The BMW i3 — effectively, the electric 3 Series — is almost here!
From your conventional luxury sports sedans to high-performance M cars and fully electric models, BMW is one of the few brands still sticking with a wide variety of four-door models, rather than going all-in on SUVs. While some automakers are backing off its electric ambitions a bit, the folks over in Munich are also winding up another electric model, reviving the i3 name in the process.
Following up the iX3 SUV kicking off production, this new BMW i3 brings Neue Klasse styling to the electric 3 Series. That means new and fairly bold styling, as well as a new 800-volt electrical architecture that’s supposed to deliver faster charging speeds, with a platform that also promises better range (30% better, in both respects, over its last-gen EVs). The first i3 Neue Klasse models just rolled off the BMW Group’s Plant Munich assembly, a sign that the development process is done and series production is about to begin in the second half of 2026.
We’ll get a full i3 reveal in the next few months, prior to the brand ramping up full production.
Right now, while we have a good idea what the new BMW i3 will look like, the automaker hasn’t divulged full specs just yet. Gleaning off the iX3, though, it’s likely we’ll see a similar setup, just with better range. The iX3 packs up to a 463 horsepower dual-motor setup, with up to 400 miles of range, according to BMW’s estimates. Thanks to that more advanced electrical system, BMW also promises 10-80% DC fast charging in around 21 minutes.
The 2027 BMW i3 may see some tweaks from those figures. I suspect the most significant change would be range, however, thanks to the difference in weight and aerodynamic profile. On that basis, the i3 may deliver a little bit better overall range than the SUV, putting it well ahead of similarly sized SUVs like the Tesla Model 3, though we’ll also need to know whether the i3 uses the same 108.7-kWh (usable capacity) battery pack as the iX3.
