The Hindu Business Line : Piaggio entering 2-wheeler market

Mr Ravi Chopra, Chairman & Managing Director, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, India, and Mr Roberto Colaninno, Group Chairman & CEO, Piaggio & C SpA Italy, at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday. - Shashi Ashiwal

Our Bureau

Mumbai Jan 22 The Piaggio Group is revving up to drive into the Indian two-wheeler market.

Mr Roberto Colaninno, Chairman, said Piaggio would be setting up a new two-wheeler manufacturing facility at Baramati in Maharashtra. “We expect to roll out our first batch of two-wheelers in 2009-10,” he told press persons here on Tuesday.

Mr Colaninno also indicated that the two-wheelers would be available from 50 cc up to 150 cc. The company through this initiative will be re-launching the Vespa brand of scooters in India. The new plant will also manufacture the hybrid Vespa engine, which works on lithium battery charger and petrol.

Asked about the possible introduction of the Aprilla range of motorcycles in the country, Mr Colaninno said that during the initial period the focus would completely be on automatic scooters, but subsequently the company would study the feasibility of getting into the motorcycle business.

In this context, Mr Colaninno said Piaggio would begin European marketing of thermo-electric hybrid scooters at the end of 2008. “At the same time, we are doing market analysis to gauge the feasibility of the launch of two, three and four wheel hybrid vehicles in India, presumably at the end of 2009 and early 2010,” he said.

Piaggio’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL), produces the Ape range of cargo and passenger diesel three-wheelers, selling over 1.54 lakh units in 2007. It launched the new Ape Truk four-wheel commercial vehicle with a carrying capacity of 800 kg in July 2007.

Mr Ravi Chopra, PVPL’s Chairman and Managing Director, said in India the group planned to invest €65 million in the development and industrialisation of twin-cylinder turbo-diesel and diesel engines up to 1,200 cc capacity, apart from setting up a plant in Baramati. “The group will be partnered by Japan’s Daihatsu, which produces technologically advanced compact motor vehicles,” he said.

As per the Piaggio-Daihatsu agreement, the Japanese company will supply powertrains (1,300 cc petrol engines and transmissions) for the Piaggio’s Porter range of light transport vehicles.

Piaggio-Greaves pact

Piaggio also announced signing of an eight-year agreement with Greaves Cotton Ltd, which will supply the GL 400 BS11 mono-cylinder diesel engine and the G 435 BS111 mono-cylinder diesel engine, beginning in 2010 to coincide with the pan-Indian introduction of Bharat 111 emission regulations.

“Greaves will provide PVPL with the engines as the sole supplier for Ape three-wheelers,” Mr Chopra said.

More Stories on : New Projects | Two/Three Wheelers

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