'Simple acceleration isn't enough' for BMW's electric i4
Monday, 25 January 2021
BMW is hard at work on its first proper go at the electric sports car market, to be called i4 Gran Coupe. Before it unveils the car in full, BMW has sent out a thinly veiled jab at its competition in the electric realm, saying “simply accelerating fast in a straight line is not enough for BMW.”
It’s not hard to link this to the million videos of various Teslas outstripping supercars on the drag strip, as well as the notion of American sports cars offering inferior handling to European rivals. Though in the name of fairness, Tesla isn’t the only EV maker beating more expensive combustion cars these days.
In keeping with its “ultimate driving machine” slogan, BMW has put work into the chassis and suspension, with new damper technology featuring to reduce the dipping movements of the body at the moment of set-off.
Actuator-related wheel slip limitation (ARB) developed by BMW apparently guarantees “optimum traction and perfect straight-line stability at all times – even on slippery road surfaces.”
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The i4 will feature a long wheelbase, wide track widths, model-specific camber values, large wheels, as well as high torsional rigidity and a low centre of gravity.
The Bavarian company is still keeping some cards close to its chest before the final reveal in a few months but it has confirmed the electric powertrain will pump “up to” 390kW and a rumoured 813Nm of torque to a single electric motor on the rear axle.
That suggests the four-door will have a nominal output below this figure while full power will probably be accessed under Sport Plus/Launch Control conditions, similar to how EVs like the Porsche Taycan have an ‘overboost’ function that offers a temporary jump in power.
Taking 390kW as a peak power figure, the i4 will debut as the most powerful member of the 4 Series, with the 375kW M4 coming a close second.
Additionally, an 80kWH “high-voltage storage system featuring the latest battery cell technology” will offer a WLTP-rated range of 600km.
BMW is currently running final preparations for the i4 to enter production. A proper debut is surely not far away, then.