Robert Ackers
Summary
- The BMW i3 will offer more than 500 miles of range and ultra-fast charging up to 400
- The i3 features BMW's "Heart of Joy" control unit for faster and intuitive driver input responses.
BMW is bringing a fully electric 3 Series to showrooms next year — and it’s aiming to be both the longest-range and the most engaging 3 Series yet. Company chief Oliver Zipse has promised “sheer driving pleasure,” while BMW says the new i3 will deliver more than 500 miles of range and ultra-fast charging of up to 400 kW.
Built on BMW’s new Gen6 electric architecture (the same family that underpins the iX3), the i3 is the first saloon to wear the updated Neue Klasse look. The car will launch as a 50 xDrive dual-motor model — expected to use the iX3’s 464 bhp and 479 lb-ft output — fed from a 108 kWh NMC battery. Thanks to the saloon’s cleaner aerodynamics, BMW expects the i3 to out-range many rivals and potentially top the class for distance on a single charge.
BMW’s new 800V electrical architecture is on board, allowing the headline high-speed charging rates, while a centralised computing setup underpins driving dynamics and in-car systems. That architecture includes BMW’s so-called “Heart of Joy” control unit, which consolidates driving controls and helps the car react faster and more intuitively to driver inputs.
Inside the cabin the i3 will adopt BMW’s Panoramic iDrive seen on the iX3 — an angled touchscreen paired with a projected head-up display that pushes critical information up into the driver’s line of sight. Engineers say the new electronics also let BMW merge braking and energy recuperation more smoothly; BMW claims roughly 98% of retardation can be performed by regenerative braking under the new setup.
BMW isn’t abandoning combustion at once: alongside the i3, a heavily refreshed petrol 3 Series will arrive on the older CLAR architecture but wearing the Neue Klasse styling and updated in-car tech. The i3 name recalls BMW’s earlier small electric model, but this new i3 is a wholly different proposition — a mainstream, long-range EV aimed at buyers who expect both comfort and sportiness from a 3 Series.
Looking further ahead, BMW has confirmed a Touring (estate) version is in the plan, and an electric M3 — using bespoke M hardware and advanced torque-vectoring — is expected in 2028. The M variant may go as far as a multi-motor layout to deliver truly extreme performance.
Bottom line: BMW’s i3 is pitched at buyers who want a traditional 3 Series driving feel but with the range and tech to make electric ownership effortless. If BMW delivers the claimed range, charging speeds and the promised driving dynamics, the i3 could reset expectations for what a premium electric saloon should be.
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