After first unveiling the Piaggio One electric scooter’s design on TikTok, the Italian company’s plan was simple. Full launch of the global scooter aimed at young riders everywhere would occur on May 28, 2021, at the Beijing Motor Show. When the curtain rose, what did Piaggio show the world? Let’s take a peek. 

In much of the world, scooters and motorcycles are mostly used by all kinds of people, who simply want a convenient and relatively inexpensive way to get around. Not coincidentally, that’s also where the rise in popularity of electric scooters is happening—especially in places where suitable infrastructure is rolling out to power all these new electric devices. With that in mind, it’s absolutely zero surprise that Piaggio chose the Beijing Motor Show as its strategic global launch point for the One.  

At launch, there are three different versions of the Piaggio One: the One, the One+, and the One Active. All three are powered by rear hub-mounted motors, and feature removable batteries that can be charged off the bike. As you probably already guessed, the name differences reflect different motor and battery configurations for each model, according to Moto.IT’s reporting. 

Down at the bottom of the range, catering to young and new riders, the base One comes with a 48V 1.8kWh battery pack, paired with a 1.2 kW engine that makes a claimed 85 Nm (or 62.7) ft-lbs of torque. Top speed for this one is 55 kilometers per hour, or just over 34 mph. The One+ has the same motor, but the battery is bumped up to a 2.3kWh unit, and top speed is 100 kmh, or 62 mph. Finally, the One Active has the 2.3kWh battery unit, paired with a 2kW motor that makes a claimed 95 Nm (or 70 ft-lbs) of torque. Top speed is 60 kmh, or just over 37 mph. For congested urban settings, that’s probably plenty.  

Charging times for all Piaggio One batteries are quoted at six hours. At least one photo of the battery pack mounted inside a Piaggio One looks, at a passing glance, similar to a single Honda Mobile Power Pack. We don’t yet know for sure if the One is something Piaggio is releasing as part of its swappable battery tech agreement with Honda, KTM, and Yamaha—but hopefully it won’t be long before we know more. 

Pricing for the Chinese market will start at 17,800 Yuan, which works out to about $2,782. Piaggio stated with its initial teaser that the One will be a global model, but the company has yet to announce pricing or availability for other markets just yet. As and when we know more about those releases, we’ll be sure to let you know. 

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