I’ve been around the world, and gotten behind the wheels of so many cars, whether they be utilitarian, sporty, or luxury. I couldn’t possibly remember them all.
But one test drive has been stuck in my memory. In 2014, I was given the chance to test drive the latest edition of an American muscle car, the Ford Mustang. It so happened that a then 72-year-old missionary named Didi, who was once based in India, joined me for a joyride. I have never forgotten what she said while inside the car: “The Mustang is my oxymoron. It is luxury versus spirituality. Of course, this is leather. I would’ve preferred leatherette not sourced from animals. Our shoes are not made of animal skin. Just don’t compromise your ideology.”
From then on, I have made it a point to ask our kind car manufacturers for leather-free variants of their test drives, or units that do not use real animal skins for their interiors, whenever possible.
When BMW Philippines asked me to test drive the BMW i4 eDrive35 over the weekend, I was elated. Not only would I be in a BMW again (it’s been ages since I test drove one), but I would be driving one of its cutting-edge new-energy vehicles, and an all-vegan one at that.
So, it’s all-electric, and it uses SensaTec Perforated upholstery. On top of that, this gran coupe uses Michelin tires, which is also vegan as it uses only plant-based stearic acid. This EV definitely has a pumping heart for the environment and for the animals. All these, however, don’t take anything away from the macho-ness of the design.
The Alpine White i4 eDrive35 flaunts an athletic side, with LED headlights and the distinctive BMW kidney grille. Its short overhangs, slim pillars, frameless windows, and a seamlessly flowing roofline into the rear underscore the model’s silhouette, aligning perfectly with the BMW coupé mold.
The chant of a BMW electric engine
What’s most striking about the i4 eDrive35, for me, is not what is seen, but what can be heard. When the power is pushed on inside, you hear a one-second orchestra tune. Outside, when the car crawls forward or back, one can clearly hear a mesmerizing chant, which I can only describe as a “symphony of silence.”
It all made sense when I read that the BMW Iconic Sounds Electric started out as a collaboration between the BMW Group and Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, with the objective of developing a revolutionary sound design and concepts for the fleet of BMW EVs and ultimately creating the sounds of the future.
BMW’s acoustic engineers had also been working on artificially generated sounds for electric models since 2009 to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists are alerted to approaching EVs.
BMW designers also explained how sustainability is emphasized through accents in BMW i Blue for the kidney grille, the incorporation of battery technology in the car’s floor area, and sporty diffuser elements optimizing aerodynamics.
I didn’t have second thoughts driving the i4 eDrive35 to Baguio City on a late Sunday afternoon. After charging up the battery to 100 percent at the BMW Greenhills dealership (RSA Motors), I and my navigator hit all the northbound tollways (NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEx), enjoying the BMW EV’s silky smooth ride, suspension and instantaneous acceleration.
Going up Baguio via Marcos Highway (Kennon Road was still closed to motor vehicles at the time of the drive) I felt BMW’s fun-to-drive factor was delightfully retained in this EV. The vehicle felt very stable in the sharp turns, and, of course, the nearly unlimited torque at my right foot’s disposal made short work of the steep climbs.
Having so much fun behind the wheels comes at a cost, however. And energy is finite. Before we knew it, the battery level of the i4 was down to concerning levels by the time we finally made it to the summer capital. Adding to the low-level anxiety was the unusually heavy Sunday night traffic, which delayed our arrival at the charging stations. It turned out that we were caught in the tail-end of the annual Panagbenga, Baguio City’s most popular festival.
By the time we arrived at the Camp John Hay Technohub’s EV charging station (supplied and maintained by Ayala, by the way) at 6:30 p.m., we had run for around 280 km, and left with just 20-percent charge, or 40 km of range. Our friend and car enthusiast Ian RJ Reyes, a long-time Baguio resident, met us here to help guide us through the Baguio traffic.
Unfortunately, the Ayala EV charging station was open only until 7 p.m. So, we had to drive to another charging station—this time in SM Baguio—to complete the charge. Good thing, the mall and its EV charging station was open until 10 p.m., giving us more than enough time to fully charge the EV using the facility’s CCS Type 2 charging port. After dinner in a vegan-friendly restaurant, the three of us went around Baguio for some photo shoots. After dropping Ian off at his own car, there was still 93 percent of charge left—more than enough for the drive back to BMW Greenhills. And so, after a 4-hour midnight drive in traffic-free conditions, we were back in the BMW showroom’s basement, with 30 percent of charge, or 100km of range, remaining, thus completing my first Manila-Baguio loop since the onset of the pandemic.
The BMW i4 features the 5th-generation eDrive technology, integrating the electric motor, power electronics, and transmission. Its electric motors employ electrically excited synchronous motor principles, delivering substantial torque of 400 N-m and enabling the BMW i4 eDrive35 to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 6 seconds flat. The car’s adaptive recuperation system enhances efficiency by adjusting brake energy recuperation based on real-time data, and the high-voltage battery incorporates the latest cell technology with an integrated heating and cooling system for optimal performance, including anticipatory thermal management for efficient fast charging.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 registers an electric power consumption of 18.7 to 15.8 kWh/100 km (in the WLTP cycle or Worldwide Harmonized Light-Vehicle Test Procedure), and combines a 286 hp electric motor with classical rear-wheel drive. Its range as per the WLTP cycle is 406 to 483 km. Applying my actual drive experience with the i4 eDrive35, I can say that the real-world range varies more widely. Running at maximum legal expressway speeds, with full aircon, and going up to elevations in excess of 1,500 meters, significantly reduced range, even for a high-end EV.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 retails for P4.490 million, and comes with a 5-year comprehensive BMW warranty, a 6-year BMW service inclusive package, an 8-year high-voltage battery warranty, and a Wallbox charger installed by a BMW i partner in the customer’s home.
