Piaggio isn’t a well-known company in the US, but its scooter brand- Vespa- is one of the most well-known vehicle-makers anywhere on the planet. As such, I think it’s safe to say that Piaggio knows light, urban two-wheelers- and, last week, Piaggio launched an all-new, pedal-assist ebike to do battle with Ford, Smart, and others.
Piaggio- unlike Smart and Ford- developed its bike 100% in-house, and believes that its expertise in developing continuously variable transmissions for its scooters will give it the edge over its direct-drive competitors. The company calls this combination of CVT + electric motors “DEA”, for Dynamic Engine Assistance. Combined with a “300-ish” W motor developed in-house by Piaggio, bike offers an all-electric range of 40-60 miles, depending on conditions.
The bike also works with a riders smartphone to find the “easiest” route, the most battery-friendly route, or even the most “difficult” route, for those riders who … want to exercise as hard as possible, I guess? Something?
In any event, you can see some of the bike-related smartphone apps Piaggio has developed in the ebike’s EICMA promotional video, above, and let us know what you think of Piaggio’s latest human/electric hybrid in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Piaggio eBike | EICMA 2014
Source | Images: Piaggio, via TechVehi.
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