Your Definitive Guide to the new BMW i4 35

The new BMW i4 35 - your definitive guide

The world of electric vehicles, cars and vans, is starting to change with the onset of increased supply and some growing challenges (and obstacles) to the transition. While tax advantages and incentives are still making the move to zero-emissions a financially logical one for business contract hire and salary sacrifice, this doesn’t mean that customers are immune to pricing and discounts.

And with personal customers, or consumers, not enjoying the same tax benefits, you will have seen political and economic conjecture throwing more concern onto this fuel form. And we are not just talking about charging infrastructure; we are now looking into EVs more carefully and simply asking whether or not they offer us (or the business) fair value and whether or not the Whole of Life cost-savings go far enough to justify the higher monthly rentals.

In the last few weeks a series of news outlets and media have turned to this quandary with a simplistic view of RVs, which are set by our finance companies, being unrealistic. For more information see -  Autoexpress  and  This is Money    for their review and analsyis.

And with nearly 7,000 BMW i4s registered in 2022, BMW had to take this on board as they prepare to move towards a more global and mass-market approach to keep inline with the market leaders - Tesla. As the SMMT data demonstrates below, the Model 3 and Model Y are vastly out-selling the competition with almost relatively ease.

While time is a definitive factor, on the basis that Tesla started mass-adoption much earlier with their charging infrastructure and product, it is Tesla’s aggressive pricing position which often sees this as the most popular electric car to lease or buy in the UK. In 2023, the Tesla brand employed some considerable price reductions in January 2023, with anywhere between £3,000 - £8,000 being taken off their already popular product, which has only cemented the brand as the UK’s most popular all-electric brand.

And with rumours of further reductions, manufacturers like BMW have been somewhat displaced, with their i4 Gran Coupe being a far more expensive alternative to the Tesla Model 3. If you are comparing a Tesla M3 against other options, you would always add the i4 EV and the Polestar 2 to the list.

Best-Selling Battery Electric Vehicles in 2022

What have BMW reduced in order to make the i4 more popular?

In truth, there has not been a rapid increase in discounts or offers on this EV just yet. And while increasing supply may effectively force the German group to reconsider their price or discount proposition, a more innovative approach was taken with a new smaller battery option, the 35 (a usable 67 kWh)  being offered to UK customers instead of the bigger battery available via the 40 / 50 models (a usable 80.7 kWh option). So now UK leasing customers have two key battery choices to make at the specification levels, with examples below:

Prices correct at March 2023: 

•  Sport - the 35 model will start from £49,995 compared to the bigger battery 40 at £57,890; and
•  M Sport -  the 35 model will start from £51,495 compared to the bigger battery 40 at £59,390. 

So does the £7,000 difference in price between the small battery and bigger battery do enough to convince customers to choose this over a comparable EV?

In terms of capability this option will have a usable 67 kWh lithium-ion battery which will offer 0 – 62 times of 6.0 seconds, 118 mph top speeds and 210 kW (or 282hp). And the drivetrain will be RWD. Expect a combined winter range of 205 miles with warmer weather allowing for 285 miles on a full charge.

On charging, the 11 kW AC max will allow 7 hour and 15 min 0 – 100% charging times with the 180 kW DC maximum allowing 31 minute 10 – 80% times. This car has a reasonable cargo volume of 470L and a vehicle fuel equivalent of 151 mpg. And the i4 35 can tow, with a 1600 kg (Braked) and 750kg (Unbraked)  capability.

When can I or the business order the new BMW i4?

As of March 2023, UK leasing customers can build and configure their 67 kWh option on the  BMW website   - or simply head to our BMW i4 leasing deals section to configure their suitable option.