The recently announced BMW i4 eDrive35 is the newest member of the all-electric i4 family and will be joining the i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 in the U.S. in 2023. The eDrive35 will be the least expensive trim level in the i4 lineup. Let’s see how this stacks up against its older siblings in terms of range, power, features, and cost. Prepare yourselves for a Goldilocks-style i4 model comparison!
Range, Home on the Range
BMW estimates the i4 eDrive35 to have a 261-mile range, while the eDrive40 clocks in with a 282-301 mile range and the powerhouse i40 M50 with a range of 227-271 miles. The eDrive35 uses a 70.2 kWh battery, while the eDrive40 and M50 both are outfitted with a 81kWh battery. If you drive the i40 M50 in moderation, the range numbers for all three cars wouldn’t be too far off from each other. For me (yes, fine, I’ll play the role of Goldilocks here), the eDrive40’s range is just right.
Power, More Power
Channel your inner Tim Allen from Home Improvement–more power! With a single electric motor that is estimated to produce 281hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, it’s no surprise that the eDrive35 comes in last in the power department. Though a 5.8-second run to 60 mph isn’t too shabby. The eDrive40’s single electric motor is more than just “five” better here, with 335 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, it gets to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, taking second place on the podium. The clear winner is the M50, with a monstrous 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque coming from dual electric motors. And it’s over two seconds faster to 60 mph than the eDrive35, at 3.7 seconds. The M50’s lower range isn’t looking so bad now, is it? Score one for the M50–it’s just right.
Features
BMW says that the eDrive35’s “standard and optional features and equipment are unchanged from that available on the 2023 i4 eDrive40.” The M50 gets some M bits over both eDrive models. All three have a “BMW Curved Display, powered by BMW Operating System 8. The display unites a 12.3-inch information display with a 14.9-inch control display behind a single, seamless glass surface angled towards the driver.” I do like the unique and sporty trim on the M50–it could be just right!
It All Comes at a Cost
If they all cost the same, this would be an easy choice. But they don’t cost the same. The eDrive35, eDrive40, and M50 cost $52,395, $56,895, and $68,295 respectively (including fees). The eDrive35 rings in at $4,500 less than the eDrive40 and $15,900 less than the M50. Now that price is a factor, that eDrive35 is looking just right.
The 2023 i4 models range from mild to wild. According to BMW, “Production of the 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 will begin in the fourth quarter of 2022 at BMW Group Plant Munich. The first units are expected to arrive in the US in the first quarter of 2023.” If you’re in the market for an EV, be like Goldilocks–try all three and see which is just right for you. —Mike Bevels
[Photos courtesy of BMW.]