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.
The interior of the BMW i3 has a central screen that leans toward the driver and controls most of the functions, including the air conditioner.
Courtesy of BMWThis 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.
The wheelbase is longer and the overhangs shorter on the new i3.
Courtesy of BMW“Soft Stop” is also here, which uses brake recuperation to bring the car to a complete standstill with the least jerking or pitching possible. In reality, this feature is so smooth on the iX3 that, along with its better charging and V2L capability, it rather embarrassingly shames the group's $420,000 Rolls-Royce Spectre.
Inside, it's much the same up front as the iX3, as you might expect. The super-responsive angular central screen that supposedly “leans towards the driver” is there to control most of the functions, including, sadly, even the air conditioning. BMW still hasn't got the memo about the welcome return of switchgear.
BMW's innovative Panoramic iDrive comes in the form of a thin display running the entire width of the bottom of the windscreen, displaying speed and satellite navigation data, as well as some more frivolous info such as elevation and battery temperature. This data can be customized, but only to a limited extent (bafflingly, no third-party apps are allowed into this space). BMW really needs to work out how to get the best from this display, which others will no doubt be copying or trying to improve upon.
When I tried the iX3, the digital assistant was Alexa, and it was abysmal—firing up when not supposed to and ignoring you when you actually want it. Now, BMW has upgraded this to Alexa+, and it will be interesting to see how much better the experience actually is. Will it still randomly cancel navigation routes? One hopes not.
The rear seats of the BMW i3.
Courtesy of BMWThere are notable advancements here from BMW—a truly amazing ride thanks to software wizardry, improved range, and genuine new thinking in the interior—but the elephant in the room is that despite this being the culmination of a record-breaking outlay of investment from the carmaker, China has, once again, come to spoil the party.
Earlier this month, BYD revealed its second-generation Blade battery for EVs, one that can charge from 10 to 70 percent in about five minutes and from 10 to 97 percent in under 10. This is game-changing and should silence those who scoffed at charge times previously, especially as BYD even showboated the battery charging from 20 to 97 percent at –22 degrees Fahrenheit (–30 degrees Celcius) in just 12 minutes.
The killer? The claimed range is more than 620 miles using the China Light-Duty Test Cycle (CLTC), which is far more optimistic than the US EPA test cycle, but you get the point. It's fair to say that BMW's range and charging benefits on show here in the Neue Klasse won't look so snazzy for long.
