- The all-new BMW i3 is officially here, bringing the 3 Series sedan into the electric era.
- Built on the same Neue Klasse platform as the iX3 SUV, the new i3 comes with bidirectional charging as standard.
- The launch version, dubbed i3 50 xDrive, has a BMW-estimated 440-mile range.
This is the all-new BMW i3. Despite the name, it has nothing in common with the quirky four-door hatchback of the 2000s, except for the logo on the hood. However, just like the original i3, which put BMW on the map as a serious electric car maker that would go out of its way to build something unique, the all-new i3 brings the latest and greatest in terms of technology.
There’s no two ways about it: The i3 has huge shoes to fill. This is the electric version of the 3 Series sedan, a model that has historically been BMW’s most important nameplate. It looks like the Bavarian carmaker understood the assignment, giving the i3 over 400+ miles of range and 400-kilowatt charging. Here’s what else you need to know.
Photo by: BMW
The BMW i3 is based on the same Neue Klasse 800-volt platform that underpins the impressive iX3 SUV, only this time we’re talking about a sleeker four-door sedan that BMW calls a “2.5-box design.” Thanks to the new packaging solutions developed by the German automaker, the i3 can sit lower to the ground than previous-generation EVs, and it can drive further.
Powering the i3 are BMW’s new cylindrical cells that are assembled using the cell-to-pack method. Installing cells directly into the pack, rather than using modules as an intermediate step, allows the battery to be flatter and lighter. The battery also doubles as the car’s floor, which reduces complexity and weight, allowing the EV to travel further on a full charge.
The i3 will be a range monster. BMW says the first version to hit the American market, the all-wheel-drive i3 50 xDrive, will go a manufacturer-estimated 440 miles on a full charge. (BMW says it replicated EPA testing procedures to come up with that.) That’s more than any new Tesla on sale today, including the 363-mile Tesla Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the larger, 410-mile Tesla Model S that will soon be discontinued.
Photo by: BMW
Size-wise, BMW’s new electric sedan is very close to the Model 3, though. At 187.4 inches (4,740 millimeters) long, 73.4 in (1,865 mm) wide, and 58.2 in (1,480 mm) tall, the i3 is 1.6 in longer, 0.6 in wider, and 1.5 in taller than Tesla’s Model 3.
Fast charging is also a headlining feature of the i3, with the electric sedan capable of accepting up to 400 kilowatts of power from a potent enough DC fast charger. BMW has yet to say how fast the i3 can charge from 10-to-80% state of charge, but if we consider the similarly equipped iX3 SUV, we should be looking at sub-25-minute charging stops.
The battery preconditioning feature can warm or cool the battery pack to make sure it can take in the maximum amount of power during a charging stop, and it can turn on either automatically when using the built-in navigation system or manually.
BMW has embraced bidirectional charging with its new generation of EVs, and various energy-export features come standard in the i3. Buyers get vehicle-to-load (V2L) with an output of up to 3.7 kilowatts for powering devices, appliances, or tools. With additional hardware, they can power an entire house.
In the United States, the i3 is equipped with a NACS charge port with a cover that opens and closes automatically.
The i3 50 xDrive variant’s dual motors deliver a combined 463 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque. Both motors are built using BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology, but the front is different from the rear. The rear wheels are powered by an electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM), while the front drive unit consists of an asynchronous motor (ASM).
Photo by: BMW
BMW claims that by using this setup, the i3 is the smoothest-stopping car it has ever made, thanks to the electric motors’ precise control. If InsideEVs Senior Editor Tim Levin’s experience with the iX3 is any indication, BMW isn’t making things up. He found that SUV’s soft-stop feature extremely impressive. What’s more, the physical brakes are only used during “very sporty driving” or emergency braking, with the electric motors doing all the heavy lifting for most deceleration scenarios.
The efficiency improvements don’t stop here, though. On the electrical architecture side, the i3 has four electrical zones to cut down on wiring and a complete lack of traditional fuses. The company says it has replaced classic fuses with new eFuses.
BMW has also introduced some more crowd-pleasing styling than in a few of its recent efforts. The new i3 ditches the oversized beaver grille and adopts a sleeker front end with a shark-like nose and a new lighting signature. At the rear, the horizontal taillights are no longer L-shaped like on the 3 Series, but BMW says that this new design reinterprets the classic design in an “abstract form.”
Photo by: BMW
A panoramic glass roof is standard, as are the digital smartphone key, 17.9-inch Central Display, and full-width Panoramic Vision display that sits at the bottom of the windshield. An optional 3D head-up display completes the screen bonanza.
Everything runs on the new BMW Operating System X software that brings Amazon’s Alexa+ AI-infused voice assistant inside the cabin. By using the “Hey BMW” trigger, the driver can have naturally sounding conversations with the infotainment system without having to use the touchscreen. Over-the-air updates are also a thing.
The gas BMW 3 Series is known for its great handling, and the i3 is no different, according to the Bavarian automaker. Optionally, an Adaptive M suspension will be available on the i3.
The all-new BMW i3 will go into production at the company’s historic plant in Munich, Germany, starting in August. The first deliveries are scheduled for autumn of this year, with U.S. sales to follow in 2027. Pricing is still a question mark.
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Source: BMW
