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DESIGN

Italy’s iconic Vespa goes electric

The Vespa, an iconic 70-year-old design classic and Italy's most famous scooter, will be available in an electric version by the end of next year, according to its manufacturer, Piaggio.

Italy's iconic Vespa goes electric
A Vespa Elettrica on show in Milan. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

A prototype of the greener two-wheeler will be unveiled this weekend at the Milan bike show.

For now, there's nothing under the engine housing and scooter-maker Piaggio has revealed no details about the motor of the Vespa Elettrica nor about its price.

The new model retains the wasp-like shape that lent the scooter its name, but a blue trim distinguishes it from its gasoline-fuelled versions, which retail in Italy for between 3,500 and 5,500 euros ($3,800 to $6,000).

IN PICTURES: The history of the Vespa

“It will be a real Vespa,” Piaggio said in news release. “The style, agility, ease of use and driving pleasure will be the same.”

Some 18 million Vespas have been sold over the past seven decades, according to Piaggio.

The scooter became an international symbol of the “dolce vita” with the 1953 film “Roman Holiday” in which Gregory Peck pursued Audrey Hepburn on one.

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TRANSPORT

Copenhagen Metro lines reopen after two-week closure

Lines M3 and M4 of the Copenhagen Metro are back in service having reopened on Sunday, one day ahead of schedule.

Copenhagen Metro lines reopen after two-week closure

The two lines had been closed so that the Metro can run test operations before opening five new stations on the M4 line this summer.

The tests, which began on February 10th, are now done and the lines were running again as of Sunday evening, a day ahead of the original planned reopening on Monday February 26th.

“We are very pleased to be able to welcome our passengers on to our two lines M3 and M4,” head of operations with the Metro Søren Boysen said.

“The whole test procedure exceeded all expectations and went faster than expected and we can therefore get a head start on our reopening now,” he said.

Time set aside for potential repeat tests was not needed in the event, allowing the test closures to be completed ahead of time.

“Several of our many tests went better than expected and we have therefore not used all the time we needed for extra tests,” Boysen said.

The two lines serve around one million passengers every week, according to the Metro company.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen city government greenlights extension to Metro line

The new stops on the M4 line will be located south of central Copenhagen in the Valby and Sydhavn areas. The will have the names Haveholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads and København Syd (Copenhagen South).

The M3 and M4 lines, the newer sections of the Metro, opened in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

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