BMW and BMW Motorrad unveiled two new two-wheelers at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany. The iconic automaker revealed its designs for the i Vision AMBY, a high-speed electric bicycle, and the Vision AMBY, a new electric motorcycle.
The i Vision AMBY sports a massive 2,000 Wh battery that allows it to reach speeds of up to 37 mph (60 km/h) on its highest setting and a range of up to 186 miles (300 km) on its lowest power mode.
The i Vision AMBY can reach top speeds of 37 mph . Source: BMW
A smartphone app allows riders to toggle between speed and range settings: users can switch between the European legal speed of 15.5 mph (25 km/h), a second speed-pedelec setting of 28 mph (45 km/h), and the high-speed-pedelec mode that reaches the top speed of 37 mph (60 km/h).
BMW even suggested that the bicycle might be programmed in the future to automatically change speed via geofencing technology. This fits in with the company’s marketing of the i Vision AMBY as “a visionary two-wheeled solution for the urban mobility of tomorrow,” as it would mean that speeds could potentially be automatically adjusted based on local city center speed laws.
Speed settings are toggled manually and automatic geofencing-based settings may be added in the future. Source: BMW
Interestingly, though the i Vision AMBY can reach top speeds of 60 km/h, it has no hand throttle and is very much an electric bicycle — riders have to pedal to reach those top speeds consistently.
Two options for maximum freedom
The Vision AMBY e-motorcycle, meanwhile, swaps the i Vision AMBY’s bicycle pedals for a more traditional motorcycle layout, though at the same top speed of 37 mph (60 km/h), it is a little slow compared to some of its electric motorcycle counterparts, including BMW’s own CE 04 e-scooter which reaches top speeds of 75 mph (120 km/h). BMW has released little in the way of specifications for the AMBY motorcycle’s motor and battery pack, though we can assume it will at least match the 2,000 Wh battery on the i Vision AMBY.
The Vision AMBY is a more traditional offering, though it allows the freedom of off-road and intracity travel. Source: BMW
Concept images shared with the motorcycle show it used in city settings as well as on off-road locations. With the AMBY motorcycle, Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design at BMW Motorrad, says “our aim was to develop an extremely emotional vehicle for smart mobility in and around the city that offered maximum freedom.” BMW, as with other traditional transportation company’s making in-roads into the urban mobility space, know that options and freedom are the main force behind the rapidly-growing sector.
