On the IAA Mobility 2025 present in Munich, BMW Motorrad revealed the Imaginative and prescient CE, an idea that provides a recent take a look at how electrical two-wheelers may match into metropolis life. Not like most scooters, the Imaginative and prescient CE is designed so riders don’t want a helmet or protecting clothes. That’s made doable by a built-in security construction, reviving a design concept BMW first experimented with 25 years in the past.
From the C1 to the CE 04
BMW’s historical past with unconventional city scooters goes again to the yr 2000, when the corporate launched the C1. That scooter had a roof, security cage, and seat belt, making helmets legally non-obligatory in some nations. Though it by no means grew to become a mass-market hit, the C1 constructed a small however loyal following of riders who valued consolation and comfort over conventional scooter styling.
Quick ahead to the 2020s, and BMW Motorrad has constructed a powerful basis with the CE 04 electrical scooter and the smaller CE 02. Each fashions present that electrical mobility on two wheels will be sensible and trendy, with the CE 04 particularly changing into a gross sales chief in its class. The Imaginative and prescient CE idea takes that confirmed platform and reinterprets it by the lens of the previous C1 concept.
Security First: The Cage Idea
The centerpiece of the Imaginative and prescient CE is its steel tube security cage, which works with a specifically designed seat and seat belt to guard the rider. The setup creates what BMW calls a security cell. The aim is to get rid of the necessity for a helmet and heavy protecting clothes, whereas nonetheless providing significant safety in case of an accident.
For city riders, that strategy may take away two of the largest boundaries to two-wheeled commuting: the effort of placing on gear and the discomfort of using in scorching climate. By making the expertise extra informal, BMW hopes to attraction to individuals who would possibly in any other case by no means contemplate a scooter.
A Design That Stands Out
Visually, the Imaginative and prescient CE is sort of totally different from most scooters. Its proportions are lengthy and low, with a stretched wheelbase that offers it a planted stance. The cage doesn’t really feel cumbersome—it’s open and ethereal, virtually like an architectural body.
BMW stored the colour palette minimal, with matte white surfaces contrasting in opposition to black components, accented by sharp neon pink graphics. The mixture seems to be technical but clear, and it avoids the “gadget-like” aesthetic some ideas fall into. Particulars like uncovered aluminum add a contact of rawness, whereas the seat’s matte end and delicate lettering hold the design grounded.
Including to its futuristic really feel is a self-balancing system that retains the scooter upright when stopped. It’s a small element, but it surely has sensible advantages: simpler dealing with at stoplights, no must put ft down, and an added sense of stability for rookies. This know-how may make city scooters extra approachable for riders who would possibly really feel intimidated by two wheels.
Constructed on a Confirmed Platform
Beneath the idea sits acquainted know-how. The Imaginative and prescient CE is carefully associated to the CE 04, BMW’s manufacturing e-scooter launched in 2022. With 42 horsepower (31 kW), the CE 04 accelerates from 0–50 km/h in simply 2.6 seconds and delivers a variety of as much as 130 kilometers—sufficient for many each day commutes.
The Imaginative and prescient CE’s additional security cell would add weight, which could barely scale back vary and efficiency, however the total bundle continues to be aimed squarely at brief metropolis journeys. That trade-off is unlikely to be a dealbreaker for the type of city rider BMW envisions.
What Manufacturing May Look Like
BMW hasn’t introduced manufacturing plans, however the Imaginative and prescient CE doesn’t really feel like an summary design train. The corporate has a monitor document of shifting its CE ideas into showrooms, and the C1 precedent reveals that BMW has lengthy thought of the thought of a “cabin scooter” a severe proposition.
A manufacturing model would probably embody an aerodynamically lined roof, which might not solely improve climate safety but in addition additional justify helmet-free using in some markets. That mixture of security, practicality, and luxury may open the door to a broader viewers—commuters who need the effectivity of a scooter with out the perceived dangers or inconveniences of conventional bike gear.
