Bayerische Motoren Werke First Ever Fully Electric Gran Coupe, The BMW i4

BMW has teased us with a glimpse of their new i4 that was revealed by the company at the BMW Group Conference in Munich.

The new BMW i4 is truly a refined balance between the brand’s combination of typical sportiness, comfort and sustainable performance.

“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,” commented BMW AG’s member of the board of management for customer, brands and sales Pieter Nota.

It will enter the market in autumn of this year and the new BMW i4 electric vehicle (EV) will by then officially be the first full electric saloon from the company to hit the streets.

On that note, along with the standard version of the EV, the fully electric four door gran coupe will also be available as BMW’s first electric M performance model.

Designing wise, the new BMW i4 has a resemblance to the current BMW 4 Series model. Especially from the front view, it can be seen with their newly redesigned trademark kidney grilles commanding it.

Nonetheless, in differentiating this aggressive looking four-door coupe from a petrol-powered BMW, can be identified with its unique characteristic bright blue line details all around the vehicle.

Panning to the side, the new BMW i4’s silhouette can be seen to be a lot longer than the brand’s current 4 Series Coupe. However, compensating that to make it look sleeker is its sloping roofline.

Coming to the back, the layout of the new i4 is sporting more of the bright blue line detailing and the bumper is paired with a clean but a very distinctive large lower diffuser. 

Architecture wise, the overall build of the new BMW i4 has some crafty aerodynamic elements. In turn, it suffers less friction and its motor requires less power to move the vehicle. Also, making it able to drive further between charges.

Furthermore, with it being a fully EV, the large front kidney grilles have been shut off, which is unique to the BMW EVs. Adding on to the aerodynamic elements, the door handles are designed to be form fitting with the bodywork, unlike the bulky ones seen on the current BMW 4 Series.

Performance wise, the new BMW i4 is powered by a single electric motor. It is able to generate a power output of up to 390 kW (530 hp). Acceleration is top-notch, as it can go from 0-100 km/h in just under 4 seconds.

Battery of the BMW i4 is packing an output of 80 kWh. It is able to generate enough charge to complete a range of 590 km (WLTP) and 483 km (EPA) journey.

Charging terms, the BMW i4 is built to be well suited with the powerful 150 kW charging points. This will enable the EV to recharge its batteries from a depleted state to 80 percent full in just 30 minutes.

Albeit good for range, the cell pack itself is very heavy, weighing at 550 kg in total. Therefore, to compensate that, BMW has placed the battery pack in the boot floor. Which also helps in lowering the vehicle’s centre of gravity.

Although the official prices are yet to be confirmed, estimation for the entry level BMW i4 when comparing it to other EV rivals such as the Polestar 2 and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, it can be made to be around £50,000 (RM 285, 717).