When it comes to electric vehicles (EV), our thoughts usually jump straight to cars, but if you think about it, motorbikes also run on gasoline, and they contribute to pollution too, albeit on a smaller scale. So if we can make electric cars, why can’t we make electric motorbikes too? The BMW E-scooter, which was funded by Germany’s federal ministry of transport, building and urban development, was developed with two goals in mind: to create a bike whose performance is comparable to that of a 600cc combustion engine, and at the same time work out as a good medium of transport.
It does look pretty good and like most EVs, it looks normal, and most people would probably think it’s just a regular scooter. When BMW created the E-scooter, they envisioned a bike that would have enough power to make the climb up steep hills even with a pillion rider in tow, and also be able to cover a distance of at least 100km (62.1miles). In order to achieve those levels of performance, BMW decided against a hub-motor design, and instead went with mounting the electric motor in the main scooter body near where the swingarm meets the rear frame, with the motor being cooled with a liquid cooling system. The battery on the other hand, will be air-cooled.
BMW also claims that the battery can be fully charged at any outlet in just three hours, which sounds pretty impressive. No word on when BMW will start mass producing these E-scooters, but if the prices of EVs are any indication, the E-scooter will definitely cost quite a bit more compared to its gasoline counterpart, which may deter those looking for a cheaper means of transportation that can usually be found in a bike.
Filed in . Read more about Bmw, Electric Vehicles and Germany.