BMW electric cars Discover the electric BMW range and compare new and leasing deals

BMW offers a range of premium electric cars, all of which can be identified with the prefix ‘i’ in their name. Many of these models have a petrol and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) equivalent, so while the firm’s mid-size SUV is called the X3, the electric version of this car is known as the iX3. Same goes for the smaller BMW X1 and its EV sibling, the iX1. The BMW iX is a standalone large EV though, while the BMW i4 is an electric version of the BMW 3 Series.

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Electric BMW car models: current range

BMW offers an electric car at most points in its comprehensive range.

BMW iX1

The iX1 is BMW's smallest electric SUV, and the EV equivalent of the BMW X1. The iX1 is a properly premium product with an excellent interior and great driving manners, and it comes loaded with plenty of sophisticated tech and luxury features. The iX1 can officially cover 270 miles on a single charge, and competes with rivals like the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Mercedes EQA.

BMW iX3

Moving up through the range we come to the larger BMW iX3. This is the electric cousin to the BMW X3, and it offers a similar proposition to the iX1 only in a larger format. Despite being a bigger car the iX3 is a slightly older design than its baby brother, though this does mean you get BMW’s excellent rotary controller for the infotainment system, which the iX1 does without. The iX3 competes with models like the Mercedes EQC.

BMW iX

This is the largest BMW electric SUV you can buy. It’s expensive, and not everyone will love its front-end design, but the driving experience is impeccable and the interior a work of art. The standard iX can cover up to 264 miles (officially) between charges and there’s also the powerful iX 60 model, which can manage up to 348 miles. Rivals include the Audi Q8 e-tron.

BMW i4

BMW’s electric version of the ever-popular 3 Series saloon, the i4 handles as nicely as you would expect it to, while refinement on a cruise is excellent and the infotainment system is one of the best in the business. A claimed range of up to 366 miles is also impressive, as is the fact that with most rivals concentrating on EV SUVs, the electric BMW i4 saloon is almost in a class of its own.

BMW i7

There’s a strong argument to be made that luxury cars are well suited to electric power, as rear-seat passengers don’t have to be bothered by anything so unbecoming as a petrol or diesel engine spinning away under the bonnet. And the i7 is certainly luxurious, with a standout interior in the front and (possibly more importantly) the rear, where an optional 31-inch ‘Theatre Screen’ display folds down from the ceiling of this impressive, expensive electric limo.

BMW electric cars FAQs

The most affordable electric BMW is the i4, an EV sibling to the popular 3 Series saloon; the i4 starts at around £50,000. The priciest EV BMW is the high-performance M60 version of the iX SUV, which is available from around £123,000. 

Don’t have that kind of money to spend? Fear not, as a second-hand BMW i3 from around 2013 can be had from around £10,000.

The longest-range electric BMW is the xDrive 60 version of the luxurious i7, which can officially cover up to 387 miles between charges.
BMW was pretty early to electric cars thanks to the i3, which was introduced in 2013. That car has a strong reputation for durability, and it’s reasonable to expect today’s EV BMWs to have built on the i3’s dependability. 
Electric BMWs are definitely worth buying. BMW is a desirable brand in general thanks to the combination of premium interiors, rewarding handling and excellent technology it has become known for over the years. And while its electric cars might not feature the smooth six-cylinder engines the firm has also become famed for, BMW’s EVs have all the other qualities its petrol cars possess, together with impressive battery technology that allows for long distances between charges. 
BMW has said that from 2025 it intends that half of all of the cars it sells will be electric and, while the firm might continue to offer petrol cars in other markets, in the UK and European Union only zero-emission vehicles can be sold new after 2035. For people in those markets, BMW will effectively become an all-electric car maker from that point onwards. 
If you see a BMW with an i at the start of its model name, like i4iX3, then yes, it’ll be electric. Just to make matters more complicated, though, petrol BMW cars also have a letter ‘i’ – short for fuel ‘injection’ – in their name, but for this the ‘i’ comes at the end of the model’s name rather than at the beginning, hence the BMW 320i is the entry-level petrol-engined 3 Series

Rumour has it that in recognition of this confusion BMW will soon drop the ‘i’ from the end of its petrol models’ names.