The All-Electric BMW i4 Electric Gran Coupe: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

For those keen on an overview of the Indian and global electric vehicle (EV) market, simply scroll down to the end of the article!

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The All-Electric BMW i4 Gran Coupe

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BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG), is a leading global automotive manufacturer headquartered in Munich, Germany. BMW is well known for its portfolio of luxury vehicles, to include the famed Rolls-Royce luxury cars.

The group manufacturers a number of cars under its BMW brand, to include battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The BMW i3 EV is an excellent example of a successful pure electric car. The company currently has the following portfolio of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs):

• All-electric BMW iX3
• All-electric BMW iX1
• All-electric BMW iX2
• All-Electric BMW i5
• All-Electric BMW i7
• All-electric BMW iX
• All-electric BMW i4
• All-electric BMW i3

The BMW i4, is the first all-electric Gran Coupe. The electric vehicle (EV) is based on the iVision Dynamics concept that made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The i4 is an electrified powertrain of the 4-series and looks similar to the 4-series Gran Coupe. It is slotted between the BMW i3 hatchback and the BMW i8 sports. The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is assembled in Munich (Germany) and is the first all-electric saloon for BMW. The i4 includes the fifth generation BMW eDrive Technology.

The pure electric BMW i4 also includes lightweight carbon-fibre construction, which is currently featured in the all-electric BMW i3 and the BMW i8 EV. BMW is deploying a ‘flexible vehicle architecture’ that will be used by both internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs). The design has also been inspired by the BMW iNext SUV concept unveiled at the 2018 Frankfurt Motor Show. The BMW i4 is also the first fully-electric Gran Coupé.

The BMW i4 EV is available in one EV battery size: 80.7 kWh, and has a claimed pure electric range up to 590 km for the entry-level eDrive40 Sport variant (the only variant available in India). For the higher performance i4 M50 variant, the claimed range is up to 510 km. The EV battery size and zero-emission electric range is similar to many of the more recent introductions of pure electric cars i.e. there is a trend of increasing EV battery size and longer electric range.

Of course, the real-world EV range will be lower, impacted by a number of factors, to include: speed, driving profile, regen braking profile, weather conditions, road conditions, tyre size, onboard services used, payload and more. For the entry-level BMW i4 eDrive40 expect a real-world electric range closer to 500 km and for the top of the range BMW i4 M50, expect an e-range closer to 435 km.

We at e-zoomed recommend a ‘topping up’ approach to charging an electric car. This way, there is always range readily available and moreover, a topping up approach reduces the amount of time required to charge. The electric vehicle (EV) can be DC charged up to 205 kW and can achieve a 10%-80% in 31 minutes.

All variants incorporate a 11 kW (3-phase) onboard charger, which can fully charge the EV in 8 hours and 25 minutes. However, given that most homes in India are restricted to single-phase power supply, expect the EV to take up to 13 hours for a full charge.

The BMW i4 electric car does not disappoint on performance. The range topping all-wheel drive BMW i4 M50 achieves 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. Impressive, given the additional weight of the onboard EV battery. The total unladen weight of the electric car is 2,290 kg.

The M50 delivers a maximum power up to 544 hp (max torque: 795 Nm) and has a 223 km/h top speed. The other two variants (eDrive40 Sport and eDrive40 M Sport) are available as real-wheel drive and can achieve 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds (top speed: 190 km/h).

Though the electric car has much to offer in terms of exterior styling and interior quality, do not expect much in terms of practicality. The sloping roofline does impact the headroom for rear seat passengers, in particular, for taller adults. Legroom can also be a little tight. But again, one is not really buying this car for practicality. It is the performance that matters, and the EV delivers. Having said that, the boot space on offer is still respectable (470 L).

The i4 is certainly a good looking car, further enhanced by the coupé styling. The vertically aligned front kidney supplies the EV with real-time data via sensors and camera, to enhance the driver assistance onboard technology. The BMW i4 has a driver-oriented cockpit and offers the BMW curved display (12.3″ instrument cluster and 14.9″ control display.

The BMW i4 electric car is manufactured using ‘sustainable and green energy’. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The BMW electric car is available in India.

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PROS	CONS
An attractive exterior coupéstyling	Cheaper alternatives available
Decent EV battery size and emission-free e-range	Rear-headroom impacted by roofline. Rear visibility: blind spots
DC charging up to 205 kW. Three-phase (11 kW) onboard charger as standard	All-wheel drive only available on the top trim

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The All-Electric BMW i4 Gran Coupe (credit: BMW)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Vehicle Type:	Gran Coupe
Engine:	Electric
Available In India:	Yes

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Variants (1 Option)
BMW i4 eDrive40 Sport (from Rs 69.90 Lakhs)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 80.7 kWh
Charging:	205 kW DC charging (10%-80%: 31 minutes). Onboard charger: 11 kW (0%-100%: 8 hrs and 25 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	0g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1448
Width (mm):	1852
Length (mm):	4783
Wheelbase (mm):	2856
Turning Circle (m):	N/A
Boot Capacity (L):	470

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BMW i4 eDrive40 Sport
EV Battery Capacity:	80.7 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	590 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	16 – 20
Charging:	205 kW DC charging (10%-80%: 31 minutes). Onboard charger: 11 kW (0%-100%: 8 hrs and 25 mins)
Top Speed:	190 km/h
0-100 km/h:	5.7 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	250
Max Power (hp):	340
Torque (Nm):	430
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight-EU (kg):	2,125
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport
EV Battery Capacity:	80.7 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	540 – 565 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	N/A
Charging:	205 kW DC charging (10-80%: 31 minutes). Onboard charger: 11 kW (0%-100%: 8 hrs and 25 mins)
Top Speed:	190 km/h
0-100 km/h:	5.7 seconds
Drive:	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	250
Max Power (hp):	340
Torque (Nm):	430
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight-EU (kg):	2,125
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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BMW i4 M50
EV Battery Capacity:	80.7 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	415 – 510 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100 km):	N/A
Charging:	205 kW DC charging (10%-80%: 31 minutes). Onboard charger: 11 kW (0%-100%: 8 hrs and 25 mins)
Top Speed:	223 km/h
0-100 km/h:	3.9 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	400
Max Power (hp):	544
Torque (Nm):	795
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Unladen Weight-EU (kg):	2,290
Colours:	6
NCAP Safety Rating:	N/A

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India Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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India, like many other countries, is well positioned to benefit from the shift to zero-tailpipe emission electric driving. Road transportation is a major contributor to air pollution (over 30%), choking our towns, cities and villages across India. Diesel vehicles, in particular, diesel trucks and diesel buses, are significant sources for tailpipe emissions. But given the rise in the standard of living, since liberalisation, the demand for privately owned passenger cars has increased at an unprecedented pace, further worsening the air quality. India has more than 3 crores (30 million) cars releasing tailpipe emissions on its roads!

Though we have seen some improvements in air quality during the ongoing pandemic (as a result of lower vehicle traffic), India’s shift to electric driving will be key in achieving long-term higher air quality. Of course, apart from EVs, the continued development of green and renewable energy infrastructure will be key in achieving lower long-term air pollution. India has already demonstrated global leadership in regards to large-scale solar and wind projects! Hopefully, India will replicate the success with zero-emission electric vehicles.

Despite recent announcements and support from local and national government agencies in India, the EV market is still at a nascent stage, well, at least in terms of electric cars and electric vans. Two-wheel electric scooters and three-wheel electric rickshaws (e-rickshaws) have demonstrated a strong uptake, and India is poised to become a global leader in electric scooters and electric rickshaws (e-tuk). In fact, the ubiquitous e-rickshaw commands an impressive 83% of the Indian electric vehicle market. India currently has over 15 lakhs (1.5 million) e-rickshaws, with each EV playing a role in reducing tailpipe emissions on our roads in India.

Sales of passenger electric cars is still at an early stage. In FY2021, though the market witnessed a growth of nearly 110% from the previous year, the absolute volume of cars sold was only 5,905 electric cars. Currently there are less that 15 pure electric car models available on sale in India.

Tata Motors, the biggest automotive manufacturer in India has launched the Tata Nexon electric SUV. Mahindra Electric, another leading Indian automotive manufacturer, has also launched a number of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), to include, the Mahindra eVerito electric car, Mahindra eSupro electric van and Mahindra e2o Plus compact electric car. International manufacturers, like UK based MG Motors, have also launched the MG ZS electric SUV in India. Also available are the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV and the Hyundai Kona electric SUV.

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Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Market

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Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), more commonly referred to simply as, electric vehicles (EVs) or as plug-in electric cars, have come a long way over the past decade and certainly a long way over the past 100 years.

Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation.  Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages.  In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage.  Instead the avenue was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention at that time. 

We are now witnessing a similar fundamental shift in road transportation, as polluting internal combustion engines (ICE) petrol and diesel vehicles are being replaced by low-emission and zero-emission electric vehicles. In countries like the United Kingdom, a leader in e-mobility, we can expect a comprehensive replacement of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 (UK will ban the sale of new ICE cars in 2030). The UK is not the only country that has a vision of a mass transition to zero-tailpipe emission electric cars.

Since 2011, the global electric vehicle (EV) market has increased at a year-over-year growth rate of over 50%. In 2020, according to the Global EV Outlook 2021 report, the global stock of electric vehicles (EVs) had surpassed 10 million units . In 2015, the Global stock was just over 1 million units. In 2020, Europe accounted for the largest share of new car registrations of EVs (1.4 million registered electric vehicles), followed by China (1.2 million electric vehicles). In Europe, countries like Norway, Iceland and Sweden continue to show strong leadership in the transition to electric driving. In Norway more than 75% of new cars are electric, followed by 50% in Iceland and 30% in Sweden.

However, this is not just a western phenomenon. A number of countries across the world have announced their support for electric cars, to include India. Pure electric cars are now common sightings in a number of global markets, and EV automotive manufacturers, like California based Tesla Motors are now household brands.

Traditional automotive manufactures have also shown significant commitment to the migration to electric engines, to include Volvo Cars, the Volkswagen Group, Renault, Nissan, Peugeot, Hyundai, Mercedes, Land Rover and many more. Forecast for the sale of EVs suggest up to 30 million electric vehicles to be sold before the end of the current decade.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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