Everything You Want in a Premium Electric Sedan
When I told a journalist friend I was getting into the 2025 BMW i4 Gran Coupe, he asked if I knew anything about it. I told him I did not, he grinned, and muttered something like “I won’t say anything then.” This could be taken a couple of ways. But after spending 10 days in the i4, it was clear he didn’t want to say anything that would skew my experience. I thank him profusely!
The 2025 BMW i4 is a superb all-electric sedan, or as BMW calls it, a “Gran Coupe.” This four-door sedan is BMW’s best-selling EV and comes in trim levels of eDrive35, xDrive40, m50, or eDrive40, which is the one Clean Fleet Report tested. See the specifications of each trim level at the end of the story.
Silent Propulsion
Clean Feet Report drove the i4 eDrive40 Gran Coupe. It had a single rear motor, 340 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque propelling the rear wheels. The EPA rates the all-electric driving range at 295 miles, which was spot-on to our results, where we averaged a respectable 3.2 miles per kilowatt-hour. The performance was impressive, with the i4 returning 0-60 mph runs at 5.5 seconds.
If you miss the sounds of a gasoline engine, simulated engine sounds can be set in the infotainment screen. Through the Iconic Sounds option, engine sounds can be changed for the drive modes; Comfort for a soothing “hum,” Sport provides an aural sense of power or Eco Pro, where there are no sounds at all. We played with them and found the subtle low, soft “hum” in Comfort was our comfort zone. With this said, faux engine noises defeat the purpose of a silent power plant, just like faux gear changes in a continuously variable transmission (CVT) take away from its smoothness. Oh well, to each their own.
Road Time
The well-distributed 4,665 pounds gave the i4 eDrive40 a balanced and confident ride. With the dynamic stability, traction control, dynamic brake and cornering brake controls, it made us wonder how much better and road-hugging the i4 xDrive (all-wheel drive) could have been.
The Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 265/40 summer tires were mounted on optional sharp-looking 19-inch M aero bi-color multi-spoke light-alloy wheels. They provided ample grip, even when pushing corners to their limit. One inch smaller Gunmetal Gray wheels are standard.
The i4 eDrive comes standard with electric power steering, start-off assistance, wheel-slip limiter, cornering and dynamic brake control and stability control. Ours had the optional ($3,100) M Sport Package that included variable sport steering, adaptive M suspension and the aforementioned 19-inch wheels.
The speed-dependent steering adjusts for the driving conditions, so there is never a loss of road feel or the ability to accurately carve through mountains or traffic. Ride comfort invited long road trips thanks to the adaptive suspension. Stopping was impressive from vented discs front and rear with fixed four-piston front and floating single-piston rear blue-painted calipers.
Charging and Regeneration
The 83.9 kWh lithium-ion battery will replenish 10-to-80% in less than 31 minutes at a peak charging rate of 200 kW using a Level 3 DC fast charger. The on-board 11.0 kW charger and a 240-volt/32-amp Level 2 home charger will take 8.25 hours for a 10-to-100% charge.
The 2025 i4 eDrive comes with 1,000 kWh (about 3,000 miles) of complementary charging through Electrify America. Download the MY BMW app, create a charging account, and the car is recognized when plugging in.
Powerful regeneration when coasting or braking converts kinetic energy into electric energy and returns it to the battery. Controlled through the center touchscreen, it has options of Low, Moderate, High or Adaptive recovery force. We played with them all and preferred the High setting. The shifter can also be placed in the “B” setting for the highest level of recovery. We then learned to modulate the accelerator pedal for smooth, one pedal driving where it is possible to do most driving without relying on the brakes.
Slippery Design
The very low .24 coefficient of drag (Cd) comes from the Gran Coupe fastback design. We like that it has form and function, which makes it efficient and quiet to drive.
The smooth fastback sedan shape draws one long sweeping line from front to back, beginning with the cross-hatch kidney shape grille trimmed minimally chrome. The thin adaptive LED headlights sweep into the fenders that lead to smooth sides with flush door handles, and real vents on the lower concave doors behind the front wheels.
The sleek roofline peaks at the B-pillar and continues on a gentle slope to an ever-so-small lip spoiler integrated on the power hatch. Yes, BMW calls it a Gran Coupe, but it has an honest-to-goodness hatch that opens wide and high. The Laserlight tail lights, part of the Shadowline Package, frame the i4 and eDrive40 badges and the iconic BWM badge that is circled in blue to indicate this car only uses electrons and protons.
The 2025 BMW i4 eDrive40 is available in 11 exterior colors with Alpine White and Jet Black being the base colors at no premium price. These optional metallic colors are also available but at an additional cost of $650: Black Sapphire, Brooklyn Grey, Cape York Green, Dravit Grey, Frozen Pure Grey II, Frozen Mineral White, Skyscraper Grey, Tanzanite Blue II, Vegas Red or Portimao Blue, which was the color of our i4 eDrive 40.
Sumptuous Interior
All materials were top notch quality. Clean Fleet Report’s i4, with Aluminum Rhombic Anthracite trim and an Anthracite headliner, had Canberra Beige perforated seats. The comfortable power front heated and ventilated seats, with lumbar and memory, were easy to configure. The cabin has a two-zone climate control and a large curved display encompassing a 14.9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM HD radio, SiriusXM and navigation are part of the Harmon Kardon premium surround sound system that came with the Premium Package ($1,750) that also included the heated steering wheel and the aforementioned ironic engine sounds. The sound system with a subwoofer, 16-speakers and a digital channel amplifier, is controlled by voice commands, the touchscreen, the steering wheel buttons or the controller wheel on the center console.
Other features are a power glass moonroof, a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel with audio controls, head-up display, heated and power side mirrors, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, rain sensing windshield wipers, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control.
Safety and Warranty
The i4 comes with an acoustic pedestrian protection system, which is an artificially generated false engine sounds, pumped through exterior speakers, that are active when driving up to 19 mph. The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) enables Level 2 semi-autonomous driving. Itcomes with standard safety systems, including lane departure warning, intelligent speed adaptation, collision warning with braking intervention, front and rear parking sensors, and a backup camera. The optional Driving Assistance Professional Package ($1,700) adds adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-keep assist with side collision avoidance and rear automatic emergency braking. The optional Parking Assistance Package ($700) self-parks the car and displays a three-dimensional 360-degree view of the car.
The 2025 BMW i4 eDrive comes with these warranties.
New Vehicle – Four years/50,000 miles
Battery – Eight years/100,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Four years/Unlimited miles
Rust Protection – 12 years/Unlimited miles
Pricing
These base prices for the 2025 BMW i4 Series EVs include the destination and delivery charge of $1,175.
eDrive35 $53,975
eDrive40 $59,075
xDrive40 $63,475
i4 M50 $71,875
The 2025 BMW i4 Gran Coupe Clean Fleet Report drove had a final MSRP of $66,975 that included the $57,900 base price, $7,900 in options and the $1,175 destination charge. The i4 eDrive may qualify for federal and state credits, and in some states, is eligible for a HOV sticker.
Observations: 2025 BMW i4 eDrive Gran Coupe
Researching buying an electric vehicle will include reading reviews, like this one on Clean Fleet Report and watching videos. We strongly recommend visiting public charging stations where there will be a wide array of brands and models juicing-up. While there, take time to speak with several owners about their cars as the first-hand experiences can be a valuable part in your decision what to buy. This is a conversation I had when at an Electrify America station when a BMW i4 eDrive Gran Coupe pulled in:
Me: Nice car. How do you like it?
i4 Owner: (Enthusiastically) I love it!
Me: Is this your first EV?
i4 Owner: No, I had a Tesla Model S and a Model 3 before the BMW.
Me: Why the move from Tesla?
i4 Owner: (Enthusiastically, again) The BMW is much better than those two. I would never go back!
This may be only one person’s opinion, but our time in the i4 eDrive rates it among the best EV sedans we have driven. We could find no faults with it.
There are very nice options on our car, but for everyday driving, we feel the 2025 BMW i4 eDrive Gran Coupe, without the $3,100 M Sport Package or the $1,750 Premium Package, would still be an excellent car. This would reduce the price, including the destination charge, to $62,175 making it an excellent value option among premium sedan EVs. There may also be federal and state tax incentives that would bring the price into the mid-$50,000 range. See your tax advisor for details.
The roll-out of premium and luxury electric vehicles over the next few years is going to be exciting, but there is no reason waiting as any of the iSeries BMW EVs will meet or exceed your need to drive silently in a very nice car.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
BMW i4 models
eDrive35
281 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque (lb.-ft.)
Single motor
Rear-wheel drive
0-60: 5.8 seconds
Battery: 68.7 kWh
Charging:Level 1 120V: 0-100% in 100 hoursLevel 2 240V: 0-100% in 8.25 hours
Level 3 DC Fast Charging: 10-80% in 30 minutes
• Range: 260 miles
eDrive40
335 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. torque
Single motor
Rear-wheel drive
0-60: 5.5 seconds
Battery: 84.3 kWh
Charging:Level 1 120V: 0-100% in 100 hoursLevel 2 240V: 0-100% in 8.15 hours
Level 3 DC Fast Charging: 10-80% in 30-33 minutes (@150 kW-175 kW)
Range: 318 miles
xDrive40
396 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. torque
Dual motors
All-wheel drive
0-60: 4.9 seconds
Battery: 83.9 kWh
Charging:Level 1 120V: 0-100% in 100 hoursLevel 2 240V: 0-100% in 8.25 hours
Level 3 DC Fast Charging: 10-80% in 30-33 minutes (@150 kW-175 kW)
Range: 287 miles
M50
536 horsepower and 586 lb.-ft. torque
Dual motors
All-wheel drive
0-60: 3.7 seconds
Battery: 83.9 kWh
Charging:Level 1 120V: 0-100% in 100 hoursLevel 2 240V: 0-100% in 8.25 hours
Level 3 DC Fast Charging: 10-80% in 30-33 minutes (@150 kW – 175 kW)
Range: 227 miles
Disclosure
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other efficient powertrains. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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