BMW Set to Release X2City Electric Scooter

This article originally appeared on LEVRevolution.com
BMW, the maker of the self-proclaimed ‘ultimate driving machine’ is now aiming to create the ultimate in LEV transportation with an electric scooter known as the X2City.
It’s no secret that the congestion and costs associated with traditional transportation are on the rise. In cities across Europe, commuters are faced with the challenge of getting from home to office, and back home again, without losing their sanity. The situation is much the same in crowded metropolitan areas across the United States.
Electric scooters offer an affordable and easy to utilize method of transportation that also reduces carbon footprint. The X2City by BMW is especially aimed at solving the problem of ‘last mile’ transport — in other words, what is the most efficient way to get from the bus or train station, or a far-flung parking garage, in a city filled with commuters?
A Folding Electric Scooter for Convenience and Commuters
BMW’s first electric scooter features a foldable design that will save space in your home or during transport in a vehicle or on the bus, train, or subway. According to the manufacturer, this electric scooter will have a smaller footprint than its more well-known LEV cousin, the foldable electric bike.
The idea is that urban dwellers will be able to store the X2City easily and make it a seamless part of the daily commute. It weighs just over 44 pounds (20 kg), which is in the same weight range as many electric bikes. While it is not exactly featherweight, it shouldn’t be too much hassle to tote onto the train or bus and can easily be lifted into the trunk of a vehicle.
How Fast and How Far Will the X2City Go?
The most obvious questions about the X2City are: “How fast can it go?” and “How far can I travel before needing a charge?”
Speed: Once you’ve manually propelled the scooter above 3 miles per hour, there are five pre-set speed options. Choose to cruise at 5, 7, 9, 11, or 15 miles per hour.
To put these speeds in perspective:
- The average walking speed is about 3 mph
- A hoverboard will carry you at speeds in the range of 6–15 mph
- An electric bike has top speeds in the neighborhood of 20 mph
- The BMW M3 can reach speeds up to 155 mph
You may not keep up with an M3, or even some models of electric bikes, but the X2City will get you where you need to go. And it will keep you from breaking a sweat as you hustle from the subway station to the conference room, because no likes a sweaty start to a morning meeting.
Distance: The scooter will travel between 15 and 22 miles on a single charge. This is enough to fulfill its intended purpose of ‘last mile’ transport and get you where you need to be in the city center.
As a side note, charging can be done with a typical electrical outlet and takes about 2.5 hours to juice up a dead battery.
Where and When Can I Buy BMW’s First Electric Scooter?
Ready to get your hands on the first offering from BMW in a new product category in more than 70 years? Well, you’ll have to wait a little longer. The X2City is slated to be ready for release by December 2017, with a reported price tag in the ballpark of $2,850.
As of now, BMW’s electric scooter will be sold exclusively in the shops of German bicycle juggernaut ZEG. This may be a disappointment to American fans of German engineering. Or an excuse for a Bavarian getaway!
Alternatively, you could just wait for the scooter to become available online at the Kettler-Alu website.
Either way, the interesting thing is that the X2City won’t be sold or serviced by BMW dealerships. This makes it the first product with the BMW badge to be distributed in this matter. Will it still have the trademark quality and workmanship of the BMW brand?
Time will tell, but BMW is putting their name and reputation behind this new platform for their brand. No doubt the company hopes that the electric scooter will be a gateway into other vehicles offered by the company — including motorcycles and electric vehicles.
Does BMW Have a Bright Future with Electric Scooters?
BMW has been dreaming big about the future of light electric vehicles. BMW Motorrad recently debuted the Concept Link — a prototype electric scooter that takes styling cues from the motorcycle world, and practical features from the LEV world. While the Link is only a concept vehicle, it shows the attention that BMW is giving to electric scooters and the future of LEV transportation.
Will the X2City be the first successful step down a path of LEV product development for BMW? We will have to wait and see.
One thing is for certain, the X2City aims to make the last mile of your commute easy and fast, with style inherited from the maker of the ‘ultimate driving machine.’
