BMW debuted its electric sub-brand with two unusual cars—the i3 city car and the mid-engine i8, but its next EVs will be more conventional. The iX3 crossover will arrive next year, and in 2021, we’ll get the i4 sedan. It should be a serious performer.
Pictured above: the BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept, which likely previews the i4.
BMW confirmed to Roadshow that when the i4 debuts, it’ll offer 530 horsepower from its electric motor(s?). That’s more than the outgoing M3, which offered 454 horsepower in top-level CS form, and more than the old M4 GTS, which made 493 hp. The i4 should make more power than the next M3 and M4, too, which we expect to offer a little over 500 hp in Competition form.
Roadshow also reports the i4 will have an 80-kWh battery pack integrated into its floorpan. BMW says this battery will provide up to 373 miles of range based on European testing procedures, but you can expect the EPA-certified numbers in the US to be a bit lower. Smaller batteries and less-powerful variants of the i4 will come to market as well.
Previously, BMW promised the i4 will run from 0-62 mph in four seconds, which is damn quick, but a bit off Tesla’s claimed 3.2-second 0-60 time for the Model 3 Performance. When the i4 arrives, it’ll go up against the Model 3 directly.
Both the i4 and a larger SUV previewed by the wild iNEXT concept will enter production in 2021. We’re curious to see how the i4 stacks up against the upcoming M3—two very different cars arriving at similar performance and power levels.
via Motor1
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