New electric scooter BMW CE 04, sensational autonomy
New electric scooter BMW CE 04
After the concept that aroused a lot of curiosity due to its decidedly particular design, the new BMW CE 04 electric scooter has finally been unveiled. It would seem, however, that its final appearance is pretty much the same as seen in the latest spy photos. Obviously, with the official presentation - however - it was possible to discover the technical details that characterize the new two-wheeled vehicle of the German house. The electric scooter - which has a base price of 12,550 euros - was designed for urban mobility and, therefore, to travel not particularly long journeys. In this regard, Oliver Zipse - as well as CEO of BMW - seems to have said the following:The BMW CE 04 is our new electric star for the city. Combine electric driving with excitement and motorcycle fun. The latest technology and the best battery cells, which also supply power to the BMW iX. Just like the CE 04, all future new BMW Motorrad models for urban mobility will be purely electric.
As mentioned above, one of the very particular aspects of the vehicle concerns the lines and design. In fact, the new BMW CE 04 electric scooters - as declared by the same manufacturer - defines "a new form of urban mobility on two wheels and interpret an innovative style that arouses emotions towards this new driving technology, making the scooter immediately attributable to the family. BMW Motorrad “. The tubular steel frame, the 15-inch wheels and the 35 mm telescopic fork are just some of the peculiarities of the new two-wheeled vehicle of the German brand. The electric scooter is equipped with a braking system with ABS and there is the possibility of requesting the ABS Pro, thanks to which it is possible to control the braking while making a curve, therefore very important for increasing the safety level of the vehicle.
The BMW CE 04, as standard, is complete with fully digital instrumentation with a screen that reaches 10.25 inches, integrated map navigation and various connectivity functions. Several storage compartments, including the cell phone holder and helmet holder, the USB-C socket and the LED headlights, are the other features of the BMW brand electric scooter. As for the powertrain, the new vehicle is equipped with a permanent magnet unit installed in the frame between the battery and the rear wheel. Furthermore, the scooter can reach a maximum power of 42 HP (nominal 20 HP) with 62 Nm of torque. The same manufacturer said that it is possible to sprint from 0 to 50 km / h in 2.6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 120 km / h. However, there is no lack of the L3e-A1 version which has a maximum power of 31 HP (nominal 15 HP), however the maximum speed remains unchanged.
One of the characteristics that varies, compared to the L3e-A1 version, is autonomy. In fact, in the latter case the autonomy is 100 km (6.3 kWh battery) and not 130 km (8.9 kWh battery). A full charge - with an 8.9 kWh battery - takes approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes, using a standard 2.3 kW charger. However, it is possible to reduce the time to 1 hour and 40 minutes by requesting a 6.9 kW charger. Instead, the battery is not completely discharged - but at least at 20% - the 80% recharge is done in 45 minutes. Finally, we remind you that the new electric scooter offers three different driving modes, namely "ECO", "Rain" and "Road". There is no shortage of options such as "Dynamic" mode, ASC (Automatic Stability Control) and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).
BMW’s actually making the futuristic CE 04 electric scooter
© Image: BMWBMW has been warning us for years that it wants to make and sell a radical electric city scooter, and now it’s following through. On Wednesday, the German automaker announced that its Motorrad division will put the striking BMW CE 04 into production, with decent range and speed on offer as well as plenty of futuristic vibes.
The CE 04 broke cover as a concept scooter in November 2020, though that itself was basically just a reimagining of another concept that BMW debuted in 2017. What’s really striking about the images BMW released Wednesday is how similar the production version looks. Instead of watering down the bold design in an attempt to please a wider range of buyers, the CE 04’s bright orange accents and sharp, angular lines make it look just as much like it belongs in an anime as its concept predecessors.
It’s striking how little BMW changed the design from the concepts
BMW is really angling the CE 04 as a city vehicle — so much so that the press release quite seriously opens with an extended first-person narrative written from the perspective of a fictional owner and parka-obsessed city-dweller that I cannot recommend enough.
This framing helps contextualize the limited 81-mile range, which is made possible by a lithe 8.9kWh battery (built on the same cells that power the new iX SUV). But while that pales in comparison to the three-digit range figures of most every modern four-wheel electric vehicle, it’s enough to cover the kinds of daily short trips one typically makes with a scooter like the CE 04. Driving in a city means there will also be a lot of braking, which presents ample opportunity to use regenerative braking to feed energy back into the battery.
For however long the battery lasts, it sounds like the CE 04 will be a fun ride. BMW says it has a maximum output of 31kW (42 horsepower) and a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour (roughly 75mph). Automatic stability control, dynamic traction control, and an anti-lock braking system — technologies that BMW has been iterating on for a while now, with the company going so far as developing a prototype self-driving motorcycle — are all available to help riders keep that quickness in check. A 10.25-inch TFT screen between the handlebars will offer onboard navigation and smartphone connectivity. (And the bike will have an “[a]ctively ventilated mobile phone charging compartment with USB-C charging port” to boot, according to BMW.)
BMW has sold a futuristic electric scooter before, the C Evolution, which was quite well-received despite never really catching on — likely thanks to the $13,000 price tag. BMW didn’t drop a price for the CE 04 or say when and where it will be available. Eager buyers will apparently have to wait for the company to pull those details from the future, too.
