BMW is one of the pioneers when it comes to electrified vehicles here in Malaysia although that mainly applies to its four-wheel releases. Now, the German marque has officially expanded its EV offerings to include a two-wheel model in the form of the BMW CE 04.
As noted by its name, this fully electric scooter is being positioned together with the brand’s existing C Series electric mobility offerings. In fact, the “04” in the name is a reference to the 400cc scooter market segment which BMW Motorrad Malaysia currently caters to through the C 400 X and C 400 GT.
Despite the relation to the 400cc class, BMW Malaysia has confirmed to Lowyat.NET that owners don’t need to own a B full licence to ride the bike. In other words, you can legally drive the electric scooter with just a B2 (<250cc) licence.
With a design that reminded us of Bulma’s motorcycles from the Dragon Ball series, the CE 04 is equipped with an 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged through a Type 2 connector. This means owners can actually charge it at EV chargers that are usually used by cars and the bike takes around 1 hour 40 minutes to be charged with a 6.9kW charger or 4 hours 20 minutes through a 2.3kW charger.
Running on a 31kw electric motor that has a maximum torque of 62Nm and is linked to the rear wheel with a toothed belt drive, the electric scooter has a maximum speed of 120km/h and can go from 0 to 50km/h in 2.6 seconds. When fully charged, the CE 04 can travel up to 130km.
The new electric scooter has also been equipped with a multi-role 10.25-inch TFT screen that owners can use to check out their performance data, range, and charging time. Since the CE 04 comes standard with the BMW Motorrad Connectivity feature, users also have access to arrow navigation, contacts & phone call information, and media playback with the help of the BMW Motorrad Connected app and the multi-controller that is located on its left handle.
Underneath the handle area, there is also a watertight and ventilated storage compartment that comes complete with a USB-C port that users can use to charge their phones. The bike also features another side-loading storage compartment with its own lighting and can fit a helmet as well as a charging cable.
Owners are able to ride the CE 04 in three different ride modes including Eco, Rain, and Road. That being said, the unit that was on display at the Malaysian launch event today also includes the Dynamic mode which is optional in certain markets.
This particular driving mode apparently allows for more direct throttle response and better energy recovery. Naturally, Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is a standard on the bike as well as Automatic Stability Control (ASC) and reversing aid.
BMW Malaysia did not reveal an exact release date for CE 04 at its launch event today though. The same goes for the price tag which will only be revealed in full sometime this March but the Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia, Hans de Visser noted during the media Q&A session that the estimated price is around RM60,000.
