With futuristic looks, BMW CE-02 electric scooter aims to be the default 2W urban mobility choice for buyers who needs a style statement
With electric scooter industry taking off in India, many OEMs are aiming to make a mass appeal. BMW Motorrad has different intentions with their take on electric scooters. After launching CE-04 electric scooter at Rs 14.9 lakh (Ex-sh), BMW Motorrad has now launched CE-02 in India for Rs 4.5 lakh (Ex-sh). After a very short spin on this electric scooter in Gurgaon as part of a national media ride organized by BMW Motorrad, here’s what we think about this scooter.
BMW CE-02 First Ride Review
Designed and developed in collaboration with TVS Motor, this is a locally manufactured product for the world. As of writing this review, BMW has not revealed pricing. But considering it is made in India, pricing could be aggressive. What we have here, is a stylish electric scooter that was primarily designed for a fast-paced urban environment, promising excellent agility and city drivability, while making a bold statement.
BMW Motorrad is stepping up its game in India and is expanding its product portfolio. CE-02 is BMW’s third scooter and second electric scooter in India. It comes with a unique and stand-out design language that makes it less of a scooter and more style statement. It is an absolute eye candy and grabbed a lot of eyeballs during our short spin with this scooter. Calling it a scooter is somewhat debatable too, as it looks more like a motorcycle. But BMW says they are calling it a scooter, and not a motorcycle.
The company used the term “reduced to essentials” to describe CE-02’s design. Fitting description, we would say. The hollow fuel tank area, squarish LED headlights with DRLs, chunky USD telescopic front forks finished in a gold shade, fancy handlebar, a flat single-piece seat and a low seat height of 745 mm, lend it a futuristic look. Wheelbase stretches way beyond the seat and gives it a massive road presence.
Overall design looks like CE-02 came straight out of a Cyberpunk era that happened in the future. It is not a conventional scooter. In this sense, it does not have a step-through design and the rider has to swing their leg over the seat. Yes, I only mentioned rider because this scooter doesn’t have enough space for a pillion. At least, not when I, a 182 cm tall individual, was on this scooter.
To get into my usual preferred riding position, I had to scoot almost all the way back, leaving only a couple of inches of space to pillion. Also, I placed my feet on the pillion footrest for the feel of rear-set pegs. I felt that it was more suitable to the scooter’s overall character. For my riding position, rear footpegs also allowed me to stand up on the scooter comfortably, if I had to dodge speed breakers or bad patches.
However, most individuals might prefer to sit ahead and then liberate space for a pillion. There are split grab rails for pillion, if there is one. Seat extends all the way to the front, where a BMW logo proudly sits and falls in the rider’s peripheral vision, which is a nice touch. Seat design is not exactly comfortable as it is flat and narrow. However, CE-02 is intended for short city bursts in style. For shorter rides, the seat does its job. The area around the front foot pegs was left empty and could have been used for storage or something similar to what Honda did with the Navi scooter.
Features and Componentry
Wheels are of aerodynamic type and stand out from other scooters. Rear gets a single-side suspension, which is covered radiating sleek aesthetics. Single-side swingarm lends a much cleaner profile on the right side. On the left, we can see a mid-mounted motor along with a belt drive system, powering the rear wheel. All body panels along with base black colour and contrast elements lend it an unearthly look, which will appeal to young buyers.
Where features are concerned, BMW CE-02 gets a few. For starters, there is a 3.5-inch micro TFT display that comes with variable brightness. Even under the bright sun and wearing sunglasses, there were no legibility issues we faced with this scooter. This cluster gets connectivity options too, with the BMW Motorrad Connected app. This display can be operated with dedicated buttons on left switchgear.
BMW is also offering a USB Type-C port to charge one’s smartphone or other accessory. There is a Reverse mode on offer too, controlled by a button on left switchgear. Lighting is LED all around and headlights are automatic, like in a car. The right switchgear had buttons to change mode, ignition switch, lock button and more. BMW CE-02 comes with a keyless system that works very well.
Ride and Handling
BMW Motorrad has positioned CE-02 as a fast-paced urban environment. Which is exactly where this electric scooter shines. There are 15 horses and 55 Nm torque on tap from a single electric motor, drawing power from two 1.9 kWh battery packs. BMW promises 108 km of range from a single charge, a 95 km/h top speed and a 0-50 km/h sprint in 3 seconds.
Despite weighing 142 kg, BMW CE-02 masks its weight quite beautifully. We didn’t feel the scooter’s weight while moving or when cornering. Acceleration is brisk and wringing the throttle gave an immediate response, like an electric vehicle should. We found acceleration to be addictive and the scooter encourages you to go faster than you are.
Handling characteristic of CE-02 is the main highlight of this product. It is easily flickable and riders will be hunting for gaps to zoom past the traffic. Steering was quick and gave excellent feedback. CE-02 gets 14-inch wheels at both ends wrapped by 120/80 front and 150/70 rear Michelin tyres. CE-02 gets two riding modes as standard – Flow and Surf. BMW Motorrad provided a CE-02 unit that came equipped with an optional Highline package, unlocking a third Flash riding mode with the most power and regen.
It is the most fun and playful scooter I ever tested in a city environment and left me with a wide grin on my face. However, I encountered bad patches of roads around Gurgaon and my grin narrowed considerably as the ride was on the stiffer side. While it does lend a playful character, stiffly set suspension makes road imperfections and speed breakers along with bad patches filter through the chassis and make their presence known.
Where brakes are concerned, BMW CE-02 offers disc brakes at both ends with good initial bite and progression. However, ABS was only for the front wheel. There were a few instances where the rear wheel locked on hard braking. The name CE-02 means that this electric scooter promises performance of a 200cc motorcycle. Most 200cc motorcycles in India get dual-channel ABS at least as an option. We hope BMW considers launching a dual-channel version of CE-02 in the future.
Conclusion
Because we had a very short period with BMW CE-02, we couldn’t put CE-02’s range to the test. Other than the shortcoming in braking, concluding BMW CE-02 is quite easy. Because CE-02 is not aimed at the masses, any questions of value-for-money fade away and we have to answer a bigger question. Does BMW CE-02 offer the promised fast-paced urban mobility solution? It does, in a big way. This is easily the most fun electric scooter for the city, money can buy in India.
The intended audience for BMW CE-02 are those who are looking for a premium urban 2W mobility solution that sets them apart from the crowd. BMW CE-02 does that quite effortlessly. This electric scooter is also an excellent style statement and reflects one’s individual personality. In these regards, BMW CE-02 delivers and sets itself as the most desirable and futuristic urban electric scooter.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
