As part of its centenary celebrations, German bike maker BMW Motorrad released into the wild a second model in its range of electric scooters. Following in the footsteps of the CE 04, the CE 02 comes not as an e-motorcycle, not an e-scooter, but an eParkourer (BMW's words).
Meant for people 16 years and above, the machine is powered by an electric motor with two power outputs, a 5 hp version limited at 45 kph (28 mph), and a more powerful one cranking out a maximum of 15 hp and 55 Nm of torque. This one comes with double the top speed, 95 kph (59 mph).
That may not seem like much, but you have to consider the scooter tips the scales at just 132 kg (291 pounds) for the more potent version. That helps the battery of the thing last for as much as 90 km (56 miles).
The scooter is built around a steel frame and relies on a single-sided rear swingarm, with telescopic forks holding the front wheel in place. The light alloy wheels are large enough (exact dimensions not disclosed) to make the thing stand out in a crowd of lesser scooters.
All of the above sounds great and all, but people still have to experience the eParkourer before deciding to buy one. They can do that the old fashion way, by going for test rides once BMW releases the CE 02 into the wild in the spring of next year. Or they could not wait until then, and head over to something called the MetaRide to get a feeling of the gear.
Clear from its name, the MetaRide is a virtual environment that puts users in the shoes of an avatar riding around on the CE 02. It's a place that mimics "the real-world environment" (exactly what part of the real world remains a mystery), and will give people a chance not only to get acquainted with the scooter, but also meet avatars of other persons in the real world, play basketball, and collect tokens for actions that have not yet been detailed.
BMW makes this Metaverse experience via its official website, and it works on laptop and PC on a variety of browsers with no required downloads. The arrival of the scooter in the MetaRide is only the beginning, as the company is planning to use the same approach when it comes to some other car and bike models it expects to launch in the near future.
Back to the BMW CE 02, the new scooter will be available for purchase in the real world starting at $7,599, taxes not included. That's significantly lower than the $12,195 the bike maker is asking for the CE 04.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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