i4 Gran Coupe

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

As battery technology continues to evolve, electric cars can travel more miles than ever before on a single charge, reducing range anxiety. With an EPA-rated range of 520 miles, the Lucid Air Dream Edition is now officially the longest-range electric vehicle the EPA has ever evaluated, beating the Tesla Model S by over 100 miles.

In China, there is a push for electric cars with ranges of over 600 miles. BMW, on the other hand, is not interested in the EV range race. Speaking with Australia's WhichCar, BMW i4 project leader David Ferrufino confirmed that BMW's electric car range will have a limit of 600 kilometers (372 miles).

"One thousand kilometers of range is not a target we have with our fully-electric cars," Ferrufino told the publication when asked if BMW will ever make a 1,000-km (621 miles). "We are aiming for 600 kilometres [of driving range] for our fully-electric cars, and 100 kilometres with our plug-in hybrids in everyday driving."

Ferrufino added that the range cap will depend on the vehicle segment. For example, longer ranges make less sense in compact urban EVs designed to travel shorter distances like the BMW i3, but a range of around 370 miles is a "very customer-friendly solution" for the iX and i4 according to Ferrufino.

For reference, BMW estimates the i4 and iX will cover around 300 miles on a single charge based on EPA standards. Using a 200-kW DC fast-charging station, it takes only ten minutes to add 90 miles of range to the i4.

But to make longer journeys viable in electric cars with lower ranges more viable, charging infrastructures around the world need to improve. "We not only have the advancements in battery technology, we also have the public charging network - which is growing rapidly," Ferrufino added. "Going cross-country in Europe from Norway to Italy is already a joyful experience when you do it in an electric car."

"So you have two things: you have the battery making more and more progress, but also charging speed and infrastructure making big steps forward."