BMW Launches, Prices Cheaper, Entry-Model Electric i4 eDrive35 for 2023

• Less power, smaller battery, lower price for new i4

• Continues to qualify for EV incentives in Canada

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BMW has just launched a new version of the i4 electric sedan. Called the i4 eDrive35, this BMW i4 is a new entry-level model. Offering less range and less power, this trim level of the i4 is also cheaper. Sort of.

The BMW i4 eDrive35 gets the same powertrain tech used in the other versions of BMW’s electric Gran Coupe, there’s just a little bit less of it. Like just a single motor mounted in the rear that produces 281 hp and 295 lb-ft.

It’s less than the 335 hp of the eDrive40 model and well under the 536 hp (and AWD) of the i4 M50 xDrive. Still, it compares quite favourably to BMW’s gas-powered 330i sedan which makes just 255 horses.

The 66 kWh (net) battery capacity is much lower than the 81.5 usable of the 40-badged model. But that cost-cutting measure hasn’t impacted the range all that much. The eDrive35 has an official range estimate of up to 418 km (260 miles). Compare that with the longest-range i4 eDrive40’s 484 km range estimate (301 miles) or the 365 km (227 miles) of an M50 with 20-inch wheels.

BMW says the i4 eDrive35 can charge at up to 180 kW, and that owners can expect a 10 to 80 percent charge in 32 minutes.

The car still gets BMW’s curved display and digital dash on a 12.3-inch cluster and 14.9-inch center screen. IT will have the same optional features and standard content as the i4 eDrive40, including over the air updates.

Pricing is the interesting part. For buyers in the U.S., the eDrive35 starts from $51,400 plus destination. That puts the car under the $55,900 starting price of the eDrive40 and offers buyers a more affordable point of entry.

For buyers in Canada, the car starts at $54,990, a price that should qualify it for zero-emissions incentives in all provinces that offer them. However, we should note that the 2022 model year i4 eDrive40 also started at that price and qualified for the incentives. For 2023, that model climbs in price sharply. To $61,390.

The 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 can be ordered now. Deliveries are expected to start in the first quarter of next year.