Adorable Fiat Tris electric three-wheeler set to succeed the Piaggio Ape

Fiat is building on the cute little Citroen Ami-based Topolino with two more electric microcars. One is, in essence, a four-seat version of the Topolino called the Multiplina and the other is a wacky, three-wheeled all-electric pick-up truck called the Tris. 

We’re familiar with the Reliant Robin and Morgan 3 Wheeler here in the UK, but over in Italy the market for three-wheeled vehicles has been dominated by the motorbike-based Piaggio Ape. However, due to European regulations, the Ape was removed from sale in the EU and is being offered in only Africa and India from now on. 

The Tris was unveiled last year in those same African and Indian markets, but now Fiat has announced plans to sell the compact truck here in the UK. 

In Italy, the Tris will cost from 6,950 euros (roughly £6,000), which would make it comfortably the cheapest truck on sale, even though the fact it shares the rough underpinnings of the Fiat Topolino means it will be classified as a motorised tricycle. 

As for UK pricing, Fiat hasn’t announced this yet, although Gaetano Thorel, head of Fiat and Abarth Europe, told Auto Express: “It will be very competitive. If you take Grande Panda, we sell it in Europe and in the UK, you don’t see a big difference [in terms of pricing].” 

The Fiat Tris will be sold under the Fiat Professional commercial vehicle brand in the UK and Fiat Vice-President of Micromobility Giorgio Neri explained to Auto Express that appetite was big for the little truck. “One of the first countries that raised their hand and asked to get a preview [of the Tris] was the UK, and it was a huge corporate customer, one of the biggest.”

The Tris isn’t designed to rival conventional vans. Instead, Fiat says, its little electric three-wheeler is aimed at so-called ‘last-mile’ deliveries, transporting “diverse goods such as fruit, sand, or furniture” within its 540kg payload. The rear can be adapted for a flatbed style, chassis-cab, or a truck-bed which has space in the back to load two standard-size pallets. Beyond this Thorel added there’s scope to transport refrigerated goods powered from the battery. In Europe at least there’s also a ‘Dolcevita’ version that adds another row of seating behind the cabin.

Powering the Tris is a 6.9kWh battery (larger than a Citroen Ami’s 5.5kWh unit), which will return a 55-mile range on the World Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC), nine miles more than the Citroen. The Fiat’s 12bhp electric motor is good for a top speed of 28mph.

Charging is via a standard domestic plug, so a zero to 80 per cent recharge will take 3.5 hours; a full charge from flat takes almost five hours. However, Fiat points out, this allows professionals to charge their vehicle overnight or between shifts “ensuring maximum uptime and efficiency for daily operations”.

The Tris’ original design came with no doors (which Fiat says will help with jobs that require the driver to get in and out frequently), but to meet safety regulations and customer demand, doors will be fitted to UK-bound models. The cabin also features multiple storage cubbies, a glovebox, a USB-C charging port, a 12-volt socket and even a 5.7-inch digital instrument cluster.

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