Vespa, a subsidiary of Piaggio, had earlier revealed the Elettrica electric scooter in India at the Auto Expo 2020
A significant rise in popularity of electric mobility, especially in the two-wheeler segment, has led to the advent of numerous electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing startups in the past couple of years. This has forced even established auto brands to dive into the EV space and create a separate strategy for future electric mobility.
Piaggio is one such brand that is looking to dive into the EV space in India. As per a recent report, the Italian automaker is planning to develop an electric scooter specifically for the Indian market.
Piaggio currently manufactures three-wheelers in the country but is actively involved in the two-wheeler business through its subsidiary brands- Vespa and Aprilia. It is very likely that the upcoming made for India electric scooter could be launched under both brands Vespa and Aprilia.
India-specific Vespa electric scooter from Piaggio
In an interaction with ET Auto, Diego Graffi, managing director of Piaggio India, revealed that the company is planning to establish an EV ecosystem in India that will sustain even without subsidies. It should be noted that FAME II subsidies provided by the Central Government and subsidies offered by various state governments across the country are responsible for bringing down prices of EVs by up to 40 percent.
Piaggio wants to offer EVs that attract consumers for their practical benefits, beyond the benefit of subsidies. However, the two-wheeler manufacturer isn’t venturing into the EV space immediately and there is still some time before the first electric two-wheeler offering from Piaggio rolls on Indian roads. Graffi revealed that the supplier ecosystem in India is unprepared to support a massive transition to electric mobility.
Expected Debut
While the country has the technical expertise related to EV technologies, manufacturing capacity for EVs in the supplier ecosystem is still not present. Piaggio already retails electric scooters in developed markets of Europe, however, the India-specific model is expected to take around 18-24 months of development and testing before it is launched in the market.
Therefore, the upcoming electric scooter from Piaggio is unlikely to make its India debut before the end of 2023. Piaggio will solely focus on developing electric scooters for the Indian market and not motorcycles. Hence, it is likely that the scooter will be retailed under the Vespa brand.
EV offerings by Piaggio
The e-scooter from Piaggio will be at par with the high-speed performance electric scooters present in the Indian market and priced accordingly too. It will also boast all the latest connectivity features seen in modern EVs. At present, the two-wheeler EV space in India is dominated by premium offerings like Ather 450, Ola S1 series, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube.
Last year, Piaggio revealed the first electric scooter under its own brand named ‘One’. Earlier, Vespa had also showcased the Elettrica electric scooter in India at the Auto Expo 2020. However, neither of these two models will reach Indian shores, though the India-specific model could borrow some components from the models mentioned above.
