It can sometimes seem that there is very little nuance when the topic is driving an EV. Some people are big fans and see ICE as a thing of the past, while others are more bearish and think this is a fad due to crash and burn a fire that’s very hard to put out. There are valid arguments on both sides, and I tend to think this is a much deeper and complex conversation, as there is no silver bullet – there hardly ever is. So I am glad that at the least for now we have choice, even though for me, personally, EVs are unequivocally better for the daily commute – argue all you want, this is a hill I will gladly die on. City driving is supposed to be relaxing, isolated, quiet and tech-driven, and these are all things where EVs shine. Lack of involvement, noise and dynamics are less important, and range is barely an issue with the shorter driven distances, so the occasional pump stop becomes a distant memory.
So then, it’s no surprise we’re seeing more and more brands pop up out of nowhere to try their luck in this brave new EV world. Many of them pick a shape and stick to it, with less than a handful building both cars and motorcycles powered by electrons. And that’s how we get to today’s story: BMW is operating in very rarified air, by making great electric vehicles, period, despite the number of wheels. And, must be noted, all of that while still not leaving the other territories unclaimed – don’t forget all the internal combustion sports cars they make.
In order to prove that electric mobility can be had – and enjoyed – in those two form factors, I decided to put these two EVs from BMW to the test in similar journeys and use cases. I wanted to go from one to the other back to back, capturing impressions and figures for those interested in EVs, but that never looked at it from this perspective. In this article we will learn more about the two vehicles, and in a follow-up piece, we will consolidate the experience and the figures to see what’s up. This is not a “this or that” piece, instead it aims to show there are just way too many flavors to the EV pie to bundle it all under one single, small umbrella – and this is amazing.
So let’s start with the smaller one, shall we?
This is the CE 04, the biggest entry to BMW’s lineup of electric bikes. Being a scooter, it is quite long and low, and offers that “legs in” riding position we expect from such bikes. Scooters are approachable, easy to ride, and very simple to operate, and the CE 04 understands the assignment of needing to be an urban vehicle, with every single decision being made around the life in the concrete jungle.
Compared to the smaller CE 02 I had recently, the 04 is not only bigger, but also more developed. With an asking price of $28,490 + ORC, it is on the pricier end, but it feels like a full package where no shortcuts were taken. The design is uber modern and out there (sorry, BMW doesn’t do conventional), it has more tech than many cars, and it has the specs to back up what the brief requires. The 8.5kWh battery feeds a 21kW motor that give it enough grunt for those motorway ramp merges, crossing the Bridge, etc. When you’re back to suburbia, you will be sorted thanks to a 2.6s sprint to 50km/h, with an intended range of around 130km.
The CE 02 had a small screen with basic information, and relied on your phone for more complex scenarios. The 04, on the other hand, benefits from the corporative TFT screen available in other BMW bikes, which is nothing short of amazing. It boasts great quality and heaps of functionality, and you can interact with it using the rotary knob on the left grip. You can also use your thumb to click it “in and out”, becoming second nature almost instantly, flicking between the bike’s menus and even controlling your phone if you pair it to the bike via the Motorrad app. You can even project maps to the cluster and keep your phone dry and safe in a handy drawer. To the side of it, you get a 12V socket and the charging port. Another big change here: the charger is built-in this time, so charging on the go is absolutely not an issue should the 130km of predicted range not be enough for your trip.
Now onto the iX! At this point, I think it needs no formal introduction. Out of the two, the iX is a much more common sight on our NZ roads, which means you probably have an opinion on it already. With its controversial looks, I am yet to find someone that is indifferent to the visual statement it makes. The front end gets the big, beaver-looking kidney grille we see in a few other models, but there is way more to the story. This loaner has been incredibly well configured, with the deep black paint working really well with the lines and the gold accents. Both the rear three quarter and straight from the back views are big winners and set this massive car apart from everything else on the road. I understand it is polarising, but I quite like it.
But look past the exterior and what you get inside is a proper luxury Super SUV. The interior is a great place to be in, with a new take on the mix of materials that elevates the car and gives BMW a chance to show what it can do. All touch points feel expensive and well put together, the walnut insert is oh so porous and the leather seats have a plush texture to them. In this Oyster colourway with the crystal additions, this is as good as it gets.
With a starting price of $242,500, the M60 trim level gets up to 455kW of power and 4 digit torque figures, way more than enough to back up the claims made by the M badges scattered around the car. I guess we’ll see how efficiency will be impacted by that…
This is because the iX makes use of the big footprint of 4953mm to lug around a battery with a 105kWh usable capacity (the math confirms: it’s more than 12 times the capacity of the CE 04), which should be good for range figures over 500km. But with all that power on tap and enough refinement to mask the speeds, I’m sure this will be highly dependent on throttle requests.
Phew, talk about driveway appeal! Over the course of this week, I will take the same journeys in both vehicles, following what is my usual commute, noting down times, figures, costs and impressions while trying to keep as many variables as possible consant. My usual route has a mix of heavy traffic, motorway ramps and sprints, as it is for the majority of us Kiwis. But of course I will mix in a couple of backroad blasts just to keep it fun!
I loved that BMW was so open to this idea, which should be an interesting exercise for all of us. Keep an eye out for the next write up, where I will consolidate the impressions and figures of my time with these two great vehicles. Until then, thanks for reading!
