2022 BMW CE 04 Scooter First Look

When BMW pulled the wraps off the Concept Link design study four years ago, few would have believed that a bike with cyberpunk styling would ever get the go-ahead for production. But now the firm has officially added the CE 04 to its 2022 lineup and it looks just as radical as its concept bike forebear.

There’s an accepted theory in the moto world that says motorcyclists as a whole are a conservative bunch wary of big changes in styling or technology, but BMW clearly believes the city-bound commuters it’s targeting with the CE 04 have a much more forward-looking, early-adopting mindset than the average rider. While other firms are trying their hardest to develop electric bikes that look the same as their combustion-engine equivalents, the CE 04 embraces the packaging changes that electric power allows and bristles with futuristic tech.

Related: Production-ready BMW CE 04 Revealed in Patents

BMW is arguably a step ahead of its rivals here. The firm has already gone down the route of building a conventional-looking electric scooter (the C evolution that made its debut a full decade ago) and learned from the intervening years of manufacturing and marketing it. So when the firm believes that the CE 04′s approach—with styling that’s somewhere between Blade Runner and Star Wars—is the way to go, there’s clearly research and experience behind that decision.

Florian Römhild, the CE 04 project manager, said: “The new BMW CE 04 is the logical and at the same time rethought continuation of BMW Motorrad’s electromobility strategy. Urban areas are its element. This is where it sets a new benchmark—in terms of both technology and visual style.”

Although we actually revealed the final production styling of the CE 04 back in March this year, and the original look dates back to a 2017 concept, the bike’s appearance is still arresting. The completely flat seat, which appears to hover above the main bodywork, the solid disc wheels, the floating front side panels which meld into the footboards and bellypan. Even the orange-tinted screen that was a hallmark of the original concept is available as an optional extra, along with the same graphics.

Underneath all that lies a tubular steel chassis with a 60.6Ah, 147.6V lithium-ion battery pack running along its length. At the rear sits a liquid-cooled, permanent magnet synchronous motor, able to run at up to 12,300 rpm and putting out a peak of 42 hp at 4,900 rpm (though the rated “continuous” power level is 20 hp). That’s enough for a 75-mph top speed, making the CE 04 fast enough to keep up with highway traffic. Torque maxes out at 44 pound-feet at a mere 1,500 rpm, helping the CE 04 hit 62 mph in 9.1 seconds.

As the motor is liquid-cooled there’s a radiator mounted conventionally at the front, but the battery is air-cooled via a finned heat sink running the length of the bike’s underside.

Although the CE 04 looks compact, it’s not a small scooter. At 90 inches, it’s longer than the old C evolution, and the wheelbase, at 66 inches, is the same as a Triumph Rocket 3! The compact appearance is helped by the fact that the wheels, despite looking typically scooter-small, are actually 15 inches in diameter.

With its size in mind, the CE 04′s 509-pound mass doesn’t seem that bad, and since most of that will be in the low-slung battery pack it’s sure to feel lighter to maneuver. Even so, BMW has added a reversing aid, whereby the electric motor will drive the bike backward at walking pace to help back into garages or parking spots.

As with any electric bike, there’s sure to be a focus on range and recharging time. Here, the figures aren’t so impressive. On a full charge, the CE 04 is good for around 80 miles, though the way you ride will have a significant effect on that. The base range is measured in the bike’s normal Road mode, with full power available and a normal amount of engine-braking during which the motor acts as a generator to feed power back to the battery. There’s also an Eco mode that increases the engine-braking and regen effect and limits acceleration to stretch the range, and a Rain mode that softens the power delivery and cuts down the engine-brake effect to help maintain traction. A Dynamic riding mode that maximizes acceleration and regenerative braking effects is available as an option as part of the Premium package.

Once your 80 miles are up, the recharging options are a normal Level 1 charge from a household 120V socket, which will take 4 hours, 20 minutes for a full charge, or a Level 2 240V wallbox or public charger, which cuts that recharge time to 1 hour, 40 minutes. On the go, a 45-minute charge from a Level 2 charger will take the battery from 20 percent to 80 percent, but even so it sounds like long-distance rides on the CE 04 won’t be straightforward. Of course, that’s not what it’s for, and for most commutes the home charging option will be more than good enough.

In line with the CE 04′s futuristic looks and the clear appeal to early adopters, there’s inevitably an accompanying smartphone app and plenty of connectivity between your phone and the 10.25-inch high-definition TFT dash. Navigation is built in, but there’s also a host of other options including media and calling controls, plus details of the battery’s state of charge and a live display of energy usage or recuperation to help eke out more miles.

With the smartphone becoming an integral part of the experience, BMW has added a secure, splashproof storage compartment, with a built-in USB-C charging port and ventilation to make sure your phone doesn’t overheat when it’s in there. It also locks with the bike’s central locking system.

The main storage is in the form of a side-opening, illuminated underseat compartment, big enough to swallow a helmet and—thanks to its unusual opening system—able to be accessed while you’re sitting on the bike.

LED lighting is standard, with adaptive lights coming as part of a Premium option package along with cornering ABS and dynamic traction control, plus tire pressure monitors, a heated seat, and the Level 2 charging cable. Normal Bosch ABS is standard, operating on two four-pot calipers gripping 265mm discs at the front and a single pot caliper on the same size rotor at the rear, along with ASC (automatic stability control).

The suspension is more conventional than the bike’s appearance might suggest, with a 35mm fork up front and a direct-action monoshock at the rear, offset to one side so as not to intrude on the space needed for the motor and electronics.

As you might expect, a BMW electric scooter isn’t cheap, though the CE 04 does undercut the old C evolution in markets where both have been offered. The base model starts at $11,795 MSRP.