BMW Isn't Planning More Powerful EV Motorcycles Anytime Soon

Don't Expect More Powerful EV Bikes from BMW SoonBMW

Finding a parking spot in any metropolis can be a huge headache, but BMW's CE 02 was intended to ease the pain for urban commuters. Launched last summer, BMW's all-electric motorcycle represented the Bavarian's modern take on urban mobility, featuring a pint-sized 1.96-kWh battery pack and making 8 horsepower and 40 lb-ft of torque. Topping out at 59 mph and on sale for the price of $7,599, the CE 02 offered the perfect combination of agility, torque, and affordability for a cool, city-bound buyer, at least in BMW's eyes.

But the realities of the motorcycle market have set in, BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch said in an interview with VisorDown.

Markus Jahn

"We listen very carefully to the requests of our audience," Flasch said to VisorDown. "At the same time, we closely observe the competition in the market and what it is bringing to the market. If you combine both aspects, you arrive at the result that the time for high-performance electric motorcycles is probably not here yet."

Competing with the likes of 125cc motorcycles, Flasch said that BMW's offering will likely be the only one of its size for the foreseeable future. While U.S. riders are likely unfamiliar with the bite-sized class of motorcycles, most European riders are required to start on the 125cc class of bikes, making the CE 02 one of BMW's only entry-level offerings for Europe. Additionally, with electric motorcycle brands like Zero Motorcycles, Energica, and even LiveWire on the rise, Flasch said BMW has no plans to compete in that charged market, at least for now.

"We don’t think we’re going to need an electric motorcycle with more power in the next two or three years," Flasch explained to VisorDown.

In the meantime, BMW's Motorrad division has plenty of gasoline-powered news to share. After launching its R 1300 GS earlier this year and even teasing a neo-retro style R Nine T at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the two-wheeled wing of BMW released a series of small changes to its lineup this week. Namely, the addition of new colors for the majority of its lineup, as well as the integration of USB-C ports on the R12 and the ability to remove the battery from the CE 02 to charge.

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