BMW CE 02 Review - The Electric Street Personality For The Privileged Few

Published: Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 12:30 [IST]

BMW Motorrad's foray into the world of electric two-wheelers has seen the German marque release the most expensive scooter that has ever landed on Indian shores in the form of the CE 04, priced at Rs 14.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Now, the German luxury two-wheeler marque has turned its focus to another niche market - an electric scooter for last-mile luxury connectivity inside the city. The result is the BMW CE 02 - an electric scooter that looks like it has come from the future to tackle the urban jungle of today.

So when BMW Motorrad invited us to the national capital to test the new CE 02 out, we dropped everything and hopped into the saddle for the ride...

BMW CE 02 Review: Design & Features - Futuristic Scooter For Today's Roads

Let's be clear about something, the BMW CE 02 is unlike anything we've ever seen and that includes even its larger CE 04 sibling. Part future adventure bike, part old-school monkey bike and totally bonkers - the CE 02 is a Mad Max creation from the Bavarian skunkworks that is built at the TVS facility in Hosur - perhaps to keep the German accountants from having a heart attack every time this menace zips past.

Built for the affluent green-conscious riders of today, the CE 02 looks much larger in real life than the images you're seeing here. At the front, the BMW CE 02 sports a rectangular LED headlight above which sits the windscreen. The all-electric CE 02 also sports gold-finished upside-down forks which settle over a 14-inch fully covered wheel.

Post that you see a design similar to the CE 04 with a low (745mm +20mm with the Highline package padding) & flat seat that kinks up at the front as if it is making way for an imaginary fuel tank. At the rear, it ends abruptly just before the rear wheel, where you can find the two 'grab handles'.

Underneath the seat at the front is where you find the battery pack and at the rear, you see the angled monoshock setup for the rear suspension. Further back you find the rear wheel (another 14-inch unit) with its fender playing host to the rear LED lighting setup.

The BMW CE 02 features a 3.5-inch micro-TFT display that gives you all the details on the move - speed, range riding mode - all of which can be toggled through and selected using the switchgear on the right. The screen also pairs up with your smartphone to provide basic smartphone connectivity.

BMW CE 02 Review: Specs & Dimensions - Bigger In Real Life With A Battery Pack Made For The City

The BMW CE 02 measures 1,970mm long, 876mm wide and 1,140mm tall (with the windscreen) and sports a 1,350mm long wheelbase. The all-electric CE 02 tips the scales at 132 kilogrammes.

The BMW CE 02 sports a tubular steel double-loop frame suspended off USD forks at the front. A monoshock and a single-sided cast aluminium swingarm at the rear also help with the rough stuff. The BMW CE 02 allows for 117mm wheel travel at the front and 56mm at the rear.

Braking duties on the CE 02 are handled by a 239mm disc at the front that is clamped down by two-piston floating callipers. The rear sports a smaller 220mm disc brake with a single-piston calliper providing the clamping force required. The brakes of the BMW CE 02 are aided by single-sided ABS.

The BMW CE 02 rides on 14-inch wheels made using die-cast aluminium and are shod with Michelin City Grip tyres. The front tyre is a 120/80 R14 unit while the rear uses a wider 150/70 R14 contact patch.

The BMW CE 02 we rode sports a 3.92kWh battery pack that delivers a claimed range of 90km on a single charge. This air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack powers a single mid-mounted electric motor with a peak output of 14.75bhp at 5,000rpm and 55Nm of torque at just 1,000rpm. This allows for a claimed 0-50km/h sprint time of just three seconds and a top speed of 95km/h.

There are three riding modes on offer with the new BMW CE 02 - Flow, Surf (offered as Standard) and Flash (only offered with the Highline package. There is also a power-saving mode which limits the output of the motor to help get you to a charging point.

The battery pack comes with a standard 0.9kW AC charger which takes the battery from 20 to 80 per cent in 2 hours and 48 minutes with a full charge taking 5 hours and 12 minutes. The Highline package offers a faster 1.5kW charger which tops the battery from 20 to 80 per cent in 1 hour and 42 minutes with a full charge taking three and half hours.

BMW CE 02 Review: Riding Impressions - Flash For City Fun

The BMW CE 02 is in a word - fun, especially in Flash mode. With the optional Flash mode (offered with the Highline package) engaged, the BMW CE 02's throttle response is instant and aggressive.

The instant torque delivery from the motor means You'll find yourself keeping most of the other traffic on the city streets behind you when you sprint away from the lights. Flash also offers a rather strong off-throttle regen mode, which can slow you down rather nicely before you have to get on the brakes.

Surf is the middle ground of the three modes as it offers the full usage of the power on offer and none of the rather strong regen braking. The Flow riding mode is best suited for the traffic jams that plague our roads and offers a softer throttle response along with a lower regen level that makes it best for those city centre conditions.

The ease with which you can step into the seat of the CE 02 and ride off with just the twist of the throttle is something conventional scooter riders will appreciate. The upright riding position and the lightly padded seat offer a comfortable ride.

However, riders of a slightly larger size will find the comfort levels not quite what they would expect. Pillion riders will also suffer from the same issue as in the standard upright position, there is just barely enough space to sit down.

The suspension setup though helps keep the ride plush and the CE 02 barely notices road imperfections and bumps. The CE 02 is stable at higher city speeds as well and it offers you more than enough confidence to change directions. The suspension setup combined with the rake angle of the handlebar allows you to play around a bit with this electric city specialist.

When it is time to bring the BMW CE 02 to a stop, the well-calibrated disc brakes and the ABS work together as a team to ensure you feel safe, every time you pull on the levers.

BMW CE 02 Review: Verdict & Final Thoughts - Electric Street Specialist For The Privileged Few

The BMW CE 02 is an electric scooter that looks like a bike from the future that has made its way into the city of today. The BMW CE 02 is quirky with a distinct identity all of its own and is not subtle about it at all making it perfect for the few who can afford it and live with it every day.

So if you think it suits your green luxury cred nature and have the pockets deep enough and personality loud enough to justify buying it, the BMW CE 02 is the quirky electric city commuter for you.