German automaker BMW has confirmed that it will produce an electric four-door coupe by 2020 with the aim of taking on Tesla’s Model 3. The i4 will feature a coupe-style silhouette and provide owners with a maximum range of between 550 and 700 km, depending on the version chosen.
The i4 will borrow many elements from the BMW I Vision Dynamics, which debuted at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2017. While it’s clear certain changes will be made to the car’s design by the time it makes it to production, it’s expected that the dimensions will remain the same, as will its front-end look and its technological ambitions, notable as concerns the electric powertrain and autonomous driving systems.
The architect underpinning the i4 is a new one developed by BMW that will be used as the basis for a number of other models, including gasoline-engine, electric, diesel and hybrid versions. BMW intends to supply the new coupe with a lithium-ion battery system and provide with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of around four seconds. Top speed will be in the neighborhood of 200 km/h.
By the time the i4 debuts, another vehicle from BMW’s i division will likely have seen the day. The iX3 will in fact be the company’s first electric SUV, and it is expected that a first concept version will be unveiled in Beijing next month.
BMW’s CEO Harald Kruger confirmed to Auto Express magazine that the automaker intends to launch 12 new electrically-powered models by 2025.