# BMW i3 (NA0)
The **BMW i3 (NA0)** is a fully electric mid-size sedan from BMW, the second production model of the company's Neue Klasse platform after the iX3 and a later fully electric version of the [BMW 3 Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/bmw-3-series), following the [BMW i3](https://www.edgepedia.org/bmw-i3) (G28) launched in China in 2022.[13](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0375953EN/the-first-fully-electric-bmw-3-series-tailor-made-for-china?language=en) It was revealed on 18 March 2026, entered series production at BMW Group Plant Munich in August 2026, and launches with the i3 50 xDrive, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant with up to 912 km (567 miles) of WLTP range.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) • [2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Second Neue Klasse model after the iX3; second fully electric BMW 3 Series after the China-market i3 (G28) of 2022[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) • [13](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0375953EN/the-first-fully-electric-bmw-3-series-tailor-made-for-china?language=en) |
| Launch variant | i3 50 xDrive: 345 kW/469 hp, 645 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 4.7 s[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) |
| Range | Up to 912 km (567 miles) WLTP for the 50 xDrive; up to 710 km (441 miles) for the i3 40 xDrive[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) |
| Charging | 800-volt architecture; up to 400 kW DC, adding up to 423 km (263 miles) in 10 minutes[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) • [1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) |
| Dimensions | 4,760 mm long, 1,865 mm wide, 1,480 mm tall, 2,897 mm wheelbase[3](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466) |
| Production | Series production from August 2026 at BMW Group Plant Munich; exclusively fully electric from 2027[4](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html) |
| US market | 2027 i3 50 xDrive base MSRP $61,500; US launch in the first quarter of 2027[5](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0461093EN_US/the-new-bmw-3-series) |
## Name and background
The i3 name returns from BMW's first series-produced electric car, a small city car sold from 2013 until 2022, which ended production shortly after the 250,000th example was built.[6](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bmw/first-drive-25) The new i3 shares nothing with that car beyond the name: it is a conventional three-box sedan in the mid-size class, positioned above the 1 and 2 Series and below the 5 Series, and is expected to succeed the BMW i4 in BMW's electric line-up.[6](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bmw/first-drive-25) • [7](https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/autokatalog/marken-modelle/bmw/bmw-i3-neue-klasse/)
The car belongs to the eighth generation of the 3 Series, which joins the seventh generation in offering both fully electric and combustion-engined variants on a shared design and digital concept.[14](https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/50-years-of-bmw-3-series-production---an-international-success-story/) Orders for the new 3 Series range opened on 30 September 2026, with the combustion models built at Plant Dingolfing and the i3 at Plant Munich.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html)
## Powertrain and charging
The launch model is the i3 50 xDrive, which carries one electric motor on each axle for a combined system output of 345 kW (469 hp) and 645 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) A second variant, the i3 40 xDrive, develops 275 kW (374 hp) with a range of up to 710 km.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) Both use sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology with an 800-volt architecture and new high-voltage batteries with cylindrical cells; BMW states this generation delivers roughly 30 percent more range and charging performance than its predecessor.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html)
The 50 xDrive charges at up to 400 kW on a suitable DC fast charger, recovering up to 423 km (263 miles) of range in ten minutes; the 40 xDrive supports up to 300 kW and adds up to 337 km in the same time. AC charging is available at up to 22 kW.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) • [3](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466) The battery in the launch model is a 108 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt unit.[8](https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/the-most-important-bmw-in-recent-history-bmw-reveals-new-i3-ev-with-560-mile-range-but-its-design-is-splitting-opinion) The drive system combines an electrically excited synchronous motor with an asynchronous motor on the front axle, a pairing BMW says reduces energy losses by 40 percent, drive-system weight by 10 percent, and manufacturing costs by 20 percent compared with the previous generation.[3](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466)
All Gen6 electric vehicles, including the i3, support bidirectional charging: Vehicle-to-Load turns the car into a mobile power bank, Vehicle-to-Home lets it feed a household alongside a photovoltaic system, and Vehicle-to-Grid allows energy to be sold back to the public grid through a BMW and E.ON package.[3](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466)
In the United States, BMW quotes 463 hp, an estimated range of 446 to 468 miles, 0–60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and a 10-to-80 percent DC charge in 21 minutes for the 2027 i3 50 xDrive, whose base MSRP is $61,500 before $1,350 destination and handling.[5](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0461093EN_US/the-new-bmw-3-series) • [9](https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/3-series/sedan/bmw-i3-sedan.html)
## Electronics and driving dynamics
The i3 runs BMW's new "superbrain" digital architecture, developed in-house, with four high-performance computers covering vehicle dynamics, automated driving, infotainment, and comfort functions, offering up to 20 times more processing power than previous BMW models.[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) The dynamics computer, the Heart of Joy, coordinates the motors, brakes, steering, and stability control in a single processor and responds ten times faster than previous systems.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) • [6](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bmw/first-drive-25) BMW states that around 95 percent of braking in everyday driving is handled by regenerative braking rather than friction brakes, with the Soft-Stop function bringing the car smoothly to a complete halt.[6](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bmw/first-drive-25) • [2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse)
The cockpit centers on BMW Panoramic iDrive, which combines a Panoramic Vision display across the base of the windshield, an optional 3D Head-Up Display, a 17.9-inch Central Display, and a new multi-function steering wheel, running BMW Operating System X.[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) • [7](https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/autokatalog/marken-modelle/bmw/bmw-i3-neue-klasse/) All 3 Series models, electric and combustion, offer SAE Level 2 driver assistance including the Motorway Assistant for hands-free driving at up to 130 km/h (85 mph) in supported countries.[1](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html) • [5](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0461093EN_US/the-new-bmw-3-series)
## Design
The i3 introduces the Neue Klasse design language to a BMW sedan with a 2.5-box silhouette (car body style between three-box sedan and fastback): a long wheelbase, short overhangs, a greenhouse set back toward the rear, and flared wheel arches.[3](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466) At the front, the kidney grille and twin headlights merge into a single light signature in a shark-nose front end; at the rear, horizontal L-shaped taillights extend into the shoulders.[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) Eleven exterior colors were offered at launch, including M Le Castellet Blue, exclusive to the i3.[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) At 4.76 meters long, the i3 is slightly larger than the combustion 3 Series sedan (4.71 meters) and sits a step below the i4.[7](https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/autokatalog/marken-modelle/bmw/bmw-i3-neue-klasse/) • [10](https://cincodias.elpais.com/smartlife/motor/2026-03-18/bmw-i3-nuevo-coche-electrico-oficial.html)
## Production in Munich
BMW Group Plant Munich, the company's home plant, was converted over four years while continuing to build up to 1,000 vehicles a day, with a new body shop, assembly hall, and logistics areas covering about a third of the site; BMW invested around 650 million euros in the transformation.[4](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html) • [11](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0456664EN/the-new-bmw-group-plant-munich%3A-more-efficient-more-flexible-and-more-digital-for-production-of-the-neue-klasse) With the i3's start of production, the plant cuts overall manufacturing costs by a further 10 percent, and from 2027 it will build only fully electric vehicles.[4](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html) Pre-series vehicles had rolled off the line in February 2026, and orders opened ahead of schedule in mid-June 2026 with demand BMW described as strong.[12](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0455411EN?forceSitePreference=DESKTOP) • [4](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html)
The supply chain is regional: sixth-generation high-voltage batteries come from the new Plant Irlbach-Strasskirchen in [Lower Bavaria](https://www.edgepedia.org/lower-bavaria), while the Gen6 electric motor is built at Plant Steyr in Austria, with the motor housing supplied by the aluminum foundry at Plant Landshut.[4](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html) First European deliveries began in autumn 2026, and US deliveries start in the first quarter of 2027.[2](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse) • [5](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0461093EN_US/the-new-bmw-3-series)
## References
1. [The new BMW 3 Series, BMW Group](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/3series.html)
2. [The new BMW i3. Second model of the Neue Klasse., BMW Group PressClub United Kingdom](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0456397EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-second-model-of-the-neue-klasse)
3. [The new BMW i3 media information, BMW Group PressClub New Zealand](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/new-zealand/article/attachment/T0456789EN/646466)
4. [Series production of the BMW i3 launches in Munich, BMW Group](https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/news/general/2026/series-production-of-the-bmw-i3.html)
5. [The new BMW 3 Series, BMW Group PressClub USA](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0461093EN_US/the-new-bmw-3-series)
6. [BMW i3 prototype review, Top Gear](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bmw/first-drive-25)
7. [BMW i3 Limousine (2026), ADAC](https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/autokatalog/marken-modelle/bmw/bmw-i3-neue-klasse/)
8. [BMW reveals new i3 EV with 560-mile range, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/the-most-important-bmw-in-recent-history-bmw-reveals-new-i3-ev-with-560-mile-range-but-its-design-is-splitting-opinion)
9. [BMW i3 Sedan model overview, BMW USA](https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/3-series/sedan/bmw-i3-sedan.html)
10. [Llega el BMW i3, Cinco Días](https://cincodias.elpais.com/smartlife/motor/2026-03-18/bmw-i3-nuevo-coche-electrico-oficial.html)
11. [The new BMW Group Plant Munich, BMW Group PressClub Global](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0456664EN/the-new-bmw-group-plant-munich%3A-more-efficient-more-flexible-and-more-digital-for-production-of-the-neue-klasse)
12. [First pre-series vehicles for new BMW i3, BMW Group PressClub Global](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0455411EN?forceSitePreference=DESKTOP)
13. [The first fully electric BMW 3 Series, tailor-made for China.](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0375953EN/the-first-fully-electric-bmw-3-series-tailor-made-for-china?language=en)
14. [50 years of BMW 3 Series production, an international success story](https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/50-years-of-bmw-3-series-production---an-international-success-story/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › German automobile models › BMW models*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license