BMW i4 Home Charging UK: Cost per Charge, Time & Best Chargers
Vehicle guide
The 81.3 kWh i4 eDrive40 fills in about 11 hours on a 7 kW wallbox and costs about £6 on an off-peak tariff. Intelligent Go works through My BMW, and the efficient i4 is cheap per mile.
Battery
81.3 kWh
20–80% at home
~7h 5m
AC limit
11 kW
20–80% at 7.6p
£3.71
Range
~325 mi
Charging time estimates
Approximate AC charging times
| Charge window | 3-pin (~2.3kW) | 7kW | 11kW max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–80% | 22h 55m | 7h 30m | 4h 45m |
| 0–100% | 38h 10m | 12h 35m | 8h 0m |
Assumes 8% charging losses and rounded 5-minute estimates. 3-pin assumes about 2.3kW; 7kW uses up to 7kW; three-phase only appears when the vehicle can accept more than 7.4kW AC.
Vehicle-specific tariff cost
BMW i4 eDrive40 charging cost at 10,000 miles.
EV electricity only, using 4 miles per kWh and assuming every charging kWh reaches the listed lower rate. Household electricity and the postcode-dependent standing charge sit outside these figures.
Compare the full household bill, eligibility and achievable off-peak share in the EV tariff decision guide.
Charger picks
BMW i4 eDrive40: 3 chargers we’d pick
Picked for the trade-offs that matter most when you’re buying for BMW i4 eDrive40 specifically.
Best fit for BMW i4 eDrive40
Tesla Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3)The best-value plain wallbox at £475, with a 7.3 m cable for the rear-right socket; the i4 carries Intelligent Go through My BMW.
- Price
- £475
- Power
- 7.4kW / 22kW
Hides the cable and carries the Octopus and OVO links, for a car that sits outside a house that cares how the wall looks.
- Price
- £995
- Power
- 7.4kW
Intelligent Go, OVO and E.ON in the charger as a backup to BMW's servers.
- Price
- £559
- Power
- 7.4kW
The hardware
The i4's Type 2 inlet is on the rear right wing; reverse onto the drive and it faces the house. The on-board charger is 11 kW on every version, with no 22 kW option, so a UK single-phase wallbox gives 7.4 kW and three-phase 11 kW. A 5 m Type 2 cable is supplied; check the order form for the 3-pin Flexible Fast Charger, which BMW has been quietly dropping.
DC peaks at 180 kW (eDrive35) and 205 kW (eDrive40, M60).
Variants (2026)
| Variant | Battery (usable) | Max AC | Max DC | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i4 eDrive35 | 67.1 kWh | 11 kW | 180 kW | 306–319 miles |
| i4 eDrive40 | 81.3 kWh | 11 kW | 205 kW | 368–381 miles |
| i4 M60 xDrive | 81.3 kWh | 11 kW | 205 kW | 338–342 miles |
Usable capacities (70.3 and 83.9 kWh gross). The M60 replaced the M50 in 2025. Real-world range is about 270, 325 and 285 miles. Prices run from about £51,000 to £71,500. Figures below are for the eDrive40.
How long it takes to charge the i4
The figures below are for the eDrive40, the version most people buy, with its 81.3kWh usable battery.
20% to 80%, the everyday window
| Supply | Charge time (20–80%) | Range added |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~21 hours | ~195 miles |
| 7 kW wallbox | ~6½ hours | ~195 miles |
| 11 kW three-phase | ~4.4 hours | ~195 miles |
A big pack, so empty-to-full on single-phase is a long night; a normal day's 40 miles is back in an hour and a half. Three-phase trims the rare full charge to an evening.
0% to 100%
| Supply | Charge time (0–100%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~35½ hours | Emergency use only |
| 7 kW wallbox (single-phase) | ~11 hours | The standard overnight charge |
| 11 kW wallbox (three-phase) | ~7½ hours | Only if the house has a three-phase supply |
Costs
The tariff does most of the work. The i4 returns about 4 mi/kWh in real-world UK driving.
Cost per full charge (81.3kWh)
| Tariff | Rate | 0–100% | 20–80% |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDF GoElectric | 6.66p/kWh | £5.41 | £3.25 |
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 7.6p/kWh | £6.18 | £3.71 |
| Octopus Go | 9.5p/kWh | £7.72 | £4.63 |
| British Gas EV Power | 9.5p/kWh | £7.72 | £4.63 |
| Standard variable (Ofgem cap) | 26.32p/kWh | £21.40 | £12.84 |
| Public rapid charger | 79p/kWh | £64.23 | £38.54 |
Annual charging cost at 10,000 miles
| Tariff | Cost per mile | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 1.9p/mile | £190 |
| Octopus Go | 2.4p/mile | £238 |
| Standard variable | 6.6p/mile | £658 |
| Public rapid only | 19.8p/mile | £1,975 |
| Petrol equivalent | ~19p | ~£1,900 |
Petrol assumes 40 mpg at £1.45 a litre. The electricity figures are charging only: no standing charge, and no allowance for the 5–10% lost between the wall and the battery.
The gap between the standard rate and a good EV tariff is several hundred pounds a year on typical mileage, and it costs nothing to close. The interactive savings calculator runs the numbers for your mileage; the UK EV Charging Cost Index compares every tariff per mile.
NMC battery: 80% daily
The i4's NMC pack wants an 80% daily charge target, set in My BMW or on the car's screen, and 100% before a long trip. The app's departure times precondition the cabin and battery on wall power, which is worth using in winter.
The i4 is the most efficient car in this group, at about 4 miles per kWh in real use; that, more than the tariff, is why its running cost per mile is so low. Early cars had a run of 12V battery failures; a software update addressed it, so keep the car's software current.
Smart tariffs and the i4
Intelligent Octopus Go can control the car directly through the manufacturer's app, so any charger works: the charger is just a socket, and Octopus tells the car when to draw. BMW is on Octopus's car-side list (Octopus multi-car guide), so Intelligent Go schedules the i4 through My BMW with any charger. Owners occasionally report a lag between plugging in and Octopus noticing the car; it usually sorts itself within the slot. OVO Charge Anytime lists BMW too. For Octopus Go or EDF GoElectric, the car's own charging window is enough.
Choosing a charger
Every home charger on this site works with the i4: Type 2 is universal for UK AC charging. The car carries the tariff; choose the charger on build, cable and whether you want a backup link.
- Tesla Wall Connector at £475: the best-value plain wallbox, with a 7.3 m cable for the rear-right socket parked nose-in and a four-year warranty.
- Andersen A3: if the i4 sits outside a house that cares how the wall looks, the Andersen hides the cable, carries the Octopus and OVO links, and costs accordingly.
- Ohme Home Pro at £559: Intelligent Go, OVO and E.ON in the charger as a backup to BMW's servers.
Full head-to-heads are on the charger comparison page, and the smart-tariff chargers guide covers which units talk to which supplier.
Common questions
Can I charge an i4 from a 3-pin plug?
Yes, with BMW's Flexible Fast Charger (if supplied) or any portable lead, at about 2.3 kW. A full 81 kWh charge takes a day and a half. 3-pin guide.
Does the i4 work with Intelligent Octopus Go?
Yes, through My BMW. Any charger works.
Is 7 kW enough for an 81 kWh battery?
Yes. Empty-to-full is about 11 hours, but you will rarely do it; a typical night's top-up is under two hours. Three-phase is a convenience, not a need.
Does the i4 have Vehicle-to-Load or V2G?
Neither.
Getting set up
- Switch to an EV tariff before anything else; the saving starts the day it goes live.
- Choose a charger, or compare them all.
- Get installation quotes: up to three local installers, no obligation.
- Read the installation guide so the day itself holds no surprises.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Your next useful step: compare the recommended home chargers.