BMW i4 – Could This Be Tesla Model 3’s First Serious Competitor?
[March 5, 2020]
It seems whenever a new EV comes out, the term “Tesla Killer” is inevitably attached to it. My cynical digital journalism background thinks this is primarily because of search engine “optimization” with the knowledge that anything with “Tesla” in the title is guaranteed to get more clicks, eyeballs, impressions, or whatever other measure of readership or engagement you want to use. The hard reality is, very few EVs come close to legitimately earning that title. As I recently learned firsthand, even those that on paper seem competitive often come up short in person. Of the vehicles so far revealed and promised for production, only the Porsche Taycan, Polestar 2, Lucid Air, Faraday Future FF91, and Ford Mustang Mach-E show any promise of being competitive toe-to-toe with any current Tesla. Of those, only the Taycan is “wheels-on-the-road” as of now.
Even some of the ambitious intenders that promised to be “Tesla Killers,” like the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the Kia Niro EV have failed to catch fire with customers. And BMW’s first serious attempt at a dedicated EV, the i3, well, it was an interesting technological and engineering showcase, but not a Tesla killer by any stretch. Perhaps BMW has learned its lesson in that if it wants to take on the undisputed current EV leader, it had better bring its best not only in engineering, but in styling, packaging, and visceral appeal.
Unfortunately, the i4 continues the company’s recent trend of oversized, stylistically questionable grilles. While few admit to loving the look, the level of revulsion to the grille ranges from mild indifference to seething hatred. I am personally not a fan. However, I have to admit it took me a while to get used to the Model 3’s blank nose when it was unveiled in 2016. But the vestigial “mustache” grille of the Model S and Model X didn’t serve much of a purpose other than a stylistic flourish. Perhaps the i4 would be much better served with a drastically scaled-down interpretation of the traditional BMW “twin-kidney” grille, or dispense with it altogether.
At any rate, where it’s likely to matter, in specs, the interior, and performance, the i4 looks like it’s going to be fully competitive with Tesla, packing a 390 kW (530 hp) motor, a 80 kWh battery, a 0-60 time of 4 seconds flat, and a projected WLTP range of 600 km (373 miles). Although the i4 shown here is still technically a “concept,” BMW promises the i4 will go into series production in 2021 at BMW’s main plant in Munich, where it will be built along with the company’s conventional models.
Naturally, pricing has not been announced, but if we had to guess, it’s going to be on the higher side of the Model 3 range, potentially $75,000+. Certainly, that will limit its appeal to mainstream customers, as the Tesla Model 3 currently starts in the low-to-mid $40,000 range. However, even with its six-figure price tag, the Porsche Taycan has seemed to capture the hearts and imagination of both EV and performance car enthusiasts, even if its overall sales numbers are a fraction of that of the Model 3 or Model S.
Will the i4 be able to break through and finally approach the success that the Model 3 has seen? My guess is the iX3 crossover will be BMW’s larger volume EV seller, just as the Model Y will likely soon overtake the Model 3 as Tesla’s volume sales leader once production fully ramps. But as big of an unapologetic Tesla fan as I am, I look forward to the company finally getting some legitimate, formidable competition.
(Images courtesy BMW)
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