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The new all-electric BMW i4.

Courtesy photo

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The new all-electric BMW i4.

Courtesy photo

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The new all-electric BMW i4.

Courtesy photo

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Inside the new all-electric BMW i4.

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Inside the new all-electric BMW i4.

Courtesy photo

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The new all-electric BMW i4.

Courtesy photo

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It just seems fitting that our first Utah driving experience in an all-electric vehicle would be the i4 from the BMW group. We were the first in Utah to drive the new i8 when it was coming to market, so go big or go home fit this situation completely.

We have been urging the fleet companies for months now to try to get some electric vehicles out to the state, but as they all come from Denver, that has been a difficult situation indeed. As ranges for these cars increase, so will our likelihood of getting more of them.

The i4 has a range of 270 miles, meaning it still required three stops for charging along the way: once in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, then a stop in Grand Junction with the driver topping it off, if you will, and then again in Green River, Utah, at a very recently installed Level 3 charging station.

Now, after having had an electric vehicle for an entire week, we know that Level 2 and Level 3 charging make a huge difference in the time spent on a trip. This is because the power output of a charger lowers the time required to add additional miles to the vehicle.

Driving to and from work, and even getting in a few errands a day, did not put a dent into the available miles if we were fully charged from the night before. At our home, we have installed a Level 2 charger that runs on a 220-volt current (similar to the way one’s dryer or oven would run).

If we only used 40-50 miles a day, the BMW would recharge in less than two hours. However, we went out on a 220-mile Sunday drive that got us down to the 18% level, or just 58 miles left to empty. We plugged back in that night at 10 p.m., and it took until 7:23 the next morning to get a 100% charge. This was with the BMW charging at 11 kilowatts, the most that our new home charger would give.

To give this some perspective, we used an average of 375 watts per mile. Doing the math, with our power at home costing around 10 cents per kilowatt hour, we were driving for about 3.8 cents per mile. If you get 30 miles per gallon and gas is at $4 per gallon, it costs around 13.3 cents per mile to drive.

So yes, we did save quite a bit of money charging at home. If we had to charge at a commercial charging station (yes, they do charge for that), it would be in the neighborhood of 45 to 50 cents per kwh or 17 to 18 cents per mile.

Now we have to add the fun factor to the equation. The M50 version is loaded with fun, coming with 536 horsepower and 586 foot-pounds of torque. It would definitely set us back in our seat with a quick push on the accelerator.

Deanne was a little hesitant regarding the whole electric power idea. But after her first solo night out in the i4, it was hard to wipe the grin off of her face. She loved the way it accelerated so quickly and slowed down just as rapidly.

It was a speed demon, getting to 60 mph in a mere 3.6 seconds. We had to warn any passengers with us to hang on. After the week, we had fallen in love with the pure electric power and torque that is instantaneous. There’s definitely no turbo lag in the i4!

Of course, being an “Ultimate Driving Machine,” the i4 was all BMW, both on the exterior and the interior. In fact, we were quite pleased with the exterior look. It was very pleasing to the eye, as all of the BMW line is, but it did not scream, “Hey, look at me. I am different than everyone else. I am electric,” as some manufacturers have chosen to do with their electric starting line.

Everyone we spoke with during the week said they were surprised that the i4 was all electric, as it seemed like such a normal BMW sedan. Inside, it was completely BMW, coming with all the great features the line has recently added.

Dual LED curved screens wrap around the driver, giving them a great view of navigation and other important functions. The interior lighting can be changed, and the BMW assistant is present. By just saying, “Hey, BMW,” you can request that things be changed inside the car.

Everything has been considered thoroughly in squeezing as many miles as possible from each and every charge. With everything running from electricity, simply having a warm or cool car influences the number of miles that can be traveled. Slowing down regenerates power and adds to the battery, and driving downhill was better than climbing. This all made sense after a week.

Comfort was still the priority for the carmaker. The i4 comes with all the BMW luxuries we could have ever wanted. The addition of a heads-up display really rounded out the cabin, and it provided much information that we needed right on the front windscreen.

The car even puts out a unique sound when running under 19 mph to alert pedestrians to its presence, as it makes literally no noise other than its tires rolling down the road.

All-electric cars are the wave of the future. They can be enormously fun to drive and bone-jarring fast, but they still have all the comfort of the automobiles we have come to love over the years. Our hats are off to BMW on the first of what will be many different models. Job well done!

Base price: $65,900

Destination charge: $995

Price as driven: $77,070