BMW Concept e Electric Scooter Revealed

This post has been updated with new photos thanks to BMW finally getting around to moving its concept models off the show stage and out to the better lit outdoor exhibit area.

Details are still to come but these are our first pictures of the new BMW Concept e electric scooter.

The electric maxi-scooter concept rode onto BMW’s main presentation stage along with the Husqvarna E-go youth-oriented electric motorcycle concept. The two-wheeled concept models are not close to becoming production models; they were there mainly to help set the stage for BMW’s i3 and i8 electric car concept models which also debuted in Frankfurt.

BMW did re-affirm it will introduce two premium maxi-scooters by the end of the year but both will be powered by two-cylinder combustion engines.
Back to the Concept e, BMW says its designers sought to create a vehicle that looked clean and efficient yet agile. The front uses the same “split-face” design found on other BMW models such as the R1200GS and S1000RR. The front panel/leg shield is shaped like a boomerang, suggesting an aerodynamic look.

BMW was light on the technical details however. BMW’s i cars use over 60 volts of electricity, enough for BMW to claim the Concept e offers similar acceleration to a gas-powered maxi-scooter. BMW also claims a range of 100 km (62 miles) on a fully-charged battery, with the help of regenerative braking. Of course, it would probably help if the scooter used conventional mirrors instead of the Concept e’s LCD screens and rear-facing cameras. Still, BMW claims a charge time of under 3 hours.

By Dennis Chung