As an enthusiast of electric vehicles, especially electric motorcycles, there’s a unique thrill in experiencing the silent rush of wind past your helmet as you ride along roads know and unknown. Also, being able to ride a full-sized dirt bike in my garden without disturbing the neighbors is fantastic as they didn’t appreciate the agressive sound of an ICE dirt bikes!
Challenges Facing EV Motorcycles
However, even as a fan, I acknowledge that EVs have their problems at the moment but this will not always be the case as the industry evolves and develops. The charging infrastructure is still underdeveloped despite improvements, battery swapping is on the up and up but not enough and it is not compatible with many models, mining for materials involves significant ethical issues, they carry fire risks, and they’re expensive relative to their performance. The most persistent issue, though, is their limited range.
BMW’s New Direction
These challenges have significantly influenced BMW Motorrad’s new CEO Markus Flasch, who recently succeeded Markus Schramm. This has led to the decision to shelve the Vision DC Roadster, BMW’s full-size EV superbike. Flasch shared his thoughts on this decision during the unveiling of the R 20 Concept at Ville d’Este.
Insights from Markus Flasch
Here’s what Flasch had to say:
“There’s a logical and an emotional side of the answer,” Flasch says, adding, “The logic side is when we looked at the facts and figures of the [Vision DC Roadster], it was pretty mature in its development. But it was just not competitive with something like the M 1000 RR by far.”
“And then we looked at the way the business is going, as well as competitors, we have 77-percent of the total electric bike market [covered] with our CE 04 and CE 02 electric scooters. So why would I invest BMW’s money to build a motorbike to sneak into the remaining 23 percent? There’s just no point in it. Not now, maybe later.”
The Emotional Perspective
Flasch didn’t stop there, adding:
“And then the emotional part is if you talk to riders, I did not find anyone who said ‘I would spend 30,000 Euros on an electric motorbike to go around the lake or up the mountain pass.’ No one. And for sure, nobody would say ‘I’m traveling to the North Cape through Africa.'”
“Motorcycling is so much about freedom and independence that there is no point right now [for an EV].”
An Honest Outlook
Flasch’s straightforwardness is refreshing. Many CEOs might choose to be more guarded about future products. However, his points are hard to dispute albeit short sighted.
The Need for Better Technology
While it’s crucial to adopt EVs to reduce greenhouse gases and environmental impact, people won’t switch to new technologies unless they can match or surpass current options in performance and cost-effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
BMW’s gas bikes are still awesome but the CEO is not looking to the long term and should be positioning BMW as industry leaders moving the technology forward.
