BMW begins production of fully electric i5 sedan, marking a major EV milestone

BMW has announced that it has produced the first i5 premium electric sedan at its Dingolfing plant in Germany, marking a major milestone in the brand’s electrification journey. 

“E-mobility is the new normal at our plants worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, we will have integrated a total of 15 fully-electric vehicles into our production network,” said Milan Nedeljković, a member of BMW’s Board of Management of BMW and responsible for production

The 5 series has been an iconic part of BMW’s lineup of sedans.  Having a full electric version of it in production is a significant part of the transition, although the car does not come cheap.

The two EV variants in the i5 lineup and their Australian prices were announced less than three weeks ago: 

• BMW i5 eDrive40 – $155,900 before on-roads
• BMW i5 M60 xDrive – $215,900 before on-roads

This large premium sedan comes in at 5,060 mm in length.  The base i5 eDrive40 variant outputs 250 kW of power and 430 Nm of torque from its rear-mounted motor. With this powertrain, it can do the  0-100 km/h run in 6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 193 km/h.

The more powerful and expensive i5 M60 xDrive puts out 442 kW of power and 820 Nm of torque. The performance-orientated variant can sprint to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.

Both powertrains are fed by the same battery pack with a capacity of 84 kWh. This provides a WLTP range of 582 km for the base i5 eDrive40 variant. On the performance variant, it drops slightly due to the all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup, coming in at up to 516 km on a single charge.

The production of another EV model is a positive step in ensuring a smooth transition for the brand once known for making the “ultimate driving machine”.

Locally, the two BMW i5 variants are expected to arrive before the end of 2023.