Style and technology of the BMW CE 04 should attract new customers to the brand
Good news for the BMW CE 04, the German motor vehicle manufacturer’s most recent electric scooter. Motorcycle and scooter sales have rebounded after years of decline and it is great timing for BMW as the CE 04 was showcased this week in Los Angeles at an event held prior to the LA Auto Show.
Trudy Hardy, vice president of BMW Motorrad of America, believes the two-wheeled EV has the potential to be more than its aesthetics. “I think what’s interesting about having a scooter in this category is I think it will start to solve some transportation challenges.”
With 42 horsepower and 45 pound-feet of torque, the electric scooter seats two passengers. The battery pack’s 8.9 kWh capacity is designed to provide 80 miles of range and supports level 2 charging up to 6.9 kW. Coming at a premium with a starting price of $11,795, the BMW CE 04 will be available in early 2022. The price could hold some value being that the electric scooter is manufactured by the German luxury brand.
The BMW CE 04 also includes a 10.25-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display that, when used in conjunction with the BMW Motorrad app, provides turn-by-turn navigation and can track user data such as measurements of corner leans and other standard motorcycle information. The most outstanding design of all is simply the scooter design itself, which is long and low with a 66-inch wheelbase.
This style is complemented with a good dose of current technology, including all-around LED lighting and optional adaptive headlamp that keeps you looking in the proper direction while leaning. A USB-C wire for charging is housed in a waterproof, chilled smartphone compartment. On top of the $11,795 MSRP, there is a $1,650 Premium Package that features an L2 cable, heated seat, tire-pressure monitoring, and anti-lock braking systems and advanced traction control.
It looks as though BMW’s first attempt at the C-Evolution in 2019 has evolved into a stunning futuristic yet elegant electric scooter seeking to ride the upcoming electric scooter surge. In a market where the Harley-Davidson Livewire and Zero Motorcycles continue to flourish, we would not be surprised to see the eye-catching BMW CE 04 succeed.