Success for Piaggio

Peugeot’s three-wheeled scooter is banned in Italy

After years of legal tug-of-war, Piaggio has apparently succeeded in having the sale of the Peugeot Metropolis finally banned in Italy. The three-wheeled scooters may also neither be built nor sold in France.

The Vespa parent company believes that the French three-wheeled scooter infringes the patent for the tilt technology on its MP3 model.

Peugeot Motocycles - in the meantime part of the Indian Mahindra Group, today majority-owned by the German investment company Mutares - had appealed several times against the corresponding rulings. According to Piaggio, however, the Corte di Cassazione, Italy's highest court of appeal, has now dismissed Peugeot's appeal in the last instance. This ruling confirmed the first-instance ruling that the vehicles infringe a European Piaggio patent.

Tilting technology reduces the risk of falling
The patent relates to the tilting technology that enables the scooter, which runs on two wheels at the front, to lean into a bend like a two-wheeler. The dual-wheel design has the advantage that the vehicle is much more stable to move, especially on slippery surfaces, because slipping does not usually result in a fall, but only in sliding away, similar to a car. In addition, depending on the design and legal conditions, a three-wheeled scooter can sometimes be driven with a car driver's license.

The Peugeot Metropolis may no longer be imported or sold in Italy. Peugeot Motocyles Italia must also pay a fine of over one million euros, it is further reported. 

Patent free from next year
Peugeot Motocycles clarifies that the sales ban for the Metropolis only applies to Italy and France. Other markets are not affected, as no lawsuits have been filed here.

The manufacturer also points out that the Italian patent for the tilting technology of the front fork will be released at the beginning of next year.