All Duels – PCX 125 Vs MP3 Hybrid 300 LT: when scooters go green! – In use: everyday life

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PCX 125 Vs MP3 Hybrid 300 LT: when scooters go green !

All Duels - PCX 125 Vs MP3 Hybrid 300 LT: when scooters go green! - In use: everyday life

What could be better than a shortage of gasoline unprecedented since 1968 to test two fuel-efficient solutions? Are the Piaggio MP3 Hybrid and Honda PCX scooters true precursors or mere foils for trendy city dwellers? ? Test !

In use: everyday life

The PCX can be understood like any other scooter. Its Stop and Go system is absolutely not a constraint or a hindrance to driving: no latency is detected when you want to restart by turning the throttle..

Not only does the engine instantly re-ignite, but it propels you from 0 to 50 km / h with a rather surprising fishing which allows it to be on par with the MP3 300 Hybrid (in Power mode) on the first meters !

Once you get used to this bizarre feeling of an engine stalling in the fire, you find the function rather pleasant and relaxing. And this is even the main interest of Stop and Go, since the consumption gain is almost negligible (around 5% according to Honda). With its average consumption of 3.1 l / 100 km during our test, this represents a saving of 15 cl per tank, or only around twenty euro cents….

Manage your juice !

On board the MP3 Hybrid, it’s a different story because you have to constantly manage the charge level of the batteries used for propulsion. Instead of the tachometer – not very useful on an automatic machine – classic MP3s, there is indeed a battery charge counter.

If managing your "juice" occupies the mind a little too much at first, it almost becomes a game after a few days. Because it must be said that the needle goes down quickly in the city when driving in Hybrid Power mode (which requires the 3.5 hp of the electric motor) or when moving in silence on a sidewalk or in a pedestrian area in electric propulsion.

Silently ? Not quite, because unfortunately the fan used to cool the batteries is heard almost constantly. Despite everything, we must admit that it is quite exhilarating and pleasant, even flattering, to walk in the city center without backfiring. !

Piaggio has still thought of placing on the left commodo, next to the traditional horn, a less aggressive warning that will not terrify pedestrians that we could surprise. The sound of this second horn is a bit like the bells of buses or trams.

Raise the needle !

Let’s be clear: for someone who is only in the city, recharging the batteries other than by plugging into a power outlet is mission impossible. And by the way, this type of "Plug in" recharge allows you to fill up to 100% in two hours.

The ideal is therefore to have a mixed route which also takes major axes. In Hybrid Charge, battery recharging is optimized by driving at a steady pace around 80 km / h. Thus, a large half of the Parisian ring road is enough to recharge the batteries to 90%. Of course, recharging will also be done on a motorway while cruising between 100 and 120 km / h.

In the end, Site obtained an average consumption of 3.8 l / 100 km on the Piaggio Hybrid, while that of the "standard" MP3 300 LT is around 4.2 l / 100 km. Taking into account the strong overweight of the Hybrid version (+ 51 kg exactly), the result is correct but, in absolute terms, far from revolutionary. Even taking advantage of the ten kilometers of autonomy in 100% electric mode, we are still far from the 2 l / 100km advanced by Piaggio !

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