2017 BMW C Evolution Scooter Coming to US
Electric scooter claims 100-mile range
BMW announced an updated version of its C Evolution electric scooter, claiming a 60% increase in range. And more notably for American consumers, BMW confirmed the C Evolution scooter will finally be available in the U.S.A.
The C Evolution was first in introduced in 2014 for European markets. The original model used an 60 Ah lithium-ion battery that BMW claimed gave the C Evolution a range of 100 km (62 miles). For 2017, the C Evolution gets a new 94 Ah battery (the same used in BMW’s i3 electric car), with BMW claiming a range of 160 km (99.4 miles).
BMW claims a peak power output of 47 hp, the same as the original model, but more importantly for an electric vehicle, the continuous output is claimed 25.5 hp, a significant improvement from the first-generation C Evolution’s claimed continuous output of 15 hp. BMW claims a top speed of 80 mph. Europe will also get a low-powered version with power limited to a continuous output of 15 hp with a peak output of 47 hp to meet A1 license requirements.
Other updates include a new smaller-diameter charge cable an an Ionic Silver metallic/Electric Green color scheme. The 2017 C Evolution is otherwise identical to the previous version, with a 40 mm upside-down fork, single-sided swingarm with preload-adjustable rear shock, 15-inch wheels, and dual 270mm front brake discs with two-piston calipers and ABS as standard equipment.
BMW hasn’t yet announced when the C Evolution will arrive in the States, or how it will be priced. In the U.K., the 2016 C Evolution is priced at £13,500 (US$17,800), or just a little less than the R1200RT’s £13,685 MSRP. Given the extended range and continuous power output, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of a price bump. Of course, the C Evolution could qualify for the $2500 federal tax credit for electric motorcycles (provided the tax credit is extended), so we’ll have to wait and see how that factors into BMW’s U.S. pricing strategy.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Will this scoot have the type of Li batteries that catch fire?
I think I'll be able to resist.