TotheextentthathistoricalpressreleasesreferenceBMWManufacturingCo.,LLCasthemanufacturerofcertainXmodelvehicles,thereferencedvehiclesaremanufacturedinSouthCarolinawithacombinationofU.S.originandimportedpartsandcomponents.
OlegSatanovskyBMWGroup
WoodcliffLake,NJ–June1,2021…Today,BMWisproudtoannouncethenewestadditionstotheBMWibrand,thei4eDrive40andi4M50models.Thei4M50isthefirstfully-electricperformancemodeltocomefromBMWMGmbH.Thei4blendsthefunctionalityandspaceofthegrancoupedesignwiththeinstantaneouspowerdeliveryofBMW’slatest5thgenerationeDrive.Class-leadingdrivingdynamicsandlong-distancecomfort,elegantdesign,uncompromisingworkmanship,cutting-edgeuser-vehicleinterfaceandadvancedinfotainmentanddrivingassistancetechnologiesallcombinetodeliverazero-emissionsBMWworthyoftheUltimateDrivingMachinemoniker.
PowerisprovidedbyBMW’slatest5thgenerationeDrivetechnologywhichcombinestheelectricmotors,powerelectronics,chargingsystemandhigh-voltagebattery.Theelectricmotor,powerelectronicsandtransmissionshareonecompacthousingwhilethehigh-voltagebatterymeasuresonly4.3-inchesinheightandismountedlowinthefloorofthenewi4forimprovedvehicleagility.
BMWGrouphasbeenproducingbatterymodulesandhigh-voltagebatteriessince2013andthisin-houseexperienceshows,withthelatestgenerationofbatteries,foundinthei4,havingamaximumDCfastchargingcapacityofupto200kWandACLevel2chargingofupto11kW.
SustainabilityandReducedCarbonFootprint
SustainabilityisanintegralpartofthedevelopmentofthenewBMWi4,fromthesourcingofmaterialstotheproductionofthei4itselfandtotherecyclingofitscomponentsinthefuture.Everystepofthevaluechainwascarefullylookedattoreducethecarbonfootprintofthei4totheabsolutelylowestlevelpossible.
StepstakenbytheBMWGroupincludecommitmentsfromallbatterycellsuppliersfor5thgenerationBMWeDrivetechnologytoonlyuseelectricityfromrenewablesources.Thealuminumelectricmotorcasesaremanufacturedfrompurelygreenenergy.Onlylocally-generatedhydroelectricpowerisusedforthei4’sproductionatBMWGroupPlantMunich.
MonitoredRawMaterialsSourcing
Thehigh-voltageNMC-811batteriesintheBMWi4containlessthan10percentcobaltcontent.Inaddition,theBMWGroupprocurestherequiredcobaltforitsbatterycellproductionitselfandthenmakesitavailabletothebatterycellsuppliers.ThelithiumrequiredforbatterycellproductionislikewiseobtainedundertransparentconditionsthataremonitoredbytheBMWGroup.TheBMWGroupsourcesthelithiumusedinthehigh-voltagebatterypackonboardtheBMWi4fromhard-rockdepositsinAustraliaandpassesitontothebatterycellmakers.Thecompanycanthereforeensurethatenvironmentalandsustainabilitystandardsareobservedduringtheextractionandprocessingofcobaltandlithiumandthattherearenoviolationsofhumanrights.
TheelectricmotorsfortheBMWi4aremadewithouttheuseofrareearthmaterials,allowingtheBMWGrouptonotbereliantontheiravailability.Theproportionofsecondaryaluminumusedinthei4helpstomakemanufacturingmoresustainable.Targeteduseofrecyclingmethodsforthishigh-gradelightweightmetalcanleadtoasubstantialreductionintheenergy-intensiveuseofprimaryaluminum,whichalsogenerateshighlevelsofCO2emissionswhenconventionalmanufacturingtechniquesareemployed.Besidesthis,recycledplasticsareusedinmanyi4components.
DrivingDynamics
TheingredientswhichmakeuptheexperienceofdrivingaBMWincludeinstantaneouspowerdelivery,excellenttractionanddirectionalstability,neutralsteeringbehaviour,preciselycontrollablehandlingevenundermaximumlateralacceleration,superbstoppingpowerandanexcellentbalancebetweensportinessandridecomfortineverydaydrivingandonlongtripsalike.ThenewBMWi4deliversalltheseattributeswithzerotailpipeemissions.The5thgenerationeDrivetechnologyoffersinstanttorque-on-demandwhilethelocationofthehigh-voltagebatterylowinthevehicle’sfloorreducescenterofgravityforimprovedhandling.
Thankstothebatterymodule,thei4’scenterofgravityis1.3-inches(BMWi4M50)or2.1-inches(BMWi4eDrive40)lowerthanona3SeriesSedan.
Therigidbodystructureandsophisticatedchassisdesignimpartsuperbagility,especiallyforthenewi4M50,thefirstpurelyelectricperformancemodelfromBMWMGmbH.
Chassistechnologyincludeslift-relatedshockabsorbers,rearairsuspension,electromechanicalsteeringwithServotronicfunction,integratedbrakingsystem,DSC(DynamicStabilityControl)systemandnear-actuatorwheelsliplimitation.TheBMWi4M50boastsfully-electricall-wheeldrive,adaptiveMsuspensionwithindividuallyconfiguredspringsandshocks,speciallydesignedanti-rollbarsandanadditionalspringstruttowerbraceinthefrontend,alongwithvariablesportsteering,MSportbrakesandMlight-alloywheelsupto20inchesindiameterwithmixed-sizetires.
ThedevelopmentteamsattheBMWGroupandBMWMGmbHharnessedtheirimmenseexpertise,acquiredovermanydecadesofwork,forthei4’sfine-tuning.AnintensiveprogramoftestingwascarriedoutatBMWGroup’stestsitesinMiramasinsouthernFranceandArjeploginthenorthofSwedentomakesurethatmotoroutput,powertransmission,chassisset-upandbodyattributescreatedacompellingdrivingpackage.
ElectricAll-WheelDrive,WheelSlipLimitationandLaunchControl
Withanelectricmotoratbothends,thenewi4M50featuresanelectricall-wheeldrivesystemwhichincreasestractioninallroadconditions,andwhichcanoptimizetractionandhandlingstabilitybyadjustingthedrivetorque,withouttheneedfortractioncontrolintervention.
Thefullyvariablesystemcanchoosetheexactneededsplit,fromhighlyefficientpurerear-wheeldrivetoall-wheel-driveformaximumtraction.Normally,drivepowerisrelayedsolelytothei4M50’srearwheelstoincreaseitsefficiencyandrange.Athigherlevelsoflateralaccelerationorinresponsetowheelslip,themotoractingonthefrontwheelsassumestherequireddrivepowerdeliverytooptimizedrivingdynamicsanddirectionalstability.
TheBMW-developednear-actuatorwheelsliplimitation,whichincombinationwiththeelectricall-wheeldrive,enablesthecartomaintainoptimumtractioninastraightline.Speciallyconfiguredfortheinstantaneouspowerdeliveryofelectricmotors,thistractioncontrolsystemisintegratedintothemotormanagement.ThiseliminatesthelongsignalpathstothecontrolunitfortheDSC(DynamicStabilityControl),meaningthatthecorrectiveinputsareapplieduptotentimesfasterthaninconventionalsystems.
Near-actuatorwheelsliplimitationisfittedonboththerear-wheel-driveBMWi4eDrive40andtheall-wheel-driveBMWi4M50.Thenear-actuatorwheelsliplimitationisdesignedtobringtheadvantagesofrear-wheeldrivetotheworldofelectricmobilityintheBMWi4eDrive40,whereasintheBMWi4M50itissetupforoptimum,rear-biaseddistributionofdrivetorquebetweenthetwoaxles.
ALaunchControlfunctionisincludedinthenewBMWi4.Activatingitallowsthedrivertoacceleratewithoptimumtractionwiththeacceleratorpressedtothefloor.Torqueoscillationswhenstationaryindicatethatthedrivesystemisreadyfor‘launch’,atwhichpointthefullcombinedoutputisinstantlymadeavailable.
RigidBodyStructureandChassis
Arigidbodystructureisparamounttoexcellenthandlingandcomfort.TheBMWi4integratesthehigh-voltagebatteryintothebodystructuretofurtherincreaseitstorsionalrigidity.Thehigh-voltagebatterypackisjoinedtothefloorassemblybymeansof22bolts,whilethebatteryenclosureisalsodirectlyconnectedtothefrontaxlesubframe.
TheBMWi4comeswithabracingpackageforenhancingbodyrigidityattherearandwithintegralshocktower-to-frontendstrutsatthefront,whereanaluminumshearpanelcombineswiththehigh-voltagebatteryhousingtoformaload-bearingstructuralelementofferingevengreaterrigidity.Inordertodelivertheextra-sharpdrivingdynamicsexpectedoftheBMWi4M50,anadditionalbraceisfittedbetweenthetwostruttowersthathelpstogivetheBMWMmodelitsgreatersteeringprecision.
Thedouble-jointspringstrutfrontaxlehasswivelbearingsandcontrolarmsmadefromaluminum,withtheresultingreductioninweightimprovingshockresponseonunevenroadsurfaces.Axlekinematics,trackwidthandcamberhaveallbeenspeciallyconfiguredtoincreasesteeringprecisionandtheabsorptionoflateralforceswhenduringlateralacceleration.Themodel-specificelastokinematicshelptoensureprecisewheelguidanceandincreaseprimaryridecomfort.Thisincludesusingahydraulicallydampedtorquestrutbearingtoreduceoscillationandvibration.TheBMWi4M50alsofeaturesanelasticbearingforthefrontdriveunitinthefrontaxlesubframethathelpsincreaseacousticisolationfromthebody.
Therearfive-linkrearaxlefeaturescontrolarmsinaninnovativesheet-steelconstructiontogetherwithaluminumwheelhubsandupperwishbonestoreduceunsprungmass.Rearaxletorsion-resistantcontrolarmsandmodel-specificelastokinematicscontributetoprecisewheelguidance.Theelectricmotor’sdualelasticbearingiscompletelyintegratedintotherearaxlesubframe,combiningwiththesubframe’slargesupportingbasetoprovideeffectiveacousticisolation.
AccurateSteering:ServotronicorVariableSport
Thestructuralrigidityofthebodyandchassismountingsprovidesforsharpturn-inresponseandgreatcorneringdynamics.Theelectromechanicalsteeringdeliversexcellentdirectionalaccuracyandlowsensitivitytodisruptiveforcesfromunevenroadsurfaces.Italwaysoffersthedriveraccuratefeedbackandisfreeoftorquesteer,evenduringsharpaccelerationordeceleration.ThestandardServotronicspeed-sensitivepowerassistanceofferstwosettings–oneverydirectandonemorecomfortable–thatformpartoftheoverallvehicleset-upactivatedbythedriverusingtheDrivingExperienceControlswitch.
Variablesportsteering,whichisoptionalontheBMWi4eDrive40andstandardontheBMWi4M50combinestheServotronicfunctionwithaspeeddependentvariablerackratiowhichmakesthecarnimblerwhenparkingwhileincreasingagilityatmoderatespeedsandsteeringstabilityathigherspeeds.
Lift-RelatedShocks,RearAir-SuspensionandAdaptiveMSuspension
Steeringisnottheonlysystemwhichaffectsstraight-linepoiseandcorneringstability,however.Carefullymatchingthesteeringwiththespringandshocktuning,givesthenewi4itsbalancedfeelofperformanceandcomfort.
TheBMWi4isequippedwithstandardlift-relatedshocksystemthatgenerateslineardamperforceaccordingtothechangingspringtravel,resultinginimproveddampingresponse.Bodymovementisnoticeablyreducedalongwithvibrationscausedbybumpyroadsurfaces.Extrahydraulicdampingonreboundatboththefrontandrearaxlepreventsexcessivebodydivewhendrivingoverlargebumps.
TheoptionaladaptiveMsuspension(standardintheBMWi4M50)allowsthedrivertoadjusttheshocksettingtosuitthedrivingsituationandtheirpersonalpreferences.Thefrontandrearshocksarecontrolledelectronicallyandindividuallyforeachwheel.Thisincreasesagilityandbodystabilityduringcornering,whilealsoenhancingridecomfort.Dampingforceisadaptedbymeansofcontinuouslyadjustablevalves,whicharecontrolledtoadjustforceasrequiredinjustafewmillisecondsafterfactoringinlongitudinalandlateralacceleration,vehiclespeed,steeringangle,bodyaccelerationandwheelaccelerationatthefrontaxle.
Bothi4modelsalsoincludearearairsuspension,whoseautomaticself-levellingfeaturekeepsthecarataconstantrideheightwhencarryingaheavyload.Theairsuspensionhasbeenconfiguredtoincreaseridecomfortandsharpenhandlingabilitiesbygreatlyreducingbodypitchandroll.
IntegratedBrakingSystem
Theintegratedbrakingsystemhelpstoeliminateunwantedpedalfeedbackduringbrakeregeneration.ItenablesBrakeEnergyRegenerationatamaximumrateof195kWonthei4M50and116kWonthei4eDrive40,therebyboostingefficiencyandrange.Thankstothecutting-edgetechnology,thebrakeactivation,brakeboosterandbrakingcontrolfunctionsarecombinedinacompactmodule.Therequiredbrakepressureistriggeredusinganelectricactuator,anoperatingprinciplethatgeneratespressuremoredynamicallyandensuressignificantlyfasterandmorepreciseinterventionsfromthedrivingstabilitycontrolsystem.Theintegratedbrakingsystemgeneratesstoppingpoweradjustedpreciselytothedriver’sinputs,whileproducingconsistentpedalfeelunimpairedbyanypulsingasaresultofwetroadsurfaces,significantlateralaccelerationorhighbraketemperatures.
LightAlloyWheelsandMoreAdvancedTPMSystem
TheBMWi4eDrive40isfittedwithstandard18-inchlight-alloywheelswhile19-inchwheelsareoptional.TheBMWi4M50includes19-inchMlight-alloywheelswithmixed-sizetires.Additional19-inchand20-inchwheelsareoptional.
AmoreadvancedversionofBMW’sstandardTirePressureMonitorisfoundonthei4.Thesystem’ssensorsrelaydataontirepressureandtemperatureforeachindividualwheel,whichisthenprocessedtogeneratecorrespondingreadoutsintheControlDisplay.TheTirePressureMonitoralsofactorsinspecificdataonthetiresfitted,includingmanufacturer,dimensionsandproductiondate,whichcannowforthefirsttimebescannedfromaQRcodeatthefactoryorservicepartner.ExclusivetoBMW,thissystemsimplifiesuseofthetirepressureindicatorintheiDrivemenu.Inthemenuitemfortireselection,thedriverhasonlytoindicatewhetherthevehicleispartiallyorfullyladentoviewinformationonboththeidealandcurrenttirepressuresanddecidewhetherthereisanyneedtoadjustthem.
AdigitaltirediagnosisfunctionhelpsadvisetheowneroftirewearbyprocessingthedatafromtheTirePressureMonitorintheBMWbackendtogetherwiththepressure,temperatureandwheelspeedreadingstoforecasttheremainingtirelife.CustomerscanbenotifiedviatheMyBMWApp,forexample,ifactionneedstobetaken.
IntelligentLightweightDesignandOptimizedAerodynamics.
Intelligentlightweightdesignofthebodyandchassisallowboththeweightandthefunctionalpropertiesoftherelevantcomponentstobeoptimizedforsuperiorrigidityandcrashsafety.TheBMWi4usesanenginesidemembermadefromextrudedaluminumanddie-castaluminumspringstruts.Thehoodandfrontfendersaremadeofaluminum.Theexceptionallyrigidpassengercellisbuiltfromhot-stampedsteelsandaluminumalloys.
Theexcellentaerodynamicattributesofthei4deliverdragcoefficient(Cd)ofjust0.24forthei4eDrive40and0.25forthei4M50.Allareasofthebodyhavebeencraftedaccordingtoaerodynamicprinciples,fromthefrontbumpertotheexteriormirrorstothetailgate’sintegralspoilerlip.Thehigh-voltagebatteryhousing,themotorcompartmentshieldingandthecoverforthetorsionstrutsformacontinuoussurfacewithseamlesstransitionstoimproveairflowalongtheunderbody.Othermeasuresincludeafrontspoiler,airguidesinfrontofthewheels,embeddedchannelsthatoptimizeairflowandcoverpanelsfortherearaxleanddiffuser.Thei4’sspeciallydesignedlightweightreardiffuserismadefromtextile-basedrawmaterialsandhelpstobothreduceweightanddirecttheairflowmoreefficiently.
ActiveairflapcontrolatthebottomoftheotherwisecompletelyblockedoffBMWkidneygrillereducesthecar’saerodynamicdragevenfurther.Theflapscanbeadjustedintenstages,allowingcoolingairtobesuppliedtothedrivesystem,high-voltagebattery,brakesandairconditioningsysteminprecisequantities.AirCurtainsattheouteredgesofthefrontbumperguidetheoncomingairalongthewheels.Thestandardlight-alloywheelsfeatureanaerodynamicallyoptimizeddesign.ThereisalsotheoptionofBMWIndividualaerodynamicwheelswithinsertsbetweenthespokeswhoseflatdesignensuresafarsmootherairflow.
RareEarthMaterial-FreeElectricMotors
TheBMWi4featuresoneelectricallyexcitedsynchronousmotordrivingtherearaxleonthei4eDrive40andtwomotors,drivingboththefrontandrearaxles,onthei4M50.Thedrivesystem’shighefficiencyandcutting-edgeNMC-811batterycelltechnologygivethecaralongoperatingrangeandexceptionaleverydayusability.Theextremelypowerfulchargingtechnologyiscapableof200kWchargingcapacityforhigh-powerDCcharging.
TheBMWi4M50ispoweredbyafront255hpelectricmotorandarear308hpmotor,whichtogetherputacombinedmaximumoutputof536hp.ThesinglerearelectricmotorintheBMWi4eDrive40delivers335hp.Powerandtorqueistransmittedtotherespectivedriveaxleviaaone-speedtransmissionwhichiscontainedinthesamecompacthousingastheelectricmotor.Theelectricmotorsdevelopedin-housebytheBMWGrouphaveanefficiencyfactorof93percent,betteringtheefficiencyfiguresachievedbycurrentcombustionenginesoflessthan40percent.
TheexcitationoftherotorintheBMWi4motorsisnotinducedbyfixedpermanentmagnets,butthefeed-inofelectricenergy.Thisallowstheuseofcriticalrareearthmetals(requiredformagneticcomponents)tobeavoidedaltogetherinthemanufactureoftherotor.
SportBoostFunctionforthei4M50
AspeciallydesignedboostfunctionthatcanbeactivatedondemandbythedriverisavailablewheneverSPORTmodeisengagedandisusedtounleashthemaximumoutputofbothmotorsforquickestacceleration.TheSportBoostfunctionincreasesthesystem’scombineddrivepowerby67hptoitsmaximumof536hpforovertenseconds.Atthesametime,combinedtorqueisuppedby48lb-ftto586lb-ft.TheextraburstofaccelerationisaccompaniedbyanM-specificsoundtrack.
Toallowmaximumpowertobesummonedinsituationswherethecar’sperformancecapabilitiesarebeingreallyputtothetest,theSportBoostfunctioncanbeactivatedseveraltimesinsuccessionifthehigh-voltagebatteryhasenoughcharge.Everytimethedriveraccelerates,afuelgauge-styleiconintheinstrumentclustershowshowmuchextrapowerisavailableandforhowlong.
AdaptiveEnergyRecuperation
Adaptiveandindividuallyregulatedrecuperationmeanstheintensityofthebrakeenergyrecuperationcanbeadaptedtotheroadsituation,asdetectedbydatafromthenavigationsystemandthesensorsusedbythedriverassistancesystems.Justbeforereachingaturn,atrafficlightatajunctionorasectionofroadwithalowerspeedlimit,forexample,averyhighlevelofrecuperationwillbeactivatedassoonasthedriverreleasestheaccelerator.Whenapproachingavehicleahead,thedriveunitwillagainswitchovertothegeneratorfunctioninordertofeedenergybackintothehigh-voltagebattery.Whencombinedwithananticipatorystyleofdriving,adaptiverecuperationallowsmorethan90percentofalldecelerationtobeperformedusingBrakeEnergyRegenerationalone,withoutanyneedtotroublethebrakingsystem.
Ontheopenroad,thecoastingfunctionenhancescomfortandefficiencywithnodrivepowerwheneverthedrivereasesofftheaccelerator.Adaptiveadjustmentsaccordingtothedrivingsituationarecarriedoutwhenthenavigationsystem’srouteguidancefunctionisnotactivated,precisecontrolofrecuperationenablinginstantaneousresponsestochangesinthesituation.Ifthei4approachesclosertoavehicleaheadwhilecoasting,forexample,recuperationwillbeinitiatedimmediatelytoslowthecardown.
AdaptiverecuperationisoneofthestandardsettingsactivatedwhenthedrivingpositionDisengagedusingtheselectorleveronthecentreconsole.Alternatively,thedrivercanchooseahigh,mediumorlowBrakeEnergyRegenerationsettingforalldrivingsituationsintheiDrivemenu.Maximumrecuperationpoweris116kWintheBMWi4eDrive40and195kWintheBMWi4M50.IndrivingpositionD,thenewBMWi4pullsawayatminimalspeedassoonasthebrakepedalisreleased,increasingcomfortwhenmaneuveringandinstop-starttraffic.AndactivatingdrivingpositionBwiththeselectorleverutilizesthemaximumamountofrecuperationavailableeverytimethedrivereasesofftheaccelerator.ThisallowstheBMWi4tobedriveninurbantrafficwithvirtuallynouseofthebrakepedal.Besidesgeneratingtheone-pedalfeelingcharacteristicoftheBMWGroup’selectricvehicles,thisintenselevelofrecuperationalsolendsitselftoverysportydrivingwithfrequentquickswitchesbetweenacceleratinganddecelerating.
GraphicsshowingthedrivingstatusandenergyflowcanbecalledupintheBMWiDrivesystem’sLiveVehiclemenu.WheneithertheCOMFORTorECOPROmodeshavebeenselectedwiththeDrivingExperienceControlswitch,thecontroldisplayclearlyindicateswhetherthedrivesystemintheBMWi4iscurrentlyprovidingpropulsivepower,recuperatingbrakeenergytofeeditbackintothehigh-voltagebatteryorhasbeende-energized/switchedtotorque-neutralduringacoastingphase.Additionalinformationisalsoshowntothedriverwheneveradaptiverecuperationisusedtoslowdownthevehicle.Thedrivingstyleanalysisthatalsoappearsinthecontroldisplayencouragesdriverstodriveasefficientlyaspossiblewithitsevaluationsofaccelerationstyleandanticipatoryuseoftheaccelerator.
High-VoltageBattery
The5thgenerationBMWeDrivetechnologyincludesahigh-voltagebatterywithstate-of-the-artbatterycelltechnology.Volumetricenergydensityatcelllevelisupby40percentcomparedtothebatteryinthecurrentBMWi3(MY2020).Andthelatestgenerationofhigh-voltagebatteriesdisplayexcellentqualitieswhenitcomestoperformancecapability,charginganddischarging,durabilityandsafety.
The5thgenerationBMWeDrivehigh-voltagebatteriesareparticularlysuitedtoreuseoftheirrawmaterialsaspartofacircularapproach.Thematerialsusedinthemandtheirdesignresultinarecyclingrateofupto90percent.
Thehigh-voltagebatteryinthei4iscomprisedoffourmoduleswith72cellseachandthree12-cellmodules.Togethertheyprovideanetusableenergycontent81.1kWh.ThisallowstheBMWi4eDrive40todeliveranEPArangeof307mileswhenequippedwith18-inchwheelsand282mileswhenequippedwith19-inchwheels.Thei4M50deliversanEPArangeof271mileswhenequippedwith19-inchwheelsand227mileswhenequippedwith20-inchwheels.
IntegratedHeatingandCoolingSystemwithHeatPumpFunction.
Theintegratedheatingandcoolingsystemalsoinsuresoptimaltemperaturecontrolforthehigh-voltagebatteryinhighlydynamicdrivingsituationswithhighpowerrequirementsandwhenrapid-chargingfromaDCchargingstation.Ifthenavigationsystem’srouteguidancefunctionisactiveandhasscheduledastopfortheBMWi4atafast-chargingstation,anticipatorythermalmanagementwillautomaticallypre-conditionthebatterybeforehand.Warmingupthehigh-voltagebatteryorcoolingitdownasappropriatemeansitwillbeattheoptimumtemperatureforquickandefficientchargingatmaximumcapacityuponarrivalatthechargingstation.Thermalmanagementtakesseveralfactorsintoaccounthere,includingcurrentbatterytemperature,remainingrange,thepredictedchargingrateandtheamountofelectricityduetobefedtothebatteryaccordingtotheoverallroutecalculation.
High-SpeedChargingatupto200kW
TheCombinedChargingUnit(CCU)intheBMWi4enablesanextremelyhighlevelofflexibilitywhenitcomestousingchargingstations.Hookingupthehigh-voltagebatterytoaLevel2WallboxallowsittobefedwithACpoweratachargingrateofupto11kW.Usingthismethod,theBMWi4canrechargeitsbatteryfromtotallyemptyto100percentinunder8.0hours.
AsignificantlyhigherchargingoutputwithshorterchargingtimescanbeaccessedbyusingaDCfast-chargingstation.TheBMWi4canchargeitshigh-voltagebatterythereatupto200kW.Whenhookeduptohigh-powerchargingstationofthetype,thei4cantakeenoughenergyonboardinjusttenminutestoincreaserangebyupto90miles.
ChargingwithEVgo
RecognizingthecriticalimportanceofpubliccharginginfrastructuretoEVdrivers,BMWhaspartneredwithEVgo,thenation’slargestpublicfastchargingnetworkandthefirstintheUStobepoweredby100%renewableenergy.BMWChargingPoweredbyEVgoprovidesBMWEVandPHEVdriverswithaccesstoEVgoandpartnerchargingnetworkstationsviaaneasytousemobileapp,underscoringBMW’scommitmenttoahighperformanceandzeroemissionsdrivingexperience.BMWChargingPoweredbyEVgoenablesBMWdriverstoseereal-timestatusofchargers,initiateasession,checktheiraccountstatus,andmoreallwithintheBMWChargingPoweredbyEVgomobileapp.
EVgoandBMWpreviouslypartneredontheChargeNowDCFastProgramandarebuildingontheirsharedhistorytoacceleratethetransitiontoelectricvehicles.EVgo’spublicfastchargingnetworkofferstheconvenienceofchargingatmorethan800fastcharginglocationsatretailandgrocerystores,shoppingmalls,entertainmentcentersandothersitesidealforquick,20-30-minuteerrands.Plus,fordriverswhowillbeparkedforafewhours,EVgo’srelationshipswithpartnernetworkswillprovideaccesstomorethan38,000L2chargersfordrivers,expandingthevarietyofchargingoptions.WiththenewBMWChargingPoweredbyEVgopartnership,buyersandlesseesofqualifyingfullyelectricBMWmodelswillreceive$100inEVgochargingcreditthatcanbeusedatEVgoandpartnernetworkstationsacrossall50states.
ExteriorDesign
TheBMWi4combinesthehallmarksportingaestheticofthebrand’scoupéswiththecomfortofafour-doorcarandapracticalappealofferedbythelargetailgate.TheelegantlystretchedproportionsofthenewBMWi4,theshortoverhangs,slimpillars,doorswithframelesswindowsandarooflinethatflowssmoothlyintotherearunderscoreasilhouettethatverymuchfitstheBMWcoupémould.
Attheheartofthefrontendstandsthestriking,BMWkidneygrille,whichislargelyblockedoffduetothesmallamountofcoolingairrequiredbytheelectricdrivecomponents.Dependingonthespecification,thecar’sfrontcameraisjoinedbyultrasonicandradarsensorsintegrateddiscreetlyintothesurfaceofthekidneygrille.ThefrontbumperoftheBMWi4alsohasonlyasmallnumberofopenings.Theseincludetheaircurtainspositionedtowardsitsouteredges,whichdirectairefficientlypastthewheels.Clearlydesignedsurfacespaintedalmostentirelyinbodycolor,preciselinesandblackinlaysunderlinethemodern,function-ledcharacterofthefrontend.
Withtheirreducedandtechnicallysophisticatedappearance,theslimheadlightsoftheBMWi4fitinneatlywiththesurfacedesignoftheBMWkidneygrille.Theclassicaltwin-headlightlayoutisenhancedbytheadditionofmodernandminimalistU-shapedlightelementsforthedaytimedrivinglights.TheBMWi4isequippedwithstandardfull-LEDheadlights.
Largeandsmoothsculptedsurfaces,theairbreathersintegratedintothesidesilltrimonthefrontfenders,flush-fitteddoorhandlesandthefin-liketrailingedgeofthepassengercompartmentmarkouttheaerodynamicallyoptimizeddesignoftheBMWi4whenviewedfromtheside.TheelegantstretchedsidewindowdesignflowsintotheHofmeisterkinkcounter-swingabovethepowerfulshouldersnorthoftherearwheels.
Asanexhaustsystemisnotrequired,thelowersectionoftherearbumperisusedtoimproveaerodynamicsviathediffuserelement.Belowthelongandslim,L-shapedrearlightswiththeirhighlytechnicaldesignisanextremelyclearsurfacetreatment.Sharplycutverticalaerovanesframetherearofthecartothesides.Thelowerareasoftheskirtsandrearhaveasophisticatedblackfinish,givingthecaralower-slungappearanceandaccentuatingitsbroadstance.ThebackupassistcameraisintegratedintotheBMWbadgeonthetailgate.
Model-specificdesignfeaturesgivetheBMWi4M50eye-catchinglookstodifferentiateitsmoresportingcharacter.ThefrontbumperhasthesignatureU-shapeddesignofBMWMmodels.Additionalsideairintakesoptimizebrakecooling.TheBMWkidneygrillesurroundandtheverticaltrimaroundtheaircurtainscomeinCeriumGreyasdotheexteriormirrorcapsandtheinlaysintheouteredgesoftherearbumper,whiletheairbreathers,thesidesilltrimstripsandrearbumpertrimarepaintedinhigh-glossblack.AnM-specificspoileronthetailgateroundsoffthedistinctive,performance-orientedappearanceoftheBMWi4M50.
InteriorDriver-FocusedCockpitwithBMWCurvedDisplay
TheinterioroftheBMWi4fusesthecleardesignlanguageandmodernpremiumambiencewithanextremelyprogressiveapproachtodriver-focusedcockpitdesign.Thepurelyelectricgrancoupécomeswithaveryslimandlowinstrumentpanel,whichprovidesthestageforthelatestversionofthefullydigitaldisplaygrouping.TheinnovativeBMWCurvedDisplaybringstogethertheinformationdisplaybehindthesteeringwheelandthecontroldisplayoftheBMWiDrivecontrol/operationsystemintoaframeless,single-pieceglasssurfaceangledtowardsthedriver.The12.3-inchinformationdisplayand14.9-inchcontroldisplayeffectivelymergeintoasingledriver-focusedunit.
TheBMWCurvedDisplayintheBMWi4isheldinplacebyasupportingstructurethatisconcealedfromtheoccupants’viewandappearstobefreestandinginthecockpit.Theanti-reflectiveglassusedmakesitpossibletodispensewiththecustomarybinnacleforshieldingthereadoutsfromsunlight,givingthecockpitareaaremarkablytidyandairyappearance.
Therestoftheinteriordesignisfocusedtowardsprovidingarichlyinvolvingdrivingexperience.TheBMWi4isfittedwithstandardsportseatsandasportssteeringwheelwithmultifunctionbuttons.Thehighcenterconsoleandflowingsurfacestructurerunningfromtheinstrumentpanelintothedoorpanelsgenerateacocoon-likefeelinthefrontcompartment.IntheBMWi4M50,soft,raisedkneepadsonthecenterconsolefurtheraccentuatethecar’sengagingdrivingcharacter.
Thoughtfullydesignedsurfaces,premiummaterialsandprecisionworkmanshiparekeyingredientsintheinterior’sambience.TheStart/Stopbuttonforthedrivesystemispositionedinthecontrolpanelinthecenterconsole,whichalsohousestheBMWControllerandthebuttonsfortheDrivingExperienceControlunitandelectromechanicalparkingbrakealongsidethemodel-specificgearshiftlever.BlueaccentsontheStart/Stopbutton,steeringwheelandgearshiftleverareanodtotheelectricdrivesystem.
AutomaticClimateControlwithNewControlsandIntegralNanofiberFilter.
TheBMWi4isequippedwithastandardthree-zoneautomaticclimatecontrol.Itallowsthedriver,thefrontpassengerandtherear-seatpassengerstosettheirdesiredtemperatureandventilationlevelsindividually.Thedriverandfrontpassengercanadjusttheclimatecontrolsystemtotheirpersonalpreferencesviathecontroldisplayorbyvoicecommand.Dependingonthesettingsselectedintheclimatecontrolmenu,changingthetemperaturealsopromptsadjustmentoftheseatheatingandseatventilationcontrol.Thismeansindividualfunctionsnolongermustbeoperatedseparatelybytheuser.Moreover,thoseonboardcanseeimmediatelyifthesystemiscurrentlycoolingorheatingtheinteriorandiftheseatheatingorseatventilationisactivated.
Thesystemalsoconsidersthenumberofpassengersonboardandwheretheyaresitting.Thisisthefirsttimeallthevehicle’stemperatureandcomfort-enhancingfunctionshavebeencontrolledfromasinglesource.
Cutting-edgenanofiberfiltertechnologyisusedtopurifytheairinsidethecarmoreeffectively,withnano-fleeceandactivatedcarbonlayersfurtherimprovingairqualityintheinterior.Nanofiberfiltertechnologyenablesultrafinedustparticlesandcertainmicro-bacterialparticlesandallergenstobekeptoutofthecabin.Thepre-heatingorpre-conditioningfunctionallowstheinteriorairtobepurifiedeffectivelybeforethecustomerclimbsaboard.
Apre-heatingandpre-conditioningfunctionisincludedintheBMWi4.ThisisactivatedthroughiDrive,orbysmartphoneviatheMyBMWapp.
HighLevelofAcousticComfort,LargeGlassSlide/TiltSunroof
TheBMWi4isfittedwithstandardacousticglazingforthewindshield.Anautomaticallydimmingrear-viewmirrorandheatedexteriormirrors.Thestandardglassslide/tiltsunroofwithatransparentsurfacemeasuring3.6-squarefeetbathstheinteriorinlight.The34.1-inchwideand23-inchlongexpanseofglassextendsintotherearofthecarandincludesafrontpanelwhichcanbeopenedortiltedup.
PersonalizedLightMoodsandAudioExperience.
ThestandardLEDlightingforthecabinincludesreadingandinteriorlightsinboththefrontandrear,aswellaslightingfortheglovecompartment,thestoragecompartmentunderthecenterarmrest,thefootwells,themirrorsinthesunvisorsandtheboot,plusthecourtesylightsinthedoors.TheoptionalambientlightingprovidesatmosphericallyrichilluminationoftheinteriorwithpreciselypositionedLEDfiber-opticlightguidesforthecontourlinesintheinstrumentpanelandthedoorpanelling.Thelighting’sdistribution,brightnessandcolorschemecanbeconfiguredintheiDrivemenu.ThisoptionalsoincludestheWelcomeLightCarpetfortheapproachtothedoorsandtheDynamicinteriorlightfunction,whosepulsatinglightsignalsindicateanincomingphonecalloranopendoorwhentheengineisrunning.
ThestandardBMWLiveCockpitProfessionalfittedasstandardintheBMWi4includesanaudiosystemwithtenspeakersanda205-wattamplifier.TheHarmanKardonsurroundsoundsystem,completewith16speakersandadigitalseven-channelamplifierdelivering464wattsofaudiopowerisoptional.
AcousticPedestrianProtectionandBMWIconicSoundsElectric.
TheelectricdrivesystempoweringtheBMWi4producesnotonlyzerolocalemissionsbutalsoalmostnothinginthewayofsound.Inordertoalertotherroadusersthatthei4isapproaching,itcomesstandardwithanacousticpedestrianprotectionsystem.DevelopedspeciallyforelectrifiedBMWvehicles,artificiallygeneratedandemittedthroughexteriorspeakers,thesoundisactiveuptodrivingspeedsof19mph.Itgivesthevehicleabrand-typicalsoundtrack,withoutimpingingonthecomfortofthoseonboard.
BMWiDrive8
ThenewBMWiDrive8,anewgenerationofdisplays,controlsandsoftware,plusextremelypowerfulconnectivityanddataprocessinggivetheBMWi4allthetoolsneededtoserveasanintelligentandproactivepartnerinanysituation.Theintuitive,multimodaloperationisturnedintoanaturaldialoguebetweentheuserandtheircarthatseekstopreciselytailorallthefunctionscontrolledviaBMWiDrivetothedriver’sneedsandpreferencesasthesituationdemands.
ThenewBMWiDrivewasdesignedwithafocusondialogue-basedinteractionusingnaturallanguageandontouchoperation.Consequently,newavailablefeaturesincludetheexpandedcapabilitiesoftheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistant,whichusesanewgraphictocommunicatewiththevehicle’soccupants,andtheBMWCurvedDisplay–theall-newfullydigitaldisplaygroupingintheBMWi4formedbytheinformationdisplayandcontroldisplayandangledtowardsthedriver.
NaturalDialoguewiththeBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistant
ThenewgenerationofBMWiDriveseestheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantgainingadditionalskillstostrengthenthepersonalrelationshipbetweenthedigitalcompanionandthecar’soccupants.
Incommunicationbetweenpeople,alotofinformationisconveyednon-verbally.TheAssistant’snewvisualisationapproach,featuringspheresoflightindifferentsizesandbrightnesslevels,givesitmorespaceandformsofexpression.Thisprovidesitwithaclearlyvisiblefocalpointandrecognizablestatesofactivity.
WhentheuserspeakstotheAssistant,itappearsinafluidanimationandspreadsoutengaginglyoverthedisplays.TheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantcandistinguishwhoistalkingtoitandappearsontherelevantscreenarea.AwidgetdesignedespeciallyfortheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantenablesrapidaccesstoothersettingsandsuggestions.
AdvanceshavealsobeenmadeinthefunctionalityoftheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistant.Anexpandedpoolofunderlyingdataandinformationhasnotonlymadethedigitalassistantmoreintelligent;ithasalsoenabledittoactproactivelyaccordingtocontext.TheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantsuggestsfunctionsthecustomerhasnotyettriedout.Forexample,ifthedriverregularlyopensthewindowatacertainpoint,theAssistantrecognizesthepatternandproactivelysuggestssettingtherelevantGPScoordinates–e.g.theentrancetoacarparkwhereaparkingticketneedstoberetrieved–asanautomaticopeningpointforthewindow.
BMWHead-UpDisplay
IntheBMWi4,thecustomaryBMWdriverfocusfollowstheinnovativeprinciple“Act,LocateandInform”.ThenewBMWiDriveenablesthescreensintheBMWCurvedDisplayandnew3+generationBMWHead-UpDisplaytodovetailwithoneanothermorepreciselythanever.Forexample,thedriverisalwaysgiventherelevantinformationwheretheycanabsorbitasquicklyandeasilyaspossible.Whenusingthenavigationsystem,forexample,theControlDisplayprovidesalargemapview(Inform),whileonthedisplaybehindthesteeringwheel,currentpositioninginformation(Locate)canbeshownintheformofamapexcerpt.ThedriverisgivenspecificinstructionsintheHead-UpDisplay(Act)intheformoflanerecommendationsorinformationonthedistancetoajunctionwheretheyneedtoturnoff.
ThedrivercanadaptthetypeandamountofcontentshownintheHead-UpDisplaytotheirpersonalpreferencesorthetrafficsituationathandatanytime.Theycanchoosefromvariousviewsfocusingonavarietyofcontentareas,e.g.navigationordriverassistance.Aknurledwheelontheright-handspokeofthemultifunctionsteeringwheelenablesfastandintuitiveselectionofthedesiredview.
RemoteSoftwareUpgrade
ThenewBMWiDrive8furtherenhancesupdatingthein-carsoftware.Newandimprovedfunctionscanbeimportedquicklyandeasilyovertheair,eitherusingthecar’sbuilt-inSIMcardorviatheMyBMWApp.Installationissubsequentlylaunchedbythecustomerandseldomtakeslongerthan20minutes.RemoteSoftwareUpgradesareinstalledfreeofcharge.
ThedriverisalertedtotheavailabilityofanewupgradeeitherintheControlDisplay(ifthecarisparked)orintheMyBMWAppontheirsmartphone.IntheBMWi4theBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantnowalsoissuesareminderthatthenewsoftwareisavailablebymeansofaspecialwidget.Alsonewistheoptionforthedrivertoscheduletheinstallationprocess.Here,thevehiclemustfirstbesecurelyparkedinaccordancewiththeinstructions.Installationcanthenbecarriedoutautomaticallyatapre-settime–meaningitcanbedoneovernightaswell.
PersonalisationwithBMWID
WheninteractingwiththenewBMWiDrive,BMWi4customersbenefitfromincreasingpersonalizationoftheuserexperiencebasedontheBMWID.Thisisusedforsecurelystoringevenmorepersonalizedsettingsandtransferringthembetweenvehicles.APINcodecanbecreatedfortheBMWIDassociatedwithaspecifickeytopreventothervehicleusersfromaccessingpersonaldata.
Whensigningintoavehicleforthefirsttime,simplyscanningaQRcodeisallittakestocreateanewBMWIDonasmartphone.IftheuserusestheMyBMWAppandisthereforealreadyinpossessionofaBMWID,thiswillbeautomaticallyimportedintothecarviatheappwhentheQRcodeisscanned.
TheBMWIDcanbecreatedandactivatedeffortlesslyandsecurelyinvehicleswithBMWiDrive8orBMWiDrive7.OncetheBMWIDhasbeenimported,thedriverwillreceiveapersonalgreetingwhichwillincludethecustomizedprofileimagethedrivercancreateintheMyBMWApp.Atthesametime,personalsettingsforseatandsteeringwheelposition,exteriormirrors,navigationsystem,driverassistancefunctions,displaylayouts,shortcutsandfavouritesaswellasinfotainmentsystemsettingswillbeimportedautomatically.PersonalizedsuggestionsfromtheBMWIntelligentPersonalAssistantarealsostoredintheBMWID,togetherwithindividuallyselectedwakewordsandprivacysettings.OncetheBMWIDhasbeenactivatedwiththeassociatedkeyorbyselectingtheBMWIDinthevehicle,thepersonalsettingsareinstantlyadopted.ThecustomercanelecttosavethesepersonalsettingstotheBMWCloud.
CreatingaBMWIDisessentialforusingthenewBMWiDrive8andthenew,personalizedfunctionsthatgowithit.Ifadriverwishestoaccesspersonalizedfunctionswhilesignedinwithaguestaccount,theywillbepromptedtologinwithaBMWIDsothattheycanmakefulluseofthem.
ConnectedNavigation,ParkingandChargingwithBMWMaps
Thecloud-basednavigationsystemBMWMapsenablesroutestobecalculatedsignificantlyfasterandmoredynamically.Tothisend,BMWMapscombinesreal-timeinformationwithforecastingmodelsthatpredictthetrafficsituationalongtherestoftheroute.Thisallowsarrivaltimestobecalculatedwithleadinglevelsofaccuracy–bybothautomotiveandsmartphonestandards.ThedatapoolforthisisprovidedbytheHEREmap,supplementedbyknowledgegatheredthroughtheswarmintelligenceoftheBMWGroup’sconnectedfleet(morethan14millionvehiclesworldwide).Themapdatainthenavigationsystemisupdatedovertheairatregularintervals.MachinelearningalgorithmsarealsoemployedfordataprocessingintheBMWCloud.
WiththearrivalofthenewBMWiDrive8intheBMWi4,thedigitalservicesfornavigation,parkingandchargingarefullyintegratedintothecloud-basedBMWMapssysteminauser-friendlywayandtheintelligentfunctionsarealsobeingfurtherexpanded.Thecalculatedtrafficsituationisnowupdatedatone-minuteintervals.Enteringthedestinationinthevehicleiseasierandfaster,too.Theone-boxsearchfacilityallowsaddressesorplacenamestobeenteredinasearchbox,justlikewithanonlinesearchengine.Andover120millionpointsofinterestworldwidecanbelocatedinthesameway.ThestoredinformationisupdatedseveraltimesaweektoensurethatBMWMapsisalwaysuptotheminute.TheMyBMWAppcanbeusedtotransfernavigationdestinationsfromasmartphonestraighttothecar.TheBMWCloudalsocontainsadditionalcontextualinformationonpointsofinterest,suchasratings,openingtimesandimages,aswellasdetailedinformationonpublicchargingstations.
Oneofthekeynewandintelligentfunctionsis“LearningNavigation”,whereBMWMapsusesthehabitsassociatedwiththeindividualBMWIDasthebasisforlearningandanticipatesthedestinationthedriverislikelytoheadfor.Thissavesdriversthetroubleofenteringthedestinationagainforregularjourneys,especiallythedailycommutetowork,whentheyneverthelesswishtobealertedtodelaysorhazardsalongtheirroute.InformationonthecurrenttrafficsituationforthejourneyaheadandtheestimateddrivingtimearesenttotheMyBMWApppriortodeparture.AnindividuallyconfigurableTrafficWidgetinthecarlikewiseshowsthepredicteddestinationwiththeaccompanyingtrafficinformation.Oncethesuggesteddestinationhasbeenselected,routeguidancecanbeactivatedwithaquicktapofthefingerif,forinstance,thesystemproposesanalternativerouteduetohightrafficlevels.
ImprovementshavealsobeenmadeintermsofthehelpprovidedbyBMWMapswhensearchingforaparkingspace.Forroadsideparking,aparkingsearchrouteiscalculatedbasedonaprobabilityanalysis.Thisguidesthedrivertotheirdestinationalongarouteofferingaverygoodchanceoffindingafreespace.Thisapproachisextendedtovehiclecharging:BMWMapssuggestsparkingspaceswithadditionalchargingfacilitiesinthedirectvicinity.
ConnectedCharging:EasyChargingThankstoIntelligentConnectivity
DigitalservicesfromConnectedChargingaredesignedtomakesurethatevenlongjourneyscanbecompletedeasilyandconvenientlywiththeBMWi4.Duringthejourney,theBMWMapsnavigationsystemshowspublicchargingstationsalongtheroutebeingtravelledorinthevicinityofthedestination.Colorcodingisusedtoindicatechargingstationavailabilitydirectlyinthelisting,togetherwithfurtherdetailssuchasthechargingcapacityofferedandinformationontheoperatorandpossiblepaymentmethods.Whensearchingforchargingstations,afiltercanbeaddedtoshowfast-chargingstationsonly.
StopsforrechargingthebatterycanbefactoredintorouteplanningintheMyBMWAppthankstoConnectedCharging.Thesystemcalculatestheoptimumchargingstrategyandsuggeststhequickestoverallroute.Thisexactanddetailedrouteplanningprovidesanaccurateestimationofthearrivaltime.Whenthedriverselectsapublicchargingstation,thenavigationsystemwillalsoshowthemsuggestionsforrestaurants,cafés,attractionsorculturalvenuesintheareatoallowthemtomakethemostofthetimewhiletheircarischarging.
TheRemoteServicesintheMyBMWAppcanbeusedtocontrolboththechargingprocessandpre-conditioningoftheBMWi4remotely.Inthisway,thedrivercanprogramwhenvehiclechargingandpre-conditioningoftheinteriorandbatteryshouldstart,takingintoaccounttheamountofenergyrequiredandtheplanneddeparturetime.Thedriverwillreceiveapushnotificationoncethetargetchargelevelhasbeenreachedorifthereareanyirregularitiesduringcharging.Similarly,informationonchargingstatus,rangeandotherdetailscanbeviewedintheMyBMWApponasmartphoneaswellasinthevehicle.TheMyBMWAppalsocontainsatransparentevaluationofallchargingcyclesperformedeitherathomeoronthego.Inadditiontothis,theappcanbeusedtostartorstopchargingremotely.
IntegrationofSmartphonesThird-PartyServices
IntegratingAppleCarPlay?moredeeplyintoBMWiDriveenablescustomerstouseagreatnumberoffunctionsfromtheircarinjustthesamewaytheydoontheirsmartphone.OnenotablenewfeaturewhenusingAppleCarPlayisthattheAppleMapsnavigationmapisshownnotjustonthecontroldisplaybutalsoontheinformationdisplayintheBMWCurvedDisplay.ThecorrespondingnavigationinstructionsalsoappearintheBMWHead-UpDisplaywhenrouteguidanceisactive.Aspecialfunctionforall-electricvehicleswillbeaddedtoAppleMapsin2022:ifthedistancetothedestinationisgreaterthanthecurrentrange,AppleMapswillautomaticallyplanachargingstopandmodifytherouteaccordingly.
GoogleAndroidAutoTMofferscustomersaccesstoawealthofAndroidsmartphonefunctionsandcontentwhiledriving.WirelesslyconnectinganAndroidsmartphone(withAndroid10orhigher)totheBMWi4willbequickerandeasierthanever.AssumingBluetoothisactivatedonthedevice,aprompttoconnecttothecarwillbedisplayedautomaticallywhentheusergetsin.Followingconfirmation,thedevicewillbeconnectedinjustonestepsothatitisinstantlyreadyforBluetoothphonecallsorAndroidAuto.DeepintegrationintoBMWiDrive8willallowAndroidAutocontenttobeshowninmultipledisplayareas,too.IfGoogleMapsnavigationisactive,themapwillappearintheinformationdisplayaswellasthecontroldisplay,whilenavigationinstructionscanalsobeviewedintheHead-UpDisplay.
IntelligentTechnologyforDriver’sAssistanceSystems
TheBMWi4offersanextensiverangeofdriverassistancesystemswhichareamongthebestonthemarket.TheautomateddrivingandparkingsystemsatworkintheBMWi4standoutwiththeirwide-rangefunctionality.Thearound40assistancefunctionsofferedforthei4eitherasstandardoroptionallyenhancesafetyandcomfortwhendrivingandparking–inadverseweatherconditionsandunclearroadsituationsalike.
TheprimarymissionofthechassistechnologyandnowalsoautomateddrivingtechnologyinBMWGroupmodelsistoopenapositiveandemotionallyengagingexperienceforthecustomer.Thefocusisontheenjoymentofdriving,andheretheassistancesystemsplayakeyrolealongsidethemodel-specificdrivingcharacteristics.TheBMWi4offerscustomersthebestofbothworlds–theycanenjoydynamicdrivingpleasurebytakingthecontrolsthemselvesorusetheassistancefunctionstomakecertaindrivingsituationsandparkingsaferandlessstressful.
Anetworkofextremelyadvancedsensorstakescenterstagehere.Thedriverassistancesystemsprocesscameraimagesandthedatacollectedbyultrasonicandradarsensorstomonitortheareaaroundthevehicle,warnthedriverofpossibledangersandminimisetheriskofaccidentusingbrakeorsteeringinputs.ExistingfunctionscanbeimprovedorexpandedbymeansofRemoteSoftwareUpgrade.
HighlightsforLevel2automateddrivinginaccordancewithSAEInternationalStandard(SAEJ3016)includeautomaticSpeedLimitAssistandrouteguidancewhenusingActiveCruiseControlwithStop&Gofunction.Bothfunctionsofferthedriverparticularlyuser-friendlyassistancewhenchoosingtherightspeedforthesituationathand.
WithautomaticSpeedLimitAssist,thesystemcontrolsthecar’sspeedbybothmaintainingthedesiredsafetydistancetovehiclestravellinginfrontandobservingspeedrestrictionsalongtheroute.ItconsidersspeedlimitsignsdetectedbySpeedLimitAssistorbylookingaheadalongtherouteusingdatafromthenavigationsystem.IftherelevantsettingisselectedintheBMWiDrive,themaximumpermittedspeedregisteredinthiswayisautomaticallyadoptedasthenewdesiredspeed.
Theroutemonitoringfunctionalsohelpstomakelong-distancejourneysmorecomfortable.Aswellasdistancecontrolandthespeedlimitsinforce,itconsidersthenatureoftherouteinautomaticallyselectingtheidealspeedtotravelat.Thisfunctionusesthenavigationsystem’smaptolookaheadandreducethecar’sspeedwhenapproachingacorner,aroundabout,ajunctionoranexit.Iftheintentiontoturnoffissignalledbyactivationofaturnindicator,thesystemalsoensuresthatthemanoeuvreiscarriedoutatanappropriatespeedbyslowingthecaringoodtime.Thesystemalsoadjuststhecar’sspeedbeforereachingabuilt-uparea,insteadofonlybrakingoncethecarhaspassedtheplacenamesign.Oncethecarhaspassedthroughtherelevantsectionoftherouteatanappropriatespeed,thesystemacceleratestheBMWi4backtothedesiredspeedsetbythedriverorthepermittedmaximumspeed.
FrontalCollisionWarningandLaneDepartureWarning
Thelatest,standard,versionofCollisionWarningwithbrakingfunctionandPedestrianWarningwithbrakingfunctionreactstobothmovingandstationaryvehiclesandcandetectbothpedestriansandcyclists.
LaneDepartureWarningwithlanereturn,alsostandard,registerstheroadmarkingspickedupbythefrontcameraandhelpsthedrivertoavoiddeviatingunintentionallyfromtheircurrentlane.Thesystemcanbeusedatspeedsofatleast40mphandwarnsthedriverbymeansofasteeringwheelvibration.Ifacorrectioninthecar’scourseisnecessary,italsoofferssteeringassistance.Thesystemnowanalysestheroadconditionsathandevenmoreprecisely.Onextremelynarrowroads,thecoursecorrectionassistanceissuppressedsothatifavehicleisapproachingfromtheoppositedirection,thedrivercaneasilymoveontothesideoftheroad.
DrivingAssistantandActiveCruiseControlwithStop&Gofunction
ThefunctionsincludedinthestandardDrivingAssistantincluderearcollisionpreventionandrearcross-trafficwarning,whichreducesthedangerofacollisionwhenreversingtowardsroadswhicharedifficulttoseeinto.Here,cross-trafficwarningusestheside-mountedradarsensors.BlindSpotDetectionincreasessafetyinovertakingmaneuversonmulti-laneroads.Italertsthedrivertovehicleswhicharewithinacriticaldistanceontheadjacentlaneorapproachingquicklyfromtherear.Thewarningtakestheformofanilluminatingsignalintheexteriormirror.
TheoptionalActiveCruiseControlwithStop&Gofunctionoffersevenmoreextensiveassistancebyusingsensorfatafromcamerasandradartonotonlymaintainthepreferredspeedbutalsoautomaticallykeepasafedistancefromvehiclestravellingahead–withachoiceoffourproximitysettings.ThedistanceinformationcanbeshownintheoptionalHead-UpDisplay.ActiveCruiseControlwithStop&Gofunctionbrakesthecartoastandstillifnecessary.Inslow-movingtraffic,thevehiclepullsawayagainautomaticallyoncethesituationallows.
DrivingAssistanceProfessional
ThesystemsbroughttogetherintheDrivingAssistanceProfessionalevaluatethedatasuppliedbyatotalofthreefrontcameras,onefront-facingradarsensorandfourradarsensorsfacingouttothesidestobuildadetailedpictureofthecar’ssurroundings.ThisalsobringstheSteeringandLaneControlAssistantintoplay,helpingtheBMWi4drivertocontinuealongtheircurrentcourse–likewiseatspeedsofupto112mph–withtheassistanceofsmoothcorrectingsteeringinputs.ActiveNavigationisalsooneofitsfunctionsandhelpsthedrivertokeeptotheroutecalculatedbythenavigationsystemonmulti-laneroads.Whenapproachingamotorwayintersectionorexit,adisplayintheinstrumentclusterindicatestheneedtochangelane.Inpreparation,thesystemadjuststhecar’sspeedtomakeiteasiertosteerintoasuitablegapintheadjacentlane.
FurthercomponentsofDrivingAssistantProfessionalaretheLaneKeepingAssistantwithactivesidecollisionprotection,EmergencyStopAssistantandtheEvasionAssistant,whichalsoreactstopedestrians.
Adedicatedbuttononthesteeringwheel’sleft-handspokeensuresthesystemsareeasytooperate.PushingitonceactivatesboththeActiveCruiseControlwithStop&GoandtheActiveLaneKeepingAssistant.AssistedViewintheinstrumentclustergivesthedriveranoverviewoftheactivatedsystemsandtheirfunctionality.Thecentralareaofthecockpitdisplayisreservedforathree-dimensionalmock-upofthevehicleanditssurroundings.Thisiswherethedrivercanseeanimageofthecars,trucksandmotorcyclesdetectedbythecameraandradarsensorsinthedriver’scurrentlane,alongwiththoseinanyadjacentlanes.Vehicleswithinacriticaldistancearehighlighted.Iconsindicatesituation-specificmanoeuvresthatcanbecarriedoutwiththehelpofassistancesystems.Inthisway,AssistedViewoffersthedriveraconvenientwayofcheckingthestatusofthedriverassistancesystemsandtherelevantcoursesofactionwithasingleglanceatanytime.
RearViewCamera,Back-UpAssistant,ParkingAssistantPlus
BMWi4driversalsobenefitfromeffectiveassistancewhenparkingandmaneuvering,thankstoParkDistanceControl(PDC)withsensorsatthefrontandrear.Inaddition,theReversingAssistCameraisfittedasstandard.TheoptionalParkingAssistantincludesActiveParkDistanceControl(PDC),whichusesvisualandacousticalertsandautomaticbrakeinputstohelpavoidcollisionswithobstaclestothesidesandrearofthevehicle.
Addedtowhich,thelatestversionoftheParkingAssistantoffersanevenwiderangeofuses.Ithelpsthedrivertoselectanduseparkingspaceseitherparallelorperpendiculartotheroad.Suitablespacesaredetectedusingultrasonicsensorsasthevehicledrivespast.Whenselectingaparkingspaceandaligningthecarduringtheparkingprocess,thesystemcannowtakeitsbearingsfromkerbsaswellasothervehicles.Thesystemcanalsodriveintoperpendicularspacesforwardsorinreverse.ThelatestversionoftheParkingAssistantcanbeusedbothtoenterandexitspaces.Aswellasthenecessarysteeringinputs,itnowalsocarriesouttheacceleration,brakingandgearchangesrequiredforthemaneuver.
AnothercomponentoftheoptionalParkingAssistantistheBack-UpAssistant.Itoffersthehighlyconvenientoptionofautomatedreversinginconfinedspacesorsituationswherethedriverdoesnothaveaclearview,suchasmulti-storeycarparksorentrancestocourtyards.Todothis,itstoresthesteeringmovementsforanysectionthecarhasjustdrivenforwardalongatnomorethan22mph.Thesystemisthenabletoreversethevehiclefordistancesofupto50yardsbysteeringitalongthesamelineittookwhenmovingforward.Allthedrivermustdoisoperatetheacceleratorandbrakepedalsandmonitorthevehicle’ssurroundings.TheBack-UpAssistantcanbackthecarupautomaticallyatamaximum5.5mph.
ThefunctionscontainedintheoptionalParkingAssistantPlusprovideanexcellentoverviewinmanydifferentsituations.SurroundViewincludingTopView,PanoramaViewund3DViewhelptocreatea360-degreeimageofthevehicleanditssurroundings,whichisshownfromvariousanglesintheControlDisplay.Meanwhile,theRemote3DViewfunctiongivesdriverstheabilitytocallupathree-dimensionalliveimageoftheirvehicleanditsimmediatevicinityontheirsmartphone.
ExteriorColors
TheBMWi4eDrive40offersaselectionoftwostandardnon-metallicpaintfinishesandtenmetallicpaintcolors.Thei4M50offersonestandardnon-metallicfinish,ninemetallicfinishesandoneFrozenmattefinish.
BMWi4eDrive40
BMWi4M50
InteriorColorsandTrim
PerforatedSensaTecisstandardonbothi4eDrive40andi4M50models.
Vernascaleatherisoptionalforbothi4models.
StandardEquipment
Thei4eDrive40includesthefollowingnotablestandardequipment:
Thei4M50addsthefollowingstandardequipment:
OptionalPackagesandEquipment
PremiumPackage
MSportPackage(i4eDrive40only)
DynamicHandlingPackage(i4eDrive40only)
High-PerformanceTirePackage(i4M50only)
DrivingAssistanceProfessionalPackage
ParkingAssistancePackage
ShadowlinePackage
Individualoptionsinclude:
Specifications
i4eDrive40
i4M50
Seats
--
5
NumberofDoors
4
Drivetype
RWD
AWD
Length
inches
188.5
Width
72.9
Widthincludingmirrors
81.6
Height
57.0
Wheelbase
112.4
Groundclearance
4.9
Turningradius
feet
20.5
Weightdistributionfront/rear
percent
45.1/54.9
48.1/51.9
Curbweight
pounds
4,680
5,018
Payload
933
926
Headroomfront/rear
38.2/36.6
Legroomfront/rear
41.5/34.2
Shoulderroomfront/rear
55.2/54.3
Trunkvolume,EPA
cubicfeet
10
Enginetype
5thgen.electric
synchronous
Frontmotoroutput
hp
-
255hp@
8,000–17,000rpm
Frontmotortorque
lb-ft
tbd
Rearmotoroutput
335@
308@
Rearmotortorque
317@
0–5,000rpm
Combinedoutput
335
536
Combinedtorque
317
586
Max.energyrecuperation
kW
116
195
Transmission
Single-speed
Gearratio
:1
8.774
High-voltagebattery
Lithium-ion
Voltage
V
398.5
Batterycapacity
Ah
210.6
Netusableenergycontent
kWh
81.1
Chargingtime,0-100%
hours
8.25(11kW)
Chargingtime,10-80%
minutes
31(DCfast)
Charging,in10minutes
Maximumcharging,single-phase
11.0
Maximumcharging,DC
200
Power-steeringtype
EPS
Steeringratio
15.5
14.1
Wheels,standard,front/rear
7.5x18
8.5x19/9.0x19
Tires,standard,front/rear
225/50R18
245/40R19/255/40R19
Wheels,optional,front/rear
8.5x20/10.0x20
Tires,optional,front/rear
255/35R20/285/30R20
Track,front
62.6
Rear,track
63.2
Cx
0.25
0-60mph
seconds
5.5
3.7
Topspeed
mph
118
130/140
EPArange
miles
301with18-inchwheels
270with19-inchwheels
282with19-inchwheels
227with20-inchwheels
BMWGroupinAmerica
BMWofNorthAmerica,LLChasbeenpresentintheUnitedStatessince1975.Rolls-RoyceMotorCarsNA,LLCbegandistributingvehiclesin2003.TheBMWGroupintheUnitedStateshasgrowntoincludemarketing,sales,andfinancialserviceorganizationsfortheBMWbrandofmotorvehicles,includingmotorcycles,theMINIbrand,andRolls-RoyceMotorCars;Designworks,astrategicdesignconsultancybasedinCalifornia;technologyofficesinSiliconValleyandChicago,andvariousotheroperationsthroughoutthecountry.BMWManufacturingCo.,LLCinSouthCarolinaistheBMWGroupglobalcenterofcompetenceforBMWXmodelsandmanufacturestheX3,X4,X5,X6andX7SportsActivityVehicles.TheBMWGroupsalesorganizationisrepresentedintheU.S.throughnetworksof351BMWpassengercarandBMWSportsActivityVehiclecenters,144BMWmotorcycleretailers,107MINIpassengercardealers,and38Rolls-RoyceMotorCardealers.BMW(US)HoldingCorp.,theBMWGroup’ssalesheadquartersforNorthAmerica,islocatedinWoodcliffLake,NewJersey.
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