BMW was one of the first luxury manufacturers to stage-dive into the EV crowd, with the tiny i3 city car — but since its debut in 2013, they have been notably silent.
The German company is working to change that; they've already revealed what should be the best-selling EV, the iX crossover. But the car we're waiting for is the i4. It's a classic BMW sedan (or, as they like to describe its swoopy shape, a four-door gran coupé) that has 530 horsepower, can accelerate from 0-60 mph in about four seconds and appears to be supremely competent on track. Basically, we're talking about an electric version of the new M3.
On Wednesday, BMW finally revealed a "glimpse" of what the new i$ will look like at the company's Annual Group Conference. It reads very much like a modern BMW especially with the giant kidney grille that hews to BMW's current "angry beaver" design language.
One mild disappointment may be the range. BMW announced that the i4 will offer up to 300 miles on a single charge. That's more than sufficient for everyday driving, but there had been reporting that the i4 would rival the Tesla Model 3, which now offers 353 miles in top long-range spec. One suspects, however, that buyers cross-shopping the two will be looking at more than outright range. (And note, of course, that Tesla is generally more optimistic in its range estimates than other carmakers.)
We don't have a precise release date for the i4 yet, but BMW says the new electric car will "enter the market during the course of 2021." So expect it to arrive soon.
Not quite ready for the EV lifestyle yet? Don't sweat it. BMW also has traditional internal combustion versions of the M3 and M4 arriving this year, complete with a manual transmission if you want it.
