BMW unveils the i4, its fourth battery-electric production model.
Revealed by BMW CEO Oliver Zipse during the German automaker’s annual media conference in Munich, the new 4-door sedan will go on sale in North America in the fourth quarter of 2021 as a rival to the Tesla Model 3.
The i4 joins the 8-year-old i3, Chinese-built iX3 and recently unveiled iX in a four-strong lineup of models from BMW’s i electric vehicle sub-brand.
It is one of up to 12 battery-electric models that Zipse says BMW will offer worldwide by 2023.
The i4 has been developed in a joint engineering project with BMW’s upcoming second-generation 4-Series GranCoupe, alongside which it will be assembled at the automaker’s manufacturing plant in Munich.
The design of the production model remains largely true to that of the i4 Concept revealed early last year. Key elements include a bold kidney grille, similar in size to that of the latest 4-Series but with its own unique detailing, together with a heavily curved roofline and high-set trunk.
Blue highlights within the grille, headlamps, flanks and rear distinguish the i4 as an EV.
BMW has released limited technical details of the new electric sedan but confirms it is launching three months sooner than originally planned.
“The decision to launch three months early was easy. We’re picking up the pace with respect to electrification,” Zipse says.
Earlier this month details emerged of three new model name trademarks registered by BMW for the i4. They are i4 eDrive35, i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 xDrive.
This indicates there will be at least three different i4 models, two with standard rear-wheel drive and one with all-wheel drive – the latter becoming the first battery-electric model from the company’s M performance car division.
BMW says the AWD i4 M50 xDrive will develop up to 530 hp. It also claims a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of about 4.0 seconds and a range of up to 300 miles (483 km) on the EPA test cycle.
Commenting on the new model, Zipse says the i4’s “balance of BMW typical sportiness, comfort and sustainable performance” will be unique in its segment.
The latest offering from BMW i is based on a modified version of BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform. It uses a rear floorpan different from those in combustion-engine versions of the second-generation 4-Series in order to house a lithium-ion battery at the rear.
