Piaggio Porter NPE: A cheeky little helper
The Piaggio Porter has recently become quieter on the road. And even with electric drive, the agile Italian vehicle has lost none of its versatility, as the short test by Autosprint shows.
Many municipal utilities, local authorities, and small and medium-sized craft businesses appreciate the agile Piaggio Porter for its compact dimensions, versatility, and high payload. However, environmental requirements, especially in public procurement, are becoming stricter, and a CNG drive with biogas in the tank, which also makes the Italian vehicle virtually CO2Being carbon neutral on the road is no longer always enough. Fortunately, the Piaggio Porter, which is 4.09 or 4.51 meters long depending on the wheelbase but only 1.64 meters wide, is now also available as an NPE with a purely electric drive.
Can also be used flexibly as an NPE
This electric motor delivers a continuous output of 60 kW/82 hp and a maximum of 150 kW/204 hp to the rear wheels. Thanks to its 42 kWh lithium iron phosphate LFP battery, this gives the Piaggio Porter a range of just over 200 km. If you mainly drive in the city and don't always have a full load, the range can even be around 250 km.
Of course, the small electric tipper truck cannot reach speeds of more than 94 km/h on the highway – or even 95 km/h on a slight downhill slope. But it doesn't need to, because that's not its primary area of application. It will probably be used mainly in urban environments or, for example, by garden centers for regional use and thus on country roads. The power of the electric drive is easily sufficient for this. And so you whizz along cheerfully and extremely quietly – just like we did in the test – to the next job site.
Highly sensitive speed warning system
However, the peace and quiet in the cockpit is often interrupted by the annoying warning tone of the sensitive speed warning system, which somehow doesn't fit with the lively electric temperament of the Italian vehicle with 342 Nm. Inside, even tall people have enough headroom, but as a driver, you sit so high that you look directly at the sun visor and always have to lower your gaze slightly. On the positive side, the Piaggio also comes as a small commercial vehicle with a whole armada of modern assistants. Lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and hill start assist are all on board, as is a warning system for fatigue at the wheel.
As a bare chassis, the Porter NPE with a 2.65-meter wheelbase is available from $49,000 excluding VAT, while the long wheelbase version (3.07 meters) costs $50,500. As a pickup with a payload of 800 to 850 kg, it starts at CHF 53,000, and as a practical rear tipper with an electrohydraulic tipping system and mobile spiral cable hand control, it is available from CHF 55,500.
Expert opinion: Piaggio Porter NPE
This agile commercial vehicle fits into narrow streets, excels as a pickup or dump truck thanks to its versatility, and offers a good payload for its size. And with its electric drive, it's a real joy to drive.
Advantages
+ Very maneuverable and agile
+ Compact dimensions and large payload
+ Battery warranty: 8 years or 160,000 km
Disadvantages
– Annoying speed warning tone
– Not designed for highway driving
