BMW’s cars — it’s concept cars in particular — tend to live in the future. The Motorrad Definition CE 04, BMW’s newest electric bike concept, is headed in that direction as well. But way, way out in a dystopia future, where corporations run everything, pollution is rampant and … hang on a minute. That’s this one.
Judge BMW
The German auto-maker’s electric scooter looks like it comes from one of any number of dystopian futures. It might have spawned on Total Recall‘s Mars, it looks like the sort of thing Judge interns ride to work in 2000AD’s Judge Dredd comics… it even looks a little like something Kaneda Shotaro might blow past on the highway while wreaking destruction across the city. But no, it’s in this reality and it… might actually become more than a concept. Maybe. The company hasn’t confirmed that yet.
BMW’s Motorrad Definition CE 04 does look like it could wind up on roads, however. The company has been close-lipped about its actual specs but has made some seriously considered design choices. The battery lives in the underside, adding weight and offering a more stable ride (as is common with EVs). It’s got a compact drive train, which would help to keep things uncomplicated, and there’s a considerable amount of storage space possible.
But the point, really, is to see all the bits. According to the company, making units like the drive unit, cooling ribs, single-sided swing arm, spring strut and tooth belt visible was conscious choice. It’s supposed to make you ooh and aah over tech that BMW’s stuffed inside. If you’ve been eyeing Tesla’s CyberTruck, then you might want to add this scooter to the back of it. If only to keep up the seriously-2020 aesthetic.
Alexander Buckan, BMW Motorrad’s head of design, said “The technical realities of electric drive – such as the flat energy packs in the underfloor and the compact drive train – allow us to create a highly distinctive design which defines a new, urban aesthetic and which differentiates itself clearly from conventional styling. A design that follows the basic needs for simple functionality, clear aesthetics and the digital reality today’s users live in.”
