Should EVs go sideways? BMW certainly seems to think so
BMW’s upcoming i4 electric sedan is a powerslide lover, a sideways sensation, a proper donut device. In a video outlining the car’s final calibration, its splendidly-named Project Leader David Alfredo Ferrufino Camacho throws the new EV around with abandon, smoking tires and skidding like a madman.
According to Ferrufino Camacho, the i4’s on-the-limit controllability comes down to the tuning of steering and damping. The steering is light but has a strong self-centering action as he demonstrates by sending the car sliding with just two fingers on the wheel.
On a more mature note, the car’s suspension has been set up for stability in high-speed lane changes and under braking, maximizing the contact patch of tire on road, while not being overly stiff to unsettle ride comfort.
Premium EVs are all about acceleration bragging rights, and the i4 won’t let owners down when it comes to launching from the traffic lights. With up to 530 hp offered it will reach 62 mph from rest in four seconds. As for range, BMW says the i4 will be able to cover up to 370 miles on a full charge.
“For the first time, we’ve developed a BMW with sporty DNA for purely electric driving entirely from scratch,” says Ferrufino Camacho. “The BMW i4 offers everything BMW stands for—and it’s fully electric, too.”
Expect more details and footage to follow before the i4 is officially launched later this year. The new rear-drive Porsche Taycan has already proved to be a master of the electric slide when it set a world drifting record in 2020. Will the i4 challenge it in 2021?
