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Certainly comparisons to the EV market leader are natural (and fair), but there are other players in the game now too. I'm going to avoid the T word for a moment to look at another potential competitor that has been getting very favorable press and whose range topping model is coming to market later this year: the Ford Mach-E.
In particular, let's pit the top of the line i4 M50 against the top-of-the-line Mach-E GT Performance.
i4 M50
MSRP: $65,900 + $995 Destination
Range: 245mi
Power: 536hp
0 - 60mph: 3.9s
Length: 188.3in
Wheelbase: 112.8in
Cargo Space: ?
Mach-E GT Performance
MSRP: $64,900 + $1100 Destination
Range: 235mi
Power: 480hp
0 - 60mph: 3.5s
Length: 186.7in
Wheelbase: 117.5in
Cargo Space: 59.7ft³
I think the Mach-E GT Performance makes for an interesting match-up because the hype for that vehicle is sky-high right now. And while it's not perfect, the excitement it promises makes it easier to look past the lower range vs. other models in the lineup.
Anyway, on paper at least, these two look pretty evenly matched. Sure, they are different types of vehicles, the BMW being a passenger car while the Ford is an SUV. But with the hatchback, the i4 should offer SUV-like versatility. And it will surely have the more premium interior. So, I think the i4 M50 will be a hit. It's the first truly affordable, high performance premium electric luxury car (non-SUV) from a traditional automaker. And while there are EVs that offer greater range, the i4 M50 is far from the worst in the premium category (see Porsche Taycan, Jaguar i-Pace, Audi e-tron, Polestar 2). I will point out though, that the lack of a mid-range AWD i4 seems like a pretty major omission that BMW should rectify quickly. I think that's where the real meat of the market is.
(And yes, it's true that there's the Mach-E GT base model for $5k less, with 15mi more range. But, if you skip the top Performance Edition model you lose two very important features: performance bucket seats and electronically adjustable suspension.)
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