The development of BMW’s electric vehicle is coming to an end. The EV sedan from the Bavarian automaker will debut in 2021.
BMW has unveiled the new BMW i4 electric sedan ready for series production and confirmed that it will launch in 2021. The automaker has posted a short video showing nothing more than a late prototype that has gone through a “fine calibration.”
Earlier the company announced that the standard version of the BMW i4 will have a range of up to 600 km, which will be provided by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 80 kWh and weighing about 550 kg. The battery, it is claimed, can be charged up to 150 kW at 0-80% charge in just 35 minutes. A six-minute charge provides a range of 100 km.
Designed to compete with the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan, the 530bhp BMW i4 will be fast enough to go from 0 to 100 km / h in less than 4 seconds and reach a top speed of over 200 km / h. If that’s not enough, an even more powerful BMW M version will also join the range. The company has confirmed that a higher performance model, which should deliver 544 hp. and 800 Nm of torque will also arrive in 2021.
According to the automaker, both the regular BMW i4 and i4 M will become class leaders in chassis, among other things, thanks to the new eDrive transmission, which combines an electric motor, gearbox and control module in one housing. The M version is believed to have at least two eDrive units.
Instead of a bespoke architecture, the new BMW i4 will use the same CLAR platform as the latest BMW 3-Series G20, meaning the zero-emission sedan will be built on the same production line as the petrol and diesel models.
The third i model from BMW after the i3 and i8 will replace the never-production i5. Built at BMW’s flagship plant in Munich, the i4 will be more traditional than any i-car before. BMW is expected to unveil the i4 as early as the first quarter of 2021, with deliveries due later this year.
