In July this year Piaggio plans to launch the Elettrica X, a serial hybrid version which will double the range to 200km or even more. That’s because the self-same brushless electric motor in it will be paired with an air-cooled 100cc two-valve four-stroke combustion engine with belt-driven sohc. Fuelled by a three-litre fuel tank, according to the firm’s head of development Antonio Cappellini, this generator will run at up to 2800rpm to recharge the battery, thus extending the range. “It’s important to recognise this is not a true Hybrid, but a Range Extender – hence the X designation,” he emphasises. “We retain electric drive at all times with the X, but with a supplementary internal combustion engine to recharge the battery when the charge drops below a certain level.”

With the combustion engine switched off the smaller battery pack provides a range of just 50km, but the generator adds another 150km to the range, bringing it up to 200km.