Piaggio launches hybrid MP3 scooter in Milan

Italian scooter behemoth Piaggio has merged its two most recent innovations - a hybrid engine and the three-wheeled MP3.

The amalgam was unveiled at EICMA show in Milan on November 4, based on a "parallel" hybrid design where a combustion engine and an electric motor are mechanically and electronically linked. The bike will go on sale in Europe next July, followed by Australia in September.

This design was first made public by Piaggio in 2007, where the combustion engine 'behaves' normally while also charging the electric motor during deceleration.

And, whenever the rider needs to accelerate with more haste, the electric motor assists the combustion engine, supplying a claimed 85 percent extra performance as well as a reduction in fuel consumption and C02 emissions.

There is also an electric-only mode, which is actuated via a handlebar-mounted switch. The battery can be recharged from an electricity source by inserting a normal cable into a plug. Charging time is about three hours, with a charge indicator on the dashboard.

Despite all the electronics and technology, the hybrid looks like a standard MP3, with the batteries hidden underneath the seat.