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BMW is trying to resume its role as a leader in electric mobility. As part of a series of announcements showcasing the German automaker’s latest products, BMW unveiled a bold new electric scooter concept: the Motorrad Definition CE 04.
In true concept form, the company hasn’t released any specifications, and it hasn’t said if or when it will become a real motorcycle that people can buy. But BMW has said its goal is to “redefine the scooter segment” – and you can’t do that very well without putting something into production.
Specifically, the Motorrad CE 04 definition (god, what a bite) has a design straight out of a William Gibson novel. The elongated, low body of the vehicle and the diagonally rising front end create a clean break with the look of scooters as we know them. The battery (size unknown) lies flat in the underbody, creating more space for storage. For example, a helmet can be stored in a compartment hidden under the seat.
BMW said it deliberately staged motorcycle technology as part of the design, which is why the side panels do not completely cover the rear of the vehicle. This allusion to the internal mechanics of the scooter gives the CE 04 a more industrial feel than your average Vespa.
“A scooter is not a ‘fun bike’ to be taken for riding in the mountains in good weather, but a practical everyday vehicle for driving from home to the office or meeting friends in the evening – just a vehicle for everyone days in the city, ”said Alexander Buckan, who heads BMW’s Motorrad division, in a statement.
The German automaker has worked hard to develop a whole range of battery-powered two-wheeled vehicles. Last year he revealed the “Motorrad Vision DC Roadster,” an electric motorcycle concept that feels as close to the road as almost anything the company has shown before.
But with the CE 04, BMW is building on its fairly practical C Evolution electric scooter, first released in 2014. Over the past half-decade, BMW has improved the C Evolution enough to deliver 100 miles of range. per charge and top speed. of 80 miles per hour. With a retail price of nearly $ 14,000, however, the C Evolution has become little more than some sort of limited-run test bed for the electric future of BMW’s Motorrad division.
But it was obvious that BMW wanted to do bigger and better things with an electric mobility division. In 2016, BMW went all out with the Vision Motorrad Next 100 concept bike, which looked like it came straight from the set of a superhero movie. And in 2017, BMW introduced the Motorrad Concept Link, which looked like a more futuristic version of the C Evolution. The Motorrad CE 04 definition is part of this design evolution.
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. The Chinese NIU began selling its electric moped in the United States this year. NIU’s scooters are used by sharing service Revel, which has launched its rental service in a handful of major cities. Even Segway-Ninebot, the ancestor of the electric scooter, is getting into the action with the release of several new models.
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