BMW Motorrad & TVS Motor Commence A New EV Partnership

Earlier this year, BMW Motorrad extended its electric two-wheeler portfolio by unveiling the CE 02 electric bike. The BMW CE 02 is the second two-wheeler in its electric range after the CE 04 electric scooter. And just like many modern EVs, the CE 02 goes for a very futuristic and sci-fi styling. It looks like a mixture of a scooter and motorcycle, something on the lines of the Honda Navi but a lot more radical. BMW Motorrad announced that the CE 02 electric two-wheeler will be manufactured in India by TVS Motor at its Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu. The CE 02 was jointly developed and designed by both the brands.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, said, “The 10th anniversary is an impressive proof of the success and strength of the collaboration between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motor Company. The extension and expansion of this partnership towards future technologies and sustainable mobility solutions including the unique and fully electric masterpiece BMW CE 02 is therefore a consistent step to also shape the future together with TVS Motor Company. And today's start of production of our unique CE 02 marks a significant milestone in our joint and future cooperation.”

Talking about specs, the BMW electric bike packs a 2 kWh battery pack and a peak power output of 11kW. BMW claims a top speed of 95 kmph and range of 90 km, the numbers are decent, but given the sticker price, it is dull. TVS hasn’t confirmed this but we think the TVS X electric scooter and the BMW CE 02/CE 04 have a few bits in common. The TVS X is the most expensive electric scooter on sale in India at Rs 2.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

However, it seems like a bargain when compared to the BMW CE02 as it retails for a base price of $7,600, which is equivalent to Rs 6.32 lakh! While BMW Motorrad hasn’t confirmed this, we feel the CE02 might go on sale in India next year in limited units and it could be priced around Rs 5 to 6 lakh (ex-showroom). Let me remind our readers that BMW Motorrad had also launched the C 400 GT scooter at an eye-watering price of Rs 11.25 lakh (ex-showroom) and it was sold out!