BMW Motorrad launches CE 04 electric scooter
BMW Motorrad navigates the future city with the anticipated CE 04 electric scooter
BMW Motorrad has announced its newest and most innovative creation to date. The CE 04 is a productionised version of the bold Motorrad Definition CE 04 concept unveiled in November 2020.
Intended to be a revolutionary shift away the company’s current C Evolution electric scooter, on sale since 2014, the Definition CE 04 added a neo-industrial veneer to an already high-tech power plant. Surprisingly little has changed in the shift to a production model, and having the battery positioned low in the frame adds stability, giving the scooter different geometry in comparison to a ‘conventional’ petrol-powered model.
BMW Motorrad's new CE 04 Electric Scooter can be paired with your smartphone via the 10.5" display
The striking solid wheels and elongated bodywork allows for internal storage for a helmet, as well as a phone charging compartment with socket. Other visual enhancements include solid wheels, an integrated stand, ‘sliding seat’ and a selection of bold graphic options. The CE 04 offers near silent running, smartphone pairing to the 10.5” display screen and optional adaptive headlights. The welcome zip of its new electric drivetrain makes the CE 04 a natural city machine, enabling the scooter to reach 50km/h in just 2.6 seconds.
You can even park the CE 04 up indoors in the absence of dripping oil or a choking exhaust. Being a BMW, there’s driving pleasure built in, courtesy of Eco, Rain and Road riding modes, which strike a balance between maximising range, safety, and entertainment.
Designed for the urban environment, the new BMW Motorrad CE 04 Electric Scooter
A 120 km/h top speed (approximately 75 mph) means the CE 04 won’t be left wanting on main roads, and the 130km (80 mile) range should cover most weekly commutes, with an optional quick charger that can take the battery from 20 per cent charge to around 80 per cent in just 45 minutes. The CE 04 shares its cutting-edge battery cells with the new flagship BMW iX and is a welcome addition to the company’s burgeoning collection of pure EVs. The CE 04 is the first in a new wave of urban models from BMW Motorrad, all of which, according to BMW AG’s CEO Oliver Zipse, will be pure electric from now on, saving combustion engines for touring bikes. Urban transport is about to get a lot smoother and quieter.
The BMW Motorrad CE 04 joins BMW's Electromobility line-up (from left): BMW i4 M50, iX, and MINI Electric
INFORMATION
BMW Motorrad CE 04 electric scooter. Available from early 2022, £11,700
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Tobi Masa lands at The Chancery RosewoodChef Masa Takayama’s debut London restaurant transforms modernist geometry into a space of ritual calm and culinary purity
-
Bionic Labs builds precision next-level Apple accessories from aluminium and stainless steelFrom stands, chargers and keyboard trays to a set of accessories for the Vision Pro, Parisian design studio Bionic Labs offers only the best for your Apple gear
-
Yuko Mohri’s living installations play on Marcel Duchamp’s surrealismThe artist’s seven new works on show at Milan’s Pirelli HangarBicocca explore the real and imaginary connections that run through society
-
All the new electric cars and concepts revealed at Munich’s IAA Mobility 2025Munich’s alternative motorshow is now in its third iteration, combining a traditional exhibition space with a conference and large-scale public activations on the streets of the city
-
BMW celebrates half a century of its pioneering Art Car project with exhibitions and moreWe present a portfolio of the artists who have contributed to 50 years of BMW Art Cars, including Andy Warhol, John Baldessari, Jenny Holzer and David Hockney
-
Peruse the new BMW Group Archive to explore the evolution of BMW design over the decadesFor lovers of the marque, BMW’s commitment to online archiving is second to none. The latest website from the Bavarian manufacturer is this extensive visual catalogue of 80 years’ worth of BMW design
-
The top 10 concept cars of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper’s Transport EditorWe round up our favourite forays into futuristic design with this collection of concepts and design studies showcasing the transport of tomorrow
-
New BMW i5 Touring is an all-electric tech powerhouse that brings the noiseBMW has thrown its considerable expertise into making the i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro Touring the ultimate zero-emission all-rounder. Jonathan Bell tries it out
-
BMW’s limited-edition Skytop roadster draws on the past. Could it also predict the future?Just 50 examples of the BMW Skytop are being built, and they’ve all been spoken for. We examine whether this classically styled machine is a harbinger of aesthetic change
-
The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed hosted a wealth of auto innovation, from hypercars to hot hatchesThe best new SUVs, EVs, hatchbacks and supercars to emerge from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
-
The Concept Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed and BMW Concept Skytop offer drop-top dreamsBMW and Mercedes-AMG open up with two new convertible concepts, one pitched at performance, the other at the spirit of the good life