How BMW Is Making Super Progress in Its Quest to Electrify

BMW is charging (pun intended) into electrification with a quartet of all-electric vehicles ranging (pun also intended) from the BMW i4 on the lower end of the price spectrum to the BMW i7 at the top end. With all four vehicles drivers who lease or purchase get the legendary BMW handling, safety, technology, style and luxury that make BMW “The Ultimate Driving Machine.”

You may want to save money on fuel, and you will. If your concern is lowering your carbon footprint, a BMW electric vehicle certainly will do that: EVs create no tailpipe emissions. And, let’s be honest, when appearances matter being seen in a BMW creates quite an impression!

Purchasing an EV may come with some tax advantages. And every BMW EV comes with an eight-year/100k-miles battery warranty.

BMW i4 Gran Coupe

The BMW i4 Gran Coupe offers multiple choices, including the i4 eDrive35, i4 eDrive40 i4 xDrive40 – Fast-faster -fastest.  All seat five comfortably in available heated front seats or front ventilated seats. A moonroof is standard as is a power tailgate.  

• The i4 eDrive35 offers a single all-electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery that develops 282 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from zero-60 mph in 5.8 seconds; topping out at 118 mph. Its range is 252-276 miles.
• The i4 eDrive40 offers  a single all-electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery that develops 335 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque and accelerates from zero-60 mph in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 118 mph and total range of 283-301 miles.
• The i4 xDrive 40 offers a single all-electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery that provides 396 hp with 443 lb-ft of torque. It blazes from zero-60 mph in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 124 mph. Its range is 279-307 miles.

The BMW i4 is the real deal, and has a place on the Autotrader.com list of “10 Best Electric Cars for 2023.”

BMW i5 Sedan

The BMW i5 is a four-seat sporty business sedan that marries an executive presence with legendary BMW technology and performance. It drives like an electric, accelerates like an electric, saves on fuel like an electric, but “features a soundscape designed to simulate and transcend the sound of an engine.” 

The BMW i5 eDrive40 has a single all-electric engine powered by a lithium-ion battery.

With 335 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, it can from zero-60 mph in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 120 mph. It has a total range is from 270-295 miles

The i5 brings some new goodies to the party, including being able to play video games using the Air Console app on your smartphone. 

BMW i7

BMW’s flagship electric i7 model goes electric in three versions: the BMW i7 eDrive50, and i7 xDrive60. These wear their sedate sedan exterior lightly, concealing a lot of power under a veneer of luxury and comfort.  Make no mistake, the BMW i7 is all BMW and it’s built to perform!

• The i7 eDrive50’s high-performance electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery, and is lightning fast at 449 hp with 549 lb-ft of torque, speeding from zero-60 mph in 5.3 seconds with a top speed of 130 mph. Range on a full charge is up to 317 miles and it will home charge to 100% in under 10 hours or add about 90 miles of range in 10 minutes at an Electrify America station.
• The i7 xDrive60 is powered by dual high-performance electric motors using a lithium-ion battery that gives 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque, sprints from zero-60 mph in 4.5 seconds with a range of +/- 318 miles

Car and Driver said the i7 “lives up to the luxury car’s reputation and delivers a futuristic experience for both the driver and passengers.”

BMW iX

If you want luxury, all-wheel drive, plus lots of room to carry stuff in an all-electric package, look to the BMW iX Sport Activity Vehicle in one of two versions: iX xDrive50 and the iX M60.

The iX xDrive 50 has dual all-electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery. Its rated at 516 hp with 564 lb-ft of torque and does zero-60 mph in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 124 mph.

It has a total range of 307 miles and can top up with 90 miles of range in 10 minutes on a DC Fast Charger.

The critics laud the iX for its power, performance and – even though it is quite large – for how well it handles.