BMW is trying to reclaim its mantle as a leader in electric mobility. As part of a suite of announcements outlining the German automaker’s latest products, BMW revealed a bold new electric scooter concept: the Motorrad Definition CE 04.
CE 04 is the result of an attempt to create a “smart” car for getting around the city, although its appearance can make you smile. The e-bike is equipped with a flat battery at the bottom, providing 120 kilometers of range. Conveniently and compactly placed the engine and the associated belt drive system.
Under the oblong single seat is an unusual luggage compartment where, for example, you can store your helmet. An important design feature is the specially left open suspension parts. CE 04 is equipped with an on-board computer displaying the technical condition of the scooter and a built-in navigator.
According to scooter producers, CE 04 – exclusively urban. Its future owners are townspeople who drive within 15 kilometers a day. But even though e-scooters are cheap to run, they can be expensive to buy. Prices are coming down but e-scooters from major brands like BMW are far more expensive than petrol versions. For example, the BMW C-Evolution costs just under £13,000 while a standard scooter can cost anything between £1,000-£1,500. You’d be lucky to find a good e-scooter for less.
Of particular interest is an accessory that has nothing to do with the scooter, but nevertheless, created by BMW especially for it – the “smart” driver’s jacket. It is made of waterproof material and has LEDs integrated into its sleeves and hood. You can make it glow with the help of sensors sewn into the sleeves. This jacket also has its own powerbank built in, with the capability of wirelessly charging your phone when it’s in the pocket, and that’s another nice touch. It’s lightly armored and designed to be worn on and off the bike. Again it’ll be interesting to see if, and how this gear makes it through the certification process.
It is obvious that BMW will have a lot of competition if and when it decides to move the CE 04 out of the concept category and into the realm of reality. There are a variety of relatively inexpensive motor scooters available today and more on the way. Of course, the more choice will be, the better for customers, but it is still unknown whether BMW will live up to the expectations imposed on them.
Soutces:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560306/bmw-electric-scooter-concept-motorrad-definition-ce-04
https://www.techcult.ru/technics/9025-bmw-gotovitsya-zapustit-v-proizvodstvo-sobstvennyj-elektroskuter
https://newatlas.com/motorcycles/bmw-definition-ce-04-electric-scooter/
Nowadays, there is a lot of discussions about electric cars and this is very nice to read something also about motorbikes.