The BMW i4 is the yet-to-be-officially-released all-electric sedan from the brand that has EV fans eagerly awaiting to order and traditional M-car fans feeling a bit uncomfortable. While the car itself has been displayed for viewing in its final production styling, you can’t yet find them on the dealership lots. Not to worry, though, as BMW, like several other manufacturers, is working to sell pre-orders, allowing customers to spec their new BMW i4 exactly as they’d like it before it’s even produced.

You can pre-order a BMW i4 today with a deposit

If you scroll over to the BMW website, you have the option to order a BMW i4 to your personal liking of specs, options, and features, and put down a deposit as soon as, well, right now. This isn’t new or uncommon, as manufacturers such as Lotus are building their vehicles, like the Emira, to spec for customers to order beforehand, rather than making an arbitrary number with certain features and options. Later in this year, your local dealership, who you placed your order and submitted the deposit, is supposed to reach out to you to finalize all of the details of your car before BMW is set to actually put the vehicles into production. So, you can technically put a deposit down on a BMW i4 down as soon as today. But that doesn’t technically mean you’ve purchased one yet.

When will the BMW i4 come to dealerships?

The BMW i4 will be built to the specifications of customers who have pre-ordered and placed deposits, but, because these aren’t rare hypercars like the Ferrari LaFerrari, full payment isn’t taken until the vehicle is ready for official purchase and delivery. According to the German manufacturer, delivery of the BMW i4 should begin as early as Spring of 2022, meaning we still have a chunk of time remaining before we will see these vehicles at the dealership for pickup. If you’re wondering about the big, glaring elephant in your wallet, yes, you can finance the BMW i4 even if you choose to preorder it, but you still must place a deposit on the car beforehand to do so. For most dealerships, financing options are available closer to scheduled delivery.

The first electric BMW M car

Because buyers are able to purchase the car to their personal liking, that means they have the choice of paint color, interior color, packages, options, features, add-ons, and, more importantly to some: drivetrains. The BMW i4 will be the brand’s first official electric car that will proudly display the M badge. The BMW i4 M50 is the next generation of high-performance models that bring the brand into the modern age of electric drivetrains, and, as we’ve seen with brands like Audi, we can expect that, like Audi, we may be seeing less and less gasoline-powered cars over the next few years as luxury car brands begin to usher at the beginning of an all-electric model lineup.

And, if you don’t want to wait to own your new EV, you can check out these already available luxury electric SUVs: The Best Electric SUVs According to Edmunds