Piaggio Ape E Xtra FX

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra is an eco-friendly three-wheeler last-mile cargo carrier designed for efficient and economical transportation of goods. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery and offers an excellent range, making it an ideal choice for urban deliveries.

Piaggio Ape E Xtra Powertrain

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra is equipped with a 5.44 kW electric motor that makes a max. power of 12.7hp at 3500 rpm and a peak torque of 45 Nm. The vehicle has a maximum speed of 45 km/h and can climb gradients of up to 17%. The battery is a 51.2 V lithium-ion unit with a rated capacity of 8 kWh, and it takes 3 hours and 45 minutes for a single empty-to-full charge. 

Piaggio Ape E Xtra Aggregates

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 975 kg and a payload capacity of 506 kg. It gets a helical spring with dampener on the front and rubber spring with dampener on the rear as suspension system. 

Piaggio Ape E Xtra Features

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra is equipped with features such as a customizable body to transform it into a delivery van, a 6 ft. long load body for commendable volumes of cargo loading and hydraulically actuated drum brakes for added safety. The three-wheeler also gets the iConnect app connectivity, an advanced telematics solution from the brand. 

Piaggio Ape E Xtra Comfort

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra offers a comfortable and ergonomic cabin with ample headroom and legroom for the driver. The seats are well-cushioned, and handlebar-type steering allows easy handling and seamless maneuvres.

Piaggio Ape E Xtra Rivals

The Piaggio Ape E Xtra competes with other electric cargo vehicles in the Indian market, such as the Mahindra Treo Zor and Euler Motors Hi Load.

Overview

The automotive industry worldwide is buzzing with the transition to electric. Vehicles across segments and ranges are now getting electric variants globally, and a similar shift is taking place in India. Among the several personal and commercial automotive segments, the last-mile people and cargo carrier segments are ripe for electric disruption in India. It is now amply clear that the faster adoption of electric vehicles in India would start from the modest three-wheelers gradually moving up to other segments of the auto industry. Consequently, there are a lot of actions is taking place in India’s last-mile cargo/people three-wheeler market as more and more brands are entering into this burgeoning segment.

Piaggio is a leader in India’s auto-rickshaw segment, the company’s Ape branded three-wheelers are highly established by winning customer trust over decades now. Customers rely on Ape branded vehicles for their daily people and cargo-carrying needs across India. The company’s Ape Xtra LDX cargo three-wheeler is the market leader. Piaggio being the leader in the conventional cargo auto segment wants to stay ahead into the EV era, and so is among the first brands to enter the EV bandwagon. The Ape E-Xtra is the cargo three-wheeler in a full-electric variant with a fixed battery. Piaggio is offering the Ape E-Xtra LDX as a strong alternative to diesel/CNG vehicles with a compelling value proposition. So, should you buy one? Well, we tell you everything you need to know about this EV three-wheeler.

Exterior 

Take a look at the Ape E-Xtra, and there is hardly any visual difference that you would notice as against the regular IC engine sibling of the vehicles. So, Piaggio has kept the design and external styling element unchanged. That means you’re getting the same vehicle in looks and feels. For example, the vehicle comes with an attractive silver bezel, dual tonne seats, contemporary decals and also appealing blue-vision headlamps. Then looking at some of the dimensions of the vehicle in numbers such as the E-Xtra get 2100 mm of wheelbase, overall width of 1490 mm, the length of 3315 mm and height of 1770 mm. The minimum ground clearance is 220 mm.

The E-Xtra is a 975 kg gross weight vehicle and you get an impressive 506 kg of payload, quite suitable for all types of cargo delivery needs, no matter if you're driving on urban or rural roads. The cargo box measures 1830x 1400x285 mm (LxWxH). The length, width, and height of the 3W are kept at 2965 mm, 1490mm, and 1770 mm, respectively. You noticed the tyres which are 4.5-10’ in size. So overall, the E-Xtra looks quite familiar as there aren’t many changes that you see in the EV avatar popular vehicle. 

Performance

If you decide to go ahead and purchase the Ape E-Xtra, you need to consider the overall performance. Like any EV, the E-Xtra's performance is determined by its battery and motors. Here, Piaggio is offering a 48V, lithium-ion type battery with an 8kWh rated capacity. This generates about 12.8hp of power and 45Nm of torque. Both the numbers are way higher than the IC engine counterparts, which means you’re assured with power, torque and top performance for quick and faster delivery.

What is also crucial to know is that the battery comes with a company-assured 90 km of typical driving range in a single charge, this should suffice the need for your daily run. The top speed is 45 kmph and gradeability is 17%. What you’re getting is the 48V/3000W off-board charger, which charges the battery fully in about 3 hours and 45 minutes, which is a lot better than what's available in the market. So if you need extra range in a day for a longer trip, you can easily charge the vehicle for 1/2 hours which would add about 30-40 percent of the battery. This makes the E-Xtra quite practical for our daily cargo delivery needs of supply chain/transporter operating cycles. 

Some of the aggregates that enhance the overall vehicle performance include the transmission which is PT gear with differential type. The suspensions- front-helical spring with dampener and rubber spring with dampener at the rear. The steering is handlebar type like any conventional rickshaw. The brakes are drum type hydraulically actuated at the front and rear. 

Since it is an EV that means you get additional performance tools to enhance the overall appeal of the vehicles. Piaggio has developed in-house telematics solutions of its own-IConnect that is offered as standard with E-Xtra. What it does is give you key vehicle information in real-time, like the battery status, average range per charge, units consumed per month, trouble code alert, real-time vehicle locations and time remaining for full charge etc. 

For a peaceful ownership experience Piaggio is offering you a 3-year/1 lakh km super warranty, 3- year maintenance free program with its widest network in the industry, to make your EV ownership remain best with minimum hassle. Also, keep in mind the advantage of an EV includes no road tax and minimum registration cost which means lower cost of the vehicle but where you save the most is the operating cost. The E-Xtra is cheaper to run than the regular IC engine auto, and since no engine, transmission, oil and lubricant, your regular maintenance cost comes down drastically. 

Verdict

The details around E-Xtra makes this cargo auto-rickshaw quite a compelling package. Piaggio knows the cargo three-wheeler market in India like nobody, and hence understands exactly what the customers need and is willing to pay. So, the E-Xtra has got everything that you need for a last-mile cargo three-wheeler, highly capable with ease of use and ownership. While the price may look on a higher side a little if you compare to the regular rickshaw but you can recover the extra price a lot quicker, and then since only charging without the spend on fuel, you’ve got a chance to earn better revenue. Along with this being an EV, E-Xtra makes zero noise and pollution, no hassle of clutch and gear shifting, and a smoother driving experience. 

The E-Xtra makes a good overall package if you’re willing to make the transition to a battery-operated full-electric cargo rickshaw. And there isn’t a better choice than the market leader.