BMW’s ‘mother plant’ in Munich has now started producing the first pre-series vehicles of the upcoming BMW i3. This marks the beginning of the final preparation phase for the start of series production of the electric sedan in the 3 Series format in the second half of 2026.
The new production lines at BMW’s Munich plant, where the battery-electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse will be built, are now entering trial operation. Following the iX3 from the entirely new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, the i3, a mid-size saloon, will be the first Neue Klasse electric vehicle to emerge from an existing, retrofitted BMW facility.
Although the Munich plant already builds similarly sized vehicles such as the 3 Series and 4 Series with internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains, BMW had to carry out extensive modifications to implement its new ‘iFACTORY’ production strategy. Over the past 18 months, the company has converted roughly one-third of the plant while keeping operations running without interruption.
Iconic name
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse confirmed the model designation i3 for the saloon, previously known as the ‘Vision Neue Klasse’ concept car, during a quarterly earnings call in November. It had long been speculated that BMW would revive the i3 nameplate after discontinuing the groundbreaking battery-electric compact car produced in Leipzig. The sedan, internally designated NA0, will be followed by an estate variant, NA1, which will logically be named i3 Touring.
“The start of pre-series production marks a decisive step in preparing for future series production,” says BMW. The Munich plant has been undergoing upgrades for months to accommodate the Neue Klasse. In parallel with these conversions, a team from the plant, working alongside colleagues from the nearby pilot plant, assembled the first vehicles at the Research and Innovation Centre to gain experience. These insights will also be used to train assembly line staff.
”With the completion of the new production and logistics areas at the plant, vehicles now pass through all production steps on-site,” BMW explains. “This means all logistics processes, production facilities, and workflows must already function seamlessly.” Even though volumes are still low, all planned material flows are being provided and processed on the line during pre-series production.
Testing with real vehicles reveals further potential for improvement. “For the coming months, this means refining processes based on the insights gained,” BMW notes. Every component and production step is now under review, including the approval checks for new facilities and tools, as well as their digital integration into the systems.
“The production of pre-series vehicles is a significant milestone for our plant,” said Peter Weber, Head of BMW Group Plant Munich. “For the first time, we have manufactured a BMW i3 entirely at our facility, using cutting-edge production technology and digitally networked processes.”
“The now near-series-ready production demonstrates that our logistics and production processes function under real-world conditions across all technologies: in the modernised press shop, the new body shop, the state-of-the-art paint shop, the new assembly line, and the innovative logistics structures. In the coming months, we will use the insights from this ramp-up to further refine our processes and ensure a smooth start to series production.”
€2000 price hike for new iX3?
Meanwhile, although the official dealer launch is not until early March, BMW has already increased the base price of the only drivetrain variant of the other ‘Neue Klasse’ newcomer, the new iX3, by a full €2,000 in Germany.
At its world premiere at the IAA Mobility last autumn, the Munich-based manufacturer announced a base price of €68,900 for the new iX3. This price applies to the initially available drivetrain variant, the iX3 50 xDrive, which features a 345 kW all-wheel-drive system and an 800-volt 108 kWh battery.
At the time, expectations were that the base price would decrease as additional rear-wheel-drive variants and/or smaller-battery models were introduced. However, the price has now moved in the opposite direction.
Last week, BMW not only delivered the first units to customers in advance but also announced the first model updates for the iX3, even before the model officially entered the market. For instance, the optional ‘AC Charging Professional’ package is now available as standard, enabling AC charging at up to 22 kW instead of the standard 11 kW.
This package also includes the Vehicle-to-Load function, which turns the vehicle into a mobile power bank capable of supplying external electrical devices with up to 3.7 kW. Additionally, new paint colours and interior design options have been introduced.
What BMW did not mention in its announcement about the model updates, but has changed in the German configurator, is that the iX3 is becoming more expensive. The iX3 50 xDrive is now listed in the configurator with a base price of 70,900 euros, which is 2,000 euros more than the price announced at the world premiere. The portal Autonotizen was the first to report on this change.
In Belgium, the iX3 is still announced at its launching price, €69,900, and there are no signs that this is going to change soon. The AC Charging Professional package, on the contrary, is still an option in the Belux.
In high demand
As the price increase was only implemented in the German configurator, BMW has not issued an official statement regarding the change. However, it is clear that the iX3 50 xDrive is in high demand, as even blind orders,placed without customers having seen or test-driven the vehicle, have already reserved nearly all the planned production for 2026.
Series production at the Debrecen plant in Hungary has been underway since October 2025. BMW previously confirmed that it plans to introduce an additional shift due to high demand to ramp up iX3 production more quickly.
For now, the iX3 is only available in Europe. In the USA, the first model of the Neue Klasse will be launched from mid-2026. These units will also initially be produced in Debrecen—the production facility in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, is not expected to start operations until mid-2027. The long-wheelbase version of the iX3 for China, however, is an Asian variant that will be manufactured at the Shenyang plant in China and offered in select Asian markets.
