Our cars Making green great (again!)
Miles are piling on our BMW, but an electrical glitch worries Martyn. Martyn Collins
I’m still not convinced Spring has finally sprung, but more sun and warmer temperatures mean the range is certainly creeping up on my BMW i4 - the most being more than 250 miles from a home charge. This is helpful, as in the past month I’ve put over 1,000 easy miles under the wheels of this car. I’ve been as far as nearly Bristol for work, although I must admit destination charging has been my friend, as on one occasion it gave me the confidence to make three stops - including home – before ending up at Heathrow the night before catching a flight.
Sadly, all the previous EVs I’ve been lucky enough to run for Business Car have suffered the odd electrical glitch, mostly as the result of being parked up for a few days in cold weather. So, I’ve been pleased that the BMW hadn’t suffered warning lights crying wolf, or slow sat nav.
That was until I got back to the i4, which had been parked in a warm underground hotel car park for a couple of nights. I input the satnav, chose my music, and all seemed well until I reached the pay booth near the exit – then I had to turn the BMW off! Anyway, I exited the car park, and all seemed well. It was only when I joined the road leading to the M25, that I noticed that the 14.9in infotainment screen wasn’t working – although oddly it was still streaming the music off my phone! Previous experience suggests that stopping and restarting usually resolves these faults, but despite stop-start traffic giving me the opportunity to turn the i4 on and off, I thought it would be safer not to – just in case this BMW refused to restart in a lane on the M25 because of a bigger problem! Good thing I knew my way home
BMW i4 eDrive 40
P11D price £57,630 As tested £63,475 Official range 365 miles Our average consumption 2.9 miles/kWh Mileage 3350
from Heathrow, as despite my hopes that the screen might come back to life during my trip, it stayed stubbornly dead! More worryingly, when home, the screen still refused to power up after turning this car on and off. Then, just as I was considering a call to BMW Roadside Assistance, it finally booted up and the map was there on the working screen - just like nothing had happened! Anyway, I’ve been mindful of this car doing the same again, but so far so good. I’ve not been able to replicate this fault – thank goodness, but it has made me think and I will continue to keep an eye on it.
The fact that Spring hasn’t really sprung, as I mentioned above, is my main excuse why this BMW has only received one wash since it has been in my care. However, I’m pleased to say that inclement May Bank Holiday weather gave me no excuse not to make the metallic ‘San Remo Green’ great again. Anyway, despite being covered in two months of grime, the metallic finish quickly looked sharp – although it also revealed some damage which I can only assume came from a careless fellow traveller’s case. Still, I’m pleased to say these easily lifted with a bit of compound and polish.
Standard equipment on the M Sport trim: M Sport body styling, 18in M Sport wheels, Shadow Line exterior trim, leather upholstery, M Sport leather steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, LED lights front and back.
Three months have flown by already and electrical glitch aside, I’m already beginning to dread the time when the i4 returns to BMW – it’s such a complete and likeable EV.
Why we’re running it
To see if the i4 is the perfect EV company car choice.
WEBSITE Please visit
www.businesscar.co.uk/tests/long-term-test/ for previous reports on our fleet
www.businesscar.co.uk | May 2023 | 43
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