2022 · Scooter · Buyer's Guide
BMW's Electric City Pro
BMW built the CE 04 around one idea: an electric scooter that works like a real motorcycle from the chassis up. The liquid-cooled motor makes 42 hp and 46 lb-ft, sent to the rear wheel through a single gear, with the battery pack lying flat and low in the frame. That mass placement is the whole trick. At 509 lb wet the number looks heavy on paper, but the weight sits under your knees instead of above them. ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard, along with the TFT screen, smartphone connectivity, a USB port and LED lighting.
In daily use it behaves like a premium commuter with a serious hardware budget. No clutch, no shifts, nothing to stall in stop-and-go traffic, and a drivetrain that asks almost nothing of you week after week. Reliability holds up well, and the shape is one of the few in this class people still turn their heads at. The honest limit is scope: top speed is 75 mph and range runs to roughly 81 mi (130 km). Both numbers point the same direction. This is a city machine that will happily do a suburb run, not a long-haul vehicle.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 42 hp (31 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 46 lb-ft (62 Nm) |
| Engine | Electric |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 1-speed |
| Front tire | 120/70-15 |
| Rear tire | 160/60-15 |
| Seat height | 30.7 in (780 mm) |
| Wet weight | 509 lb (231 kg) |
| Top speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
You press the starter and nothing happens, which takes a ride or two to get comfortable with. Roll away and the only sounds are a faint motor whine, the tires, and whatever the city is doing around you. Seat height is 30.7 in, so most riders get both boots flat, and the position is upright with your feet forward and bars wide enough to give real leverage at walking pace. Pulling it off the stand takes a deliberate shove at 509 lb, though that impression fades the moment you're moving. The 15-inch wheels deal with manhole covers and expansion joints without kicking through the grips, and nothing buzzes into your hands or feet. An hour in dense traffic leaves you far fresher than you'd expect.
I didn't ride this one for this section. What sits below came in from riders themselves, collected over years of talk in parking lots, questions after events, club evenings, and a steady run of mail and messages from people who use a CE 04 every day. For this machine the pattern lines up unusually cleanly. Nearly all the praise sits in how it rides, and nearly all the criticism gathers around the plug.
Two things about the way it moves dominate. The first is how it picks up speed: riders talk about a shove that arrives the moment they twist the grip, and that is the trait most of them reach for when they explain why it suits town work. The second is composure. With the mass carried low, owners report it stays settled underneath them and turns in more willingly than its size suggests, which shows up in how confidently they describe corners. Close behind sits the quiet. Riders say the missing engine noise and vibration changes the whole tone of a commute and leaves them more relaxed at the end of it. The bodywork gets its own share of comment. Owners describe the angular shape and the floating seat as unlike anything parked beside it, and they like standing out for it.
The heaviest criticism is the most repeated one. Riders say a full charge at home occupies most of an evening, and even with the quicker charging option it isn't something you fit into an errand. Range runs straight into that. Owners report real-world figures low enough that routes get planned around them, and more than a few describe riding with one eye on how much is left.
Below those two, the reports thin out but stay steady. Suspension gets called firm, with broken pavement coming through more than riders would like. A handful mention the seat giving up after a couple of hours, the price next to a gas scooter, storage smaller than they expected, and how much machine there is to handle at walking pace or when parking it.
Electrical system recall (NHTSA 22V672000)
Certain 2022 CE 04 models were recalled for an electrical component issue that could pose a safety risk. Exact nature of the defect not fully detailed in available sources.
Fragile rear indicator lights prone to damage
The rear indicator lights are mounted on the bodywork and have been reported as fragile, with owners noting they can break relatively easily in minor knocks or when maneuvering.
Where this BMW CE 04 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CE 04 is actually built for.
For the city week and a run up to the usual Skyline meet-up, it fits. A full day of ridge roads is a stretch: 75 mph and about 81 mi (130 km) means planning around charge stops.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
This is the one you're actually looking for. Short hops, dense traffic, easy parking and controls you never have to think about, with running costs that stay low all year.
Made for Austin · Los Angeles · Miami Beach / Miami
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2014–2021
BMW's Silent City Hauler
Compare to the previous model →