When it comes to luxury EVs, the 2022 BMW i4 is one of the best options on the market right now, but BMW has plenty of capable competition, too. Volvo is another luxury automaker that’s investing heavily into EVs, and one of Volvo’s latest EV offerings is the 2022 C40 Recharge. That being said, the 2022 BMW i4 is the better luxury electric car, and here’s a look at four reasons why car shoppers should buy an i4 instead of a 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge. 

The 2022 BMW i4 has a lower starting price tag 

According to Edmunds, while both EVs are high-quality cars from European luxury automakers, the BMW is significantly more affordable. It starts at a price tag of about $55,400. In comparison, the Volvo starts a price tag that’s just under $59,000. This means that folks who choose to buy the C40 Recharge over the i4 will have to cough up over $3,000 more.

While many luxury car shoppers don’t pay attention to a car’s price, it can still be worthwhile to go for the less expensive car. This may allow some folks to add options to their i4 while still having a comparable price tag to the C40 Recharge.

The 2022 BMW i4 has significantly more range than the Volvo does

In addition to being cheaper, the Beemer also has a much better range than the C40 Recharge does. This is true for both i4 trims that folks can buy right now. The standard i4 comes with a single electric motor, while the M50 option adds a second motor. The single-motor i4 gets 335 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, while the M50 gets 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. 

The C40 Recharge, meanwhile, has one configuration available. It comes standard with two motors, and they get 402 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. That said, this standard dual-motor configuration only gives the Volvo a range of 226 miles. In comparison, the single-motor i4 gets 301 miles of range. The M50 trim is much more powerful than the C40 Recharge, and it still gets 245 miles of range.

BMW gave the i4 a much larger battery pack than Volvo gave the C40 Recharge

The main reason why both i4 options have a longer range than the C40 Recharge comes down to their battery packs, but also their efficiencies. According to Edmunds, BMW gave the i4 an 83.9-kWh battery pack, while Volvo gave the C40 Recharge a 78-kWh battery pack. That’s a small difference, but the Beemer’s battery is much more efficient. The i4 gets 109 MPGe, while the C40 Recharge gets 87 MPGe. 

Despite the bigger battery, the 2022 BMW i4 is also the lighter car

One of the main reasons for that significant range and efficiency difference is because of the size of the two luxury EVs. Despite having a bigger battery, the BMW is lighter than the Volvo. The i4 has a curb weight of 4,680 pounds, while the C40 Recharge has a curb weight of 4,817 pounds. That’s a weight difference of over 100 pounds. Just like with regular cars, a heavier EV will simply be a less efficient EV. 

Thanks to that size difference, the Beemer also gets a few bonus attributes. For example, lighter cars will be easier to handle, and drivers typically care about how well a high-performance luxury car handles. The C40 Recharge isn’t a heavier car just for no reason, though. The Volvo is larger and has a cargo capacity of about 14.5 cu. ft. without folding its seats, but that’s not far from the i4’s 10 cu. ft. of cargo capacity.