BMW i4 to be phased out following i3 premiere

On Wednesday, outgoing BMW CEO Oliver Zipse unveiled the design of the new i3 in Munich, a mid-size battery-electric saloon built on BMW’s proprietary Neue Klasse electric architecture. The first drivetrain variant, the i3 50 xDrive, features a 345 kW all-wheel-drive system and, thanks to a 108 kWh battery, delivers a range of up to 900 kilometres—though BMW has yet to confirm the final figure.

With a peak charging capacity of 400 kW, the 800-volt system can recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just 21 minutes. The sixth generation of BMW’s electric drivetrains sets new benchmarks in technical performance.

BMW already offers a similarly sized battery-electric saloon, the i4. This model is based on the 4 Series Gran Coupé and uses a multi-energy platform alongside the fifth-generation electric drivetrains. In direct comparison, the i4 falls short of the new i3: its battery has a maximum capacity of 81.3 kWh, and the longest-range variant achieves 613 kilometres (WLTP). With a maximum charging capacity of 205 kW, a typical charging session takes 30 minutes.

The i4, which launched in 2021, will soon become redundant in BMW’s lineup. It is thus unsurprising that the i4 will be discontinued when production of its technologically superior successor begins in August—particularly as both the i4 and the new i3 are manufactured at BMW’s Munich plant.

However, the exact timing of the i4’s final production run remains unclear. According to Autocar, production of the i4 in Munich is set to end next year, while InsideEVs suggests it could happen as early as the end of 2026. Both outlets base their reports on statements made by BMW representatives during the i3’s design premiere in Munich on Wednesday.

“The i3 is more or less the successor to the i4. However, you will see how our portfolio evolves in the coming years as our electric offering expands—there is more to come. For now, though, the i3 is essentially the i4’s successor,” InsideEVs quoted BMW Product Chief Bernd Körber as saying, concluding that the end of the i4’s product lifecycle is ‘now all but confirmed.’ Autocar also spoke with BMW Sales Director Jochen Goller. “When you look back on the last 20 years, you always had new models coming in and old models phasing out,” Goller is quoted as saying. “And what you will always see is the volumes of the existing cars, in this case the i4, phasing out, and then [the new car], the i3, clearly ramping up. But as with every model, that was already factored into our planning.”

In other words, BMW expects demand for the i4 to decline rapidly. Initially, the Gran Coupé’s larger fastback boot may still offer a slightly more practical alternative to the i3, which features a traditional saloon boot with a smaller opening. However, Oliver Zipse also confirmed the long-rumoured i3 Touring as a practical battery-electric estate on Wednesday. At that point, the i4 will have few remaining advantages.

The i4 nameplate is unlikely to disappear permanently, however. While the new i3 will be followed by a new generation of internal combustion engine and hybrid 3 Series models, BMW is also reportedly developing a new 4 Series, described by Autocar as a ‘more style-focused and dynamic alternative’ to the 3 Series. Future 4 Series models are expected to be offered with various drivetrain options—including battery-electric powertrains.

autocar.co.uk, insideevs.com (in German)