- After the higher-than-expected success of the iX3 electric SUV, BMW is facing another good problem.
- The German automaker will reportedly open the order books for the new i3 sedan way ahead of schedule.
- Originally, the electric 3 Series was supposed to go on sale this fall.
BMW has a new problem on its hands, but it’s the good kind of problem. After seeing higher-than-expected demand for the new iX3 electric SUV, the German car company will reportedly open the order books for the i3 sedan much earlier than expected, and it’s all because customers keep asking to buy the electric 3 Series.
According to an exclusive report from Automobilwoche (German), BMW will start taking orders for a “1st Edition” i3 this week in Germany, months ahead of the original rollout this fall. The same report claims that the production schedule of the electric 3 Series will not be affected by this surprising change, with assembly still on track to begin in August.
A single version will be available at the beginning, the i3 50 xDrive, which can deliver approximately 440 miles of range, according to preliminary testing based on the EPA procedure. That’s a few miles more than the maximum rated range of the iX3.
It’s a rather impressive figure, and it’s all down to the next-generation 800-volt powertrain and cylindrical battery cells that BMW developed itself. The i3 packs a total of 469 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque, courtesy of two electric motors. Meanwhile, the battery pack, which is expected to store roughly 107 kWh of energy, can be recharged at up to 400 kilowatts, leading to a 10-to-80% top-up in 22 minutes.
Just like the iX3, the new i3 will likely be offered with a smaller battery pack and a more efficient, rear-wheel drive setup, but that will come at a later date.
Whatever the battery’s capacity, the i3 will come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) as standard, enabling owners to export energy from the high-voltage pack to power things like appliances, tools, and electronics. The maximum output through the charge port is capped at 3.7 kW.
In the United States, the BMW i3 will come out of the box with a Tesla-style NACS port, but a CCS adapter will be included. European production will kick off this August in Munich, Germany, at the historic plant that served as the main hub for 3 Series production for several decades. U.S. sales will follow in 2027, with pricing still unknown.
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Source: BMW
