The all-new BMW i3 is arriving next year as the first fully electric version of the 3 Series, with a range of over 500 miles. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse promises it will still deliver the brand’s signature “sheer driving pleasure.”

Styled after the Vision Neue Klasse concept from 2023, the i3 will be the first electric saloon in BMW’s Neue Klasse line-up and will use the new Gen6 EV platform shared with the upcoming iX3 SUV.

BMW is in the middle of a major refresh, with 40 new EVs and heavily updated petrol models due by 2027, all featuring the Neue Klasse design.

Although the X3 is now BMW’s best-seller, the 3 Series remains the brand’s core model. This marks the first true electric 3 Series. BMW previously launched the similar-sized i4 in 2021 but waited until EV tech could better match petrol models before releasing the i3.

The i3 will face familiar rivals like the upcoming electric Volvo ES90, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 EV, as well as newer players like Tesla, Polestar, and Chinese brands Xpeng and BYD.

The launch version is expected to be the i3 50 xDrive, using a 108kWh battery and dual motors with 464bhp and 479lb ft of torque. Thanks to its sleeker shape, it could exceed the SUV’s 500-mile range and outpace rivals like the C-Class EV. The Gen6 platform supports 800V charging and speeds up to 400kW.

A refreshed petrol 3 Series will launch alongside the i3, still on BMW’s CLAR platform but with updated styling and tech.

A Touring estate version is confirmed, with more powertrains to follow. In 2028, an all-electric M3 will arrive, using a quad-motor setup and M-specific components which could make it BMW’s most powerful M car yet.

The i3 name was previously used for BMW’s quirky electric hatchback between 2013–2022, but this new version is a very different car aimed squarely at the heart of the brand.