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Designing for the Young: BMW Motorrad’s Concept CE 02

Gen Z isn’t really into cars, and now at least two European automakers are working out ways to court them. First we saw Opel targeting teens with their diminutive SUM. Now BMW—or more specifically, their Motorrad division—is wondering: If not a car, can we interest you in something with two wheels?

Their designers have come up with the Concept CE 02, which they call “an exciting and highly emotional mobility offer.”

While it shares some design DNA with their CE 04—neither ride would look out of place in a futuristic anime series—the CE 02 is aiming lower, in terms of age. The target market, according to BMW, is “people aged 16 and over, who have not ridden a motorbike before but are open to new experiences, smart technology and, above all, combining mobility with fun. As a lightweight e-vehicle weighing about 120 kg, the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 is ideal for urban use, offering a high fun factor as well as straightforward yet stylish commuting.”

The low seat height, low center of gravity and relatively large wheels are intended to make the bike, which they’re calling “neither a motorcycle nor a scooter,” easy to ride for first-timers.

Elastic bands fore of the seat are meant to secure small items, and there’s also a measure of storage space in the gap underneath it.

Interestingly, a bracket at the bottom has been designed specifically to hold a skateboard that then serves as a footrest.

Indeed, it seems the skateboard market was all over the mood boards in the design studio during the planning phase, as evinced in the pitch by Alexander Buckan, Head of Vehicle Design BMW Motorrad:

“The BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 is a reliable companion on a day-to-day basis. You love it because it’s always there for you and it just works – even if you occasionally don’t treat it as carefully as you might. And there are stickers, tapes and other forms of customisation that make it quite clear to everyone that it belongs to you. It embodies youthful freedom and a carefree spirit – rather like a skateboard on two wheels.”