Fiat Tris apes Piaggio with all-electric three-wheeled truck
The Fiat Tris EV has been unveiled as a three-wheel micro truck that could steal the city-centre delivery beat of the motorbike-based Piaggio Ape.
Despite having been on sale since 1948, the Ape has been largely outlawed in Europe due to emissions and safety regulations. As such, it is only offered in India and across Africa. Like the Ape, the Fiat Tris will initially be sold in these two markets. However, brand CEO Olivier Francois, said the Tris may make it to Europe to rival the likes of the Citroen Ami and other small, urban-focused quadricycles.
“We believe its potential goes far beyond,” he commented. “Europe may be next, because this kind of smart, sustainable solution speaks a universal language.”
Despite being under the Fiat Professional commercial vehicle banner, the Stellantis-owned Italian carmaker isn’t pitching the Tris as a conventional van.
Instead, the Tris designed for what Fiat calls ‘last mile’ deliveries, carrying “diverse goods” such as take-out food, sand, or furniture. The Fiat Tris has a 540kg payload. Underneath, the Tris gets a 6.9kWh battery (1.4kWh larger than the Ami’s 5.5kWh unit) returning 55 miles worth of range on the World Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC); nine more than the Citroen. With 12bhp, the Tris has a 28mph top speed.
In terms of charging architecture, the Fiat Tris is charged via a standard domestic plug. This means it can be charged from 0% – 80% in 3.5 hours, while a full charge from 0% – 100% is just shy of five hours. Fiat claims that this allows drivers to charge overnight or to top up between shifts.
Like the Piaggio Ape, the Fiat Tris adopts a doorless design yet incorporates several up-to-date cabin features including a USB-C charging port for mobile devices, a 5.7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12-volt socket, multiple storage spaces, plus a glovebox. Fiat has yet to confirm pricing for the Tris in the Indian and African markets, but has confirmed it will be available as a pick-up bed, chassis-cab, and flat-bed.
