Currently reading: BMW shows new i3 for the first time – and confirms 2026 launch

Electric version of 3 Series will become second model in BMW's Neue Klasse EV range

BMW has shown the new electric BMW 3 Series for the first time and confirmed it will arrive next year badged i3.

Revealed in camouflaged form at the launch of the new iX3 electric SUV on Friday, the car has evolved from the striking Vision Neue Klasse concept that was revealed in 2023. 

The saloon will become the second model in the company's Neue Klasse range. 

This will be the first time BMW offers a 3 Series-sized model with an electric powertrain in Europe. When it arrives next year, it will be the smallest EV the brand offers.

It inherits its name from the seminal BMW i3 electric hatchback, which went out of production in 2022.

Speaking at the iX3 launch, BMW chairman Oliver Zipse said: “This is the new i3 that will arrive next year and be all electric. It’s the first model variant of the new 3 Series generation.

“You will recognise classic proportions of a typical sporty BMW. 

“For the past 50 years across multiple model generations, no other model has been as tied to the BMW brand as the 3 Series. It represents sheer driving pleasure at its finest.

"The iX3 and i3 are powerful symbols of the broad spectrum the Neue Klasse models will cover.”

When the new iX3 and i3 arrive next year, they will spearhead a huge product offensive from BMW.

Zipse said that, starting next year, the brand will launch a new version of each model, adding: “We will launch 40 new and updated models by 2027.”

Shown for the first time under camouflage, the i3 appeared in production form. The car has been spotted testing on public roads over the past year (below).

Back to top

While arriving first in electric i3 form, the eighth-generation 3 Series will continue to be offered with ICE power as it moves onto BMW's completely new, EV-first architecture. This 800V Gen6 platform is the same as what underpins the larger iX3.

While the iX3 is being launched as the longest-ranged EV on the market, with a range of 500 miles, expect the i3’s lower and sleeker shape to push this further.

Power will likely match the iX3, which at launch is offered with 464bhp and 479lb ft from a dual-motor set up. This enables the SUV to cover 0-62mph in a claimed 4.9sec. Other power configurations are planned.

BMW has already teased an electric M3 with the M HP BEV test mule (pictured above). Due in 2028, BMW has promised that the crucial sports saloon will “set new standards" for electric performance.

The car is also set to get a Touring estate version, BMW Group design boss Adrian van Hooydonk previously told Autocar.

Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.

Will Rimell

Will Rimell Autocar
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

Add a comment…