This past weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was a great opportunity for BMW to show off its EV chops by bringing several models without a combustion engine. The iX1 xDrive30 was at the bottom of the food chain while the i7 M70 topped the lineup. For something in between, the Munich-based marque had the i4 up on display in a rear-wheel-drive flavor as a base eDrive35.
Of course, BMW wasn’t going to bring a bog-standard i4 as the car exhibited in West Sussex had the M Sport Package Pro with an extended array of black body accents and Shadowline headlights. While this car had 19-inch wheels (859 M style), buyers can opt for an even larger 20-inch set or stick to the standard 18-inch alloys.
With the entry-level eDrive35 version, BMW has brought down the i4’s starting price to $52,200 in the United States where the cheapest 4 Series Gran Coupe begins at $48,300 for the 430i. The $3,900 difference vanishes once you factor in applicable EV incentives in the United States. EPA has rated the base model at 256 miles of range provided you go for the 18-inch wheels.
Since BMW sadly doesn’t sell the iX1 in the US, the i4 eDrive35 is currently the cheapest EV money can buy. The configurator for the 2024 model year is up and running on the company’s website, showing this car’s Shadowline Package at $950 while the M Sport design is a $3,100 option. As always, standard and optional items vary from one country to another, but typically, BMWs are the most affordable in the US.
The flagship i4 M50 – which was BMW M’s best-selling product in 2022 and also in the first half of 2023 – retails from $69,700. Fully loaded, one can spend as much as $86,600, although, at that price point, you’d probably be better off getting the $84,100 i5 M60 and adding a few options. Speaking of which, the M Performance electric 5 Series also attended the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
