BMW i4 completes final testing before launch

BMW's first electric saloon, the i4 is completing its final testing phase before its market launch in the Spring.

The new model is based on the 4 Series, in Gran Coupe body type, and will have a power output of up to 530PS.

Rivalling the Tesla Model 3, the zero-emission i4 is expected to be desirable among fleet users with low BIK.

BMW says the new model has a strong focus on drivability. It uses the brand’s fifth generation electric powertrain system that debuted in the iX3.

“For the first time, we’ve developed a BMW with sporty DNA for purely electric driving entirely from scratch,” explains project manager David Alfredo Ferrufino Camacho. “The BMW i4 offers everything BMW stands for – and it’s fully electric, too.”

The i4 will have a range of almost 380 miles and will be able to recharge at 150kW, adding 60 miles in six minutes.

Its 80kWh battery is more efficient than batteries used in existing electric BMW models, thanks to developments at the brand's Battery Cell Competence Centre.

BMW’s latest eDrive technology uses a highly integrated drive system in which the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are accommodated in a single housing. This drive system can be fitted to a number of different models in a range of output levels and scaled to suit varied segments.

By 2023, the BMW Group will have 25 models with electrified drive in its program, including Mini and Rolls Royce models. With a model portfolio that includes efficient combustion engines as well as modern plug-in hybrid and purely electric drive.