Piaggio Goes Ape over Electric Vehicles

Italian manufacturer Piaggio introduces an electric version of the venerable Ape Calessino

For the masses

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that much as Henry Ford put America on wheels, Italian manufacturer Piaggio also played a large part in putting that country on the road as well as aiding the economic recovery of Italy following World War II.

In 1947, much of Italy was still in ruins. Most Italians lacked any means of transport and even the wherewithal to buy a vehicle – especially trucks. To help alleviate this problem, Corradino D’Ascanio, inventor of the Vespa scooter, came up with the novel idea of building a lightweight three-wheeled commercial vehicle that could shoulder at least a portion of the burden of carrying goods around and between Italy’s cities. Thus was born the Ape (pronounced “ah-pay”).

Originally, the Ape was essentially a Vespa scooter with two rear wheels, instead of one, with a flat-bed installed above the rear axle. The steering mechanism consisted of scooter handlebars with room (barely) for an additional passenger to sit next to the driver. With a low top speed but plenty of torque, the small engine (125cc’s) was perfect for the generally hilly Italian topography.

By 1958, the original Ape had been given a fully-enclosed cab (the Ape D) and the engine size had been bumped to 170cc’s with electric start as an option.

The green Ape

In 2007, Piaggio reintroduced a limited run (999 units) of the Ape Calessino, a soft top version with forward-facing second row bench seating and a third row, rear-facing wicker bench seat. Back in the ‘50’s, this model was a favorite of many Hollywood stars, when they were used as transportation at many exclusive resorts on Mediterranean islands.

For 2009, Piaggio has introduced an electric version of the Calessino. Featuring an 18kW AC motor, it has a range of 47 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 31 mph. Power is supplied by an AEnerBox system from Archimedia Energia and it includes a liquid-cooled 222V, 6.88kWh lithium-ion battery pack which incorporates 3.7V, 31 Ah cells.

The newest Ape Calessino will be offered in a limited edition of 100 and features its own unique blue and white two-tone color scheme for the bodywork and canvas accessories. The electric Ape also carries a fairly hefty price tag (€19,900 or $28,135) when compared to an entry-level Ape (£3,595 or $5,940).