BMW i4 charging: cost, time and range
eDrive40 · 2022–2026 · 400V-class architecture
- Usable battery
- 80.7kWh
- Peak DC
- 205kW
- Onboard AC
- 11kW
- 7.4kW on a home charger
- Real-world range
- 274 mi
- Plug
- CCS
Charging time, 10 → 80%
Modelled using the BMW i4's actual charging curve, not a flat headline rate.
| Charger | Time (10→80%) | Avg delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 7kW home (single-phase) | 8h 4m | 7.0kW |
| 22kW destination (three-phase) | 5h 8m | 11.0kW |
| 50kW rapid | 1h 8m | 50.0kW |
| 150kW ultra-rapid | 28m | 120.4kW |
| 250kW peak | 26m | 131.7kW |
| 350kW | 26m | 131.7kW |
Why the AC numbers look low at home
The i4 is rated at 11kW, but that figure needs a three-phase supply — which almost no UK home has. British houses are single-phase (230V, typically 32A), so a home charger delivers around 7.4kW and the car can't exceed it. The 11kW rating only matters at 11kW and 22kW destination chargers.
None of this affects rapid charging: DC bypasses the onboard charger entirely, which is why the 205kW figure above is unaffected.
Charging curve
Maximum power the i4 accepts at each state of charge. The curve drops sharply above 80%, which is why most rapid-charging sessions end there.
Cost to charge on every UK network
10 → 80% session (56.5kWh delivered), VAT included.
| Network | PAYG cost | Subscription cost | Cost/mile (PAYG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected Kerb 54.0p PAYG | £30.50 | — | 15.9p/mile |
| Tesla Supercharger 58.0p PAYG | £32.76 | £25.98 (+ £8.99/mo) | 17.1p/mile |
| Char.gy 59.0p PAYG | £33.33 | — | 17.4p/mile |
| MFG EV Power 59.0p PAYG | £33.33 | — | 17.4p/mile |
| Pod Point 62.0p PAYG | £35.02 | — | 18.3p/mile |
| Source London 65.0p PAYG | £36.72 | £28.25 (+ £4.00/mo) | 19.2p/mile |
| Believ 66.0p PAYG | £37.28 | — | 19.5p/mile |
| Mer 78.0p PAYG | £44.06 | — | 23.0p/mile |
| Be.EV 79.0p PAYG | £44.63 | £27.68 (+ £4.99/mo) | 23.3p/mile |
| Evyve 79.0p PAYG | £44.63 | — | 23.3p/mile |
| Fastned 79.0p PAYG | £44.63 | £31.07 (+ £4.99/mo) | 23.3p/mile |
| SWARCO eVolt 79.0p PAYG | £44.63 | — | 23.3p/mile |
| Shell Recharge 82.0p PAYG | £46.32 | £28.25 (+ £9.99/mo) | 24.2p/mile |
| IONITY 83.0p PAYG | £46.89 | £27.68 (+ £10.50/mo) | 24.5p/mile |
| Allego 84.0p PAYG | £47.45 | — | 24.8p/mile |
| BP Pulse 86.0p PAYG | £48.58 | £38.41 (+ £7.85/mo) | 25.4p/mile |
| Osprey 87.0p PAYG | £49.15 | — | 25.7p/mile |
| GRIDSERVE 88.0p PAYG | £49.71 | £37.28 (+ £7.99/mo) | 26.0p/mile |
| Source 89.0p PAYG | £50.28 | £39.54 (+ £6.99/mo) | 26.3p/mile |
| GeniePoint 92.0p PAYG | £51.97 | — | 27.1p/mile |
| InstaVolt 92.0p PAYG | £51.97 | — | 27.1p/mile |
Cost to charge at home
Full 0 → 100% charge on each common UK EV tariff, using its cheapest rate. Check which tariff is actually cheapest for your usage →
| Tariff | Off-peak rate | Full charge cost | Cost/mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Gas British Gas EV Power | 9.0p (Off-peak) | £7.26 | 2.7p/mile |
| EDF Energy EDF GoElectric | 7.0p (Off-peak) | £5.64 | 2.1p/mile |
| E.ON Next E.ON Next Drive | 9.0p (Off-peak) | £7.26 | 2.7p/mile |
| Octopus Energy Intelligent Octopus Go | 8.0p (Off-peak) | £6.46 | 2.4p/mile |
| Octopus Energy Octopus Go | 9.5p (Off-peak) | £7.67 | 2.8p/mile |
| OVO Energy OVO Charge Anytime | 14.0p (EV charging slot) | £11.30 | 4.1p/mile |
| Ofgem default (any supplier) Standard Variable Price Cap | 26.1p (Standard) | £21.07 | 7.7p/mile |
Compare the i4 against another EV
Same battery, charger speed and SOC range; full data side-by-side.
About this battery
The BMW i4's charging behaviour above is derived from its cell chemistry and pack architecture using our own model — not copied from a third-party test database. Here's what's inside the pack and why it produces the curve you see.
Cells
- Manufacturer
- Samsung SDI
- Chemistry
- NMC-811
- Cell format
- prismatic
- Cell model
- Gen 5 NMC
Pack architecture
- Pack voltage
- 400V class
- Thermal management
- Active liquid cooling
- Pre-conditioning
- Manual (user-triggered)
- BMS calibration
- Standard
BMW Gen 5 eDrive platform. Samsung SDI prismatic NMC cells, active liquid cooling. Pre-conditioning is manual via the iDrive menu when routing to a fast charger.
How the curve is derived: methodology. Last verified 2026-04-01.