BMW's I4: A Potential Tesla Beater for the Go-fast Green Crowd

by Steph Willems

Updated: July 28th, 2020 Published: October 2nd, 2018

bmw s i4 a potential tesla beater for the go fast green crowd

Forgive the use of the phrase “Tesla beater,” but would-be Model S buyers with an affinity for German vehicles had best hope BMW chairman Harald Krüger isn’t just blowing smoke. Krüger claims an upcoming addition to the brand’s slowly expanding electric vehicle line won’t go the weird route (a la the i3), nor will it be a straightforward, conservative affair (like the upcoming iX3).

Using the 4 Series GT’s architecture as a starting point, the chairman claims the i4, due out in 2021, will boast up to 435 miles of range and “redefine what is possible today for 0-60mph times.”

The green speed wars, made possible by the instant torque offered up by electric powertrains, are an odd thing. Automakers have begun promising 0-60 times in the sub-2 second range — acceleration that begins to trample on both practicality and safety. Pinning your e-throttle also depletes range at a great clip, but it’s not quite so counterproductive if your battery pack holds more miles in its cells.

Speaking to Autocar, Krüger said the i4 will differentiate itself from high-zoot competitors by “fantastic design, which is very different to anything else on the road and the fact that it is lighter and therefore more dynamic than anything we see on the market today, thanks to the materials we will use.”

“Couple that with the connectivity technology we are constantly developing and we are confident it will lead the market,” the chairman said.

While the automaker hasn’t released any concept drawings, Autocar reports that the vehicle will use BMW’s fifth-generation electric powertrain architecture, currently in the testing phase. The vehicle might use just a single, front-mounted motor, the publication speculated, with power sent to the rear wheels via an electric propshaft. This would place more weight up front, making the vehicle feel more like a traditional ICE-powered Bimmer.

Patent images found online suggest the i4 will likely adopt a bodystyle that delights high-end buyers but sends auto journos into fits of rage: a four-door SUV coupe. However, Krüger says to expect a “4 Series Gran Coupe style car.” Better. Much better.

When it arrives, the I4 will be the fourth fully electric BMW vehicle, after the i3 and i8, iX3 (an EV version of the X3 crossover), and electric Mini Cooper.

[Image: BMW Group]

#BMW #BMWI4 #ElectricVehicles #EVs #FutureVehicles #Green #ProductPlanning

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13 of 31 comments

Stingray65 on Oct 02, 2018

Sub 2 second 0-60 times? How soon before we can test Einstein's theory with a negative 0-60 and go back in time? Whoever does is the first should probably make it look like a DeLorean.

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- Mcs on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @stingray65" 0 to 60 in under 2 seconds has already been done. The Rimac Concept 2 does it in 1.85 seconds. It has 1,914 hp. 2,300 Nm torque. 4 motors. Porsche recently bought 10% of the company, so we might see some of the technology trickle down to Porsches. http://www.rimac-automobili.com/en/hypercars/c_two
  
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- Inside Looking Out on Oct 02, 2018
  
  Yes they will be made from tachyons. There is no way that car made from baryons and electrons can reach speed of light.
  
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SCE to AUX on Oct 02, 2018

Nothing in the story told us how this mythical car will be a Tesla beater. If the answer is sub-2-second 0-60 times, a small handful of niche cars can already do that, as will the future Roadster. So BMW might build 50 i4's a month, selling for near $200k. Doesn't sound like Tesla-beating to me.

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- JohnTaurus on Oct 02, 2018
  
  Yeah, skipping over the positive attributes and inserting your own made up facts and suppositions would certainly paint that picture.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @JohnTaurus BMW's i8 sells for ~$150k today, at 50 copies per month. What evidence do you have that a 100 kWh+ BMW that is faster will sell in higher volume and for anything less? I'll give you this: Even if this mythical creature achieves 80% of the WLTP drive cycle under EPA rules (which TTAC always quotes for "Tesla-beaters", rather than the more realistic EPA drive cycle), it actually will be a Tesla-beater with a 348-mile range. But as I recall, your version of a Tesla beating mfr is one who can *produce* cars, not necessarily sell them. So, do you really think BMW is going to produce more of these things than any other Tesla?
  
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- Mcs on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @ScetoAux: The last I heard, the Taycan production will only be 20,000 per year. The competing Model 3 Performance is based on a car that is averaging almost 18,000 cars per month. I really like the Taycan and will eventually buy one, but I'm thinking about TM3P in the interim since it only takes 2 months to get one at this point.
  
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- Ajla on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @SCE to AUX "What evidence do you have that a 100 kWh+ BMW that is faster will sell in higher volume and for anything less?" You really think they'd slot something called "i4" above the "i8"? I doubt they'll out produce Tesla, but I expect this BMW will be in the low-end Model S price range.
  
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- Inside Looking Out on Oct 02, 2018
  
  SCE to AUX what he actually meant was Tesla killer. Tesla killer is the same thing as iPhone killer. iPhone killer was a hypothetical phone that would make iPhone obsolete and dead. The main argument was that company X (X = Nokia, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, Toshiba etc.) knows how to make phones and did it for decades while Apple has no experience in building phones, so it is just a matter of time... therefore iPhone deathwatch.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @Inside Looking Out Yes, although interestingly Android phones outsell Apple phones by 2:1. I'm not saying BMW is incapable of building a better EV than Tesla, but I'm questioning the metric for the term "Tesla beater" or "Tesla killer". Because at the moment, Tesla owns nearly the entire envelope for volume, performance, pricing, and availability.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @mcs: You're having an interesting evolution on your next EV purchase. That Taycan volume is disappointing, but not surprising. My guess is that Porsche is going to lose a lot of money on the car, but wants to test the waters with a competitive price and product. The projected range and performance are for a vehicle that should cost 25-50% more. If they follow Tesla's path, they'll discover how expensive it is to go all in on their EV promises. In the US, Tesla already outsells Porsche, so they have a lot of ground to make up. I hope you can finally get the Taycan. It looks great and has nice specs.
  
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- Art Vandelay on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @SCE to AUX But a sizable chunk of those Android phones are third world feature phones. GM outsold everyone in the 80s too. But a lot of those sales were to people who couldn't afford nicer and haven't bought GM since because of it. Not saying that is what is happening here but there is more to the phone debate than market share. I use an Android phone. But I spend no more than 400 bucks and keep it a year and a half to two years tops. A true flagship (800 and up) would require me to keep it longer. If I we're doing that, no comparison...iPhone. I believe the 5s is still updated and that's what...a 2014 model. Meanwhile my Xperia eagerly awaiting Nougat...
  
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- Art Vandelay on Oct 02, 2018
  
  @Art Vandelay Not nougat...pie lol. But the V20 I gave my son (big sale when I got it) is still on nougat.
  
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