BMW i4, iNext Electrics Wanna Start Some Static With Tesla
BMW says its coming i4 electric sedan and iNext electric hatchback-SUV will roll out with a range on a full charge of more than 373 miles on Europe’s test cycle. The company dropped a few details on the vehicles it says are coming in 2021, as well as photos of the electric vehicles in camouflage wraps undergoing winter testing near the Arctic Circle. Also undergoing tests was an iX3, the electric version of the X3 SUV that BMW will build in China and sell in 2020.
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The estimated range for the i4 and iNext could translate to a U.S. EPA range calculation of more than 300 miles, putting both EVs in the ballpark with long-range versions of Tesla’s Model 3, Model S and Model X. BMW describes the i4 sedan as a four-door coupe “in the premium midrange segment” and some see it as a potential answer to the Model 3, though the company’s description indicates it might compete more against pricier versions of Tesla’s best-selling nameplate.
In its camouflaged appearance, the i4’s shape hints at the BMW 430 Gran Coupe as well as 2017’s i Vision Dynamics Concept EV. BMW says the i4 will hit 62-mph acceleration in 4 seconds with a top speed of about 124 mph, as well as offer a “high level of ride comfort.”
BMW calls the iNext, meanwhile, a “luxury sports activity vehicle” and says it will have the automaker’s “new technology flagship.” Following the Vision iNext concept unveiled last year, the iNext will feature latest-generation electric drive and use BMW’s “future modular construction system.” BMW says the EV will have SAE International’s Level 3 (meaning, no hands or attention needed in certain situations) autonomous driving, though regulatory hurdles so far have prevented production vehicles such as the latest Audi A8 from offering such tech in U.S. versions.
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BMW tested the three EVs in extreme weather and road conditions at its winter test center in Arjeplog, Sweden. The automaker has promised up to a dozen EVs by 2025.
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