The next generation of battery-electric BMW vehicles will arrive in Canada next spring.
During a media presentation this week, BMW product communications lead Jean-Francois Taylor confirmed both the BMW i4 sedan and BMW iX crossover will begin arriving at Canadian dealerships at the beginning of March 2022. The German luxury automaker unveiled the two new EVs in June, but did not provide an exact Canadian arrival date at the time, only saying they’ll arrive sometime in the first quarter of next year.
The BMW i4 will be offered in two trim levels in Canada from launch, including the eDrive 40 base model and the M50 performance variant. The eDrive 40 features a single rear-mounted electric motor, which produces 335 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, along with an 81.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The M50, meanwhile, boasts a dual-motor setup producing 536 horsepower and 586 lb-ft of torque, and the same 81.5 kWh battery pack. BMW estimates the eDrive40 will be able to travel around 475 kilometres on a full charge, while the M50 has slightly less range at 375 kilometres estimated. The i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 will have starting MSRPs of $54,990 and $72,990, respectively. These prices don't include any incentives or destination fees.
The BMW iX crossover, meanwhile, will be offered in just one trim level from launch, xDrive50, with prices starting at $89,990. A standard dual-motor powertrain doles out a combined power output of 516 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque, while a 106.3 kWh lithium-ion battery provides enough juice for a BMW-estimated driving range of 475 kilometres.
Unlike some current-day EVs, which experience battery degradation after years of use and may even need a battery swap after 10 years or so, the batteries in these next-generation BMW EVs will last the life of the vehicle. The automaker says its batteries are designed to withstand 1,500 full charge cycles – enough for over 500,000 km of driving in the case of the iX and i4.
“Our expectation is the customers treat them and will use them the same way as they do with conventional cars,” explained BMW iX project lead Johann Kistler. “Whereas we design our combustion engines also for the lifetime of the car and not something you need to swap on a regular basis after 10 or after 12 years, that approach also applies to the electric drivetrain, including the battery.”
The 2022 BMW iX and i4 can be ordered now for a $1,500 refundable reservation fee.
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