Famed, amongst other brands, for its Vespa mopeds, The Piaggio Group recently unveiled their first foray into the world of electric bikes. Currently named simply the ‘Electric Bike Project,’ the prototype shown at Milan’s International Motorcycle Show is due to go into production shortly, with the bike being rolled out next year.
Press statements from the company reflect that “for almost seventy years, Piaggio Group has been a worldwide leader in development, production and sales of newer and newer forms of mobility.”
Detailed information and the RRP on the bike hasn’t yet been released, with Piaggio telling Pedelecs that “by the beginning of 2015, we’ll issue the tech specs, the availability in the various markets and the price.”
The company has said that: “The heart of the Piaggio Electric Bike is a 250W-350W electric power unit entirely designed, developed and built by the Piaggio Group” with the “compact motor” and “elegant, sporty aesthetics” a design priority.
A ‘Piaggio Multimedia Platform’ (PMP) using Bluetooth connectivity via a smartphone or tablet will offer diagnostics and connection to a service centre. Furthermore, “a GPS/GSM module is housed in the battery which functions both as a satellite anti-theft device and a data transmission element from/for the battery. This way the charge status can be checked with a smartphone and you can receive the alert status on your device in the event of a poor charge, for example after a long period of disuse.”
PMP’s navigator will calculate routes recommended for cyclists from online communities while factoring in minimum battery consumption, with a ‘Back Home Alert’ notifying the cyclist if the remaining battery range is insufficient to complete a preset destination.
Piaggio also add that multimedia platform will allow the user to program tailored fitness programmes by varying the motor contribution as well as monitoring heart rate goals. The assistance level provided by the electric motor can also be set at a percentage that is variable in ratio to the power provided by the cyclist.
