The BMW i4 has officially made its debut, with the German manufacturer revealing two variants – the i4 eDrive40 and performance-orientated i4 M50 – of its first-ever emissions-free Gran Coupé. Said the Munich manufacturer, “all-electric mobility reaches the very heart of the BMW brand. The BMW i4 is the brand’s first electric vehicle focused squarely on driving dynamics”. “The i4 combines BMW’s fabled sporting prowess and a range that also convinces over long journeys with the elegant design, spaciousness and practicality of a Gran Coupé”.

The duo of all-electric Gran Coupés boast BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive and latest battery cell technology. The starting point to the i4 line-up, the i4 eDrive40 is equipped with a single electric motor driving the rear wheels. The single unit produces 250 kW and 430 N.m which, BMW says, allows the i4 eDrive40 to accelerate to 100 km/h from standstill in 5,7 seconds. BMW claims the i4 eDrive40 is capable of traveling “up to” 590 km/h on a single charge.

BMW i4 eDrive40
The first performance EV from BMW M, the i4 M50 features bespoke performance-led design cues.

The first purely electric performance car from BMW’s M division, the i4 M50 is equipped with a duo of electric motors powering the front and rear axles. The twin electric motor arrangement produces a total of 400 kW and 795 N.m which, BMW says, translates to a zero to 100 km/h acceleration time of 3,9 seconds. The performance-orientated i4 has a claimed electric range of 510 km.

The i4s’ combined charging unit allows for DC fast charging of “up to” 200 kW. Plugged into a charging station of this kind for a duration of 10 minutes, BMW says electric range is increased by as much as 164 km for the i4 eDrive40 and 140 km for the i4 M50.