According to a ranking performed by British electric vehicle news outlet Electrifying, the BMW i4 is among the most efficient EVs on the market. The ranking uses what’s referred to as an Efficiency Rating, or E-Rating, to sort EVs based on their overall efficiency. The E-Rating itself is calculated using an algorithm considering factors such as how much electric energy it takes to drive, speeds at which the batteries can be recharged using systems like regenerative braking, climate control preconditioning, and more. The team behind the website has also driven and tested the various cars, meaning their impressions play a role, too.
The BMW i4 tied for the highest A++ rating also earned by the Tesla Model 3. The Tesla and BMW were the only models to have been assigned the highest rating, and some of the other results might surprise you. Competitors including the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC both earned an E-Rating of D, ranking them just above the bottom of the list and the Mercedes-Benz EQV, which came in dead last with an E.
Electrifying describes the E-Rating with the following statement:
“The Electrifying.com Efficiency Rating, known as the E-Rating™, has been reviewed and verified by leading independent industry experts and is formulated using an algorithm that takes into account a number of factors; including how well the car converts electrical power into miles on the road, the speed at which the battery can be recharged and features such as energy saving heat pumps, intelligent brake recuperation and climate control preconditioning. There’s also a ‘secret sauce’ based on our expert team’s experience of driving, testing, and reviewing electric cars in the real world.
It’s designed to help you find the best car for you and spend less money—and time—on charging.”
The website also praised the i4. “This is a car which feels like a BMW in the way it drives.” To summarize the car it offered the following: “It’s not as revolutionary or dramatic as some other electric cars, and shows little of the brave design we saw with BMW’s first electric model, the i3. But that is perhaps what the majority of drivers want—and BMW is rarely wrong.”
Other BMW highlights include the iX3 earning an A, which is more efficient than the i3 and iX, which both earned a B in terms of the E-Rating. The Audi e-tron GT also earned a B, while the Audi Q4 e-tron earned an A. The Volkswagen ID.3 earned an A+, and the ID.4 earned an A. The Mercedes EQA earned a B, the Tesla Model X and Model S earned respective A-grades, and Model Y earned an A+. The Ford Mustang Mach E earned an A, and the Rimac Nevera electric supercar earned a C, the same as the Porsche Taycan.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]
