Unless I’m casually leaning on it while sipping an espresso on the Piazza Navona with my lovely wife on my arm, I don’t think there’s any way I could look sexy on this hybrid scooter. That said, if I wouldn’t get mowed down by one of Texas’s ubiquitous ½ ton pickup trucks as soon as I pulled on the road, one of these would be all I’d need for my short work commute… and I wouldn’t even have to start the engine.
In a press release yesterday The Piaggio Group introduced the MP3 Hybrid (no it’s not an iPod killer)… it’s the world’s first hybrid scooter and a vehicle they say is destined to revolutionise [sic] urban mobility. This is not just a “scooter with two powerplants”, but a highly advanced vehicle supplements a low environmental impact conventional internal combustion engine with a zero emissions electric motor, summing the advantages of the two units.
“Adopting uniquely exclusive technology – this is the first vehicle in the entire automotive sector using lithium ion batteries, which can also be charged from the mains (wall plug) – Piaggio Mp3 Hybrid reduces both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50%, complementing the already enviable attributes in terms of technology, safety and rider enjoyment that make the Piaggio Mp3 – the revolutionary three-wheeled scooter – such a hit.”
Take a good long look at the photo above. What do you think? Despite a decent marketing campaign, can one really look sexy on a three wheeled hybrid scooter? More to the point, can I look sexy on a three wheeled hybrid scooter? Because after all, global warming be damned, isn’t looking sexy what really counts when purchasing transportation? 😉 Now if I can just find a baby sit that will fit.