Approximately one year after the BMW Concept i4 was supposed to take center stage at the canceled Geneva Motor Show (it had an online reveal instead), Munich has finally decided to unveil the production version of its first-ever electric sedan at BMW Group’s Annual Conference.
Like with the concept car, BMW didn't go out of its way to offer each and every technical detail about the model, with just the important bits being mentioned ahead of a more exhaustive reveal in the following weeks.
“With its sporty looks, best in class driving dynamics and zero local emissions, the BMW i4 is a true BMW. It makes the heart of the BMW brand now beat fully electric,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.
As it happens, the production i4 will have a range of powertrains and ranges, with the most powerful one featuring a single motor that develops a massive 523 hp (390 kW/530 PS) and an unspecified amount of torque, exactly like last year’s concept car.
To put things into perspective, that is exactly as much power as the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in BMWs like the M850i or M550i, but without any emissions.
BMW hasn’t mentioned anything about the batteries storing electron juice for the motor, but the most powerful i4 is expected to feature a lithium-ion battery with around 80 kWh of energy.
According to the Bavarians, the model will have an operating range of up to 590 km in the WLTP cycle and 300 miles EPA. Still, none of these figures have been officially confirmed by the two organizations as they are only manufacturer estimates.
Being RWD-only, the fastest 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) acceleration will take approximately 4 seconds, making the model a tad less quick than its main rival, the Tesla Model 3 Performance.
There is no news of the other powertrain and battery options available at this time, but BMW did mention that an i4 M Performance model will also arrive later this year, possibly powered by a single motor as well.
“With its sporty looks, best in class driving dynamics and zero local emissions, the BMW i4 is a true BMW. It makes the heart of the BMW brand now beat fully electric,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.
As it happens, the production i4 will have a range of powertrains and ranges, with the most powerful one featuring a single motor that develops a massive 523 hp (390 kW/530 PS) and an unspecified amount of torque, exactly like last year’s concept car.
To put things into perspective, that is exactly as much power as the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in BMWs like the M850i or M550i, but without any emissions.
BMW hasn’t mentioned anything about the batteries storing electron juice for the motor, but the most powerful i4 is expected to feature a lithium-ion battery with around 80 kWh of energy.
According to the Bavarians, the model will have an operating range of up to 590 km in the WLTP cycle and 300 miles EPA. Still, none of these figures have been officially confirmed by the two organizations as they are only manufacturer estimates.
Being RWD-only, the fastest 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) acceleration will take approximately 4 seconds, making the model a tad less quick than its main rival, the Tesla Model 3 Performance.
There is no news of the other powertrain and battery options available at this time, but BMW did mention that an i4 M Performance model will also arrive later this year, possibly powered by a single motor as well.