The first electric BMW M will be a sportier variant of the i4

BMW's M squad has confirmed it’s working on the development of its first all-electric car. The performance division’s first toe-dip into the lake of full-on EVs will a variant of the upcoming i4 electric sedan, and it’s sure to be an absolute beast, performance-wise. That said, the new M3 likely has little to worry about from a future electric-powered cousin; it should remain the benchmark in the field.

“Next year, we will launch the first battery-electric M car in the performance segment, based on the i4, as something to confirm. Then, we're working on hybrid electrified performance and high-performance cars, but it's too early to disclose which ones it is going to be [sic].”

- BMW M head Markus Flasch, to CarAdvice magazine

That leaves some room for interpretation. Markus Flasch is probably referring here to the two performance levels of his gasoline-powered models, those of products like the M340i compared to the M3. The electric M version that will be based on the i4 would be the equivalent of an M340i, not an M3 or M4. Its performance capabilities won’t likely disappoint, however, as even the regular i4 is expected to be very fast indeed.

There will certainly be talk of a car with a sportier appearance, a more aggressively tuned chassis, etc.

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