BMW i4 has 600km range

The BMW i4 due out in 2021 is reported to have 600km range on a single charge.

It’s BMW Group’s first purely electrically powered four-door fastback model for the premium mid-range and includes the latest innovations in battery cell technology with an 80kWh battery, the group says.

From 2020, fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology will be introduced first in the BMW iX3 and then in the BMW iNext and BMW i4.

The electric motor developed for the BMW i4 delivers about 390kW power, reaching the level of a V8 engine in current BMW models, the group says.

By 2023, the group will have 25 models with electrified drive.

The BMW i4 will be made at the company’s main plant in Munich. The BMW i brand’s first Gran Coupe reaches 100km/h in around 4.0 seconds, achieving 200km/h top speed.

Production of future-generation electric motors will no longer require materials categorised as rare earths, the group adds.

The next generation charging unit is characterised by a uniform package suitable for all future vehicle architectures. It can be used in plug-in hybrid models as well as in purely electrically powered vehicles and is designed for a charging capacity of up to 150kW.

This allows the BMW i4 to be charged to around 80% in about 35 minutes, or 100km range in six minutes.

More details, including pricing, are expected to be released closer to the 2021 launch.