Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mike Werner]

I had asked BMW corporate for the sales figures for their electric scooter, but as usual, no reply. They don't like the web, and it shows. So I went to a friendly dealer and asked if he could find out how many have been sold in France.

After a few phone calls, he came up with some amazing number. First of all, BMW had reserved 150 units for France for the first year. Last week, 110 of them were sold and delivered. 38 units have been reserved for customers and awaiting delivery. Since dealers have their own scoots for demo, BMW have been getting them from other countries....

So it looks pretty good these figures.

[kingcharles]

I am not surprised, it is a great bike. I think that when they make a less odd model it will even sell more.

[kensiko]

Good thing, I really feel this is a great scooter!

Last month I stopped at a BMW dealer (they sell bikes from other companies too), and I went there a little shy, I wanted to talk to the manager but he was not available. So I spoke to the seller. I started to talk about electric motorcycles and I told him BMW just released an electric scooter that was more quick than my Zero S, but unfortunately not available in America yet. The guy was simply not interested at all, he always came back to the ICE version BMW scooters.

Now I need to come back with your information to prove this is not a toy!

[Richard230]

My U.S. BMW dealer isn't interested in selling the C Evolution scooter.  BMW's gas-powered scooters are not selling very well here and they don't feel like they need another scooter on the showroom floor to go with their line of Vespas, which I am told are selling well enough to keep them around.  Besides, they are selling BMW's traditional IC motorcycles as fast as they can get them into the showroom.  And both they, BMW, and BMWNA are no doubt making big bucks on those models - to say nothing of the after-sales servicing profit.  The shop's service department has six technicians and they are backed up for weeks servicing bikes as fast as they can, at $110 an hour.

[Mike Werner]

$110/hour? 

A doctor doesn't even get that over here. Holy crap. The BMW techs in my dealer are charging 37€/hour.

[Burton]

$110/hour? 

A doctor doesn't even get that over here. Holy crap. The BMW techs in my dealer are charging 37€/hour.

How much do your Zero, Harley Davidson, or Buell techs charge? Could just be a quantity or import issue. Also your 37 €/hour doesn't include VAT right? So it is closer to 45€/hr which is currently 57 USD

[Mike Werner]

I can't remember. I'll check tomorrow at the office where I keep the bills. But even if, it's still cheap than in the US, which I find strange.

[Richard230]

It could also be a SF Bay Area thing.  Everything around here costs a lot of money, especially technical labor.  Keep in mind that a small 50-year old two-bedroom ranch-style home around here can set you back over 1 million USD.  And apartment renters are paying as much as $3,500 a month for a couple of bedrooms.

Those wage costs are very similar for all motorcycle dealers in the greater Bay Area, even the Japanese-brand shops.  Some charge a little more and some a little less.  On the BMW site that I frequent a fellow from Australia said that his motorcycle dealer charges $130 an hour (I assume those are Australian dollars, though).