Commercial Vehicles

Piaggio stops production of the Ape in Pontedera. The historic 'tricycle' will be made in India

The decision caused by safety and environmental regulations in Europe. The Tuscan plant will produce the Porter

30 November 2024

4' min read

Key points

Lines being converted
Ape for sale in India and Africa

4' min read

Goodbye to production of the Piaggio Ape at the Pontedera (Pisa) plant after 76 years. As reported by Tirreno and Nazione from union sources, it will be made exclusively in India for the local market where safety and pollution regulations are less stringent than in Europe.

The decision was reportedly communicated by the company to the Rsu delegates in recent weeks, when the production stoppage in the various departments of the plant was explained for the end of the year. Safety reasons first of all: according to newspaper reports, research and innovation are needed to bring the Ape up to safety standards, including airbags and assisted braking systems. And the environmental issue: next year regulations will change again. So Piaggio has decided to stop.

Lines being converted

At the Pontedera plant, the lines will be converted to produce the Porter, the commercial vehicle that inherited the market. However, there are still stocks in the Pontedera warehouses, so sales will continue in Italy through dealers. Production will instead continue in India, where there is also an electric version, with both models performing very well.

People close to the Pontedera-based group specify that the end of the Piaggio Ape, which will only be produced in India for the local market as well as the African one, is not a delocalisation but an industrial reconversion due to the new EU regulations on vehicles. The group, which in January 2021 unveiled the Porter, the result of a joint venture with China's Foton but produced in Italy, is gearing up to produce the Porter Electric in Pontedera, which in some ways will become the heir to the historic three-wheeled Ape.

L’Ape Piaggio non verrà più prodotta a Pontedera, ma in India. Le immagini di un’icona
Photogallery17 foto

The new electric van joins petrol and bi-fuel models, i.e. with both petrol-LPG and petrol-methane'

Ape for sale in India and Africa

For those nostalgic for the Ape, there is still the stockpile created by Piaggio in preparation for the decommissioning of the historic 'tricycle'. The latter will continue its career in areas of the world where traffic regulations are less stringent than in Europe. In India, then, the electric version of the "3-wheeler" can be easily used thanks to a network of distributors at which it is possible to replace the discharged battery, taking it out of your vehicle, with a freshly recharged one.

Unions: company guaranteed no impact on employment

The stop to production of the Ape at the Piaggio plant in Pontedera 'was something predictable'. This was stated by Fiom Pisa secretary Angelo Capone. 'Beyond the romantic aspect of the link with the territory, it is a choice that was in some way obligatory. The Ape is a euro 4 two-stroke, to imagine a euro 5 two-stroke is a complicated thing from a mechanical point of view. It would be necessary to change the engine, but then it would no longer be an Ape'.

Nevertheless, there should be no consequences with regard to employment: 'As of today we have no concerns, the company has said there will be no repercussions for the workers. We are sorry for what the Ape represents, it has happened before with the 'Calessino' but with the current regulations it was foreseeable".

"The 'Ape production stoppage' at the Pontedera (Pisa) plant is 'something that strikes a sentimental chord. It is a historical vehicle that made Piaggio have the imprint it has today and that is visible and recognisable all over the world,' says Flavia Capilli, new regional secretary of Fim Cisl. "When we were informed of the news," she continues, "there was concern at the time, but we have been reassured that there are other models to be developed in which to invest, the lines will be reorganised, even if it is regrettable for this 'retirement'". However, for the Fim Cisl there remains 'a cautious concern, which is always there when there are social shock absorbers involved. Three weeks of redundancy payments for 1,100 workers still have a strong impact. However,' he concludes, 'the real issue is to know as soon as possible on which products investments will be made, how the reorganisation will take place. We don't know yet'.

'With the current regulations there is no longer any margin to produce in Italy. Our sorrow is for a piece of Pontedera's history going away, with the Ape still being made in other plants in other countries. Perhaps certain laws were introduced a little hastily, it seems that only Europe cares about pollution, while the rest of the world does not give a damn'. This is how Samuele Nacci, provincial secretary of Uilm Pisa comments on the stop to the production of the historic three-wheeler in the Pontedera plant. For the rest, 'here the production of the Ape concerns not even 10% of the staff and there should be no employment relapse, they are workers who can be easily relocated. Also because, despite the classic Cig in December, this is not a company in crisis and we will be at a table as early as 9 December to discuss the second level integrative agreement'.