BMW Motorrad Vision I AMBY – A completely new concept between bicycle and motorbike

 

 

As a second vehicle for a family or an entry point into the world of pedal-driven, electrified two-wheeled vehicles, the BMW i Vision AMBY offers an extremely varied range of applications. It hugely expands the usage scope of a conventional e-bike through clever technologies related to the three riding modes.

From the outside, the BMW i Vision AMBY looks similar to an e-bike, but it offers significantly more possibilities.

With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the first high-speed pedelec for urbanists, the BMW Group is presenting a visionary two-wheeled solution for the urban mobility of tomorrow. It is one of five different concept vehicles with which the BMW Group is presenting its vision of individual mobility in cities and their surrounding areas at the IAA Mobility event. Under a single umbrella spanning electric mobility, digitality and sustainability, the five pioneering concepts create a versatile mobility mix on two and four wheels fuelled by sustainable thinking which comprehensively addresses an extremely wide range of mobility needs.

AMBY is a neologism for “adaptive mobility”.

The two vehicles are both fitted with an electric drive system with three speed ratings for different types of roads. The drive system enables speeds of up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph) on cycle tracks, up to 45 km/h (28 mph) on city-centre roads and up to 60 km/h (37 mph) on multi-lane roads and outside urban areas. However, insurance plates and a corresponding licence are required for the higher speeds. While users of the BMW i Vision AMBY high-speed pedelec have to constantly pedal in order to benefit from the assistance of the electric drive system, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY accelerates via a throttle grip/throttle lever and has motorcycle-style footrests instead of pedals.

The modes available to the rider are stored in the app on the smartphone linked with the “AMBY” Vision Vehicle. Manual selection of the modes is perfectly feasible, as are automatic recognition of location and road type via geofencing technology and the associated automatic adjustment of top speed. In the absence of any existing legal framework for a vehicle of this kind with a modular speed concept, the “AMBY” Vision Vehicles set out to prompt the introduction of such legislation and by consequence developments of this nature.

The modern frame geometry feels like a mixture of racing bike and sporty e-bike.

“Everywhere you look, apparently established categories are being blown apart – and that’s a good thing. In the future, classifications such as ‘car’, ‘bicycle’ and ‘motorcycle’ should not determine the nature of the products we think up, develop and offer,” explains Werner Haumayr, Vice President BMW Group Design Conception.

“Rather, this paradigm shift gives us the opportunity to tailor products to people’s lifestyles – as we can see with the BMW i Vision AMBY high-speed pedelec. This vehicle occupies the space between a bicycle and a light motorcycle and allows our customers to decide for themselves which roads or routes they want to travel on through an urban area. They have all the flexibility possible, at the same time as turning the pedals and keeping themselves fit. The modes and clever route selection are intended to make it one of the fastest travel options through a city.”