BMW reveals 2021 i4 electric car with 600km driving range

MANILA: BMW just released official ‘spy shots’ for the i4 braving through the winter weather condition.

After years of waiting for a new EV from BMW to follow up on the i3 electric SUV and the hybrid i8 sports car, the German automobile company finally unveiled its first purely electric premium mid-size sedan. But don’t get too excited just yet. By releasing the spy shots of the i4 on the first morning of the 2019 LA Auto Show, BMW seems to be indirectly saying that we won’t see the car in the flesh this week. Instead, BMW is likely to hold out its own event for the car or one of the auto shows that are closer to its home turf.

What we do know from the pictures is that the i4 concept EV sports a more traditional look with the front façade sporting the kidney-like vents similar to the 3 Series and 2 Series instead of the radical grille found in the 4 Series and iVision Dynamics concept. The sedan also features a long hood which indicates that it could be built on BMW’s new CLAR platform.

Under the hood is where BMW wants to impress. Accordingly, the i4 will be powered by an 80kWh battery pack that can produce 530 horsepower and delivers 600 km of range. Just to compare, Tesla can deliver the same 600 km range from its own 100kWh battery pack. The i4 can go from zero to 100 km/h in just four seconds and boasts a top speed of 201 km/h. Moreover,

BMW also announced that it made “significant advancements” in its electric powertrain. The BMW i4 will use the fifth generation of the company's battery pack and electric motor technology which the company has continuously perfected over the years on the i3 EV (the same technology that will be used in the upcoming iNext SUV and iX3). Not surprisingly, the i4 will use a high-voltage battery setup similar to the approach Porsche took with the Taycan’s battery which would explain the range capabilities of the i4.

There is no official word yet on the pricing and exact date for the release. But expect it to be on the $50,00 mark if we are going to compare it with its rival Tesla Model 3

We are also assuming that BMW will give the i4 a full reveal next year and production release on the latter part of 2021. Until then, we can continue speculating how BMW has lagged behind on electric vehicles, and if the i4 will be the company’s saving grace.

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