BMW had reiterated it just a few days ago that unpublished electric models would arrive in 2021, even branded with the “M” effigy, which distinguishes the manufacturer’s most performing cars. Here they are, then, the new i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50, the manufacturer’s first battery-powered four-door coupe, ready to hit the market next November. The Bavarian brand describes the i4 as “the brand’s first electric vehicle focused on driving dynamics”.
Style and construction platform are those of the other 4 Series to which, however, the electron mechanics confers the benefit of a particularly favorable fluid dynamics: the absence of front openings for the cooling of a traditional heat engine, in fact, guarantees a coefficient of penetration. excellent aerodynamics (Cx of 0.24). Inside, compared to the thermal and hybrid Series 3 and Series 4, the i4 stands out for the new infotelematic system with curved touchscreen, voice commands and integrated climate control functions. In fact, the digital instrumentation, based on a 12.3-inch screen, is seamless with the 14.9-inch display of infotelematics.
The i4 eDrive40, with rear-wheel drive, boasts a maximum power of 340 hp and a Wltp approved range of 590 km: thanks to the maximum torque of 430 Nm, the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 5.7 seconds ( 190 km / h top speed). The i4 M50, BMW’s first purely electric performance car, is more powerful: its two electric motors, one per axle, deliver 544 hp, grounded by the four-wheel drive, while the homologated range amounts to 510 kilometers. The maximum torque of 795 Nm ensures a sprint from 0 to 100 km / h from 3.9 seconds (225 km / h top speed).
And if it is true that the melody of the heat engine is missing, it is also true that BMW has developed a special sound for its electric, with sounds created in collaboration with Hans Zimmer, the famous composer of film soundtracks. Powering the i4 is a slim high-voltage battery, specially designed and positioned low in the vehicle floor, to minimize its center of gravity: so that the i4’s center of gravity is up to 53 millimeters lower than that of the Series. 3 Sedan. Accumulator capacity? 83.9 kWh.
To increase the overall efficiency, then, there is no shortage of devices such as the recovery, adaptive or adjustable, of the braking energy and the integral heating and cooling system with heat pump function for the interior, for the high voltage battery. and for the transmission system. Using fast charging with direct current at 200 kW, the range can be increased to 164 kilometers (BMW i4 eDrive40) and 140 kilometers (BMW i4 M50) in 10 minutes. The on-board charger, on the other hand, is 11 kW. The load compartment capacity, equal to 470 liters, can be expanded up to a maximum of 1,290 liters by folding down the rear seat backrests. Safety features have been taken care of, including automatic emergency braking, active cruise control and active lane maintenance system. Prices are yet to be defined.
