Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (PVPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the European two-wheeler leader Piaggio Group, is amongst India’s leading manufacturers of light transportation solutions. The company commenced its operation with the launch of its 3 W brand ape` which was an instant success and has grown from strength to strength over the years.
PVPL pioneered the diesel 3 W business; having created the market it grew and owned the market and thereafter sustained a dominant leadership position in this segment with a market share of over 50 per cent.
Piaggio is globally known for owning and establishing the renowned brand apé in three-wheelers as well as Porter in commercial vehicles. These brands are recognized globally for their Italian lineage of style, design, performance and technology with a high value of aspiration attached to each of them.
PVPL had recently launched the apé City, a state-of-the-art 3-wheeled passenger carrier in the alternate fuel category. Within a short span of its launch, the company has garnered a respectable market share in the domestic segment and has thrown up tremendous opportunities in the international market. The apé City comes fitted with a hi-tech Piaggio 3 Valve Engine, introduced for the first time in the 3-wheeler category in India. The vehicle is available in the diesel and CNG/LPG/petrol fuel variants, and the CNG version is on display.
The apé City is a revolutionary product developed on the basis of Piaggio’s ongoing customer feedback program, and adds a new dimension to Piaggio’s range of transportation solutions. It symbolizes Piaggio’s solution in the alternate fuel category. The vehicle incorporates the exacting high standards that Piaggio is known for internationally, offering the best mileage in its class. It has the highest power & torque in its category, enabling superior pick-up and acceleration and offers superior gradeability in its category. It is also comfortable in manoeuvring steep gradients, including city flyovers.
Porter, a compact 4-wheeler
Porter is a formidable range of 4-wheeler compact commercial vehicles from the Piaggio Group stable. It has enjoyed success in more than 14 countries worldwide and has now forayed into India. It is the first international brand in the compact truck segment in India.
Within a short span of its launch, Porter 600 has garnered a respectable market share of around 25 per cent in the 0.5 ton commercial vehicle segment and is rapidly moving towards enhancing its market share. The Porter is the company’s initiative to expand its wings into the 4-wheeler market. It offers best mileage in its class, superior torque, enabling superior pick up and acceleration. This vehicle has the highest ground clearance in its category. In addition, the superior gradeability & manoeuvrability ensure stress-free driving on rough roads, steep gradients, including city flyovers, and narrow city roads.
PVPL will soon launch the Porter 1000 in one-ton payload segment which would be available with its in-house state-of-the-art twin cylinder engine in BS III & BS IV variants. The company pioneered the concept of customization and offers complete transportation solution to meet the end-use requirement of the customer. One such new application for rural India is providing filtered drinking water.
Explaining the company’s new initiative, Mr. Ravi Chopra, Chairman and Managing Director, said: “At the Piaggio Group, our emphasis has always been on value creation. Be it product design, performance or application, we have consistently gone to the market with our customers in mind. Taking this philosophy forward, Piaggio has introduced the apé Jaldoot, a highly customized vehicle with a water purification system to provide safe and clean drinking water at the doorstep in rural India. It promises to be an excellent source of employment generation.”