BMW CE 02 and AMBY
By Ben Purvis
A decade on from showing the C-Evolution electric scooter, BMW is ramping up its battery-powered two wheeled activity - showing two new concepts, both of which have a strong chance of reaching production.
Having launched the CE 04 scooter earlier this year, BMW has shown the Concept CE 02 - a smaller, lower performance electric offering that sits somewhere between a scooter and a minibike, aiming to appeal to young urban riders.
CE 02
Mechanically, the bike is powered by an 11kW (15 hp) electric motor, making it a learner-legal machine, with BMW claiming a top speed of 56 mph (90 km/h) and a matching range of 56 miles (90 km). It's clearly targeting low-speed use as a city commuter, and in that role its light 120 kg weight and small dimensions should make it a viable proposition.
The photos show that it's very much a handmade one-off at the moment. Not least because it's currently powered by a bank of off-the-shelf lead-acid batteries, which would have to be replaced with a lithium-ion pack to meet BMW's performance and range claims.
BMW's second urban electric bike concept is the Vision AMBY, a bike that straddles the space between electrically assisted bicycle and a moped. Shown in two forms - one with pedals and looking more like a bicycle, the other as a pure electric vehicle - the AMBY's trick is that it can be altered to suit various licence categories or uses.
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| AMBY |
In full-power form, the AMBY is good for a top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph), but it can also be restricted to 45 km/h (28 mph) or 25 km/h (15.5 mph) to suit the licence status of the rider. What's more, the company suggests it can use geolocation to work out where it's being ridden, automatically restricting the speed to suit. For instance, in its lowest-speed form, the AMBY would be classed as a pedelec in many European countries, and in some of Europe's less heavily regulated markets it could probably be ridden without a licence, insurance or registration.
The bike includes a rear-facing display that shows its rated top speed at any time, allowing police to judge whether the rider is complying with rules regarding licence and clothing for the category it's operating in. BMW has also revealed a pedal-assisted version of the bike using similar technology but in a more conventional bicycle package.
