Dare To Ride This Huge BMW Electric Scooter?

2.6 seconds, that’s all it takes for the new BMW CE 04 electric maxi-scooter to go from naught to 50kmph. That’s half the time that the Ather 450X, a scooter that looks and weighs a quarter of the BMW scooter, takes in Warp mode. And that’s just scratching the surface of this humongous Bavarian scooter.

BMW made a huge shebang about the CE 04 last year during the unveiling of the near production-spec scooter. Originally showcased in concept form in 2017, the CE 04 looked something directly out of Tron then, and the design still feels extremely futuristic. Sharp cuts, stretched dimensions, and just a tinge of retro makes the CE 04 quite an exquisite looking product.

• Simply, The ‘One’ Electric Scooter To Have In Your Garage
• Ola Scooter Further Details Revealed In New Video
• This Quirky Electric Motorcycle Claims To Be As Fast As The Kawasaki H2R!

Name a smart feature and you will find it on the CE 04. You want a large colour TFT screen? How about a 10.25-inch one that’s loaded with BMW Motorrad maps as well as smartphone connectivity.

LED lights are obviously there, right? You get car-like adaptive headlight technology (which in BMW lingo is Headlight Pro) that automatically adjusts illumination depending on road conditions.

BMW has developed a unique liquid-cooled electric motor. It has been adapted from its cars to suit the scooter. There are two power versions: 11kW and 15kW. Peak power accordingly is lowered to 23kW and 31kW. Both motors have their max speeds capped off at 120kmph. Electronic rider aids include three riding modes (ECO, Rain and Road), Automatic Stability Control and ABS. You can additionally opt for aids like Dynamic Traction Control, a Dynamic riding mode and ABS Pro (cornering ABS).

An 8.9kWh battery pack enables you to ride this for around 130km (100km for the lower output version). We agree that it’s not quite a wowing range figure, which you would expect from such a large battery pack. Given that this is more of an urban commuter rather than an outright highway cruiser, 130km is an okay figure.

A regular wall socket can charge the CE 04 completely in around 4 hours 20 minutes while with an optional quick charger, you can shave the charging time to just 1 hour 20 minutes. In fact, BMW states that it only takes 45 minutes for the battery charge to go from 20-80 percent.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Now, all of the above is nestled in this highly advanced tubular steel frame. The suspension (a 35mm telescopic fork and monoshock) does seem a bit too simple for this futuristic product. The single-sided swingarm does add that touch of premiumness to the equation. It rolls on solid 15-inch chunky wheels with disc brakes at both ends.

The BMW CE 04 has gone on sale in the UK at GBP 11,700. That’s Rs 12.08 lakh without even considering Indian taxes and duties. It is going to be a hard ask for anyone to shell out this sort of money for an electric scooter. Hence, while this remains a technological marvel, it will remain for the privileged few.