Piaggio Unveils a 141-MPG Plug-In Hybrid Scooter
Italian scooter-maker Piaggio has unveiled a plug-in hybrid three-wheeler it says will get up to 141 mpg and could be on the road as early as next year.
The gas-electric version of Piaggio's funky but fun MP3 scooter uses a parallel hybrid system much like that in the Toyota Prius but advances the technology by adding an electrical cord. Although Toyota, General Motors and several other automakers are developing cars that can be charged from a wall socket, Piaggio's timeline, if met, would make it the first in the world to mass-produce a plug-in hybrid.
The MP3 Hybrid that Piaggio rolled out at the big international motorcycle expo in Milan, Italy, combines a 125-cc gasoline engine with an electric motor in an easy-to-ride three-wheeler that reportedly could do zero to 60 in around 5 seconds.
We're still trying to get ahold of the folks at Piaggio, but the electric motor powers the MP3 Hybrid at low speeds and provides the gasoline engine with additional oomph when you open 'er up -- boosting acceleration by as much as 85 percent, the company says. The scooter can run in full electric or in one of three hybrid modes designed to maximize performance, maximize fuel economy or recharge the batteries quickly. Piaggio says the MP3 hybrid goes 60 kilometers on a liter of gas, which works out to about 141 mpg.
Regenerative braking helps charge the batteries, and Piaggio says the MP3 Hybrid will charge in as little as three hours when plugged into a standard wall socket.
While Piaggio hasn't said how much the MP3 Hybrid will cost or offered much in the way of specs, Wes Siler at Hell for Leather says the gas-electric combo should provide the MP3 Hybrid with the power of a 250cc gas scooter, giving it zero to 60 acceleration in the 5-second range.
Piaggio's been working on its HyS hybrid drivetrain for more than a year. It uses a four-stroke gasoline engine that runs at a near constant speed so it can be tuned for excellent fuel economy and low emissions. (Piaggio says the MP3 Hybrid emits 40 grams of carbon per kilometer; for comparison, the Prius emits 104.) The motor also charges the battery, which is located under the seat. A "fly by wire" system determines the optimal mix of gasoline and electric power depending upon rider demands. Motorcycle Consumer News says the HyS hybrid system can go about 12.5 miles on full electric power.
As for those two front wheels, they lean up to 40 degrees in turns just like a motorcycle. Piaggio, which introduced the MP3 two years ago, says the design improve traction, stability and braking to provide unparalleled (for a scooter) grip and excellent cornering capability. Having flogged a 250-cc MP3 in the Santa Cruz mountains, we can tell you it's a hoot. A plug-in version will only make it better.
Main photo courtesy International Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition. Second photo by Piaggio.
3 wheels? lame.
The fact that it manages 60 kilometres to the litre is not all that impressive given that a Fiat 500 diesel will do nearly 27 and it doesn't have a hybrid powertrain and is a fully functioning car, with seats and air conditioning and a roof and weighs a tonne, and this is a scooter that doesn't have any of the above.
Looks like a tricycle to me.. 141mpg is impressive for a car, not a tricycle.
Also you didn't say how much it costs. I guarantee it's way overpriced.
The Fiat 500 with the diesel engine could do about 27 km/l, but at the cost of performance. Acceleration at that mileage is best described as "glacial." At anything like normal driving, you get closer to 2/3 that, and it's still a LOT slower than the Piaggio.
...and yes, 141 mpg is pretty impressive, even for a "tricycle" with real-world performance.
needless to say we all hope the model comes with the scooter. we;re all thinking it..
This is great! a fun hybrid machine that most should be able to afford.
One of the problems with scooters is that the engine is usually attached to the rear wheel, making it a huge unsprung mass. This setup has the potential to mitigate that by having only the lighter electric motor attached to the wheel.
It is not possible to see it for sure on the picture, but I hope they did it this way.
So, do you turn like a ATV or a motorcycle?! I'm confused.
MAJ
If it came with the model I'd get Two!! As most motorcycles/scooter get from 50-75 mpg 141mpg for a 3wheeler that gets to 60mph under 6 seconds....yeah it is impressive, it will keep up with the crotch rockets not to mention beat anything on the road save for some "super cars" for a scooer (and the model) all I can say is wow
Stacey Kelly said;
" The fact that it manages 60 kilometres to the litre is not all that impressive given that a Fiat 500 diesel will do nearly 27 and it doesn't have a hybrid powertrain and is a fully functioning car, with seats and air conditioning and a roof and weighs a tonne, and this is a scooter that doesn't have any of the above."
This Fiat sounds impressive I googled it, it's impressive but not as impressive as you said. The 1.2 litre version manages 55.4mpg and the 1.4 does 44.8mpg, equivalent to a Prius. Really great but only about a third as fuel efficient as the 141 MPG Piaggio, or 20 Km per litre not 27. You have to remember that a scooter can't compare pound for pound with a car due to aerodynamic drag inherent with the upright driver sitting out in the airflow and 141 MPG will depend more on the weight of the rider as well more so then with any car. For it's size and power this scooter would outdo any equally powerful scooter impressively.
Why not put a transparent cocoon or skin on that sucker? It would improve its aerodynamics and make the ride more comfortable in bad weather. Sure it would add to the price but it would also increase its marketing appeal. Ok, I also see that it would make it unstable in high winds but that could be minimized somewhat with some clever engineering.
@lou
check out the bmw c1 and watch the crash test vids.
@others. the mp3 is not a trike. the 2 front wheels act as a single wide wheel that tilts. very clever design and significant safety advance. should be available on other scooters.
Hey Lou, you mean like this; http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/gw/vw1litre.htm , it gets 94MPG it's a cocoon with a diesel engine 4 times as big as this Piaggio's. If only it was a hybrid ?
Whoops I got ahead of myself I went back to review that article I linked to. The "1 litre cocoon", actually it gets a reported 300 MPG? Again, if only it was a hybrid?
very lame, this makes for a good summer play around; but not a cool ride at all; see cool rides at
www.superherocars.com/photogallery
@common tater,
Wow! Thanks for that link. I remember reading about that 1-litre car years ago but I had completely forgotten about it. It goes to show you what aerodynamics can do for you. It puts Piaggio's hybrid scooter to shame except that Piaggio is planning to mass produce its scooter. There must be a good reason why the VW's 1-litre car has not been produced. After all, it's been around for 8 years. What's up with that?
I have to say this thing looks pretty hot, but I'd rather have an all-electric scooter. I don't ride that far every day and I have a garage so it's easy enough to chage. I'd love to get the Vectrix:
http://www.zoomilife.com/2008/11/06/closer-look-the-vectrix-vx-1-electric-scooter/
Parellel hybrids are a lame, stupidly overcomplex idea.
Wow! 141 MPH on an electric? Wow now THAT is scary!
If Bart Simpson wants to ride this, count me in.
I'm gonna say the price will be somewhere in the low $9,000 range.
The MP3's out now go for $7,200 - $8,900 between the three different models.
Because its using a smaller 125cc engine than the cheapest of the three MP3's (it has a 250cc engine) it might be priced in the $8's.
As for millage. The smallest 50cc scooters around can hover around the 100mpg mark, but typically can only go 25-30 miles an hour. This gives the best of both, decent highway speeds at ridiculously low fuel consumption. Its no ZX-14 (which gets in the low 30 mpg range), but the fact that it can beat a V-8 Mustang in the 0-60 is nothing to sneeze at either!
"Parellel hybrids are a lame, stupidly overcomplex idea."
Compared to what? A regular internal combustion engine? or maybe your secret invention that will blow us all away when you finally unveil it?
Listen: put up or shut up. At least SOMEONE is doing something to innovate and extend the distance we get out of each liter of fuel we burn.
Perhaps your credibility would be less questionable if you were to list off your many contributions to automotive engineering and fuel efficiency; however, I'd wager I could count them on no hands and no fingers.
the rebel got 73+ mpg in 2004 and a new one goes for $3k
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/MotorcycleFuelEconomyGuide/Honda.htm
if this is going for $9k
at $3/gallon you have to save 2000 gallons to pay off.
You have to ride (141-73) * 2000 = 136000 miles to make it pay off.
That tricyle is not going that far.
That does not start the comparison of
CO2 vs Lithium.
@Sirlanse
I drive 250 miles a week to and from work. Or a 1,000 a month. Right now that equates to a full tank of gas a week, soooo 11 gallons @ $2.65 a gallon = $29.15 vs 2 gallons (for the bike) of non premium fuel at $2.35 = $4.70. A difference each week of $24.45 X 52 weeks = $1,272. So $9000 bike would pay off in just over 7 years.
Here's the clincher though.. carbon emissions for those 7 years in my car will be more than 1 year on that bike.
(This is the benefit I see from a bike such as this).
You're getting more benefits than just money savings. I grant you that the initial price is high, but any plug-in vehicle is going to be that way given how new to the market they are and the high cost of newer battery tech.
Gotta start somewhere though.
Looks like something the Green Goblin would ride.
A Smart car diesel (not available in the USA) gets 3.3l/100km or 69 miles/gallon.
A real car that holds 2 people and can driven in inclement weather.
"lame"? "tricycle"? here's a thought: why don't some of you fat asses get out of your SUVs and try walking, or riding a bike? or is that too "lame" for you, too?
@Jaemo...
As opposed to serial hybrids, and pure electric systems using current battery technology as developed by companies like AltairNano...
Mechanically less complex. Purer and more efficent designs.
I may not be an automotive engineer but I've done the thermodynamics of the Carnot cycle and others at college, and I'm a physics student. I've also stripped down cars and put them back together again (in better working order).
In past incarnations, I was a systems programmer. I can spot needless complexity when I see it.
And, finally, nothing quite beats not having your head up your arse...
What are your qualifications, besides being a mouth in the coloured crayon department?
@zoe
Do some research first, before throwing the SUV tag around.
price price price?! anybody? that vehicle is so hot, even without the model!
I've seen one of these around town where I live, in Vacaville, CA. I wonder how it's owner was able to import and register it.
Now if they could make it workable in a 49cc model then up here in the great white north we could also take advantage of the bargain basement insurance rates on scooters.
I have to pay just under $2000 a year on a 10 year old 650cc Sport bike. Ouch!
Either put a roof on these damn things, or give me a fucking 141 mpg CARVER. WITHOUT the ridiculous $40,000 price tag
I would want a roof covered with solar panels on this scooter, so the driver stays dry and the batteries are recharged for free..
Linked to you:
http://conserve-energy.enoordhuizen.net/
What a lot of people in the U.S. do not know that this scooter may be ridden with a car drivers license in Germany. Normally you can only ride up to 50 cc engines in germany with a car driver's license, but the mp3 with 3 wheels is counted as a car (!!! ;) so you may ride without a motorcycle drivers license.
;)
I drive a Proton Savvy and it gets around 60mpg (6L/100km) on premium unleaded petrol, on average in varying driving conditions.
Uses a 1.1 litre Renault engine and gearbox. Granted, the build quality is not the best and it isn't really all that safe, but it seats 4 comfortably and even has aircon.
Look it up.
I bet it will likely cost $300,000 :-)
I would love to have a beast like this, especially because I can plug it in. The Garages that belong to my condo don't charge the tenent for the electricity using in the garage. I think I have a reason to abuse that policy. Free go-juice anyone?
@Sirlanse
The rebel has a max speed of something like 35mpg and it takes a long time to get there. It is a completely different class of vehicle.
As a few people have mentioned the licensing and insurance is a big deal on something like this. If it is classified as a motorcycle you can expect crazy insurance and you have to get a different license.
@eomdal
They are sold in the US no importing needed.
nothing lame about 3 wheels, AC. This line of 3 wheels has taken the motorcycle world by storm, nothing as big as this since sliced bread. Time to think outside the box, maybe?And you Yankees shouldn't bitch sooooo much and remain a bit more humble...after all GM, Ford, and Chrysler are near collapse and their combined market capitalization is, as of 11/01/08, only half of France's Renault and Peugeot...not talking about Wv, BMW, and Benz, a 500 Benz wheel is worth more than all GM these days...
Looks a little fat to share the lane with a cage and hard to park between 'em. The non-hybrid ones are considered motorcycles, so you have to get your license. Love the economy and environmental friendliness thou
@TheMovingFingerPoints -
So allow me to sum up: You are saying that because a parallel hybrid is less efficient from a purely physical/mechanical point of view (which I will never debate as it is so obvious that I felt was beneath mention) that it would be MORE efficient to replace our fleet of vehicles with Air powered/ Electric powered vehicles with untested and unproven technologies? That's what makes it a "lame, stupidly overcomplex idea." in your view?
Pardon my lack of a proper physics education, but the scenario you imply vis-a-vis your argument seems to me to be far more complex and over-engineered. Consequently I am glad you are not in charge and making these choices on our behalf.
You are pointedly overlooking social inertia and existing infrastructure. A shift like this (to an alternate fuel source for transportation) necessitates intermediate steps and as a result will not be as efficient or practical as we might hope for. Detracting from efforts to get us there only make you look like you're part of the problem.
I don't have to trumpet my qualifications to you to defend my position. *YOU'RE* the one with the nay-saying attitude, I simply pointed out that if you have such a hate-on for this technology, why not improve it rather than bash it? Or is your armchair just too comfy?
@Brad:
Rebels are in a similar class. The 1985 Rebel that I started on (in 2007) got 61 mpg at 60 mph. Zero to sixty was about 9 seconds (yes I clocked it). Its top speed was 75 pushing its own air, 60 into a head wind and 85 drafting stupid Texas dually pickup trucks. I am 215 pounds and 6' 4" tall and traded for more leg room, which this scooter seems to have.
Regarding this article: nice. Though I would rather have a sport bike. Say 250cc, 130 combined horsepower with 70mpg and supercapacitors with enough energy to do 1.5 0-60 sprints. Doable I think.
What scooter???
So, " Wes Siler at Hell for Leather says the gas-electric combo should provide the MP3 Hybrid with the power of a 250cc gas scooter, giving it zero to 60 acceleration in the 5-second range".
Clearly Wes Siler knows nothing about 250cc scooters.
Even the Yamaha Tmax500 ain't that fast on acceleration!
(I have 2 of them and they are 100mph machines).
There are already plans to put a roof on the Piaggio, as many people have done before.
http://www.bikeweb.com/node/338
The MP3 fits between cars as easily as any conventional bike or scoot, and is a blast to ride.
http://www.paulblez.co.uk/MP3_Scooter/index.htm
I like the sound of Spartandude's hybrid, but I ain't holding my breath!
PNB in London
I just bought the non-hybrid Piaggio MP3 / 250 a month ago and it is fantastic! Great ride. In fact, I just came back from a 500 mile 3 day trip to and back from Key West. The stability and handling are off the chart.
I average over 60MPG now and have super pick up and power but if the hybrid gets anywhere near 141 MPG without any significant loss of power that would be even better.
My jury still out on what should I get, I'm currently holding out maybe until April 26, 2009, my birthday.
Someone offering me a used, Paggio 400 $7,000, the dealer offering a new one for 8,600. Or maybe the new Hybrid for at least 9,800. Please comment. What should I do?? Thanks
Here is a three wheel scoot you guys might enjoy http://www.theautomoto.com it gets 83mpg out of a single piston 150cc motor and its enclosed!!! now that's a cool design in my opinion and its only $3,800 very cool platform.
Novedosa Moto Scooter Hibrida Echufable de 125cc
Presentan la nueva moto hibrida con motorización 125 cc y 3000w/72V
SOOTER HIBRIDA DIANE H-125
Ecolife nace como una empresa con una clara vocación de tener presencia en el mercado de la automoción, y, específicamente, en la fabricación y/o comercialización de vehículos de gama hibrida que reduzcan la capacidad de emisión de gases contaminantes así como el consumo de combustibles tradicionales. Así pues, y como primicia mundial, Ecolife ha desarrollado la primera moto de carácter híbrido disponible en el mercado. A final del presente ejercicio, la empresa tiene la intención de lanzar la primera motocicleta de 125cc y 3000 w de potencia, que estamos seguros será un éxito de mercado absoluto. Posteriormente, y a mediados del año que viene, tenemos preparado un nuevo modelo con un controller mejorado para la versión de 125 cc y una versión de 250 cc con 5000 w de potencia.
Descripción del producto:
Tal y como hemos comentado, somos pioneros en la introducción de motocicletas hibridas en el mercado mundial. Las moto-scooters, pueden funcionar de tres maneras diferentes.
- Combustión
- Eléctrico
- Mixto
El sistema mixto, que es el que se utilizará la mayoría de las veces, funciona con un motor eléctrico alimentado con baterias de última tecnología militar, que, a partir de una velocidad en Km/h pre -programada en fábrica, pasa a utilizar el motor de combustión. Esta función de cambio de motor la define el componente llamado ?controller? que actúa de manera inteligente identificando en cada momento las condiciones en que está circulando el scooter. No sólo puede cambiar a combustión por velocidad, sino también por detección de pendientes pronunciadas, o cualquier otra suposición o circunstancia. Este elemento y el ensamblaje del mismo en los scooters son de diseño absoluto y propiedad industrial de la empresa. Las baterías se cargan automáticamente cuando la motocicleta está en funcionamiento con el motor de combustión o mediante una conexión a la red eléctrica.
http://www.ecolife.es/
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