Read the full BMW i4 review
The i4 is a deeply impressive car. It offers all the performance and poise we’ve come to expect from a petrol-powered BMW saloon but, because it’s electric, it doesn’t emit a single gram of CO2. And it can cover up to 367 miles per charge, which is bordering on combustion car levels of convenience. We think the entry-level i4 eDrive40 is the model to go for, as it has the best range and it isn’t that much slower than the flagship M50 variant in the real world.
BMW did an excellent job of the i4’s interior, too. All the materials are high-quality, the seats are comfortable and the dual-screen infotainment system looks better than most HD TV screens. You also get a couple of clever toys to play with, such as voice and gesture control, although they work with varying success depending on your accent and seating position.
Most importantly here, the BMW i4 is very attractive for company car buyers. Because it’s electric, it has a low Benefit-in-Kind tax of just 2%, which makes it a very affordable means of getting into a well-equipped new car. The yearly BiK charge for a eDrive40 M Sport is £1,099, compared to around £19,000 for the closest equivalent petrol-powered 3 Series, the M340i. If you’re in the 40% tax bracket, you’ll pay less than £440 per year for the car. That’s cracking value.
Based on a 43year old Male the BMW i4 would cost £567.68 to insure
*Insurance quotes are from mustard.co.uk in September 2022 and are based on a 43-year-old, employed married male living in Stowmarket with 9 years NCD and no claims or convictions. Insurance quotes will vary depending on individual circumstances.
RUNNERS UP
Read the full Mercedes-Benz C300e review
Click to view Mercedes-Benz lease deals
Electric cars are great, but they don’t suit everyone’s lifestyle. The UK’s piecemeal charging infrastructure and soaring electricity costs create a solid case for driving an efficient petrol car over an EV – and Mercedes has the perfect answer. The C300e is a refined saloon with a surprising turn of speed and a scarcely believable maximum fuel economy figure of more than 400mpg.
You’ll have to do most of your journeys on electric power to get anywhere near those claims, but that’s not so bad because the C300e has a pure-electric range of around 50 miles, giving it one of the longest electric ranges of any PHEV on sale. Because it’s so green, its Benefit-in-Kind rating is also a mere 8%, meaning you’ll only pay £1,480 per year (if you’re in the 40% tax bracket) to have one on your drive.
Read the full Polestar 2 Long Range review
Prepare yourself for another too-good-to-be-true company car scenario. The Polestar 2 Long Range is pure-electric, meaning it falls into the lowest 2% BiK band. But, because its cash price is slightly cheaper than the BMW i4, you can have one for next to nothing on a company car policy. If you’re in the 40% tax band, you’ll pay around £370 per year for the car. We’ve had nights out that were more expensive than that.
It’s an excellent car, too. The cabin is chic, modern and packed full of clever technology. The single-motor variants can cover 335 miles, while the pricier dual-motor models can manage a sniff under 300. Both options are quick, too – the single motor option will get from 0–62mph in 7.4 seconds, while the 408hp dual motor model dispatches the same sprint in just 4.7 seconds.
