BMW Concept E Electric Scooter

The electric maxi-scooter concept rode onto BMW’s main presentation stage along with the Husqvarna E-go youth-oriented electric motorcycle concept. The two-wheeled concept models are not close to becoming production models; they were there mainly to help set the stage for BMW’s i3 and i8 electric car concept models which also debuted in Frankfurt.

BMW did re-affirm it will introduce two premium maxi-scooters by the end of the year but both will be powered by two-cylinder combustion engines.

Back to the Concept e, BMW says its designers sought to create a vehicle that looked clean and efficient yet agile. The front uses the same “split-face” design found on other BMW models such as the R1200GS and S1000RR. The front panel/leg shield is shaped like a boomerang, suggesting an aerodynamic look.

BMW was light on the technical details however. BMW’s i cars use over 60 volts of electricity, enough for BMW to claim the Concept e offers similar acceleration to a gas-powered maxi-scooter.

BMW also claims a range of 100 km (62 miles) on a fully-charged battery, with the help of regenerative braking. Of course, it would probably help if the scooter used conventional mirrors instead of the Concept e’s LCD screens and rear-facing cameras. Still, BMW claims a charge time of under 3 hours.

2011 Yamaha EC-03 Electric Scooter

The company unveiled a new version of Yamaha EC-03 scooter, which is the first electric version of the Japanese motorcycle maker.

In addition, Yamaha has identified their plans – by 2020 to become the market leader in electric bikes. In Tokyo, the Yamaha EC-03 will go on sale from 01 September this year.

Yamaha EC-03 electric scooter is designed as an urban version, powered by a lithium-ion battery to 50 V from the company Sanyo and is equipped with technology Yamaha Integrated Power Unit (YIPU).

YIPU includes a control unit, a planetary gearbox, brakes and develops 1.9 hp at 9.6 Nm of torque. The range of distance from Yamaha EC-03 is about 43 km, with a maximum speed of 30 km/h on windless stretch of road and 70 kg rider.

Fully charge the battery scooter will take approximately six hours, the scooter itself weighs 62 kg and more suitable for the Chinese market, which share a variety of scooters is around 20 million units.

Audi Urban Concept

Called the UrbanConcept, the radical machine has semi-open wheels and is narrow enough to be easy to drive and park in crowded city streets.

Fully electric, two of Audi’s e-tron electric motors drive its 21-inch wheels, while it is built from a combination of aluminium and carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP), promising a blend of strength and safety as well as light weight.

The UrbanConcept’s taut, aggressive lines are also said to provide hints to the future design language of Audi’s mainstream line-up. Blinking LED lights further mark out the partly exposed wheels, which also have brake energy recuperation to extend the lithium-ion battery pack’s range.

The passenger compartment is made from CFRP, with some of the technology Audi’s own, and some of it derived from sister firm Lamborghini’s Aventador supercar. Both the seatbases are moulded into the carbon fibre body, and the driver can adjust the pedals and steering wheel to suit.

Audi insists the seating positions – with the passenger to the side and slightly behind the driver – will provide plenty of space while keeping the cabin narrow. To enter the car, both occupants slide the large, single-piece roof back.

All of the cabin’s controls and materials are made from carbon fibre, aluminium and lightweight upholstery. That promises to lend the sleek UrbanConcept reasonable straight-line performance and allows it to use a smaller battery pack than would be fitted to a converted production car.