BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport 2022 electric car owner review

BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport 2022 electric car owner review

Tony Noble drives a BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport 2022 electric car. 

This is Tony’s first electric car, he’s owned the i4 eDrive40 from new and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 1,000-5,000 miles and he achieves 300 miles range from a full charge.

 

Rate your i4 out of 5.

 

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Why did you choose this electric car?

I wanted something that wasn’t an SUV but had usable space. An estate would have been ideal but a hatchback was a minimum requirement. Also, after years of Saab ownership, I wanted something driver-focussed, with civilised road manners but performance when it mattered. Range, build quality and comfort were also a priority over gadgetry; I have no desire to drive a PlayStation.

 

The BMW seemed to occupy the sweet spot of my requirements. It may not be top of the leaderboard for any of them but it does well at all of them. It has the hatchback and a decent load capacity. It has enough performance for most circumstances and a 300 mile range (maybe 280 at constant motorway speeds). It has precise, predictable handling. It has a cabin that’s just a nice place to be and I don’t have to search through menus just to open the glove box. The technology is aimed at augmenting the driving experience rather than attempting to redefine it.

 

Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car.

  • Driving experience
  • build quality
  • handling
  • looks (unlike many, I like the big grille).

 

BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport 2022 electric car owner review

 

Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car.

  • Range could be better
  • chip shortages caused the loss of an option or two
  • default-on lane assist is hugely irritating
  • no jack supplied as standard.

 

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?

None

 

What are the standout tech features of the car?

iDrive and the accompanying ‘My BMW App’ are well laid out and nice to use. Interface is fast, responsive and reasonably intuitive. Physical buttons are retained where it makes sense to do so.

 

Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car.

The reviews have covered most things but one thing to note is how good the portable charger is that they give you. Power leads are interchangeable and there are commando and three phase options available. You could actually quite likely get by without installing a wall charger at all and still charge at 11kW.

 

What electric car are you interested in next and why?

None currently. This should do for some years to come.

 

BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport 2022 electric car owner review

 

What home charging unit do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?

The BMW-provided flexible charger. It does everything I need and didn’t cost me anything extra.

 

Rate your home charging unit out of 5.

 

What home electricity supplier & tariff do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?

OVO/SSE standard tariff. Wouldn’t specifically recommend them, wouldn’t advise against them either. At the moment, there’s not much between suppliers, if they’re even taking on new customer at all.

 

Rate your electricity supplier out of 5.

 

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

IONITY, Shell Recharge & Gridserve. These are the only ones I’ve used so far but they’ve all been decent and worked as advertised. The BMW also came with a year’s IONITY subscription, so I tend to prefer them.

 

List your top 3 favourite public charging networks (in order of preference).

  • IONITY
  • Shell
  • Gridserve.

 

Who do you insure your electric car with? Would you recommend them to others and why?

Admiral – have a MultiCar policy with them which has always worked well for us. Impressively, the i4 was only £60 a year more expensive to insure (fully comp) than the 13 year old Saab I was driving beforehand.

 

Rate your insurance provider out of 5.

 

Estimate how much money you save per month owning and running an electric car compared to a petrol/diesel car.

£50

 

See other owner reviews here

 

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