Against the increasingly pressing Chinese advance, Piaggio sees electric vehicles increasingly present in its near future
No one is saved: faced with the advance of Chinese competitors, equipped with low-cost electric motors, there is no European rival that can withstand the competition unless it adopts similar remedies and against moves at the height. Big brands like Piaggio, which have always been leaders in the two-wheel sector and beyond, have understood that the future can only be battery-powered even for two and three-wheel scooters.
And so, the top management of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer has put in the pipeline the project to convert its future range of mopeds to electric. Like it or not, there are no alternatives to the direction taken by the course of progress and at Piaggio the message has been received: there is no time to rest on our laurels, but we must assert our know-how before it is too late . Time is still on their side, but they have to hurry because the Asian competitors are pushing behind the door.
Piaggio invests for its electric future
The investment project presented by Piaggio management at Mimit clearly reveals its intentions for future project plans. The financing includes 112 million euros to be invested in development of technologies linked to future electric mobility of the brand. In fact, Piaggio was one of the first global brands to present, with the Vespa Elettrica, a battery-powered scooter. Unfortunately his presentation was not followed up on a commercial level.
Perhaps because the time, at the time, was not yet ripe, unlike today when its Asian rivals do not stop churning out battery-powered mopeds non-stop. It’s time to react and Piaggio has understood this. This is why it is launching this important investment aimed at sustainable mobility. Of the 112 million invested, 38 of these will be paid by the Statewhich will provide them in the form of tax breaks for the benefit of the company.
The investment plan, specifically, includes important investments in the development of the technologies necessary for the creation of future Piaggio-branded electric models. There the production site where the company’s economic efforts will be based will be in Pontedera, historic factory of the Italian brand. It will not only be a factory where the new electric scooters will be made, but also where the software components and the electronic part in general will be designed. A true high-tech production hub to minimize the need for external technologies.
