BMW Showcases i4 EV With Up To 536 hp

• i4 set to arrive in Canada Q1 2022

• Will offer two drivelines to start including rear and AWD

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The second prong in BMW’s new EV spear is this: The 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 and the i4 M50. Two all-electric sedans that offer a range of up to 475 km or with power up to 536 hp. They’re expected to launch in the Canadian market in the first quarter of next year.

Like their iX stablemate, for which BMW announced pricing earlier today, the i4 models will use the fifth generation of both BMW’s eDrive electric powertrain and the brand’s battery. BMW says that the i4’s battery is only 109 mm tall, taking up less room under the floor and improving vehicle agility. Like the iX, the motors use no rare earth metals, and the battery packs use less than 10 percent cobalt with BMW sourcing the metal from Australia to ensure sustainability standards are met.

But that’s not the metal that matters when it comes to BMWs, in that case it is vehicle performance. The pedal to the metal, even if that pedal is no longer connected to a throttle body butterfly.

The eDrive40 i4 sends power exclusively to the rear wheels. That’s 335 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, enough to hit 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. That model, with an 81.5 kWh net capacity battery pack, offers a top range of up to 475 km.

BMW’s more powerful i4 M50 uses two motors to provide all-wheel drive, with the more powerful rear motor making 308 hp and the front making 255. Combined that’s 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. Sort of. That 536 hp is only available for around 10 seconds as part of a Sport Boost function. The rest of the time it makes 469. The M50 can take in more than 50 percent more energy on recuperation. It has the same size battery pack, though, leading to a 385 km range estimate.

M50 adds adaptive suspension, its own anti-roll bars, and a brace between the strut towers. It also will come with variable steering and M Sport brakes. More impressively, it will offer a launch control system that surges with torque to let you know it is ready.

A new iDrive infotainment system with improved natural speech recognition and OTA updates is offered, and the climate control looks at how many are on board as it adjusts cabin air. An array of LED lighting modes will be offered and the soundtrack for the electric motor comes from Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer. The i4 will also be loaded with around 40 available driver assistance features that include speed limit assist which will slow for a corner, intersection, or traffic circle.

Expect more details, including options and pricing, as the car gets closer to arriving at dealers.