Hot! BMW i Vision Dynamics

[EnI]

As said before ... It's not Tesla that's driving faster EV development by other, established carmakers but the administrative actions in certain countries, especially China, having direct impact on the demand side.

More and more states are starting to propose bans for new non-electrified vehicles, or allowing only very clean (eg. <100g/km CO2, or even <50g/km CO2) vehicles to be sold after a certain time point: points being 2025, 2030, 235 and 2040.

In a generation (by 2025) BMW Group, Daimler Group and Volkswagen Group alone will offer approx. 50 of BEV models total! Till the end of 2022 approx. 100 EVs are announced (brand new or new Mks) by various established carmakers. And at least another 100 till the end of 2025 (incl. Chinese carmakers).

We'll also see battery development going on much faster than ever before ... Expect Li-ion solid state battery mass usage sometimes between 2025-30. Charging on supercharging stations will become much faster (eg. 20min to 80%; 5min to add 100km range etc); improved inductive charging will become a standard.

Automotive industry (incl. battery makers & charging station makers) are progressing at speed of light ... It's now up to states & energy net providers to improve the electric grid & other infrastructure. The time is ticking.

But don't rule out ICEs to fast. They will still be sold in PHEVs and in commercial vehicles & construction, farming etc machinery - since for some locations & regions (eg. less developed) ICEs will still be more practical than BEVs (eg. lack of proper electric grid, harsh climate conditions etc).


BTW: That AB article is all over the place and in many details sooooooo awfully wrong and off ... To be clear: all EVs - from the beginning - will have batteries in the floor. Not like under the trunk like old MINI E or BMW Active E, or current BMW PHEV's. As said before: the EV spin-off platform will be BASED on a conventional modular platform but heavily modified to fit EVs. Check eg. Volvo's solution ... Other carmakers (incl MB) are going that way.

 

[Rainer271]

BMW i4: The name of the next i-model

Almost casually, BMW CEO Harald Krüger confirms the name of the next i-model – the BMW i4. Ahead of its press conference today at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the BMW chief talked about the electric offensive planned through 2o25 while slipping, intentionally, the i4 name.

“By 2025, our global vehicle portfolio will include 25 fully- or part-electric models. At last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, we unveiled our take on the future of e‑mobility with the BMW i Vision Dynamics. This vehicle will become reality: we will build it in Munich – as the BMW i4,” Krüger added.

The next i-model will be coming to dealers at the beginning of the next decade as a production version of the BMW i Vision Dynamics. The concept was unveiled in Frankfurt last fall and it was believed that it will replace the current conventionally-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe.

It remains to be seen whether that remains true, but for now, the i4 name seems to be set in stone. An i4 Gran Coupe naming conventions is also quite possible, but that’s our speculation at the moment.

In addition to the name, the short quote from Harald Krüger also reveals the location for the production of the i4: The new electric vehicle is to be built at the Munich headquarters. This not only strengthens the BMW Group’s home state of Bavaria, but also sends a clear signal to Germany as a location: with BMW i3, i8, iNext and i4, the most promising vehicles from the world’s leading supplier of premium automobiles will continue to be built in Germany.

At the premiere of the i Vision Dynamics, the Munich officials announced that the four-door coupe will have a range of around 600 kilometers. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h will come in 4.0 seconds and the maximum speed is limited to 200 km/h.

BMW i4: The name of the next i-model

 

[EnI]

A substitute for, or a BEV alter ego of mk2 4er GranCoupe?

 

[klier]

This is the highlight of the show for me. The BMW i4.

Also interesting, i4 is not iNext

 

[EnI]

This is the highlight of the show for me. The BMW i4.
Also interesting, i4 is not iNext

No, i4 is not the iNext, and it has never supposed to be.
iNext has always been associated with i5 or even higher (i6, i7) badge, lately also with iX5.
It's now obviously iNext will be a large premium sporty SAV / crossover.
The iNext Concept is to debute later this year! Production version coming in 2021, just like i4 (Mini Electric in 2019, iX3 in 2020).

Alexander Kotouc, Head of BMW i Product Management, for Auto Express:

"I can promise you that this year you will see something and touch something – you need to let people experience what is coming. It’s groundbreaking; the iNEXT will be more of the shape and size of an X5. It will have a completely different interior and be able to seat five people. I saw the latest design ideas and I can say it’s really impressive. It’s looking bold; people will buy it even if they don’t want an electric car because of the design.”

Think of it as a direct rival to Audi (Q6) e-tron quattro and Tesla X.
Mind BMW iX3 and MB EQC are a class smaller.

 

[Rainer271]

"I can promise you that this year you will see something and touch something – you need to let people experience what is coming. It’s groundbreaking; the iNEXT will be more of the shape and size of an X5. It will have a completely different interior and be able to seat five people. I saw the latest design ideas and I can say it’s really impressive. It’s looking bold; people will buy it even if they don’t want an electric car because of the design.”

I‘m curious to see the completely different interior and which new models will get the new interior.
If this is special for the iNext or for all new core and i-badged models.

 

[Sunny]

Wow, they decided on a name? Talk about speed.

 

[bmwblog]

A substitute for, or a BEV alter ego of mk2 4er GranCoupe?

We've heard before that the 4 Series Gran Coupe will have an electric powertrain, but maybe that variant will turn into the i4, instead of i4 Series Gran Coupe, or whatever weird name could have been chosen.

 

[EnI]

We've heard before that the 4 Series Gran Coupe will have an electric powertrain, but maybe that variant will turn into the i4, instead of i4 Series Gran Coupe, or whatever weird name could have been chosen.

I've been constantly hearing about the new BMW i nomenclature strategy lately.

As we know the SAVs will be branded as iXn (n=1 to 9). While other models will be branded as in (i= 1 to 9). That's been announced more or less officially - and also tradmark registration filings support that.

But ... Due to several models of each model will be offered - with eg. different engine power output, different battery capacity, different type of drive (2WD vs AWD) - the additional badging will be added, mimicking the current BMW badging. Eg. iX3 sDrive20e, iX3 xDrive30e etc.

So, we can expect the i4 to be badged similarly: i4 sDrive20e, i4 xDrive30e etc

Some marketing working documents I've been presented with also featured potential badging solutions like i420e - somehow merging BMW i and core BMW badging. Huh.

I still don't get that sub-brand strategy the Germans are playing with. All the i, EQ, e-tron, I.D. etc sub-brands. What for? It's now more than clear that in the long run all the cars will be electric. What's the point of introducing of special BEV sub-brand than? What will happen with it in lets say 20, 25 years? Will it die off, or will it replace the core brands? Especially when special sub-brand spin-off BEVs are offered as an electric alter-ego addition to core brand ICE / hybrid models. Eg. what will prevail in the long run? GLC or EQC? X3 or iX3? 4er or i4? Q or e-tron? Golf / Polo / Passat or I.D.?

I really do wonder what the long-term strategy is when it comes to such type of branding. And what the exit strategy is (for either core brand or the sub-brand). It just doesn't add up. I'm rather confused & puzzled.

 

[klier]

^ Your potential badging is never ever going to happen

i420e? Is this a joke? A Star Wars reference?

 

[klier]

Wow, they decided on a name? Talk about speed.

Actually, yes. The decision was made by Treebeard, Oldest of the Ents, and shepherd of the trees. They run the i division to save the forests:

 

[Betty Swollocks]

This is the highlight of the show for me. The BMW i4.

Something that was first shown seven months ago at Frankfurt is your highlight of Geneva?

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Something that was first shown seven months ago at Frankfurt is your highlight of Geneva?

Is there at all any significate highlight at this years Geneva show?

Edit: I just realized what a stuoid question I have asked. I forgot Audi A6, Rimac, MB GT 4 and so on

 

[SCOTT27]

Someone showed me a photo of the car disguised in the new Camouflage on their Smartphone yesterday with testing expected to begin in the Summer. It was head on, like this.

so I reckon if you like the bow-tie front of the concept? You will love the actual production car. But there will be an accompanying press release.
Tesla are not present in Geneva but some enterprising organisation have brought a Model 3 over. So it was my first time in the car. It's interior is very sparse, bland and devoid of emotion or colour like something from the Kanye West fashion line.

 

[klier]

Something that was first shown seven months ago at Frankfurt is your highlight of Geneva?

Because it is going into production as i4, which was obviously not the case seven months ago at Frankfurt. Crazy concept, I know

 

[SKY]

Dammit, couldn't the grille be painted in black or something?

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Because it is going into production as i4, which was obviously not the case seven months ago at Frankfurt. Crazy concept, I know

So your highlight is the announcement that it will be called the i4, something which could have been communicated in a press release? BMW have wasted millions on being at Geneva then.

 

[klier]

So your highlight is the announcement that it will be called the i4, something which could have been communicated in a press release? BMW have wasted millions on being at Geneva then.

My highlight is that it is actually going into production and not to the BMW museum next to the other concepts that never saw the light.

It’s got great proportions, a nice size and it’s classic in shape yet highly modern and progressive in design. Plus it’s a proper EV to fight Tesla, which should happen rather sooner than later imo

Really, it’s not that hard to grasp why I am exited for this car, because it’s actually releasing, which is my entire pint of being exited for it. Use your imagination a little.

And indeed, attending car shows like it’s 1990 is wasting millions. These shows are slowly but surely bleeding out. Detroit being a frontrunner, where others will follow.

 

[SCOTT27]

The BMWi Vision Dynamics/i4 is expected to make production close to its original form like the i3 and i8 were with the Coupe and Spyder concepts. One thing discussed on its debut at the IAA last September was that from a production stand point the front of the car, the most dramatic already matched expected legislation and that the grille was an example of not having visible radars and sensors. But using that grille to hid them and have a complete minimalist appearance.
The unique glass cut-outs could also be carried over also.

What's not to love about Vision iDynamics?
It's a good interpretation of a more family orientated sports sedan a BMW customer expects. Also the fact it will be a full EV will attract those that desire a certain status. It looks magnificent.
Of course that still want the necessary high performance ICE can fall back on the G26 4er Gran Coupe.

 

[SCOTT27]

BMWi4. We will see the first prototypes later this Summer. When it will be made official.