ELECTRIC CYCLEWAY SPEEDS COMMUTE

In a bid to provide visionary mobility solutions that move us forward into the future, BMW‘s group technology office in Shanghai has come up with an elevated road concept – the BMW Vision E³ Way – fighting traffic congestion by offering a zero emission alternative to driving. 

The proposal, formed in partnership with Tongji University, gives e-bike riders their own roads, offering a safer route above city lines of traffic.

The concept’s defining properties are elevation, electricity and efficiency, calling for elevated pathways with domed roofs and cooling ventilation. The proposal outlines the possibility of a 25 km/h speed limit offering a significantly safer route for Chinese commuters.

The proposal comes at a time when China is seeking to restrict the use of private cars in its congested and polluted megacities. BMW sees the elevated cycleway as a way to encourage commuters to travel around urban areas on two wheels.

“The BMW Vision E³ Way opens up a whole new dimension of mobility in overcrowded conurbations – efficient, convenient and safe. It works by simply creating space for two-wheel zero-emissions traffic,” explains Dr Markus Seidel, Director BMW group technology office China. “In China, more than a billion people will be living in cities by 2050…nowhere else is there such an urgent need for action.”

The BMW Vision E³ Way forms part of the BMW group strategy, NUMBER ONE > NEXT. The strategy forms the group’s aims to transform and shape the mobility of the future with new technologies and innovations.