Vision CE: BMW cages its future again
The German brand revives the concept of the legendary C1, which revolutionized the sector at the turn of the millennium, this time in an electric version based on the successful CE 04.
The electric mobility sector is a wave of new ideas and new models, technological advances that are almost on each other's heels, and a customer base eager for it all. In this context, BMW is stirring the pot once again at the IAA Mobility 2025.
At this year's Munich event, the German brand presented the new Vision CE , its new electric motorcycle concept that looks to the near future and revives an idea that seemed to have been shelved almost forever: the C1, the model that turned the industry upside down and could be driven without a helmet and without the need for technical clothing, thanks to the protection it included, including the seat belt.
Basically, BMW has taken the C1's philosophy and given it a futuristic twist: a new, super-light metal-tube "cage," a single-module seat with a seatbelt... and an autonomous self-balancing system when stopped —no more sprinting at a stoplight. Plus, a minimalist matte white design with neon accents worthy of the best science fiction films.
With no technical details revealed by BMW, internet users are flooding the Internet with rumors. Could the Vision CE share a technical base with the CE 04? The latter is a world leader in its segment ( BMW also has the disruptive CE 02 that we tested last year) with a powerful engine and a well-tested battery, and, above all, with no rivals in sight at the moment. Rumors and logic aside, the fact that they share certain aspects would make perfect sense when it comes to final production... At least in part .
If we compare the photos of its main structure, we inevitably find similarities in many parts, although the chassis appears to have been redesigned from the CE04 to fit the unique configuration of the project. We'll have to wait a while to find out.
In the summer of 2002, BMW stated that the C1 would not have a "successor in the immediate future." With this decision, BMW fueled speculation about the then-future of this innovative two-wheeled concept. The reason: "The analyses carried out to make decisions regarding the future of the model in the coming years demonstrate that it has not been possible to achieve the necessary sales volume." It was that clear. Although sales of the C1 were satisfactory in 2001, with 10,600 units sold, the corresponding figures for 2002 were well below expectations, by some 2,000 units, even despite the undeniably positive media response and public interest... at least on paper. The brand's forecasts reflected that the total sales targets set for the C1 would not be met. Although it remained part of BMW's product range, the C1 gradually disappeared from dealerships and production ceased in October 2002.
Once this stop button was pressed, BMW revived the C1 idea in 2009 , but this time in an electric version, in response to the growing market interest in this type of propulsion: the C1 E Concept. Its design was very similar to the original C1, but with some more modern features, such as the incorporation of a then-modern lithium-ion battery or the structural remodeling of the "cage," which provided more room for the driver.
It never saw the light of day, but it was the seed of a sustainable mobility that is now unstoppable and that BMW inaugurated in its motorcycles with the 2014 C Evolution.
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