Overview
BMW i4 is German carmaker’s first electric sedan coming to the market in November 2021. Base version of the vehicle called i4 eDrive 40 has a 340 HP rear electric motor and 80.7 kWh battery pack. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds. On a single charge i4 can travel up to 590 kilometers in the WLTP cycle.
There is also a more powerful variant that will be available alongside the standard i4 called BMW i4 M50. It is the first M Performance series electric vehicle producing 544 horsepower and 795 Nm torque, thanks to its all-wheel drive dual motor drivetrain. i4 M50 uses the same 80.7 kWh battery and offers 510 kilometers of range. Performance oriented four-door saloon can reach 0 to 100 km/s in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 225 km/h. Both variants of the BMW i4 can be charged with 200 kW DC plugs. It will take approx. half an hour to charge up vehicles from 10 to 80 percent.
Pricing of the BMW i4 is yet to be revealed. According to the news outlets, i4 eDrive 40 will probably be around $50,000, i4 M50 on the other hand will be priced much higher.
Performance
BMW i4 eDrive 40 is a rear-wheel drive single motor electric saloon. It produces 340 HP, 430 Nm torque, and top speed is 190 km/h. 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. With this acceleration performance, eDrive 40 shows that it’s not an ordinary sedan.
The high-performance variant BMW i4 M50, however, is an all-wheel drive dual motor car. It has 544 horsepower, 795 Nm torque and electronically limited 225 km/h top speed. Acceleration performance is phenomenal, 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
Combined energy consumption is 16 kWh/100 km and 19 kWh/100 km respectively for the two i4 variants.
Design and Features
Futuristic design of the vehicle is based on the iVision Dynamics concept unveiled in 2017. In order to improve aerodynamics, BMW’s iconic kidney grille closed all together. Automaker made use of this area by implementing cameras and sensors needed for the driving assist technologies.
Interior is very similar to i4’s electric SUV sibling BMW iX. Cured gauge cluster and infotainment display surround the driver. 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment screen use the latest BMW operating system that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto wirelessly, hand gestures, voice control, digital assistant etc.
Sitting position is not too high, thanks to tightly fitted battery pack underneath. Thus, being close to road and feeling the drive will not be an issue in this electric vehicle.
Range and Charging
BMW i4 eDrive 40 and M50 both use the same 80.7 kWh battery pack. Electric sedans have a range of 590 km and 510 km, respectively. i4 does support 200 kW rate DC and 11 kW AC charging. With DC plugs, it can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes, fully charging the vehicle with an AC unit will take 8.5 hours.
