We all know that BMW, as well as most other automakers, is become more and more an EV maker, rather than just a traditional car manufacturer. BMW was one of the first brands to really jump on the EV train, with the i Division and, famously, with the i3 and i8, back in 2014. Since then, though, BMW has cooled on electrification, offering no new pure electric cars and only a handful of underwhelming hybrids. However, that’s all going to change in 2021, with the introduction of the BMW i4.
The BMW iX3 and MINI Cooper E will debut before the BMW i4 but it’s the latter that will lead the Bavarians into their EV expansion. That’s because it’s going to be an all-new, very exciting electric car that won’t be based off of any other car.
Sure, the upcoming BMW i4 will be based off of a heavily modified variant of the upcoming 4 Series chassis, but it won’t be an electrified version of the 4 Series. It will be its own car.
Autocar recently spoke to BMW CEO Harald Krüger at the Paris Motor Show, during the launch of the new 3 Series, about the i4 and what BMW had in store for it.
Styling-wise, we know that the BMW i4 is going to draw heavily from the BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept from awhile back. That’s a good thing, as that concept was rather good looking and would set it apart from the rest of the EVs on the market.
“The leading factors that will set it apart are fantastic design, which is very different to anything else on the road, and the fact that it is lighter and therefore more dynamic than anything we see on the market today, thanks to the materials we will use. Couple that with the connectivity technology we are constantly developing and we are confident it will lead the market” Krüger said.
That’s a bold statement, saying the BMW i4 will lead the market. Not only is 2021 quite a long ways away, the i4 is already a bit late to the party, with the Tesla Model 3 already here and exciting the EV fanbase, the Audi e-tron GT coming soon and the Porsche Taycan on its way. However, the specs Krüger claims for the BMW i4 do seem promising.
It will pack two electric motors, one at each axle, and supposedly have 435 miles of range. That would be far more than anything on the market today, though we do tend to see all EV makers being far too optimistic about their electric range. While no power figures have even been hinted at, Krüger did say that the i4 will “redefine what is possible today for 0-62mph times”. Another bold claim, considering the Tesla Model S P100D can hit 60 mph in the low two-second range.
We’ll just have to wait and see as we inch closer to 2021 but these seem like the sort of chest-pounding claims all manufacturers make about products that are years away. The year 2021 can’t come soon enough.
[Source: Autocar]
Tesla is such a niche product (yes, I have one myself), so anything below 4 secs would be considered as ‘redefining’ in my opinion.
Tesla is selling 5,000 Model 3s every week, so not so much a niche
product. It’s outselling every car in its segment, and is number 5
selling sedan in U.S. by volume (and #1 by revenue). The Model 3
Performance does 0-60 in 3.2 seconds (I drove one last week and the
acceleration indeed impresses). So an i4 that comes out three years
from now that does 0-60 in less than 4 seconds cannot possibly be
considered “redefining.”
That said, I’m hoping the i4 will be an elegantly designed and spectacular car.
Well said! I too am hoping the i4 will be an awesome. My plan is to trade in my i3 for it when it comes out.
As of today, everybody else is still catching up with Tesla … rumor has it they will redesign the Model S by 2020, no later than 2021; if that happens they will be untouchable. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying my 4 series Gran Coupe … not in a hurry to get an EV anyways …
Tesla design is generic, certainly not true of i4.
Let’s see what happens now that the German’s see EVs as more than just a small niche market. I’m really interested to see the Taycan given Porsche’s years of expertise in automotive technology and racing…
The article states, the i4 will be “all-new, very exciting electric car that won’t be based off of any other car.” then the next sentence says, “will be based off of a heavily modified variant of the upcoming 4 Series chassis,” If it is based on a 4 series platform, it will not be able to take full advantage of the packaging benefits of an EV powertrain, thus I don’t want one because it will be compromised.
Every vehicle manufactured is a compromise, cost, safety, gov’t. regs., consumer demands, design. It will be interesting to see the varying results as different major manufacturers approach the challenge of producing their 1st volume BEV, innovation vs. compromise.
Yes, the positioning of a gas engine, transmission and differential, are not optimal for battery and electric motor positioning.
My concern is it’s now 2021 for the i4.
This is November, 2018.
from a while
awhile = for a while
a way
not “a wayS”
(ab)users of “anywayS” stick their plurals in all places.