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BMW has unveiled new information about the new electric vehicle i4, which is expected to be released in 2021.
According to this, the battery capacity is expected to reach 80kWh and a range of 600km. The motor power is 530 horsepower, which is the level of the V8 engine. The zero-back is 4 seconds and the top speed is over 200 km/h. Except for top speed, it’s the same performance as BMW’s flagship sedan 750i with a 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine.
The BMW i4 is a model divided into the premium segment of mid-size cars with a four-door coupe style body. Even after switching to an electric vehicle, the i4 emphasizes the driving pleasure that has long been recognized as a characteristic of the brand. It is to put tradition on your back and keep new competitors in check.
If you look at Tesla’s Model 3, which is a direct competitor, the battery capacity is 75kWh for the long-distance model, and 560km in the WLTP mode in the case of the dual-motor specification with the front and rear motors. The zero-back is 4.7 seconds and the top speed is 233 km/h. Except for top speed, the BMW i4 is all ahead. However, in the case of the high-performance version of the Model 3, the range is reduced to 530 km, but the zero-back is 3.4 seconds and the top speed is greatly increased to 261 km/h.
BMW’s electric technology is the fifth-generation eDrive, which is a newly developed motor, power, charging device, and high-density high-voltage batteries. The self-developed battery cell makes it easy to mount batteries of different capacities even in cars of different shapes. The 80kWh weight can be suppressed to 550kg by higher density than the previous generation cell. In addition, the new rare-earth motor, the one-speed transmission, and the power electronics that control it were included in an aluminum housing and mounted under the rear seats. If you add the same integrated unit to the front as well, you can get four-wheel drive.
The next-generation charging unit will be used in all BMW models, including plug-in hybrids. It supports up to 150kW. The i4 can charge up to 80% of its battery capacity in 35 minutes. According to BMW, a 6-minute charge can drive a distance of 100km. In addition, the details of the external design are not known as only photos of the prototype covered in the camouflage pattern have been released.
While some companies are developing platforms for electric vehicles like Volkswagen, BMW, which will continue to produce vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines for the time being, has newly developed a shared platform that can respond to gasoline and diesel, plug-in hybrids, and pure EVs. It is taking a strategy to produce vehicles in the same factory. The i4 will also be produced in Munich, Germany, home of BMW, along with the new 3 Series just announced this year and the next 4 Series to appear in the future.
Before the i4, BMW will announce the iX3, the EV version of the X3, a compact SUV in 2020. In addition, in 2021, along with the i4, an SUV-type EV called iNEXT will also appear. It plans to contain advanced technology of BMW, including autonomous driving. Related information can be found here .
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