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Each of the last two posters make good points. IMO...
I think the i4 will first and foremost have to look good to get the initial attention. Tesla’s were a novelty when first launched the S but the entire line has grown stale both inside and out. Although a lot of a Tesla buyers are happy with the utilitarian approach, a competitor offering a more attractive package will garner attention.
Those buyers satisfied with the utilitarian a Tesla package, especially in the 3, may remain loyal but... like their German counterparts, General Motors, and upstarts like Lucid, BMW will be offering a more exciting package with more and nicer options to individualize their nicer cars.
Performance of the Tesla is hard to argue but BMW is known for its performance models and the i4 will certainly offer performance, not only in raw HP and torque, but in handling as well.
Range again is subjective. The average utilitarian buyer will not be as concerned with range, but some want cross country capability. Performance buyers will most like want more performance than range, but they will need enough battery to get reasonable range while showing off. Many will even want extended range for GT capability. While most charging will take place at home, partnerships in charging networks could help in canceling out the theory that Tesla has the only viable network which I don’t find all that vast today.
So if BMW can produce and i4 that blends BMW styling and performance with a reasonable range, that will put them in the market. It they can find a way to at least match range all the better. Doing so at a traditional BMW price point will be as critical as all of the other factors combined. My guess is that the i4 base will be competitive with the Tesla 3 base, but I think there will be more options available from BMW that will make most packages or iterations, like an M, cost considerably more than the Tesla but at least the buyer will have the options to build a much nicer product than the Tesla.
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