BMW introduced this all-electric nameplate for the 2022 model year, positioning it as the brand’s first battery-powered Gran Coupé and a key step in BMW’s broader shift toward electrified mainstream models. The vehicle was revealed in 2021 and entered production at BMW Group Plant Munich later that year, with U.S. market deliveries beginning in early 2022. It was launched as part of BMW’s modern electric lineup rather than as a limited halo car, which gave it a more important role in the brand’s EV strategy than earlier niche efforts.
The nameplate is closely tied to the 4 Series Gran Coupé body style, but it stands apart as a fully electric model and the first BMW i car to use that sleek four-door fastback formula. BMW used the launch to show how its electric “i” sub-brand could be applied to a familiar premium format: practical enough for everyday use, but still styled and tuned to emphasize the sporty character associated with the marque. Early versions were offered in multiple trims, and the model line has continued to expand and evolve with later updates and new variants.
As a model family, it has remained in production and serves as one of BMW’s core electric offerings. Its significance lies less in being a standalone experiment and more in being a mainstream, volume-oriented EV that helped normalize BMW’s electric transition in the premium mid-size segment.