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.
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Will this scoot have the type of Li batteries that catch fire?
I think I'll be able to resist.