BMW iX1 eDrive20 Tech+: £10,140 Off, £30,365 on the Road
A 25% discount on a £40,505 list price is a real saving. Whether it is a good buy depends on whether you can charge at home, and on a grant question the dealer has not yet answered.
The Deal
What You're Actually Paying
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Discounted price (on the road, 12 months' Vehicle Tax included) | £30,365 |
| Discount from list (£40,505) | £10,140 (25%) |
| Electricity at 10,000 miles/year, 7p/kWh home tariff (estimate) | £200–£235/year |
| Insurance (not included; get a quote for your postcode) | Not estimated |
| Depreciation (not included; no resale data yet) | Not estimated |
Running Cost: Home Charging, Public Charging, Petrol
These are our working estimates, not measured figures. We assume 10,000 miles a year and an efficiency of 3.0–3.5 miles per kWh. Petrol assumes a 40 mpg car at £1.50 a litre.
| Fuel Source (10,000 miles/year) | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Home charging at 7p/kWh | £200–£233 |
| Public rapid charging at 30p/kWh | £857–£1,000 |
| 40 mpg petrol at £1.50/litre | £1,705 |
The Criticisms, Priced Out
1. Range: 285–321 Miles WLTP
The concern
EV Database lists two WLTP figures for this model, 285 miles and 321 miles, depending on the test energy setting. Real-world range will be lower in cold weather and on motorways.
What it costs you
At home, nothing: you charge overnight and start each day with a full battery. On public rapid charging at 30p/kWh, a 10,000-mile year costs about £1,000 in electricity, which is still roughly £705 less than the petrol comparison. The cost is in time, not money.
2. Charging Speed: 130 kW Peak
The concern
The 65.2 kWh usable battery takes up to 130 kW DC. That is respectable but not class-leading for a car at this price.
What it costs you
Only on long trips relying on fast chargers. For a daily driver with home charging, the peak rate is irrelevant.
3. The Grant Question
The concern
The Electric Car Grant gives £3,750 off eligible cars. Its published price cap is under £37,000 recommended retail price, rising to £42,000 with optional extras. This car's list price is £40,505, so it may not qualify at all, and the discount itself may not be sufficient to change that.
What it costs you
If the grant applies to this quote, the price falls by £3,750 on top of the discount. If it does not, the £30,365 is the full price. The dealer has not said which applies. Ask in writing before you commit.
Key Specifications
Figures from EV Database's iX1 eDrive20 entry. The dealer listing gives no separate range or charging data.
Who This Deal Is For
✓ You have off-street charging
At 7p/kWh, the running cost is a fraction of petrol. The efficiency question stops mattering.
✓ You want an estate body and a premium badge at a lower price
The base eDrive20 is listed by EV Database at £37,065 on the road, or £33,315 after the £3,750 grant. This Tech+ quote at £30,365 is below both figures, but the trim and options differ, so compare like with like before deciding.
✗ You rely on public rapid charging
The saving over petrol shrinks but does not disappear. Even at 30p/kWh the car is cheaper to run than a 40 mpg petrol car. It is a worse deal than home charging, not a bad one.
✗ You cannot confirm the grant position
If the dealer will not confirm in writing whether the £3,750 applies, walk away until they do. The gap between the two outcomes is large.
Three Checks Before You Sign
Ask the dealer whether the Electric Car Grant is applied to this quote, and which price it is measured against. Do not rely on the listing.
A cash purchase carries depreciation, insurance and finance costs that this article does not estimate. Ask for insurance quotes and a resale estimate before comparing against a lease or a PCP deal.
The listing shows no options selected, so £30,365 is the base trim price. Each option you add, such as the £1,100 driving assistant professional pack or the £1,100 panoramic sunroof, raises the price. Confirm the final figure with the dealer.
Related Tools & Articles
- AI Tariff Finder — find the cheapest overnight rate for your 65 kWh battery. Cutting the rate from 10p to 7p/kWh saves roughly £85–£100 a year at 10,000 miles.
- Honest Electricity Cost Calculator — model your home charging cost on different tariffs.
- DriveTheDeal listing — the source of the price and discount in this article.
Compare Your Charging Cost
Use these tools to estimate your home charging cost and check whether a cheaper overnight tariff would change the sums.