BMW announces the production launch of the C Evolution electric scooter. The electric scooter from BMW Motorrad is the first all-electric maxi-scooter in the premium segment and also marks the beginning of a new era for the two-wheeler division.
The electric scooters is manufactured on a separate assembly line which was created on an area of around 800 square meters. The production of the high-voltage battery from individual battery modules is done on site at the Berlin plant. The BMW C Evolution uses three modules, each containing 12 battery cells found in identical form in the BMW i3 electric vehicle.
The C evolution is powered by a drivetrain swing arm with liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor via a toothed belt and ring gearing. The rated power output is 11 kW (15 hp), with a peak output of 35 kW (47 hp). This enables the C evolution to achieve a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph, electronically limited) and gives it better acceleration than some maxi scooters powered by engines with displacements of 600 cc or more.
The generous 8 kWh capacity of the air-cooled lithium-ion high-voltage battery allows the two-wheeler to cover a range of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) before it needs to be charged from any domestic mains supply. When plugged in to a standard 220V domestic socket with a 12A charge current, recharging fully from empty takes around 4 hours (with 220V / 16A = 3 h).
BMW C Evolution will debut in May 2014.
