BMW Unveils Its Electric Bike Called Cruise

BMW is a market leader in luxury and high performance cars. However, fuel hungry cars are not the only thing that BMW makes. The company has formally cruised in to the electric bike market with their latest offering, the Cruise e-bike. The bike has a 250-watt electric motor that is capable of speeds up to 25 km/h with a range of 85km. The motor is there to assist the rider and not power the Cruise on its own, because that would then make it a motorbike, which the Cruise is not. It weighs in at just 24kg.

There are four modes, Eco Tour, Sport or Speed/Turbo, that the rider can choose, they determine how the electric motor assists the rider. The lithium ion battery is placed under the bottom bracket, effectively providing a low center of gravity. The on board computer displays essential information such as battery level and speed. There are torque sensors which automatically contribute more electric motor support if they sense that the rider is having to put in extra effort. For when the rider needs to stop, there are disc brakes to help achieve that task.

BMW is yet to announce the official release date or price for the Cruise e-bike. They’ll not be selling it initially in all markets, only 1,000 units will go on sale in Germany. BMW has not always confined itself to just gas guzzling cars, we’ve seen it toying with various concepts before, like the Hydrogen powered car. If the Cruise is competitively priced and offered in major markets, BMW can very well see its electric bike become an instant hit.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: bmw, electric bike