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BMW Challenges Tesla, Begins Production of Model 3 Rival i4 Sedan

Tesla’s unparalleled dominance of the EV sector is getting shakier and shakier as each day passes. Why is that? Well, one look at the all-new i4 BMW’s just begun manufacturing should tell you all you need to know. Unlike Teslas, the i4 will be made right alongside hybrid and standard dino-juice-powered models.
BMW i4 9 photos
Photo: BMW
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Of course, BMW doesn’t expect this duality to exist for very long. They foresee 50% of their rolling stock at their Munich assembly plant will be all-electric in propulsion by at least 2023 and up to 100% by 2024. Production on their new i4 EV, which began on Friday, October 22nd, is a crucial step at the beginning of the transition process.

Reports estimate that this transition will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million euros ($233 million) worth of investments to complete. The i4 represents BMW’s vision of a future where EVs are capable of the same thrills as the average petrol-powered car.

The addition of a sporty M model is living proof of that notion. However, reports strongly indicate that at least in the beginning, production will focus on the standard i4 eDrive 40 as BMW struggles to supply enough microchips vital not just for EVs, but all modern vehicles.

Unlike other manufacturers that have already announced shutdowns of their production facilities, BMW has continued to maintain a trickle of production running throughout the recent microchip shortage. But as the crisis worsens, added with the looming threat of a worldwide magnesium shortage, it will take every ounce of ingenuity at the disposal of Germany’s second-biggest automaker to avoid closing their doors as well.

Expect deliveries for BMWs all-new flagship electric vehicle to begin sometime after June of 2022. Deliveries for that month have already sold out. It seems sooner rather than later, your choice of mid-size executive EVs is going to be at least twice as large as it was just a year before
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