BMW presents the i5: class and performance for the new 100% electric sedan.

BMW presented a new series Series 5 which introduces an all-electric variant of the sedan for the first time. There BMW i5this is its name, it maintains different characteristics of the car in terms of comfort and power, marrying however the propulsion 100% electric.

Starting directly from the engine, the i5 will be offered in two versions: 40 eDrives And M60xDrive. All of them use the new fifth-generation e-drive engines, which have already been seen i4, iX and iX3. It is a solution that adds strength Synchronous electrical excitation eliminates the need for permanent magnets and, therefore, the adoption of raw materials from rare earths.

EDrive 40 puts the rear drive out 250 kW (340 HP) and develops a torque of 430Nm. Acceleration from 0-100 is handled in 6 secondswhen the maximum speed is 193 km/h. The sportier variant, the M60 xDrive, delivers well 442 kW (601 HP) and 820 Nm of torque: for this case acceleration from 0-100 takes place in 3.8 seconds and the maximum speed reaches i 230 km/h.

Speaking of autonomy, both solutions receive the same battery 81.2 kWh net which in the case of the eDrive 40 provides the included distance between 477 and 582 kmwhile in the M60 xDrive between 455 and 516km. In any case, there is a new situation High Frequency which reduces the engine power to reach the optimum range.

As for charging, the i5 still uses a 400 Volts allow high speed DC of 250 kW And from 10% to 80% in half an hour. On the other hand, the traditional cable is provided by the car 11 kWbut a 22 kW solution is also available (purchased as an option).

One interesting aspect of reloading is the new feature Connected Home Charging, which provides traditional V2X functionality allowing you to power up your home network via two-way charging. In addition, however, it will be compatible with the eponymous ecosystem developed in collaboration with E.ON. In short, it will make it possible to manage the home network, photovoltaic system and car recharging through a single platform..

As for the interior, all models in the range will share the same cabin. In fact they also share a platform, in keeping with BMW’s philosophy of not separating the two ranges. Not surprising either the electric version will feature a longer front hood with the absence of a combustion engine, as well the luggage compartment reaches 490 liters of capacity.

In any case, the interior has been studied to the smallest detail to ensure the comfort and luxury typical of long-distance cars. However, there is no shortage of modes Sports and various options to get a more aggressive and aggressive driving style (obviously a kind of sacrifice).

The dashboard is characterized by the presence of two large curved displays, 12.3 inches for the instrument cluster and 14.9 inches for the infotainment. The middleware comes with an operating system iDrive 8.5 Operating System and supports video streaming and so-called “casual video games” while the car is stationary.

The car will be available from October with a starting price 70,200 euros (in Germany) for the eDrive 40 trim. Prices for the M60 xDrive and station wagon variants have not yet been shared.