BMW Unveils a Pair Urban Electric Bike Concepts for the Future

Transportation is changing. If you need proof beyond that statement, take a look at how brands like BMW are envisioning transportation in the future.

There has been no shortage lately of two-wheel brands reevaluating how people will move in close urban environments, and no brand has been experimenting more in this space than BMW and BMW Motorrad.

The German company already showed us last week its electric Honda Grom contender, the BMW Concept CE 02, which is aimed at younger riders (or non-riders) with a fun pint-sized form factory.

Now, the Bavarians have envisioned two more concepts for their last-mile arsenal, dubbed the BMW i Vision AMBY and BMW Motorrad i Vision AMBY. Names only an engineer could love.

BMW might be having a hard time branding its two creations (one created by BMW and the other by BMW Motorrad), but both bikes are interesting concepts that blend the world of e-bikes and electric mopeds.

First is BMW Motorrad’s creation, the BMW Motorrad i Vision AMBY, which is a bike sans pedals, that fits the form factor we are seeing come out of the electric moped space.

Conversely, the BMW i Vision AMBY looks more like an e-bike, though shares the same heart as its Motorrad brethren.

Very much in the concept stage, there are some interesting ideas here that BMW and BMW Motorrad are playing with in their designs.

Both bikes have a variable power drivetrain, with the hope that one day, geofencing can be used to determine how much power is available to the rider based on where they are riding.

In that scenario, on a public bike road, the BMW’s bikes are limited to 15 mph; on a city road, 28 mph is possible; and on open roads they can reach up to 37 mph.

BMW also sees technologies like radar being used to alert the rider when they are being overtaken by another vehicle on the road, and that headlights and taillights would automatically illuminate as the road conditions warranted.

An ABS package for these lightweight machines is also part of BMW’s plan, which as far as we know, it would be the first use of this prominent technology on a bicycle.

How close is BMW to developing these two concepts? That remains to be seen. Right now, the Germans seem interested in using their concepts as a way to leverage a conversation about the future of lightweight two-wheelers.

Infrastructure changes and legal adoptions stand in the way of some of the progress being proposed here, and then there is of course a bit of crystal ball divination necessary to predict where the market will go in the next 5 to 10 years.

Like what you see? What would you change? Could a lightweight moped/e-bike find its way into your motorcycle-loving hearts? We have a feeling BMW is listening.