BMW has started accepting orders for the new BMW i3, the first all-electric 3-series sedan, which will be sold globally, Autocar reported.
The novelty opens a new era of the Neue Klasse and becomes the second series car based on the new electric platform, after the iX3 crossover.
The starting price of the model in the UK is 53,005 pounds, which is equivalent to 72,000 US dollars. That's significantly more expensive than the current gasoline and plug-in hybrid versions of the 3 Series, but cheaper than its new electric rival, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric, which starts at around $79,000.
Although BMW has been producing the electric i4 since 2021, the company has deliberately delayed the release of the all-electric 3 Series until the technologies allow it to provide comparable characteristics to cars with internal combustion engines.
The new i3 is based on a sixth-generation electric platform with an 800-volt architecture. The car has a 108 kWh battery with nickel-manganese-cobalt elements.
The main feature of the novelty has become an impressive reserve, up to 912 kilometers on a single charge. Among the electric cars presented on the British market, only the updated Mercedes-Benz EQS will be able to go further, with a declared range of about 925 kilometers.
Interestingly, the i3 uses the same battery as the iX3 crossover, but thanks to the sedan's smoother body, it can travel about 108 kilometers farther.
When the battery runs low, the car can be quickly charged with up to 400 kW of DC charging. Ten minutes of charging increases the range by about 400 kilometers. AC charging is supported up to 22kW.
Two electric motors are responsible for the movement. There is a 322-horsepower synchronous motor at the rear, and a 165-horsepower asynchronous motor at the front. The total power of the system is 463 hp, and the torque reaches 645 N·m.
Although BMW is yet to reveal the official time for acceleration to 100 km/h, it is expected that the heavy sedan weighing around 2.3 tons will be able to do this exercise in about four seconds.
The all-wheel drive i3 50 xDrive version will be available at launch, but the range will be expanded in the future. It is already known that the Touring station wagon will appear later, and the high-performance electric M3 version is expected in 2028, which, according to BMW, should set new standards in the sports electric car segment.
The dimensions of the new i3 have also increased. The length of the car is 4.76 meters, the width is 1.87 meters, and the height is 1.48 meters, surpassing the current gasoline 3 series in all main indicators.
The exterior of the model is made in the new corporate style of Neue Klasse. The front part has a unified block of branded "runges" and headlights, which noticeably distinguishes the car from the current generation.
The salon has also been completely redone. The central place is occupied by the 17.9-inch touchscreen of the new generation multimedia system. Gone is the traditional dashboard. it has been replaced by a huge 43.3-inch Panoramic iDrive display that stretches almost the entire front panel under the windshield.
Production of the new BMW i3 will be organized at the company's main factory in Munich.
