (5.4 PS) and claims a stunning 200 Nm of peak torque. Importing the Vespa Elettrica as a CBU (Completely Built Units) would’ve given the premium e-scooter a massive price-tag, making it a lot more expensive than other homegrown electric offerings like the Bajaj Chetak and Ather 450X.
Details about the local production of the electric scooter emerged during an upcoming Bike India Pitstop video interview with Diego Graffi, CEO and Managing Director, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, the mother-company of brands like Vespa, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi. Graffi says, “Presence in electric-mobility space is a must for every manufacturer, going by the big boost given by the Indian government and various agencies. We displayed the Vespa Elettrica at the Auto Expo 2020 purposely to get some inputs from the local eco-system and understand which stand we should take.”
The complication here is that the current Vespa and Aprilia scooters are locally produced and come with powertrains which are produced in-house at the company’s manufacturing plant in Baramati, Maharashtra. When it comes to the electric scooter, Vespa India would like to follow the same strategy and not depend on off-the-shelves electric motor developed by a third party. Graffi explains, “Our philosophy is to have our own powertrain, which is developed, designed and produced by us. The complication here (with Vespa Elettrica) is to have a powertrain that has taken advantage of European experience but fully localise and customised for India. So it’s a complication and also an opportunity for us. We have the know-how but now we have to create the supply-chain, space and whatever it takes (in India). So, definitely it will take some time, but we are looking at the matter quite seriously.”
Going by this, it is unlikely that the Vespa Elettrica will be launched in India by June 2020, as some media houses have claimed. These latest updates also raise an interesting question – is there an India-specific Vespa electric scooter on the anvil which will directly take on the likes of Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube?
(Also Read: Hero Maestro Electric Spotted)
Leave a Reply