Detail Drip: BMW Reveals Range of Electric Sedan, Crossover

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

This certainly won’t be of interest to people living in Tim Cain’s neighborhood, or indeed your own, but it just might be for the legions of North Americans who tell survey peddlers that they’re totally considering an electric vehicle for their next purchase. Note: telling a surveyor you’re considering an EV purchase is as weighty as telling them you’re considering moving to Canada if the next election doesn’t go your way. It’s a vague assurance of nothing.

Anyway, all that to say that a great many automakers are planning an EV onslaught in the coming decade, and buyers may or not greet them at the dealer door. BMW’s role in this product wave involves an electric version of the X3 crossover, plus an i4 sedan and iNext largeish crossover. As with all EVs, the biggest point of competition will be range, and we now have an idea of what to expect from Bimmer’s green machines.

We’d have a better idea if this continent bordered the Mediterranean, North Sea, and Baltic. In a tease of its upcoming products, BMW claimed the i4 and iNext will return 600 kilometers of driving range on the new, more realistic WLTP cycle. EPA figures typically come in at a little less than the European cycle.

Oh, and 600 km equals 373 miles, for the metrically challenged among us.

Due out in 2021, the i4 is a four-door coupe targeted at the “premium midrange” segment, according to BMW. Acceleration will be swift, with the automaker promising a 0-62 mph dash in 4 seconds. Too many dashes like that, and you’ll see that gauge cluster range figure drop like a stone. Luckily, the capacious battery pack should leave a generous range cushion for most trips.

Currently, BMW’s new models are undergoing cold weather testing in northern Scandinavia; range loss is a concern in that kind of climate, too.

The iNext, or whatever name the actual production model carries, is expected to debut with Level 3 autonomous driving capability, which means true hands-off driving on certain roads. Larger than the iX3, which is due in 2020 with a significantly shorter range (assuming Bimmer figures out where to build it), the iNext’s price will likely reflect its status as the company’s tech flagship.

The arrival of the iX3, I4, and iNext herald a new era for BMW. Specifically, one in which its electric vehicles enter the mainstream. Until the iX3 shows up, green buyers can only choose from a smattering of hybrids, including the ultra-pricey plug-in i8, and the odd-looking i3 electric hatchback.

BMW plans to have 12 EVs on offer by 2025.

[Images: BMW Group]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 8 comments
  • Hogey74 Hogey74 on Mar 25, 2019

    On the survey of "intentions" it's interesting and probably represents a change, but yeah, it's only one step up from meaningless. Apparently betting markets are the best guide to future behaviour. I don't think they've been wrong once about federal elections here in Australia, even when they've contradicted opinion polling. I've got a 12 year old Subaru Forester that I've decided to keep and over-haul/upgrade over time. Been wondering if it will be the last ICE vehicle I own... probably not lol.

  • Boxerman Boxerman on Mar 26, 2019

    Ok 370 miles range. You cant use the last 20% without cookign the batteries so thats 296 miles. You also cant fast charge past 80% for the same reason so were down to about 230 miles. Lest see you nwat AC or heat. So lets say a real 200 roadtrip miles, not bad. Lets assume fast charging stations spring up like gas stations so you can recharge in like 15 mins, not bad. Now an EV is still going to cost more than the equivalent ICE, assuming the dleta drops its still going to be 20% more. Hoiw many people do you think will pay 20% more for car that can only go 200 miles? Americans love a deal, this is not a deal. Urban elites dont nwat pollution in cities, hell cities may even mandate EVs. Where are those EVs going to get charged, citries dont have 2 car suburban garages. Where is all this excess electricty going to come from. BIG question, how are the batteries going to be disposed of, or is that the next generations problem to figure out. Thyere going to sell a lot more EVs for sure, whether the investment will be worth it is debatable, and ice will be around for a long time. In China no one road trips and goc can simply eliminate ICE, so thats where theyre going, also China has no issue with toxic waste, so all those batteries wont be an issue, esp as they have bad air which is why they need EVs

    • Ajla Ajla on Mar 26, 2019

      It is a BMW, so I'd be leasing it for 36 months. In which case I'd use the entire range of the battery because I wouldn't care if I nuke its long-term durability. That will become the unfortunate 3rd owners problem. The acceleration/price matrix is what I'm interested in here. 4.0 0-60 is M4 speed and I won't have to put up with M4 suspensions and tires. Yes, if it's 20% more than the M4 then screw that, but 20% more than a 430i (or basically on parity with the 440i) would be acceptable.

  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
  • THX1136 Always liked the Mustang though I've never owned one. I remember my 13 yo self grabbing some Ford literature that Oct which included the brochure for the Mustang. Using my youthful imagination I traced the 'centerfold' photo of the car AND extending the roof line back to turn it into a small wagon version. At the time I thought it would be a cool variant to offer. What was I thinking?!
  • GregLocock That's a bodge, not a solution. Your diff now has bits of broken off metal floating around in it.
Next