If you paid attention to EICMA 2022, you might remember the aerodynamic electric concept that electric mobility specialist VMoto and world-renowned design firm Pininfarina debuted at the event. In 2023, both firms are pleased to show off how their partnership has progressed.
This is the APD Concept, which Vmoto describes as “the preview of a new scooter model that Vmoto will introduce into the range in the near future.” Previously, Vmoto has focused on smaller scooters, not maxi scooters.
The APD Concept is clearly an electric maxi scooter—a genre that hasn’t been common among most electric manufacturers so far. The most well-known electric maxi scooter introduced to date is the BMW CE-04. To be completely fair, the APD Concept kind of looks like it could be a cousin of that design.
Still, maxi-scooters offer an eminently practical combination of power and on-board storage space that’s appealing to a certain kind of rider. It was only a matter of time (and probably also energy density and battery pack advancement) before electric OEMs started expanding in this direction.
Gallery: Vmoto and Pininfarina APD Concept
Vmoto also refers to the APD concept as “The Power of the Air,” stressing the importance of aerodynamic developments in this concept. While good aero has been a pursuit among vehicle makers for about as long as motorized transportation has existed, it’s especially important for extending range on EVs. Less wind resistance = squeezing every last kilometer out of a full charge.
“We are extremely excited to be able to present the new Concept APD at EICMA 2023, the most important motorcycle fair in the world,” Vmoto International president of strategy and business development and chief managing officer Graziano Milone said in a statement.
“The partnership with a historic company like Pininfarina is a source of pride for our entire company and I believe that the final result is absolutely extraordinary: a scooter that is not only beautiful, but innovative and high-performance, which combines Vmoto's electric technology with the Italian style of the designers by Pininfarina,” he concluded.
It’s not yet clear how near the “near future” that Vmoto mentions might be for whatever production electric maxi-scooter the APD Concept eventually becomes. In any case, we’ll look forward to seeing the finished item once it does.
