Their official range figures are one kilometre apart — 613 km WLTP for the BMW, 614 for the Hyundai — and almost nothing else about these two cars matches. The i4 records the second-longest observed real-world range on this site, 525 km, behind only the Tesla Model 3 Long Range. The Ioniq 6 is the second most efficient car here on the EPA test, at 26.0 kWh per 100 miles, behind only the Lucid Air Pure, charges from 10 to 80 per cent in 17 minutes against 28, and costs £12,400 less in the UK.
What actually differs
- BMW i4 eDrive40 goes 30 km further on the observed real-world figure than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – BMW i4 eDrive40 is rated 24 km further than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD is 4% more efficient than the BMW i4 eDrive40, which is what the electricity bill follows.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD charges from 10 to 80 per cent 11 minutes faster than the BMW i4 eDrive40.
- BMW i4 eDrive40 carries 7 kWh more usable battery than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD has 2 more years of battery warranty than the BMW i4 eDrive40.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD is 135 kg lighter than the BMW i4 eDrive40.
- BMW i4 eDrive40 is 2 seconds quicker to 100 km/h than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
Every line above is computed from the table below, not written: a difference is only stated where both cars carry that figure from a named source.
| Specification | BMW i4 eDrive40 BMW | Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD Hyundai |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | 4,674 lb | 4,376 lb |
| Battery | ||
| Cell chemistry LFP tolerates daily charging to 100% and is the most thermally stable; NMC and NCA pack more energy per kilogram. | NMC | NMC |
| Usable capacity The figure every range and cost calculation on this site is based on. | 81.3 kWh | 74.0 kWh |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | liquid-active |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | 399 V | 697 V |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.0% / year est | 2.0% / year est |
| Projected state of health at 8 years Modelled from the observed degradation rate at average annual mileage. An estimate, not a measurement. | 84% est | 84% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 333 mi | 342 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 341 mi | 370 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 323 mi | 308 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | 381 mi | 382 mi |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | 326 mi | 308 mi |
| EPA consumption | 28.5 kWh/100 mi | 26.0 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | 249 Wh/mi | 240 Wh/mi |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | 205 kW | 233 kW |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | 28 min | 17 min |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | 11 kW | 11 kW |
| DC connector (Europe) | CCS2 | CCS2 |
| DC connector (US) The plug fitted to the car as sold in the United States. Blank where we have not sourced it for that market. | — | CCS1 |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | 250 kW | 168 kW |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | 5.6 s | 7.4 s |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | $57,900 | $42,800 |
| Base price (EU) | €60,600 | €54,000 |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | $13,400 est | $12,200 est |
| Battery warranty | 8 yr | 10 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | — | 5/5 |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 7 | 5 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 5.3 / 10 | 6.5 / 10 |
highlighted marks the better figure for that row. Where a car is not sold in a market, its price and official range for that market are blank rather than converted. est marks a modelled value, explained on the methodology page.
Same official range, different real range
613 km against 614 on WLTP is as close as two cars get. In observed mixed driving the BMW returns 525 km and the Hyundai 495 — 30 km apart, from official figures that said they were identical. As a share of the claim that is 86 per cent for the i4 against 81 for the Ioniq 6, against a site-wide average of 79 per cent across eighteen cars. Both beat the average; only the BYD Seal holds as much of its claim as the BMW does.
On the EPA test the order flips again, because the tests are not the same test: 333 miles for the i4 against 342 for the Ioniq 6. That is not a contradiction in the data, it is what EPA and WLTP measuring different things looks like when two cars are this evenly matched. If you are in the United States, use the EPA pair; in Europe, use the observed pair.
The Hyundai is the more efficient car, and it is not close
26.0 kWh per 100 miles against 28.5 on the EPA test; 149 Wh per km against 155 in real-world use. On the EPA cycle the Ioniq 6 is second of the 36 rated cars in this database and the i4 is ninth; on the real-world figure the rear-drive Model 3 edges ahead of both. It shows in the bill: $4.78 per 100 miles against $5.24, or $54 a month against $59 at average US mileage and the average US home rate. Over eight years that is about $480, which is real money and still smaller than one year of the purchase-price difference.
The Hyundai gets there with 135 kg less mass and a smaller battery — 74 kWh usable against 81.3. That the BMW still goes further in the real world, on 7 kWh less efficiency headroom, says something about how it uses energy at motorway speed, which is where observed testing spends most of its time.
17 minutes against 28
The Ioniq 6 runs an 800-volt pack and peaks at 233 kW; the i4 is 400-volt and peaks at 205. From 10 to 80 per cent that is 17 minutes against 28, and in range added it is about 239 miles against 233 — the Hyundai puts in slightly more, in eleven fewer minutes. Per minute plugged in, 14.1 miles against 8.3.
The Ioniq 6 is the joint fastest-charging car on this site, level with the Kia EV6, and one of only five that gains anything from a 350 kW station; the i4 is at its ceiling on a 150 kW post. On a long drive the difference is about eleven minutes per stop, which over four stops is most of a lunch.
Warranty and what the pack is worth in eight years
Hyundai covers the battery for ten years and 100,000 miles; BMW covers it for eight and 100,000. Both guarantee 70 per cent state of health at the end of the term, and both cars project to about 84 per cent at eight years on our degradation model, so the extra two years are the difference. Our estimate for an out-of-warranty pack is $12,200 for the Ioniq 6 against $13,400 for the i4 — modelled figures, not quotes, with the formula on the methodology page and the reasoning in what an EV battery actually costs to replace.
Price, performance and the plug
£47,050 for the Ioniq 6 against £59,465 for the i4 in the UK, and €54,000 against €60,600 in Europe — the Hyundai is the cheaper car in both markets, by £12,415 and €6,600. What the BMW gives back is pace: 250 kW and 5.6 seconds to 100 km/h against 168 kW and 7.4. If that is worth twelve thousand pounds to you, it is a straightforward decision; if it is not, the Ioniq 6 wins on running cost, charging speed, warranty and price at once.
The Ioniq 6 also carries 3.6 kW of vehicle-to-load, which the i4 does not offer, and holds five stars from both NHTSA and Euro NCAP; we hold no crash rating for the i4, which is why its battery safety composite reads lower rather than worse.
Frequently asked questions
Which has more range, the i4 or the Ioniq 6?
It depends which figure you use. WLTP calls it level at 613 and 614 km. In observed driving the i4 goes 30 km further, 525 against 495. On the EPA test the Ioniq 6 is ahead, 342 miles against 333.
Which charges faster?
The Ioniq 6, by eleven minutes: 17 from 10 to 80 per cent against 28. It is the joint fastest-charging car on this site with the Kia EV6, and one of only five here that finishes sooner on a 350 kW station than on a 150 kW one.
Which is cheaper to own?
The Ioniq 6, on every line we measure: £12,415 less in the UK, $5 a month less in electricity, two more years of battery warranty and a lower modelled pack-replacement cost. The i4’s case is performance and observed motorway range.
Sources
Every figure above is credited on the two car pages: the BMW i4 eDrive40 and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD, each with the source and the date it was read. Pack replacement and eight-year state of health are our own estimates and are tagged as such; the running-cost assumptions are on the methodology page.