BMW has just launched its new electric scooter, the CE 04. An event for the German brand which was the first to enter the 125 electric scooter segment.
“The previous generation, the C Evolution, received an excellent reception in France, as we were the world's largest market for this product,” recalls Pascal Mitsch, managing director of BMWMotorrad France.
With its new machine, the Bavarian manufacturer intends to reiterate and increase this success, especially with companies, a perfect target.
According to the manufacturers, the two-wheeler is indeed the ideal tool for increasing productivity thanks to controlled travel times and for reducing the costs associated with mobility.
Nevertheless, it remains quite marginal within companies.
“In a market of around 200,000 units in 2021, which was a good year, the professional channel represented only 10% of registrations, all types combined, including that of motorcycle schools and short-term rental” , account Emmanuel Mouzon, head of special markets at Honda.
"It is difficult to attract new customers, users of two-wheelers in companies are already motorcyclists in private life", underlines Pascal Mitsch.
The clientele is mainly made up of liberal professions or business leaders who work in urban centres.
“We find among the best-sellers sold in companies, the same models acclaimed by individuals, such as the R 1250 GS or the S 1000 XR, he continues.
An informed clientele
Because who says two-wheelers, says safety.
"Even if we observe a general drop in accident rates, the human resources of certain major accounts do not see it favorably that some of their employees travel by motorbike", points out Emmanuel Mouzon, who recalls that "the machines put on the market nevertheless have safety equipment such as ABS for example or comfort such as heated grips”.
Has the health crisis moved the lines in companies?
“Not really, replies Pascal Courtois, co-founder of Yooze Business Solutions, a French specialist in long-term motorcycle and scooter rental.
We thought that companies would provide their employees with two-wheelers to avoid public transport, but this was not the case.
We also thought that there might have been some porosity between the development of cycling in large urban centers and motorized two-wheelers, but that was not the case either.
However, the two-wheeler has some advantages.
Easy to handle, it is a perfect tool for getting around town.
Above all, its fuel cost is very contained.
“Our 125 cc models only consume 2.5 l/100 km and for cities that apply ZFEs (Low Emission Zones), our models are Crit'Air 1,” recalls Emmanuel Mouzon.
On the downside, these fuel-efficient engines do not really encourage motorcycle manufacturers to go electric.
“In this market, there are among others the Americans Harley-Davidson or Zero Motorcycles, the latter being in the world of motorcycles what Tesla is for the automobile, indicates Pascal Courtois.
But we are here on niche products.”
And apart from BMW which therefore offers the CE 04 and Yamaha which announces two electric scooters in the coming months,
few have electric models to market.
"Let's not forget that for motorcycling, we generally deal with enthusiasts who are still very attached to the sound of their exhaust!", he slips.
Sensations not really compatible with the electric.
To develop two-wheelers in business, some players are thinking about a “six-wheel” rental offer.
This is the case, for example, of BMW Motorrad.
“We estimate that the CE 04 could attract customers from the Ile-de-France region who will need a two-wheeler during the week and a car for weekends or holidays,” explains Pascal Mitsch.
At the same time, rental players are actively working on training.
BMW Motorrad thus has a partnership with the Centaure road safety training centres.
And remember that a 125 cm3 scooter is driven with a B license and a seven-hour training course.
Taxation of motorcycles and scooters
Whatever the mode of acquisition, motorized two-wheelers are not subject to the TVS or the malus.
VAT is recoverable neither on the purchase, nor on petrol, nor on maintenance or repair costs, but it is on toll charges.
Loan interest is deductible.
Regarding leasing or LOA, accounting depreciation is not possible and VAT is generally not recoverable, even in the event of total professional use.
To be able to tax deduct all or part of the costs of a two-wheeler, the latter must be used for business travel, which also includes home-work journeys.
