Nearly two years ago, BMW gave us a look at a futuristic light electric motorcycle known as the CE 02. Welcome to the future folks, because now the BMW CE 02 has officially launched as the brand’s latest electric motorbike.
While there’s no single delineation on where scooters stop and motorcycles start, the CE 02 likely falls right in that grey area.
The company says so itself, explaining that “It’s electric, designed to appeal to young people and it’s neither an e-motorbike nor an e-scooter. It’s an eParkourer, created for the urban environment.”
It should be noted that eParkourer is not a thing, no matter how hard BMW tries to make it happen. The company can have its marketing mumbo jumbo, but what we’re actually looking at is a light electric motorbike.
With a top speed of 59 mph (95 km/h), it should be sufficiently fast for pretty much any urban or suburban riding requirement but not quite potent enough for highway use.
And at an MSRP of US $7,599 (before destination charges), it’s also BMW’s lowest priced electric motorbike to date. It doesn’t compare favorably to comparably-performing electric scooters with larger batteries at lower prices, but riders are also getting the backing of BMW Motorrad in addition to just a BMW emblem on the side.
Head of BMW Motorrad Design Edgar Heinrich explained that the 291 lb (132 kg) CE 02 is designed largely as an urban playbike as opposed to a utility bike:
“With the CE 02, we are striving for something new at BMW Motorrad and want to be pioneers once again. Thanks to its unusual proportions and striking graphics, the new CE 02 is an uncomplicated, youthful form of single-track mobility. The reduced design language stands for lightness and fun. The focus is not on utility, but on emotional appeal, riding pleasure and uncomplicated, almost intuitive use.”
It might be here for a good time, but perhaps not for a long time. With a pair of just under 2 kWh batteries for a total of 3.92 kWh, the bike has a maximum range of 56 miles (90 km). The bike is also fairly powerful with an 11 kW peak rated motor, meaning that the real world range is likely to drop significantly below the max of 56 miles when traveling at higher speeds or using the higher power riding mode.
Recharging occurs with a Level 1 off-board charger, similar to an electric bicycle. A full recharge from empty will take around 5 hours with the standard 0.9 kW charger or closer to 3.5 hours with the higher power 1.5 kW charger option. BMW states the 20-80% charge times as 2.8 hours and 2.3 hours, respectively.
The BMW CE 02 offers a single-sided rear swingarm, inverted front fork, disk-style cast wheels, keyless start, adjustable reach hand brake levers, reverse gear, and a USB-C port for charging devices like cell phones.
BMW’s newly unveiled ConnectedRide smart glasses will also be compatible with the bike, allowing riders to see realtime data overlaid in front of their eyes with a heads-up display.
The BMW CE 02 will soon join its larger sibling, the BMW CE 04 electric maxiscooter. That bike’s higher power and faster top speed make it highway capable, but it also carries a higher price tag of nearly US $12,000.