BMW i5
2023
The BMW i5 and BMW i5 Touring are battery electric models of the 5 Series (G60/G61). The i5 saloon was announced in May 2023 with the conventional G60 5 Series, while the i5 Touring was unveiled in February 2024. It is built at the same Dingolfing assembly line as units with combustion engines and plug-in hybrids.
An in-house developed electric motor paired with an 84.3 kWh battery pack makes for 250 kW (340 PS; 335 hp) and 400 N⋅m (295 lb⋅ft) (or 430 N⋅m (317 lb⋅ft) when Sport Boost or Launch Control is active) sent to the rear wheels of the i5 eDrive40, while the addition of an extra electric motor up front on the i5 M60 xDrive allows for 442 kW (601 PS; 593 hp) and 795 N⋅m (586 lb⋅ft) sent to all four wheels (or up to 820 N⋅m (605 lb⋅ft) with Sport Boost or M Launch Control activated). This electric motor is part of BMW's fifth-generation e-drive kit, utilizing a current-excited synchronous machine that eliminates the need for permanent magnets and rare earth. The motors themselves are positioned in the axles, and the axles also house the one-speed transmissions and power electronics. The M60 also gets standard adaptive suspension, a 7.62 mm (0.300 in) lower ride height than the base model, and upgraded brakes.
The i5 can adjust its braking energy regeneration based on battery level and traffic situation, though the driver can manually select low, medium, or high braking regeneration as well. A new Max Range mode optimize the remaining charge in the battery up to 25 percent by limiting top speed to 90 km/h (56 mph) and shuts down the climate control, the heated and cooled seats, and the heated steering wheel.
The onboard Combined Charging Unit (CCU) supports AC charging at up to 11 kW as standard, or up to 22 kW as an option. DC fast charging is supported at up to 205 kW, which can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. BMW introduced a "Plug & Charge" function that automatically authenticates itself and eliminates the need for account access through the provider's app or card at compatible public charging stations. Customers can store up to five individual Plug & Charge-enabled accounts from different providers in BMW's iDrive system.
Batteries are packed below the floor, inside the centre tunnel and under the rear seats. The 84.3 kWh high-voltage battery is composed of four modules with 72 battery cells each and three modules with 12 cells each. It is a 400-volt lithium-ion battery, which has a 211 amp-hour capacity. Due to electrical components such as the battery and motor, boot space decreases from 520 L (18 cu ft) on the pure combustion-engine and plug-in hybrid models to 490 L (17 cu ft) on the i5 saloon. However, the i5 Touring features the same storage capacity as its pure combustion-engine and plug-in hybrid models, 570 L (20 cu ft) of storage capacity that extends to 1,700 L (60 cu ft) with the rear seats folded down.
