BMW's Latest Two-Wheeler Is A Kick Scooter With A Lot Less Kicking

I never knew I wanted an electric kick scooter until BMW unveiled its new X2City. With a range of up to 21 miles at speeds of up to 15 mph and a folding steering column, you can zip around town and then stow it in the trunk of your car without breaking a sweat.

But for all its urban mobility and zero-emissions street cred, the X2City suffers from the same major problem as almost all other electric vehicle offerings: Cost. When this scooter goes on sale in Europe later this year, it will come with a 2,500 euro price tag. Ouch.

The BMW scooter was designed so that European rides could avoid licensing and helmet requirements (though bicycle helmets are still recommended, of course.) The electric motor doesn't kick in until you've got the scooter going faster than a walking pace of about 4 mph, and tapping the foot brake immediately cuts the power.

The scooter's battery is stored in the frame and is rain and splash proof. BMW says the power unit is easily replaced. Charging an empty battery takes about two-and-half hours from an household socket.

BMW isn't selling the X2City through its motorcycle dealer network. It will instead be available through production partner Kettler's website and retailers in Europe (no word yet on plans for the U.S.).

With the entire industry falling over itself trying find ways to encourage younger people to get into motorcycling, could this be BMW's gateway for the next generation of riders?

Correction: This post has been updated to correct the price of the scooter.