BMW will manufacture the ‘Neue Klasse’ i3 and iX3 at its San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico from 2027. At the same time, the company is building a dedicated assembly facility for its sixth-generation high-voltage batteries at the site. In total, the carmaker is investing €800 million in expanding the plant.
BMW will begin assembling the electric i3 and iX3 in Mexico from next year, along with the high-voltage batteries for the two models. The expansion of BMW’s plant in San Luis Potosí remains on schedule.
i3 and iX3 to be built also in Mexico
BMW first announced in 2023 that it would start producing Neue Klasse electric vehicles in Mexico from 2027, but it had not yet confirmed which models would be built there.
In a statement marking the tenth anniversary of the foundation stone laying ceremony for its San Luis Potosí plant, the carmaker has now confirmed that production will include the i3 and iX3.
The BMW Group has begun expanding the plant by more than 110,000 square meters, enabling production of the two Neue Klasse-based electric models to begin in 2027.
The project includes the construction of a new high-voltage battery assembly center, which accounts for more than €500 million of the total €800 million investment. The facility will cover more than 80,000 square meters and will assemble sixth-generation battery packs.
Alongside Debrecen in Hungary, Munich in Germany, and Shenyang in China, the San Luis Potosí plant is one of four BMW Group production sites worldwide selected to build Neue Klasse vehicles. It is also one of five global sites designated for the assembly of the company’s sixth-generation high-voltage batteries.
iX3 LWB starting in China
Meanwhile, the new BMW iX3 with a longer wheelbase, specially designed for the Chinese market, is expected to start pre-sales at the Chengdu Auto Show in China, with official deliveries beginning in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has officially released the energy consumption specifications for the new BMW iX3 LWB. The vehicle boasts a CLTC pure electric range of 919 km with an energy consumption rate of 13.6 kWh/100 km.
The iX3 LWB will be locally assembled by the BMW-Brilliance joint venture in Northern China with a 103-mm stretched body and components from local suppliers. The wheelbase of the Chinese variant of the iX3 reaches 3,005 mm.
It is a typical practice for BMW (and other European manufacturers) to launch stretched variants of its vehicles in China. BMW-Brilliance currently manufactures the X5 L, the 3 L, the 5-Series L, and other stretched cars due to the love of large cars among local buyers.
In 2025, BMW sold approximately 625,500 units of BMW and Mini cars in China. It is a year-on-year decrease of 12.5%, with sales falling back to the 2018 level.
The drop in demand for ICE cars and the ongoing price war in China influenced the market. The new iX3 aims to boost the German brand’s market performance in this highly competitive market.
