BMW’s “i” most commonly means “injection” , a nod to fuel-injected engines in older BMW naming. In BMW’s current lineup, “i” also signals different things depending on placement : after a number it usually marks a gasoline model like 330i, while before a number it marks an electric model like i4.

Quick Scoop

  • Older BMWs: “i” = injection.
  • Modern gas BMWs: “i” at the end is part of the model name, but BMW is phasing it out on some ICE models to reduce confusion.
  • Modern EV BMWs: “i” at the front means the car is electric, like i4 or i5.

Example

  • 330i = gasoline model.
  • i4 = electric model.

If you want, I can also explain what the xDrive, sDrive, and M badges mean on BMWs.