No, the modern classic that was the wonderful BMW i3 has (sadly) not returned after being decommissioned in 2022. What you’re seeing here is the all-new electrified 3 Series model from the German automaker, the second car to come from its latest “Neue Klasse” modular EV platform. Due to the sheer volume of global sales of 3s for BMW, this new i3 could well be even more important than the first Neue Klasse offering, the iX3, which WIRED reviewed earlier this year and very much admired.
The Neue Klasse platform BMW has been working on for years means new motors, new inverters, new batteries, new charging tech, and new interior displays. Most importantly, a powerful new centralized computer “brain” designed specifically for driving dynamics is supposed to make these latest EV Beemers handle better than many thought possible for an electric car. It works, too, as WIRED’s drive of the iX3 proves.
Those new batteries are “cell-to-pack” and have liquid-cooled cylindrical cells with more nickel and less cobalt, offering up a 20-percent bump in energy density. An 800-volt architecture improves charging speeds by a third, and at up to 400 kilowatts. But the real eye-opener is that this sedan bests its sibling iX3’s headline range stat. The SUV claims a 500-mile WLTP max-range figure (400 miles in the more realistic US Environmental Protection Agency test), but the aerodynamically superior i3 50 xDrive trumps this with a mighty impressive 560 miles while supplying 469 horsepower and 645 Newton-meters of torque from twin motors.
This electrified executive sedan, along with the iX3 and the other four cars incoming on the Neue Klasse platform, represents the single biggest financial investment in BMW’s history. But, even with the precarious state of the Western auto industry right now, thanks to President Trump’s war on Iran and the subsequent oil price hikes, the i3 arrives at a time when many might be reconsidering a switch to electric over gas.
No word yet on price for the i3 or when deliveries will take place in the second half of this year, but BMW will certainly be keeping everything crossed that this EV will prove popular with customers and buck recent trends of automakers such as Honda and Porsche backtracking on electric plans and retreating to hybrid and full combustion production. Time will tell, but the impressive range will help here, as will the faithful adherence to the styling of the Vision concept that won so many design hearts at the time. BMW has clearly worked hard to keep that attractive, slender front end.
The dimensions are roughly the same as the current G20 3 Series, but you can see in the images here that the wheelbase is longer and the overhangs shorter. The radiator grille and twin headlights merge into one eye-catching light signature. In person, it’s a striking design, fitting for what is effectively a complete reset for the 3 Series.
Other abilities for the i3 mirror the iX3, including vehicle-to-load (V2L) to power household appliances from the car; vehicle-to-home (V2H), where power from the battery can be fed back to your house; and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), which lets customers sell power back to the energy market, if you want to turn your EV into a possible revenue generator, that is.
