BMW Boss: “The electric motorbike does not interest us, we are betting everything on the scooter”

Our friends at Motociclismo Italy have been speaking to Stephan Schaller, Managing Director of BMW, about the Bavarian brand’s green future.

Schaller said; “Two-wheeled electric vehicles will increase, but I believe that their diffusion will be limited to vehicles that will move in the city, basically will be scooters like our C Evolution or the Concept Link presented in 2017 at the Concorso d’Eleganza of Villa d’Este. I am convinced that 2018 will see a significant increase in the sales of these models. I think I’m talking about scooters and not motorcycles. In order to build an electric motorbike it is certainly not an insurmountable technological challenge. You can solve every problem, but there do you imagine replenishing electricity in the desert?”

Speaking about electric vehicle range, Schaller added; “The target is to double the mileage possible in just a couple of years, and for the car it is already happening and we are working hard in this direction, like on the road to weight reduction. The C Evolution weighs 275 kg, but the Concept Link will weigh much less and will be an interesting compromise between the autonomy required for city driving and maximum performance.”

Referring to production of the Concept Link, Schaller said: “It will arrive within three years, and it will be very close to the prototype shown on Lake Como by style, accessories and technical equipment “.

When asked about hybrid scooters, Schaller said: “We know the technology to make it happen, so much so that we have a prototype that runs on our test tracks, but the question is always the same: the final price inevitably increases, will the customer accept it?”