BMW is adding AWD and RWD options to its i4 and i7 EVs this year
BMW USA just shared a model update for summer 2023 that includes two new EV variants consumers should see delivered before year’s end. First, BMW is introducing a lower priced all-wheel drive (AWD) version of its i4 Gran Coupe, plus a rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of the new i7 EV. Those models will also feature a new operating system from BMW called iDrive 8.5.
Like nearly all of its German competitors, BMW is slowly transitioning into an all-electric brand, and it’s starting to see some of the fruits of its labor. In Q1 of this year, the legacy automaker saw EV sales double in growth, setting the pace as its main driver in sales for the rest of the fiscal year.
Much of those sales were led by BMW’s i4 EV – one of its longer running models which currently exists in two single-motor variants as well as a souped up, dual-motor, M technology version. The i4 has since been joined by the iX SUV and the i7 – an EV whose M version BMW states is its most-powerful to date.
With an i5 now being teased, there’s plenty more EV innovation in the pipeline, but BMW is simultaneously looking at its current lineup and delivering more options to US consumers.
BMW to deliver two new EV variants to US this year
Per BMW’s summer update, consumers will soon see a fourth variant of the i4 EV. The automaker has introduced the i4 xDrive40 – positioned between the dual-motor i4 M50 and the single-motor i4 eDrive40. Here are the pertinent specs:
- 80.7 kWh (net) battery capacity
- 396 hp and 443 lb-ft torque
- 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.9 seconds
- Max recharge rate of 205 kW (DC fast charger)
- BMW estimated 307 mile range (18″ wheels), 282 miles estimated range w/ 19″ wheels
The BMW i4 xDrive40 EV is expected to arrive in Q3 of this year as a 2024 model and will start at a base MSRP of $61,600 (plus $995 destination and handling fees). For comparison, the 2023 i4 eDrive40 starts at an MSRP of $57,100, and the 2023 M50 starts at $68,700.
US consumers saw initial deliveries of the new i7 EV late last year, but BMW is already introducing yet another variant to help expand its lineup. Later this year, the two perviously announced AWD versions of the i7 will be joined by a RWD option called the i7 eDrive50.
This EV will feature BMW’s single GEN5 motor on its rear axle, delivering 449 horsepower. It will start at an MSRP of $105,700 (plus $995 destination and handling), which is significantly lower that than the i7 xDrive60, which starts at $119,300. The single motor option should begin deliveries in the US this fall.
Lastly, BMW offered a sneak peak of its latest operating system, iDrive 8.5 (seen above). This new OS will be added during the production of select BMW models beginning this July, including the i4 EVs and the 7 series. Per BMW:
A new home screen with clearly arranged functions offers greater ease of use on the BMW Curved Display. The new zero-layer principle means that all relevant functions and information are shown on a single level, making it possible to select a desired function without first having to enter a submenu. Instead, live widgets appear in a vertical arrangement on the driver’s side of the user interface, accessible with a touch of a finger.
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Executives from TravelCenters America (TA) and BP were joined by local elected officials at a ribbon cutting for the two companies’ first DC fast charging hub on I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida – the first of several such EV charging stations to come online.
Frequent road-trippers are no doubt familiar with TA’s red, white, and blue logo and probably think of the sites as safe, convenient stops in otherwise unfamiliar surroundings. The company hopes those positive associations will carry over as its customers continue to switch from gas to electric at a record pace in 2025 and beyond.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to bring new forms of energy to our customers as we support their changing mobility needs, while leveraging the best of bp and TA,” explains Debi Boffa, CEO of TravelCenters of America. Boffa, however, was quick to – but TA is quick to point out that TA isn’ no’t leaving its ICE customers behind. “While this is significant, to our loyal customers and guests, rest assured TA will continue to provide the same safe and reliable fueling options it has offered for over 50 years, regardless of the type of fuel.”
The charging hub along the I-95 offers 12 DC fast charging ports offering up to 400kW of power for lickety-quick charging. While they’re at the TA, EV drivers can visit restrooms, shop at TA’s convenience store, or eat at fast food chains like Popeyes and Subway. Other TA centers offer wifi and pet-friendly amenities as well – making them ideal partners for BP as the two companies builds out their charging networks.
“As we expand our EV charging network in the US, I am thrilled to unveil our first of many hubs at TA locations,” offers Sujay Sharma, CEO of BP Pulse Americas. “These sites are strategically located across key highway corridors that provide our customers with en route charging when and where they need it most, while offering convenient amenities, like restaurants and restrooms.”
Electrek’s Take
As I type this, BP has more than 37,000 EV charging ports operational globally, and plans to have more than 100,000 in service by 2030. The company made headlines in 2022 when it announced that its EV chargers were “on the cusp” of being more profitable than its gas pumps. Three years on, it seems like that’s a done deal.
As ever, money talks.
SOURCE | IMAGES: BP.
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The new e2500-THL and TS electric Ultra Buggies from Toro offer construction and demo crews a carrying capacity of 2500 lbs. (on the TS model), six-and-a-half foot dump height (on the THL), nearly 13 cubic ft. of capacity, and hours of quiet, fume-free operation.
Despite the second Trump administration’s loosening grip on emissions regulations, the fact remains that a growing number of municipalities in both red and blue regions of the US are continuing to clamp down on noise regulations, which means that construction crews with quiet running electric equipment will be able to get jobs that crews stubbornly holding on to diesel and gas won’t. Toro absolutely gets it, which is why its e2500-THL and TS Ultra Buggy line will be welcomed by smart crews with open arms.
For their open-mindedness, those crews will be rewarded with machines powered by 7 kWh’s worth of Toro HyperCell lithium-ion battery. That’s good enough for up to eight hours of continuous operation, according to Toro – enough for two typical working shifts.
And, thanks to the Toro Ultra Buggies’ narrow, 31.5″ width, they can easily navigate man doors on inside jobs, as well, making them ideal for indoor demolition and construction jobs. A zero-turn radius and auto-return dump mechanism that ensures the tub automatically returns to the proper resting position make things easy for the operator, too.
Toro says that each of its small (for Toro) e2500 Ultra Buggy units can replace as many as five wheelbarrows on a given job site. Pricing is expected to start at about $32,000.
Electrek’s Take
Electric equipment makes job sites cleaner, quieter, and safer than they are under diesel or gas power – and as more municipal and private sector RFPs begin to enforce ZEV requirements and quiet hours, more and more viable electric alternatives to ICE power will start to show up on more and more job sites (regardless of who is in the White House).
SOURCE | IMAGES: Toro, via Construction Equipment.
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