BMW i4 Detailed And Priced For US Market, Starts At $56,395

BMW i4 is the fully-electric version of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, but it has rather good specs for an electric car built on repurposed ICE vehicle underpinnings. In the United States, the i4 electric hatchback will be sold in two distinct trims, as a lower-powered rear-wheel drive variant, and a more powerful all-wheel drive model.

The first is the more affordable of the two, the i4 eDrive 40, which gets a single 335 horsepower rear-mounted electrically excited synchronous motor whose peak torque is 317 pound-feet (430 Nm). It sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds and its top speed is 118 mph (190 km/h). This will be the longest-range i4, with an expected EPA range of around 300 miles on a single charge, and a starting price of $55,400 plus a $995 destination charge.

The more powerful i4 M50 will be the performance driver’s choice, with all-wheel drive and a combined power output of 536 horsepower and 586 pound-feet (795 Nm). It’s worth noting that the maximum output is only maintained for up to 10 seconds, courtesy of a Sport Boost function that gives a temporary 67 horsepower and 48 pound-foot boost.

BMW claims it sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds and its top speed is higher than the eDrive 40’s, 140 mph (225 km/h). The EPA range that BMW is expecting this model to achieve is a more conservative 240 miles and its starting price is $65,900 plus the same $995 destination charge.

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Both variants feature the same 83.9 kWh battery pack with a usable net capacity of 81.5 kWh and they both can be charged at up to 200 kW (that can put 90 miles-worth of range back into the battery in 10 minutes). The i4 M50’s lower range is probably a direct result of its additional weight and it slightly worse coefficient of drag, possibly caused by its different front bumper and wheel designs. BMW points out that the i4’s battery pack has 40 percent better energy density than a 2020 MY i3.

The i4 also gets a heat pump that BMW claims uses up to 75 percent less energy than the same model year i3. The manufacturer adds that

At extremely low ambient temperatures, the heat pump is assisted by a pair of powerful continuous-flow heaters offering 9 kW of heating power each. This ensures that thermal comfort on a par with conventionally powered BMW models can be provided very efficiently in any situation. The latest version of the heat pump makes use of ambient heat and heat from dehumidification – as well as the waste heat from the motors – for energy-efficient operation.

Inside, the i4 will feature a revised and slightly modified version of the current 4 Series interior. The dashboard itself is almost unchanged, but the big news is screen-related; the i4 comes with BMW’s new iDrive 8 and it’s displayed on a huge 14.9-inch central display and a 12.3-inch driver’s display.

BMW is aware that the charging infrastructure, outside Tesla’s Supercharger network, is not the best, which is why it has partnered up with EVgo in the United States and through this partnership, it give access to some 38,000 Level 2 chargers across the country. All new i4s either bought or leased will come with $100 in EVgo charging credit.

Other noteworthy BMW i4 features include an automatic climate control system with Integral Nanofiber Filter, the promise of exceptionally low noise levels in the cabin (thanks to the use of acoustic glass), customizable mood lighting, BMW IconicSounds Electric (the EV sound signature that the manufacturer had a famous composer create), an improved voice assistant, BMW ID, over-the-air updates and wireless smartphone integration.