The 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 has just debuted to give Canadian buyers a more affordable EV option although with less power and slightly less range.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 gets one electric motor, delivering 281 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That's less than the 335 hp offered by the i4 eDrive40 model, which continues for 2023, but still well above the 255 hp of the gas-powered 330i xDrive, BMW's closest internal combustion model.
A smaller battery pack helps BMW keep costs in check. The 66-kWh usable capacity of the battery is well under the 81.5 of the eDrive40, but the range is less affected than expected. BMW estimates 418 km of range for the eDrive35 with 18 or 19-inch wheels, versus 484 km for an eDrive40 with 18s or 454 km with 19s.
The maximum charge rate is 180 kW on a DC fast charger or 11 kW on a Level 2 charger. BMW says that the Level 3 rate is enough to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 32 minutes.
Pricing for the 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35 starts from $54,990. BMW says it anticipates the model qualifying for the $5,000 EV incentive offered by the federal government as well as all current provincial incentives. BMW's closest comparable gas model, the 330i xDrive, starts from $49,350, making the electric car cheaper than the combustion model in most provinces once incentives are factored in.
The price, though, is the same as BMW's MSRP for the 2022 i4 eDrive40 and its longer range. That car, which was on the federal iZEV list, gets a price hike of $6,400 for 2023 to $61,390.
BMW says that the 2023 i4 eDrive35 is open to order now. Production starts in November, and the first deliveries should happen in the first quarter of next year.