New designs for greener future from BMW
Designed by BMW but to be manufactured by an independent third party, the quest for an electric future has taken the Munich, Germany company back to the two and three-wheel drawing board.
With the unveiling of the electrified bicycle Concept Dynamic
Cargo and the e-scooter Concept Clever Commute, the BMW Group engineers are transferring
know-how from the automotive sector to concepts for micromobility vehicles.
Bicycles offer great flexibility of use, produce zero emissions and are one of the fastest and most efficient means of transport in urban areas. However, rainy, cold or slippery conditions are usually all it takes for the majority of cyclists to switch to public transport or their car instead.
The same applies when they need to carry loads that are too large for a standard luggage rack to handle, such as a larger food shop, or to transport children. A wide range of cargo bikes are now available that offer an additional alternative to using the car for urban trips.
However, many cargo bike concepts are wider and, above all,
longer than normal bicycles due to the requirements for transporting loads
and/or children. In conjunction with the resulting additional weight and the
possible payload, this leads to restrictions of varying degrees compared to
normal bicycles, particularly with regard to driving agility and handling.
"Our goal was to develop a concept that retains the agility and driving
feel of a normal bicycle while adding innovative, safe transport options,"
says Jochen Karg, Head of Vehicle Concepts in the BMW Group's New Technologies
and China division. "The ‘Concept Dynamic Cargo’ is the first dynamic
'pick-up' cargo bike that combines driving pleasure with flexible use and
increased year-round suitability."
The key component of the three-wheeled Concept Dynamic Cargo is the front main
frame, which is connected to the rear section via a pivot axle and tilts in
corners. The rear section remains stable through all corners without tilting
towards the road.
This combines with the electrified powertrain – which is activated as soon as the rider starts to pedal and drives the two rear wheels – to make the cargo bike just as easy to ride as a standard bicycle. As well as producing far greater riding stability in all weather conditions compared to two-wheeler designs, the rear wheels with their rigid, non-pivoting axle mounting also provide the basis for a versatile, pick-up-style transport platform.
This can be fitted with a selection of modular attachments
for carrying luggage and/or children. The modular design principle paves the
way for many more use cases, too. The non-pivoting design of the transport platform
has the additional benefit that the rider is barely aware of any extra weight
being carried, enabling safe, stable transportation of all loads while also
ensuring a pleasurable riding experience.
The concept is rounded off by a facility for adding a modular system of weather
protection. Together with the superior riding safety, which proves especially
useful in adverse weather, this makes the Concept Dynamic Cargo an attractive
means of transport all year round.
Although the BMW Group will not manufacture the Concept Dynamic Cargo itself,
it is already in discussions with potential licensees.
E-scooters offer flexible usability, zero local emissions and the ability to get city dwellers to their destination extremely quickly over short ‘last-mile’ urban journeys. The uptake of e-scooters for private ownership has been relatively slow to date. Robust models that can be ridden safely are difficult to take onto public transport or carry by car due to their size, while small, more portable models suffer from poor riding stability.
With its Concept Clever Commute, the BMW Group is now presenting an e-scooter that folds easily for carrying on public transport and/or by car without compromising on riding stability in any way.
In public transport mode, the footboard folds up at the sides and the rear wheel pivots into the resulting aperture from below. This mechanism shortens the wheelbase of the Clever Commute substantially so that it can even be carried on an escalator without difficulty.
This is an important requirement if the journey includes
underground transport routes. It can also be rolled along on both wheels in
this mode, rather like a trolley case. And the front wheel’s integral hub motor
provides an electric impulse that makes it easier to push the Clever Commute up
ramps. The e-scooter’s compact dimensions when folded up means it should be
possible to take it on all forms of public transport free of charge.
The Clever Commute can be folded up to a size that fits easily into small
vehicle boots, with larger boots able to accommodate several of them for family
outings. In the BMW Group range, this means that the Clever Commute fits into
luggage compartments lengthways from the 3 Series upwards, for example,
without any need to fold down the rear backrest, and it can be carried
crossways in MINI boots.
With its unique product characteristics, the Clever Commute is a versatile
companion in the city and allows any journey to be completed quickly, safely
and easily. Its transformability makes it a truly ideal solution for multimodal
travel.
Although the BMW Group will not manufacture the Concept Clever Commute itself,
it is already in discussions with potential licensees.
Both micromobility concepts have been designed to offer a range of over 20 kilometres.
One final very important feature for city use is the battery pack, which can be
removed and charged at home.
