Piaggio Vehicles, a subsidiary of Italy's Piaggio Group, has launched the FX range (fixed battery) electric cargo and passenger three-wheelers. The Ape’ Electric FX range (cargo) is eligible for FAME II subsidy and other benefits related to the registration process.

The Ape’ E-Xtra FX comes at an introductory ex-showroom price of Rs 312,137 (across India, excluding Kerala) and Ape’ E-City FX (passenger) at Rs 283,878 (across India, excluding Kerala) after FAME II subsidy benefit. The EVs will be available in a phased-manner starting with Maharashtra and the deliveries of the vehicle will begin in March. 

The company claims the new Ape’ E-Xtra FX is the most powerful electric cargo three-wheeler in the segment with 9.5 Kw power output. It comes with a full metal body architecture fitted with six-foot cargo deck length. It can also be customised for applications like the delivery van and garbage collection among others. The passenger vehicle, Ape’ E-City FX is claimed to be the most profitable three-wheeler, and comes with superior comfort.

Piaggio says both the products come equipped with top-of-the-range features like blue vision headlamps, automatic transmission, hill hold assist, regenerative braking, dual-tone seats, striking body colours and graphics, multi-information instrument cluster and boost mode among others. The FX fixed battery range offers convenient home and office charging features.

Commenting at the launch in Pune, Diego Graffi, chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles said: “Ape’, a brand with a trust of more than 30 lakh happy customers is paving the way for the Indian electric revolution with the FX range of electric vehicles. The Piaggio Group has a rich heritage of developing electric products for India. After the launch of Ape’ E-City with swappable technology in 2019, we are now introducing the Fixed Battery technology solutions to serve the varied needs of customers. The new FX range is a step in realising Piaggio’s vision which aligns with the government’s initiatives for mass adoption of EVs in India.”

Saju Nair, EVP and head of Commercial Vehicle Business, Piaggio India said: “We are launching the FX range after a detailed study covering the industry trends, customer aspirations and segment requirements. The FX range will cater to the needs of our customers, protect the environment and truly revolutionise the industry with the concept of ‘Ape goes Electric, India goes Electric.”

The Ape E-Xtra FX is targeted at multiple segments like e-commerce, gas cylinders, mineral water bottles, FMCG, vegetables and garbage collection among others. With a running cost of less than 50 paise per kilometre, it is claimed to be the most economical mode of last-mile goods transport.

The OEM is offering 3 year / 100,000 kilometre ‘super warranty.’ In addition to a 3-year free maintenance package as an introductory offer to all customers. The Piaggio I-Connect telematics solution offers real-time vehicle data tracking for our PVPL service initiatives,” added Nair.

Malind Kapur, SVP – Marketing, Product Marketing, Channel & Business Development, Piaggio Vehicles said: “The Piaggio Ape’ Electric FX range launch is a part of our strategic initiative to provide customers with unique solutions and a wide range to choose from based on specific applications. We are offering the Ape E-Xtra with a 6-feet cargo deck and a delivery van option for customised applications. The zero-emission, low NVH, superior drive and ride comfort makes it’s the logical choice for last-mile transport of modern Indian cities and towns grappling with rising levels of vehicular pollutions. With the launch of Ape’ Electric FX range we have truly positioned ourselves a fuel agnostic player in India offering vehicles in diesel, CNG, LPG, petrol and electric. We are committed to offer a differentiated buying experience by launching new Ape’ Electric Experience centres across India.”