The BMW i4 is an excellent EV, blending the best of BMW’s sedan lineup with a proper electric powertrain. We already have two variants in the US, and now we’re about to get a third — and to most people’s delight, it’s a less expensive version, not a costlier one.
BMW on Monday announced that the 2023 i4 eDrive35 will come to the US next year. This new entry-level model features a smaller battery than the eDrive40 and M50 variants. Instead of having 81.5 kilowatt-hours at one’s disposal, the i4 eDrive35 will make do with just 66 kWh of usable capacity (gross capacity is 70.2 kWh). Range is down a bit, but not a ton, with BMW estimating an EPA range of 260 miles versus the eDrive40’s 301 and the M50’s 270.
Like the eDrive40, the i4 eDrive35 (this is less fun to type than it is to read, trust me) uses a single electric motor on the rear axle. Output is estimated at 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, deficits of 54 and 22, respectively, compared to the eDrive40. However, that lack of power only adds 0.3 seconds to the car’s 0-to-60 time, going from 5.5 seconds to 5.8. When it comes time to charge, the eDrive35 will accept up to 180 kilowatts of juice, taking its battery from 10% to 80% in about half an hour.
This is a Euro-spec model, but there shouldn’t be many (or any) changes between this and the eventual US version.
BMWInside, the BMW i4 eDrive35 picks up all the same standard equipment as the eDrive40, including BMW’s impressive curved display, which combines a 12.3-inch gauge cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen behind a single piece of glass. It should include all the same safety systems, as well, including full-speed adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring.
The 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 also represents a new, lower price point for the i4 family. This new model will cost buyers $52,395, including $995 in destination charges. That’s a little less than the $56,895 that a 2023 i4 eDrive40 will set you back, but if range and power aren’t your reasons for considering the i4, saving a few bucks doesn’t hurt. Production kicks off at the end of 2022, with deliveries beginning in the first quarter of 2023.
