The i4 is a genuinely good electric car with a well-managed pack that should age predictably. The warranty is where it gets vague.
BMW covers battery-electric models first registered on or after 1 November 2022 for 8 years or 160,000 km, and subsequent owners are entitled to all benefits. On capacity, BMW's supplementary warranty document commits only to protection against "excessive capacity loss" — a phrase that appears nowhere with a definition, a percentage or a stated method.
The packs Australia got
| Variant | Years | Usable kWh | Claimed range | Real-world consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eDrive35 | 2023–2024 | 67.0 (70.2 gross) | 483 km | 15.6 kWh/100km — modelled |
| eDrive40 | 2022–2024 | 80.7 (83.9 gross) | 589 km | 15.7 kWh/100km — modelled |
| M50 | 2022–2024 | 80.7 (83.9 gross) | 519 km | No reliable figure available |
We have deliberately left the M50's consumption blank. The figures we could find for it were duplicated from a sibling variant and implausible on their face, and publishing a number we do not believe would be worse than publishing nothing.
The eDrive40 is genuinely efficient for a car of its size and performance — 80.7 kWh at a modelled 15.7 kWh/100 km is roughly 514 km real-world against a 589 km claim.
Why an undefined threshold changes what you should do
When a manufacturer publishes 70%, a claim is a factual question: measure, compare, done. When the standard is "excessive", the manufacturer decides case by case, and you are arguing rather than demonstrating.
That does not make BMW's cover worthless — it is 8 years and 160,000 km, which is competitive. It means that if you ever need to use it, independent dated evidence of the pack's condition matters more than it would with a brand that publishes a number. You are building a case rather than pointing at a threshold.
Buying a dated measurement early in your ownership is worth more on a BMW than on a Tesla, for exactly that reason.
What to check before you buy
First registration on or after 1 November 2022, which determines whether these terms apply
Which variant — 67 or 80.7 kWh usable
Measured State of Health and cell voltage spread, as evidence as much as information
DC fast-charge history
Full terms: BMW battery warranty in Australia.
Capacity data verified 13 September 2026. Consumption figures marked "modelled" are EV Database estimates. The M50 figure is omitted because no figure we could source was credible.