BMW currently makes something called the C Evolution, an all-electric scooter-ish vehicle that starts at $13,995 and is intended, I guess, for wealthy-ish commuters, since the range is only 99 miles. What BMW does not currently make is a proper electric motorcycle.

Now, in other parts of the world that aren’t America, it’s pretty common to see people who you might not think of as bikers zooming along in a variety of two- and three-wheeled vehicles in big cities, presumably commuting to and from work, or doing an errand, or otherwise living life. And in that context an electric motorcycle makes perfect sense since the range doesn’t have to be huge and you can lane split where it’s legal and likely get to where you’re going faster than in a car on gridlocked streets.

And yet! We haven’t seen much demand for electronic motorcycles, even in places outside of the U.S. where motorcycling is a more common everyday occurrence. Major manufacturers also haven’t endeavored to make a ton of them, unless you count Harley’s LiveWire, which is big and heavy and has so far .

This is all likely because fuel costs are less of a concern for motorcyclists, and because a large part of the appeal of riding is a sensory experience. The engine makes noise. It smells. It can be dangerous to touch. You have to use both hands and both feet to run the thing. An electric motorcyle has none of that. Electric motorcycles also are non-starters for road trips, since their range goes down vastly at highway speeds, since motorcycles in general aren’t terribly aerodynamic.

So electric motorcycles are, like I said, perfect for urban environments where you don’t need to go far and where the noise pollution of many a motorcycle is unwelcome and sometimes illegal. And so where are these things, anyway? Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki are , and Honda this year, but the biggest manufacturers have largely stayed away.

That may remain the case for BMW as well, per an . Schram was pretty matter-of-fact.

As the Vision DC Roadster concept shows, we see this as a power portfolio of the future. In the urban environment, it is possible that there will be an electric BMW motorcycle in five years. In the touring, off-road, and sport segments, I am not sure that we will see them.

I agree that electronic motorcycles don’t make sense in touring or off-road contexts, but for goodness sake surely BMW can find it within itself to make one (1) electric motorcycle for other uses, if only to give itself some useful market research. The competition at the moment consists of the LiveWire, Zero, and, uh, I guess Erik Buell . Make more electric motorcycles you cowards.