BMW has already switched production of the all-electric BMW iX3 at its Debrecen plant in Hungary to two-shift operation due to high demand. The automaker confirmed this in its announcement of its 2025 business figures.
The move comes as no surprise, as the Munich-based manufacturer had repeatedly highlighted the strong order intake for the first model of the Neue Klasse.
“Since its world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in September 2025, the fully-electric BMW iX3 has seen extremely strong demand,” BMW stated in its 2025 financial results announcement.
“With the successful launch of the Neue Klasse, we demonstrated in 2025 that we are leading the BMW brand into the future, with new technology clusters and a fresh design language. The extraordinarily high demand for the first model, the BMW iX3, proves that pioneering spirit, innovation, and courage deliver results,” said BMW CEO Oliver Zipse.
“Our order books for the iX3 are full and reach well into this year. We are exploiting the flexibility of our production and supplier network and increasing capacity in line with demand.”
Zipse, who will hand over the chairmanship of the Board of Management to Milan Nedeljković after the Annual General Meeting in May, further explained that demand from both private and fleet customers has exceeded expectations. “We are also attracting many new customers who have never driven a BMW before,” Zipse boasted.
The iX3 produced in Hungary will be joined by the new i3, a battery-electric saloon in the 3 Series segment. The model built at the Munich plant will celebrate its design premiere next week, with the transition from pre-series to series production of the i3 planned for the second half of 2026.
Serious R&D investments
Regarding the market launch of the pivotal Neue Klasse, research and development expenditures are also noteworthy. BMW almost surpassed the previous year’s peak of nearly 9.1 billion euros, though the prior year had included particularly high expenses for developing the new platform.
“Expenditure for research and development is largely focused on digitalisation and electrification of the vehicle fleet across all model series,” the company explains. “It also includes spending for the development of Neue Klasse models, such as the BMW iX3, and the successor models to the BMW X5 and BMW 7 Series.”
New iX1
There’s no talk of the iX1 in BMW’s announcement, but Arctic Drive spy pics show that the development is clearly underway. The compact electric SUV will be completely overhauled in the iX3’s mould.
The current iX1 was introduced in 2022 as an all-electric version of BMW’s smallest and very popular SUV, the X1. However, while it’s only four years old, the spy shots confirm that an all-new iX1 will be introduced sometime in 2027. It will feature all-new styling and a brand-new interior, plus, of course, the latest Neue Klasse tech.
It’s only the electric model that will be reimagined entirely, though, as the ICE-powered X1 will retain its existing body, although with a few styling tweaks. The X1 will likely adopt a new interior design and some of the Neue Klasse cabin features, but its fundamental form will not change dramatically.
Much more efficient
One area where the Neue Klasse iX1 should really stand out is efficiency. The latest iX3 boasts an 800 km range courtesy of its massive new 108.7 kWh battery, with a rear-wheel-drive model that could build on this even further.
Given its shorter wheelbase, the iX1 will have a smaller battery, although BMW has clearly made efficiency gains with the Neue Klasse platform. We should see the same cylindrical cell layout as in the iX3 for better packaging. Expect a significant improvement over the current iX1’s maximum of 470 km.
The latest eDrive motors in Neue Klasse BMWs also reduce energy losses by 40% compared with previous-generation BMW EVs, while reducing weight by 10%, all of which helps improve efficiency. The Neue Klasse platform uses an 800-V electrical architecture, futureproofing it with a maximum charge rate of up to 400 kW, which is very efficient too.
That should apply to both single-motor and dual-motor versions. The new car will most probably also come with a variety of powertrain layouts. BMW traditionalists will be happy, though: unlike the model on sale now, the base iX1s will have a motor mounted on the rear axle, because the Neue Klasse platform doesn’t cater to front-driven layouts.
