The first delivered Piaggio MP3 Hybrid had left us perplexed: door and under motorized, it did not keep its promise in regard to consumption, and thus of gas emission for greenhouse effect. Crippling… This new version equipped with a block of 300 Cm3 changes appreciably.
Seemingly, this new machine copy its accomplice with only thermal motorization. Except the bluish face of the cockpit and the decorated white careen-age logo of “Hybrid”, difficult to distinguish them … A glance on the broader transmission casing, however; imagined the presence of the second electrical motor.
A glance under the saddle will lift up few doubts: the batteries are of lithium ion as well as the catch occupies a good part of space from now on. While leaning on the instrument panel, one distinguishes a new button “HYS” close to the right handle: as on version 125, it makes it possible to select the operating process of the unit.
In hybrid mode
One will begin our urban way by selecting the mode “Hybrid Power”. In this configuration, the thermal engine of 25 ch is assisted by an electrical motor of 3.5 CH. In the phases of acceleration, and this up to 40 km/h, one benefits fully from the advantages of the electric one: the maximum couple is reached with good lower mode (27.5 Nm with 3500 tr/min, against 24 Nm with 6500 tr/min for its no hybrid counter part) and makes it possible to save the resources of the thermal engine where its output is the least effective.
Accelerations are thus frank and less noisy. To pass 40 km/h, thermal takes again its rights, and in spite of the supplement of weight of the machine (30 kilos is 267 kg on the whole on our balance!) one preserves performances quasi similar to the models very thermal (maximum speed 120 km/h compared with 125 km/h for one 300 LT IE).
The second mode, baptized “Hybrid Charges”, allows as for him to reload your battery. If this one is emptied rather quickly (40 km of mode Hybrid Power), it is necessary to count some close to the double with full mode on this mode to hope to reload it up to 80 % while rolling. What impacts final consumption seriously. To count 3 hours for a truck load, but noisy near any catch.
The very electric mode will enable you to reach a little less than 30 km/h out of 20 km. This program corresponds to the needs for the Italian big cities, which limit the access to certain part of their center to the electric vehicles and speed, to 30 km/h. In France, this mode is thus not very usable in practice… for the moment.
A last mode, rather lucid, makes it possible to carry out reverse running in very electrical way, useful to park this machine with the consequent weight.
Assets and defects of a Piaggio MP3 300 LT Hybrid
Side of the part-cycle, the Piaggio MP3 300 lt preserves all its assets… and accentuate its disadvantages. It is not handier at low speed. The system roll-lock (front wheel locking to the stop) helping, one can easily stabilize it with the stop, but the operations at low speeds must be anticipated.
Once launched, one finds the legendary stability of the Piaggio MP3 300 LT Hybrid. Thanks to his three something to lean on one takes even a certain pleasure to incline oneself in the large curves. It’s a pity that the brakes coupled with the levers and the foot offers very little feeling and a return of fluid on all the orders. One regrets the absence of ABS too.
Verdict
By using the 4 modes described of urban and perish-urban use on more than 300 km, our consumption was of 4.1 liters to the 100 km. It is certainly much more than 2l/100 km announced by Piaggio, but it is nearly one liter less than what we carried out with his direct competitor, the Piaggio MP3 300 LT Hybrid.
Sold at 8549 Euros, that is to say 1250 Euros moreover than the thermal whole, this hybrid thus appears finally interesting to us for little that one is a developed ecological conscience good, and a desire for devoting itself to Eco-control while exploiting each mode.
Remain to be seen if the machine proves reliable in time (longevity of the batteries) and if the Piaggio network controls this new technology well. The first purchasers of the MP3 125 Hybrid seem to have paid the price of them.
