futuristic design meets retro vibes in BMW motorrad’s electric parkourer CE 02 by vagabund

BMW motorrad and vagabund team up for CE 02

BMW Motorrad Austria and design studio Vagabund team up for BMW CE 02, an electric ‘parkourer’ or scooter whose overall look embodies retrofuturism. It’s not the first rodeo for the duo since Vagabund has already added a surfboard rack and a smiley face to the BMW CE 04 custom e-scooter. This time, the mix-and-match brings Teenage Engineering’s speaker-like radio on the side as well as a dedicated cylindrical container for a portable umbrella.

The general design approach is retro-future. Paul Brauchart and Philipp Rabl, the ‘dudes’ aka co-founders of Vagabund Moto GmbH, say that BMW’s CE 02 just suits the canvas they’re looking for. ‘We tried to combine the very futuristic original design with some retro vibes to give the viewer a familiar feeling. We think this will really appeal to people,’ they say. The custom electric parkourer then cruises in style, a fitting ride for urban areas.

all photos by Stefan Leitner | @stefan_leitner, courtesy of BMW

Custom electric parkourer with teenage engineering’s speaker

During the BMW Motorrad Days in Berlin, the Vagabund Moto GmbH team saw the BMW CE 02 for the first time. They loved the modular feel to it, so when the vehicle manufacturer gave them the green light, they made the electric parkourer their own. ‘From the very beginning, we managed everything from A to Z in-house and/or produced via partner companies,’ the design studio says. The Vagabund family loves music, and they say they know lots of people feel the same way.

It’s the reason why they drew parts of their design influences from retro-audio days as well as Dieter Rams’ designs. They needed a speaker that could tap into this visual and thought, why not Teenage Engineering? In fact, its OB-4 Magic Radio with its minimalist two speakers on a block style could bring forth the retro age the design team was aiming for. Holes are punctured on the ‘electric exhaust’ too, but its function isn’t to pump smoke. It’s an umbrella drawer for the rainy days.

BMW Motorrad Austria and design studio Vagabund team up for custom BMW CE 02

One-off ride for BMW CE 02 electric parkourer by vagabund

The custom BMW CE 02 is done, but Vagabund keeps the ball rolling. ‘Of course, this great project also needs an appropriate stage,’ the design studio says. In light of this, they’ve staged the presentation with BMW Motorrad in a custom 3.6-meter high packaging made of steel-like material. It resembles a collectible bought in stores, and in a way, the custom electric parkourer is just that, a one-off ride. ‘With our specially developed and designed packaging, which can be dismantled and transported, you always have the stage with you and will certainly not be overlooked,’ adds Vagabund. So far, the BMW CE 02 by Vagabund is a custom project that’s not for sale.

futuristic design meets retro vibes in BMW electric parkourer CE 02