BMW Starts Production of C Evolution Electric Scooter

The first C Evolution electric scooters have rolled off the line at BMW‘s main motorcycle production plant in Berlin, Germany.

The result of three and a half years of development, the BMW C Evolution scooter is the company’s two-wheeled foray into electric vehicles. The C Evolution shares the same lithium-ion battery module as the BMW i3 electric car. Each C Evolution uses three modules, each containing 12 battery cells. The modules are housed inside a die-cast aluminum case that also serves as a main component of the chassis.

Plant manager Marc Spielemann says it took several months for BMW to set up the C Evolution’s production process because of its unique needs. BMW set aside an 8600 square-foot production area including a dedicated assembly line for the C Evolution. Most of the production process is modular and thus easily integrated for improved efficiency. The power module is assembled in a separate production area because of their large size and the special equipment required. Staff test each module before releasing them to the assembly line.

From there, workers mount front and rear frames and the swingarm which houses the motor, secondary drive belt and planetary gear.

A complete system scan is performed before releasing the C Evolution to final assembly, where it follows the same processes as BMW’s other motorcycles and scooters including dynamometer testing and painting.

[Source: BMW; Photos by BMW and Getty Images]

By Dennis Chung