IN WHAT THEY SAY IS A major development in their planning, BMW has given its fully electric BMW 3 Series, the BMW i3, its world premiere today in Munich.
This new offering – the second model of the Neue Klasse following the BMW iX3 – enhances the familiar character of the legendary BMW 3 Series while bringing additional and unique features.
The BMW i3 represents a technological quantum leap into a new era, showcasing innovation, sophisticated styling, engaging dynamics and considerable electric driving range potential.
The launch variant will be the BMW i3 50 xDrive, which features an electric motor on both the front and rear axles. The combined system power output is 345kW, while maximum torque is 645Nm. The highly efficient sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, together with the new BMW Panoramic iDrive and Heart of Joy, delivers driving pleasure on a level never experienced before. With BMW Symbiotic Drive, the assisted driving experience is also set to enter a new era.
The BMW i3 also stands for a modern interpretation of the hallmark design features of a BMW Sedan. As a representative of the new design language, the new BMW i3 is immediately recognisable as a BMW 3 Series – assured, dynamic and intelligent. The hallmark BMW sporty silhouette proportions are reflected in the new 2.5-box design.
Notable features are the long wheelbase, the greenhouse that slopes towards the rear and the short overhangs. The four-eyed face is familiar, yet still new. The BMW radiator grille and twin headlights merge into an innovative light signature, creating a powerful and expressive unit. The rear end, featuring prominently horizontal rear lights, further highlights precision and technological progress. The prominently flared wheel arches emphasise the sporty, wide stance of the new BMW i3. The interior offers a high level of spaciousness and makes full use of all the possibilities of the vehicle concept, which is consistently geared towards electromobility. At the same time, the interior represents driver-oriented sportiness. The new BMW Panoramic iDrive not only defines the modern and inviting interior, but also ushers in a new level of hallmark BMW driver orientation.
Sportiness and driving pleasure are invariably embedded in the DNA of the BMW 3 Series. Maximising the unmatched capabilities of electromobility, it offers impressively precise, effortless and assured handling. The Heart of Joy high-performance computer shapes the BMW i3 driving experience. Its responses are 10 times faster than in previous systems. Together with three other superbrain high-performance computers, the Heart of Joy forms the centrepiece of the new software and electronics architecture.
The new BMW i3 stands out for its excellent suitability for long journeys. Its range is up to 900 kilometres (in accordance with the WLTP test cycle). DC charging capacities of up to 400kW also drastically reduce charging times. The DC fast charger can recharge energy for up to 400km in 10 minutes (in accordance with ISO 12906 in the WLTP cycle). Sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology provides the prerequisites for this rapid progress. It comprises highly efficient electric motors, 800-volt technology and new high-voltage batteries with round cells. The cell-to-pack design enables high energy densities at pack level and a flatter high-voltage battery. The BMW i3 also features bidirectional charging functions Vehicle-to-Load, Vehicle-to-Home and Vehicle-to-Grid charging functions (local details on this capability to be announced in due course).
The BMW i3 will be manufactured at the BMW Group plant in Munich, home plant of the BMW Group. For more than 100 years, the plant in Milbertshofen, in the north of Munich, has been producing premium vehicles. Over the past four years, the plant has seen significant transformation. Alongside a new body shop, a cutting-edge vehicle assembly area incorporating logistics space has been constructed. The new buildings are in their final stages of expansion. Production of the new BMW i3 will start in these halls from August 2026, with Australia-bound vehicles due here in early 2027.
Also in 2027, the production portfolio at plant Munich will be switched to exclusively fully electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse. The plant conversion includes extensive modernisation measures.