BMW is giving attendees at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show a chance to see the next step in the Bavarian automaker’s electrified future with its Concept i4. The maker offered up a short teaser video Tuesday, spurring interest in the car.
The concept is more production model than concept in all reality as BMW is planning to bring a similar sized – think 3 Series – electric vehicle to market in the near term.
“Heralds a new era in Sheer Driving Pleasure; it provides a whole new take on the dynamic excellence for which BMW is renowned and blends a modern, elegantly sporty design with the spaciousness and practicality of a four-door Gran Coupe – all while generating zero local emissions,” the company said in a release.
(BMW i3 Concept gives passengers a suite new ride.)
Concept i4’s teaser video reveals a long hood melding into a coupe-like roofline, which is so prevalent in the sedan designs these days. It ends with a short trunk, which basically gets it called a Gran Coupe – like all the other Gran Coupes the automaker’s introduced in recent times.
“The design is dynamic, clean, and elegant. In short: a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of design, in the release.
When the battery-electric version of the 4 Series arrives next year, it will use BMW’s fifth-generation electric technology. While the i3 was little more than a city car with performance measures reflecting that segment, expect the i4 to be a different animal.
(All BMW models to be electric by 2030.)
The company’s already said it will use the CLAR modular platform, designed to accommodate conventional, electrified and fully-electric powertrains. BMW says the electric powerplant will produce 530 horsepower, resulting in a zero-to-60 mph time in the low end of the 4-second range.
It’s also expected to get at least 370 miles of range using Europe’s WLTP testing cycle with an 80-kw lithium ion battery. That range number is likely to drop in U.S. testing.
Not only will it go far on a charge, it will charge up quickly, BMW says, with a charging capacity of up to 150 kW. The i4 will take an 80% charge in about 35 minutes, or about six minutes for every 62-plus miles, the company noted.
(BMW takes a stake in Silicon Valley start up.)
The company didn’t release any details about the new model, other than to say it would be on the stand in the Palexpo starting March 3. No word if it will make its U.S. debut at the New York auto show in early April. It’s expected to go into production early next year.
