Italian motor vehicle manufacturer Piaggio Group has started accepting bookings for Vespa Elettrica from today. The company says the electric version of its iconic model Vespa can only be booked online. 

The company says the wide-scale marketing of the Vespa Elettrica through the Piaggio dealer network will commence in November, which will coincide with the EICMA 2018 motorcycle show in Milan, with sales to begin in Europe and then be extended to the USA and Asia starting 2019.

Piaggio Group says that Vespa Elettrica boasts as a contemporary icon of Italian technology in the world, a synonym for advanced connectivity and silence, personalisation and accessibility, respect for the environment and style. The e-2W produces peak power of 4kW, and is assisted by dynamic performance typical of electric engines, which it says outshines a traditional 50cc scooter. 

The Vespa Elettrica has a maximum range of 100km and is equipped with a efficient kinetic energy recovery system, which recharges the battery during deceleration. To recharge the battery the rider plugs the cable located in the compartment below the saddle into a normal electric wall socket or into one of the charging points.  The company claims the Vespa Electtrica will take around four hours for full charge. 

The Vespa Elettrica will retail at a price 6,390 euro (Rs 542,788) in the main European countries or, alternatively, through a new purchasing solution based on 99 euro (Rs 8,410) easy monthly payments. With the addition of a small down payment, the monthly installment also includes Vespa Care, a package providing planned vehicle services maintenance (36 months or 10,000 km), a 12-month warranty extension, a regular battery check and road assistance enhanced with special services.

These financial packages have been created and developed by Piaggio Financial Services, the Piaggio Group’s new financial platform developed in line with the Group vocation for innovation and constant attention to changing customer needs, which will also debut with the launch of the Vespa Elettrica.

The company says starting 2019 the new financial services will be extended to all Group vehicles: Piaggio scooters, the Vespa range, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Derbi and Gilera ranges, and the commercial vehicles.