The BMW i4 – a proper Beemer, but electric
The new electric BMW i4 saloon will suit drivers who don’t want to let petrol power go, says Jasper Spires


BMW began its foray into the electric-vehicle (EV) world nine years ago with the i3 hatchback – “a courageous and radical little car that didn’t quite work”, says Steve Cropley in Autocar. But the new i4 “sits at the other end of the engineering and styling spectrum”. This mid-sized saloon doesn’t take the “I’m-electric-so-I’m-different route”. Instead, it “adopts relatively familiar Gran Sport four-door body styling that looks sleek and sporty, but doesn’t frighten the horses”.
“The i4 is built for those who traditionally shun EVs thinking they are cold and clinical and are looking for more spirited drives,” says Jeremy White on Wired. The steering is “famously precise”, coupled with the kind of performance that means drivers must keep their wits about them. It’s a car for those who have “let petrol power go, but can’t bear to see it leave”.
“The ‘entry-level’ eDrive40 model, with rear-wheel drive and one electric motor, competes with everything from small premium SUVs… through to the award winning Tesla Model 3,” says WhatCar. It produces 335bhp and goes from zero to 62mph in 5.7 seconds, with an official range of 367 miles. That’s enough for most drivers, “but if you’re the kind of person who finds roller coasters a bit boring”, there’s the “range-topping” M50 with two motors and four-wheel drive. This produces a “whopping 536bhp” – pitching it against the Model 3 Performance and Polestar 2 – races from zero to 62mph in 3.9 seconds, and has a range of 318 miles.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The M50 is “seriously fast” in its sport boost setting, says TopGear, yet the milder modes make it “easy to dawdle”. It’s a “better steer” than Tesla’s Model 3, has the range for most road trips, and charges fast. “This is a proper BMW.”
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Jasper is a former writer for the MoneyWeek and he wrote on an array of topics including travel, investing in crypto and bitcoin, as well as cars. Previous to that he freelanced at The Art Newspaper, PORT Magazine and The Spectator. Jasper is currently a freelance writer at FAD magazine and he has an English literature degree from the University of Exeter, and a Master's degree from UCL.
-
Small UK industrial stocks are hidden gems
Opinion Ed Wielechowski of the Odyssean Investment Trust highlights three of his favourite British small-cap industrial stocks
-
Aurora Innovation is running on empty – is it overvalued?
Aurora Innovation, a maker of self-driving trucks, may have promised far more than it can deliver
-
The alcohol industry is suffering as consumers sober up – is it still worth investing in the sector?
Changing consumer tastes are rocking the alcohol industry, but the best players are adapting their strategies. Buy them while their shares are still cheap
-
Giorgio Armani: the irreplaceable Il Signore
Giorgio Armani started his fashion business in 1975 and built it into the world’s largest private luxury brand. Where can it go without him?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with mountain views
The best properties for sale with mountain views – from an Arts & Crafts house with holiday lets in the Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to a highland lodge with wood-burning stoves near the Rogie Falls in the Scottish Highlands
-
Review: Puerto Rico – embrace the spirit of Boricua
Travel Natasha Langan discovers why the indigenous name for Puerto Rico has come to define this Caribbean island’s vibrant culture
-
8 of the best beachside properties for sale
The best beachside properties for sale – from an Arts & Crafts house in Hampshire with 128 metres of beach frontage, to a 16th-century house in Norfolk, just 300 metres from a Blue Flag beach
-
A voyage of discovery through the Baltic countries
Travel Max King explores the rich history, culture and cuisine of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?
Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardens
The best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll