“Ape” is the Italian word for “bee.” It’s also the name of a classic tricycle from Italy. Derived from the Vespa (“wasp”) motor scooter, this little runabout was first brought out back in 1947 as a simple and affordable commercial vehicle comprising a scooter with a cargo bed. The original model didn’t yet have a cab and bore roughly the same resemblance to the scooter as a modern cargo bike does to a traditional Dutch bicycle. It wasn’t until 1956 that the manufacturer Piaggio added a cab to the Ape to make it an even more convenient means of transportation.

Blaženka Romić came across the nifty “motorized bee” during a trip to Tuscany. She watched the powered tricycles winding their way through the villages’ narrow streets and how the drivers communicated with passers-by, almost at eye level with them. And she saw how quickly the small tricycles could be loaded and unloaded again. And because Blaženka Romić is a strong believer in both protecting the environment and preserving traditions, the impressions from her vacation in Italy morphed into an idea for her homeland of Croatia: why not use this type of tricycle on the Dalmatian islands? After all, they would be better for the local environment, while also making life easier for the parcel delivery workers navigating the narrow streets. It didn’t take long to convince the Gebrüder Weiss management team in Croatia, and the company now has a fleet of orange-colored tricycles in service there. They’re electrically powered, which makes them eco-friendly and quiet, and provides a shot in the arm for sustainable mobility in the country. Tourists have embraced the delivery runabouts as an endearing part of the Croatian experience – despite their origins on the other side of the Adriatic Sea.