Vespa Elettrica News

Vespa Elettrica Update Aug 2022

We’ve been watching the birth of Vespas electric scooter offering since it was announced at the Milan EICMA show in 2016 and then first shown at EICMA 2017.

Production of the Eletrica was begun in September 2017 and Europe was the first to gain access to the new machines in 2018.

At the time we heard ( unofficially ) that Vespa decided to only release to Europe initially so an early potential teething problems with this new technology could be managed promptly and close to their home base in Italy.

Things seemed to go very well and the Elettrica was released to the USA market in 2019 and shortly after into Asia.

Now we are hearing that the Elettrica is a ‘chance, but only a chance’ to come to Australia.  Here’s what we know so far.

Vespa has fitted a 4.2 kWh lithium-ion battery in the Elettrica. This battery is used by a brushless DC motor generating maximum power of 4 kW (5.4 PS) and 200 Nm of peak torque. The battery pack needs 4 -6 hours to achieve a 100% charge.  It is noteworthy that riders will need a power point within reach of its tethered charging cable to recharge, as the battery is not removable.  

There are two versions available, one making a top speed of 45-50kmph and another topping out at 70kmph.  We are hoping we get access to the 70kmph for our market here in Sydney.

The Elettrica has two riding modes – Eco and Power. The Eco Mode is designed for daily city commutes whereas the Power Mode, as the name suggests, is created for extracting the maximum performance. The Vespa Elettrica range varies as per the variant and the riding mode. It is stated that it can go as high as 100 km, but we’ve heard a real world commuter range of maybe 60-70kms is closer to the target.  

One new feature is there’s also a clever slow speed reverse mode in the electric scooter.  There is also a regenerative-braking mechanism to harness power when on the anchors.

Just like the Vespa Primavera scooters, the Vespa Elettrica features a mix of retro and modern elements such as curved body panels, full-LED lighting and chrome embellishments. The under-seat storage compartment of the Vespa Elettrica has enough space to keep an open faced helmet. It also contains the battery recharge cable.

The colour options for Aus have yet to be announced but I did spot the 4 different trims available in Europe included black, blue, chrome and yellow. – Each colour basically highlights some parts of the electric scooter like the wheel rim edges, logo outline, seat stitching, front apron edges, etc.  We’ll have to wait and see what colour(s) comes to Aus.

The Vespa Elettrica comes equipped with the latest 4.3-inch fully-digital coloured TFT (Thin Film Transistor) instrument cluster. It shows a bunch of information such as speedometer, clock, battery temperature, battery range, odometer. 

It also has Bluetooth connectivity and can be paired with a smartphone via the Vespa Connect app. Using this feature, and the optional helmet/voice kit, the rider can answer calls, activate voice commands, manage music as well as view message notifications.

There is no announcement of pricing for Aus, but if we look at European pricing, it won’t be for the feint of heart as I’d suggest somewhere around AUS$13,000 will be close to the target.  We’ll have to wait and see.

To my way of thinking the Vespa Elettrica will appeal to the modern climate conscious rider who enjoys high end products such as Vespa provide.  The scooter looks to be a lot of fun and will no doubt turn heads with its emissionless ride and vastly reduced noise pollution.

We’ve started a Vespa Elettrica email list for those of you who’d like to follow the Elettrica’s potential release here in Aus.  

Email murray@scootercentral.com.au and ask to be included on our Vespa Elettrica email list for any updates, or simply join or bi-monthly newsletter for recent info while you’re on our website.