New BMW Electrical Scooter’s launch in Barcelona closed with seminars about future challenges of Urban Mobility.

Barcelona. Since last April 24th until today, Barcelona has been the setting of the International launch of BMW’s first completely electrical scooter, the BMW C Evolution. With this innovative initiative as backdrop, this morning a meeting took place that gathered experts from different parts of the world for an in-depth discussion about the challenges of sustainable mobility in the cities. The event was attended by Xavier Trias, Mayor of the city, and Antoni Maria Grau i Costa, General Director of Industry of the Autonomous Catalan Government.

The BMW C Evolution has been created following BMW’s sustainable strategy, in a quest for zero-emissions without forgetting riding pleasure. The scooter offers an innovative design, a range of 100-kilometres range, 47.5hp maximum power and four riding modes.

“The BMW C Evolution is BMW Motorrad’s answer to the mobility of the future. The economical environmental and social changes require new solutions and with this project, BMW Group takes a step ahead in its strategy of not being a company that just produces vehicles, but a company that offers mobility in a wider scope”, stated Guenther Seemann, CEO of BMW Group Spain and Portugal, during his welcome speech.

Antoni María Grau, General Director of Industry of the Catalan Government, explained: “The Autonomous Government included sustainable mobility in its strategic agenda, to help creating better conditions that allow Catalunya to become a trailblazer region in this field”. Grau highlighted that the region “has a long tradition in the motorcycle industry, being a reference in the South of Europe”. He also stated that “it is an honour for Catalunya to be the setting of the new electrical scooter’s international launch, created by such a prominent company as BMW Group”.

The Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, emphasized that "the launch of the first 100% electrical scooter by BMW in Barcelona is a great opportunity to show the world the innovative personality of the city and its will to promote electrical mobility". The Mayor stated that "bikes are a central element in our city’s mobility and we offer all kinds of facilities and charging points to encourage the use of electrical vehicles "

The mobility of the future

Electrical mobility offers many challenges, but also many opportunities for all: manufacturers, cities and administrations. That was what was discussed in Barcelona, a pioneering city in innovation and electrical mobility, during the meetings organized by BMW Group.

Julian Weber, responsible for Innovation and E-Mobility Projects, offered the technical point of view, explaining the main features of the BMW i3, BMW’s electrical vehicle. First, the Live-Drive system: two overlapping and separate modules housing the powertrain system of the car and the passenger cell; and the use of carbon fibre, a lighter material as resistant as steel, used for the first time in production vehicles.

Carl-Friedrich Eckhardt, BMW’s Mobility Services Manager, presented his point of view about how modern cities can benefit from this new intermodal and sustainable form of mobility.

Infrastructures as a prerequisite for E-Mobility success, was the seminar presented by Diego Martínez. Responsible for BMWi at BMW Group Spain, where he explained the necessity to adapt cities to new mobility and how manufacturers and administrations need to work together to achieve it.

For any queries please contact:
Pilar Garcia, Communications BMW Spain
Telephone: +34-91-3350-568, Fax: +34-91-3350-691
Internet: www.press.bmw.es
E-mail: pilar.garcia@bmw.es

Renate Heim, Communications BMW Motorrad (Central)
Telephone: +49 89 382-21615, Fax: +49 89 382-23927
Internet: www.press.bmw.de
E-mail: renate.heim@bmw.de