BMW CE 04 electric scooter will be a direct import hence taking the price sky-high
BMW Motorrad is launching new vehicles to expand its motorcycle portfolio in India. The German brand aims at bringing all their motorcycles and scooters to the Indian market. Speaking about BMW scooters, we got the BMW C 400 GT maxi-scooter on our soil last year. Despite the steep price of Rs 10 lakh, it is generating good sales.
BMW Group India President Vikram Pawah said that BMW C 400 GT Maxi-scooter’s success in India has led them to believe that a strong demand exists for a premium product. BMW is now planning on launching their electric scooter in India. If all goes well, the CE 04 electric maxi-scooter will be launched in India via CBU route. This electric scooter is on sale in Europe currently, which is where it is manufactured.
BMW Electric Scooter CE 04
One look at the BMW CE 04 electric scooter will stun you. It looks like it came straight out of a Cyberpunk movie that probably took place in 2200. BMW CE 04 has a really long wheelbase with a low ground clearance which might be a recipe for disaster for Indian roads with giant and vastly illogical speed breakers.
The front windshield finished in funky orange, looks purely aesthetic and might not deflect any wind. The seats look very eye-catching and at the same time, very uncomfortable. The rider’s triangle looks very comfortable though. Sticking with the maxi-styled design, it is not a step-through scooter as the central tunnel is stuffed with batteries.
Speaking of batteries, it has an 8.9 kWh battery pack which is more than twice as much as an Ola S1 Pro. This battery pack is essentially one module out of 11 modules found on BMW’s iX electric SUVs. Instead of designing new EV components, BMW is reusing what they already have – parts sharing is the mantra. The motor makes 42 bhp and 62 Nm and is precisely a 1/3rd section of the motor that powers BMW X1 PHEV SUV. Also, it has a 10.25” horizontal screen for instrumentation, like we have seen on BMW cars.
Price & Launch
Other components include front 35mm telescopic front forks and rear off-set mono-shock mounted on a single-sided swingarm, dual disc setup at front, and single disc setup at the rear with dual-channel ABS, belt-drive and more. It is capable of 120 kph top speed and 130 km of range from a single charge and weighs a whopping 231 kg. Yikes!
BMW Electric Scooter costs $11,795 (approx Rs. 9.50 lakh) for the base model and $14,180 (approx Rs. 11.42 lakh) for the top-spec variant (both prices ex-sh) in global markets. Going by import trends in India, we will get the top-spec variant and due to Indian import duties and taxes, we can see a hefty price tag of Rs. 15 lakh to 18 lakh. You can buy an imported Hayabusa for that price in India. Heck, you can even buy the newly launched Tata Nexon EV Max, for this price.
If launched, BMW won’t be pitting it for regular EV buyers at all. This is for the uber-rich Indians that want to make a statement with a niche product. Looking at it from that perspective, this is an absolute gem as an expensive collection in their garage. Because it looks like a concept vehicle that one can actually buy and it doesn’t get better than that.
For the mass market segment, BMW does have plans to launch entry level electric vehicles, in partnership with TVS. But that will take some time. In related news, BMW G 310 RR was launched recently too.
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
