BMW has produced the first pre-production examples of the i3 Neue Klasse, taking an important step towards mass production of the new electric sedan. After serial production of the iX3 model was launched at the end of 2025, the i3 is emerging as one of the most significant BMW cars to date, regardless of whether it is an electric or conventional drive. Mass production is planned for the second half of 2026, while sales are expected to begin in early 2027.
The new i3 is the second model based on BMW’s Neue Klasse 800-volt platform, which delivers around 30% faster charging and approximately 30% longer range compared to the previous generation of electric vehicles. The platform supports up to four electric motors and uses new NMC batteries with Gen6 cylindrical cells, which have about 20% higher energy density compared to previous prismatic cells.
i3 Neue Klasse as a key model of the new generation
The pre-production vehicles were produced at BMW’s factory in Munich, where for the first time complete i3 models were assembled using modern manufacturing technologies and digitally connected processes. This phase represents the final testing before the start of serial production.
Although BMW has not yet released official technical specifications, the i3 is expected to use a 108.7 kWh battery, like the iX3, which could provide a range of up to 805 kilometers according to the WLTP standard. Due to the lower silhouette and better aerodynamics, the sedan could even offer a slightly longer range than the SUV variant. As far as charging is concerned, the iX3 can add about 373 kilometers of range in 10 minutes, and similar performance is expected from the i3 model.
The new i3 also uses BMW’s internal electronic architecture “Heart of Joy”, with four central computing units that offer more than 20 times more processing power compared to current BMW EV models. In the market, the i3 Neue Klasse will directly compete with the likes of the Tesla Model 3.