BMW CE 02 India launch in second half of 2024

Earlier this year, we reported that BMW would launch the locally manufactured CE 02 electric two-wheeler in India. This is the first EV product born off the TVS-BMW partnership and it is not only manufactured by TVS Motor Co but the Hosur-based company also co-developed this platform with BMW Motorrad. What's more, TVS is also exporting the CE 02 and, in April-June 2024, shipped 2,652 units to overseas markets. 

However, before the CE 02 launch, BMW decided to launch its bigger sibling in India, the CE 04., on July 4, 2024 The CE 04 is BMW’s first big electric scooter and it has been on sale overseas for the past couple of years. Unlike the CE 02 though, the 04 is manufactured in Berlin and brought to India as a CBU import, which explains its high asking price.

The CE 02 will be far more affordable than the 04, but it won’t be an affordable electric scooter by any means. For example, it is priced above the 310cc models in every international market that it is available, and the 310s are also made in the same TVS plant.

The CE 02 could launch in India somewhere closer to the final months of the year. It will be interesting to see what sort of a pricing strategy BMW adopts in India, but it will surely be positioned well above the TVS X electric scooter, which costs Rs 2.49 lakh, ex-showroom.

As for the newly launched CE 04, part of the reason it took so long to launch in our market was the success of the C 400 GT, the first maxi scooter that BMW launched in India. The C 400 GT went on sale in late 2021, and despite an on road price of over Rs 11 lakh, it still went on to sell decent numbers. This encouraged the company to bring the even more expensive CE 04 to India.