Much like solid-state batteries, price parity between combustion-engined cars and purely electric vehicles will take a while. However, BMW provides an early sign of how getting behind the wheel of an EV doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be paying more. On the contrary, the automaker’s French division mentions it’s about €100 cheaper on average to lease an EV compared to the equivalent ICE model.
As of June 1, BMW France is offering numerous EV lease deals that undercut the gasoline/diesel counterpart. Pictured here, the i4 eDrive35 M Sport is being highlighted by the luxury brand, which says it costs €590 per month without having to make a down payment. For the sake of comparison, leasing a 420i Gran Coupe M Sport sets you back €690. The amount is valid for a 36-month/ 30,000-kilometer contract.
For the same monthly payment, one can lease an iX3 crossover. The newly released i5 electric sedan can be had for €890, which is the same amount you can pay to drive the iX. With the i3 hatchback discontinued in 2022, the cheapest way to drive a zero-emission model is the iX1 compact crossover, available from €490 a month. None of these lease plans require a down payment.
To sweeten the pot, BMW France is throwing in one year of free and unlimited charging at an IONITY station. In order to benefit from this deal, orders must be placed by the end of the year.
Those looking to outright buy an electric BMW in France should know pricing kicks off at €57,150 for the iX1 and rises to €191,700 for the i7 M70. Hopefully, the Neue Klasse will make it possible to have another i3-sized car again serving as an entry-level EV offering but that won’t happen in the foreseeable future. The dedicated electric architecture will be inaugurated in 2025 with a sedan and an SUV in the 3 Series segment, so a smaller vehicle is unlikely to go on sale until later in the second half of the decade.
Source: BMW France
