BMW i3 2026: range, charging speed and when the electric 3 Series arrives

The first Neue Klasse model built in Germany rolled off the Munich line on 6 August. The i3 50 xDrive has 469 hp, a 108.7 kWh battery and 758 to 912 km WLTP; European deliveries start in autumn 2026.

Author: Nikita Novikov

20:24 06-08-2026

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BMW moved the new i3 from pre-series build to the regular production line in Munich on 6 August. It is the first Neue Klasse model built in series in Germany and the first fully electric member of the 3 Series family. The immediate consequence is already set: European deliveries are due to start in autumn 2026.

In February the plant was still assembling pre-series cars only — they were used to check equipment, logistics and build quality. Now BMW has begun a full production ramp-up. The plant expects to cut manufacturing costs by another 10% and push them below the level of the current vehicle generation. Converting the site for the Neue Klasse cost the company around €650 million.

The launch version, the i3 50 xDrive, has two electric motors with a combined 469 hp and 645 Nm. Its 108.7 kWh battery delivers from 758 to 912 km on the WLTP cycle — for the First Edition, which opened the order books, BMW quotes from 758 to 906 km. The 800-volt architecture allows charging at up to 400 kW: ten minutes at a suitable charger add a calculated 423 km of range.

The technology of the electric 3 Series has already been examined in detail, but the switch to series output adds an important test: the declared figures now have to survive mass production, not just presentation runs. BMW opened the order books in mid-June, earlier than originally planned, and has reported strong demand ever since, which is speeding up the ramp-up. The exact number of contracts has not been disclosed.

For now the Munich plant keeps building combustion-engined 3 Series and 4 Series models. It is due to become fully electric in 2027. For the Neue Klasse the site has gained a new body shop, an assembly building with logistics areas and a hall where finished cars are handed over.

The production map of the i3 will widen later: a stretched BMW i3 L with a wheelbase of more than three metres has been prepared for China, and from 2028 the standard sedan is also to be assembled in Mexico. The next checkpoint will be the real output rate in Munich and the timing of the first series cars handed to European customers.