Stefania Prestigiacomo, Italy’s environment minister, rides the Mp3 Hybrid scooter

Italian scooter company Piaggio on Tuesday launched the world’s first hybrid motorcycle, which combines a petrol engine with an electric motor to yield improved fuel consumption, lower emissions and the ability to run as a zero-emission, electric-only vehicle in city centres.

The MP3 Hybrid is based on the company’s innovative leaning three-wheeler, which is narrow enough to be threaded through traffic like a conventional two-wheeler.