Lambretta, Vespa's historic competitor in the scooter market, has decided to go electric and present a concept previewing a production model in the months and years to come.
Even if the electric two-wheeler market did not have a great year in 2023 (it's not better for thermals), the multiplication of the offer could help in the months and years to come, to support sales . It must be said that currently, we cannot say that the historical players, when we talk about electric scooters in particular, are at the forefront. Like Vespa , which only offered one zero-emission model and which has just added two to its range: the Primavera Elettrica and the Sprint S Elettrica .
It was a good thing for him, because one of his long-time competitors intends to come and take his share of the pie as quickly as possible: Lambretta. On the menu, the vintage look that made it famous, masterfully reinterpreted with a modern twist, and promising performance for what will be its very first electric scooter in its history.
Vintage details
At first glance, novices may have the impression that they have a Vespa in front of them. Moreover, even the name is close: Elettrica for Vespa, Elettra for Lambretta! But in reality, we find here the markers of the brand through the ages (it was born in 1948), namely the large mudguard at the front and a headlight that is not round like Vespa but hexagonal. Note the retractable wooden brake levers.
Another nice detail, these LEDs for the indicators, at the end of the handlebars. Not sure that it will make it to the series though, because it is still a vulnerable part in urban traffic.
If this is still a prototype, we can imagine that aesthetically, the future model will take the main lines.
Lambretta has chosen here an aluminum chassis and exterior cladding in sheet steel. At the front, there is a classic twin-shock absorber suspension, while at the rear, the shock absorber has been placed horizontally above the engine. We can see it when the bodywork automatically raises at the rear to make room for a compartment to leave objects. Like a helmet.
Up to 127 km of autonomy
Let's come to the technical sheet. Because yes, as prototype as it is, this Lambretta is not just there to look pretty. The Italian firm details the solutions that we may find on it when it is released. On the menu, the Elettra has a permanent magnet synchronous motor with 4 kW of continuous power, and up to 11 kW of peak power. The couple has 258 Nm of torque at the wheel, the top speed is announced at 110 km/h. A true 125 cc equivalent, therefore.
The battery is LFP technology , with a capacity of 4.6 kWh and promises a range of up to 127 km. But be careful, this is performance in Eco mode, at a constant speed of 40 km/h. At 80 km/h, the range is reduced to around 60 km. Recharging takes 5.5 hours on a domestic socket, and 35 minutes on fast charging at a terminal.
Unveiled for the first time in November 2023 at the EICMA show in Milan , we are now waiting to know when this very first electric scooter from Lambretta will join the range of 50, 125 and 200 cc thermal scooters already on the market.