BMW unveils E-Scooter concept

Added on Monday, July 4th, 2011 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

BMW has lifted the curtain on its latest concept E-Scooter, which it claims provides an innovative solution to “changing urban mobility needs”.

The company claims that the E-Scooter is more suited to consumer demands, with the focus in the development of this electric scooter being performance and range. BMW argue that, unlike other electric scooters that are designed primarily for use within towns and cities, the E-Scooter is more adept at “everyday” use, with a range of 100km on a single charge and performance comparable to a standard 600cc maxi scooter.

The battery is charged at regular household power sockets as found in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan, so no special charging station is required, and can be charged from flat within three hours.

Another feature, aside from the garish paint job, is that the BMW E-Scooter has no main frame. Instead, the aluminium battery casing, which also contains the electronic system required for battery cell monitoring, takes over the function of the frame. The steering head support is connected to it, as is the rear frame and the left-hand mounted single swing arm with directly hinged, horizontally installed shock absorber.

Due to its high output, the BMW Motorrad development study has no hub motor with direct drive or planetary gearbox. Instead, the high-performance electric machine is mounted behind the battery casing. The secondary drive consists of a toothed belt from the electric machine to the belt pulley mounted coaxially on the swinging fork pivot with drive pinion. From here, power transmission occurs via roller chain to the rear wheel. When the E-Scooter is decelerated in trailing throttle or when braking, the energy released is recuperated, thereby increasing the vehicle’s range by between 10 and 20 per cent depending on driving profile.

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