E-quipment highlight: Piaggio Porter NPE micro truck gets it done

Vespa parent company Piaggio is rolling out a new electric city truck that packs XL capabilities in a Kei-sized package with plenty of Italian style — ultimately begging the question: if it can get the job done, what do we need these giant pickups for?

With up to 201 hp (150 kW) available from its powerful electric motor, the little Piaggo Porter NPE pickup packs more standard horsepower than the old 5.0L V8 Mustang your dad had in college. That motor gets its power from a 42 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery that’s good for up to 255 km (~160 miles) of range, or about 205 km under load — and, make no mistake, the little Porter can haul some serious loads.

PIaggio claims its pint-sized pickup has a 1,055 kg payload capacity. That works out to just a tick under 2,325 lbs. to you and me. That’s significant, because the maximum payload of the base, V6-powered Ford F-150 half-ton pickup is “just” 1,990 lbs. — meaning it can haul 300 lbs. less than the little Porter can. (!)

Big potential

Piaggio says that all that power and payload capacity makes the new Porter NPE perfect for just about every business. “Piaggio Porter NPE provides the ideal solution for all business needs,” reads the official copy, proving my point. “(Allowing) companies to operate responsibly with respect for the environment, even in the most challenging situations.”

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To help its commercial customers get the most out of their new Porter, Piaggio is offering Fixed Bed, Tipper Bed, and Tipper Bed with Extended Side Panel variants direct from the factory. That means there’s no upfitter required, and the beds/mechanisms are covered by the Italian trucklet’s full OEM warranty (which includes an 8-year, 160,000 km warranty on the battery).

No word yet on pricing, but the company claims you can DC fast charge the Porter NPE from 10-80% in less than half an hour.

Electrek’s Take

Every fleet manager eventually asks whether they need a bed, or payload. When they ask that question, they’re usually trying to decide between something like a Ford Maverick and an F-150 – but with the little Piaggio, as with American options like the Club Car Urban UTV, you can get the bed and the payload capacity, and you get it for $20-30,000 less than a conventional half-ton truck.

It’s almost as if no one actually needs a big truck at all, isn’t it?

Instead of something practical, though, Ford’s gonna give us more low-tech, high-profit three-quarter ton full-size pickup trucks and rake in the cash. Let us know what you think of that fun fact in the comments.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Piaggio.

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