Two-wheeler major TVS Motor will manufacture BMW’s latest electric two-wheeler CE O2 in its Hosur (Tamil Nadu) plant for the global market. Completing their 10th year of partnership, TVS has manufactured 150,000 units of BMW Motorrad’s 310cc series of motorcycles and has played a crucial role in making the German auto giant a global market leader in the super-premium segment.
At present, TVS' Hosur manufacturing plant produces around 12% of BMW's volumes globally. TVS manufactures three BMW Motorrad models – BMW G310 R, BMW 310 GS and BMW G310 RR - which are sold in over 100 countries. The success of CE O2 may further push TVS’ manufacturing share in BMW’s global volume, according to the two companies.
KN Radhakrishnan, Director & CEO, TVS Motor Company, said on Friday that manufacturing of the new EV is a remarkable feat for them as they have jointly designed and developed this product with BMW. The 310 series was different as it was completely designed by BMW and only the manufacturing part was completed by TVS Motor.
“In this next stage of our partnership, we are creating opportunities to jointly design and develop common platforms. Through our collaborative efforts we've achieved five extraordinary products in the 310cc series, including recent TVS Apache RTR 310. Taking our relationship to the next level, we have started the production of our first jointly designed, developed and industrialized EV together, the BMW CE 02, at Hosur Plant today,” said Radhakrishnan.
The CE O2 will come at a price tag of €8500 and is expected to hit the European market by April-May 2024. It will also come to India at a later stage as the two automakers believe it has a huge potential here despite the unique two-wheeler being as expensive as some of the base trim of compact SUVs.
Radhakrishnan is confident that the bike will appeal to young urban consumers. The Chennai-based company, which at present is India’s second-largest electric two-wheeler maker, had in August launched its premium EV ‘X’ at a price tag of Rs 2.50 lakhs.
Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, said that their strong synergies with TVS have led to the development of impressive offerings in the sub-500cc segment.
He added that since the launch, BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS single-cylinder models continue to enjoy unrivalled popularity and have become a key pillar of BMW Motorrad's worldwide success.
“The extension and expansion of this partnership towards future technologies and sustainable mobility solutions including the unique and fully electric masterpiece BMW CE 02 is therefore a consistent step to also shape the future together with TVS Motor Company,” said Schramm.
He also said that BMW will continue to develop and manufacture heavy engine and ultra-premium products on their own as that is their core strength. He, however, did not rule out the possibility of developing entry-level or mid-level products with TVS in future.
Schwamm believes 2023 will be another record year for BMW Motorrad. In 2022, the company had achieved the best sales result in its history with 2,02,895 motorcycles and scooters sold globally.