BMW has started series production of the new electric i3 at its historic Munich plant, describing the launch as a steep ramp-up driven by strong demand.
The electric sports saloon is the second production model of the Neue Klasse after the iX3 and the first to be built in Germany. Customer deliveries are due to begin in Europe this autumn.
The announcement sounds like confirmation of a sales hit, but BMW is still keeping the most important figure to itself. It has not disclosed how many i3s have actually been ordered in Europe or Belgium.
Order books opened on 18 June
Its claim rests on the decision to open the order books on 18 June, several months earlier than originally planned, and on the faster production ramp now underway in Munich.
BMW sales chief Jochen Goller said shortly after the March unveiling that the response to the i3 was even stronger than the already successful iX3.
In July, BMW repeated that the i3 was attracting “great demand” soon after the early order opening. By contrast, the company has been far more precise about the iX3, which is approaching 100,000 incoming orders and has passed 50,000 units produced at the end of July.
The timing is favorable. BMW Group deliveries in Europe rose 5.4% in the first half of 2026, while its European battery-electric deliveries jumped 38% in the second quarter to 81,445 vehicles.
The iX3 was the main Neue Klasse contributor because i3 deliveries had not yet begun. Still, the figures show that BMW is launching the saloon into a strengthening home market rather than asking it to reverse a European decline.
That makes the evidence encouraging, but not yet conclusive. Opening orders early allows BMW to convert expressions of interest into signed contracts and gives the factory a clearer picture of the desired colors, equipment, and market mix.
It does not automatically mean that the i3 has matched the iX3’s five-figure order book. The SUV also competes in a larger and faster-growing body-style segment.
Belgian price from €64,000
In Belgium, the i3 can currently be ordered as a well-equipped 50 xDrive First Edition from €73,435, including VAT. The regular i3 50 xDrive will start at €64,000 when the broader configurator opens in the autumn.
The launch version combines two motors and four-wheel drive, producing 345 kW (469 hp) and a provisional WLTP range of 758 to 906 kilometers. BMW now quotes up to 912 kilometers for the most efficient configuration.
Its 800-volt electrical architecture permits DC charging at up to 400 kW. Under ideal conditions, BMW claims that ten minutes at a sufficiently powerful charger can add more than 400 kilometers of WLTP range.
The First Edition also includes 22 kW AC charging, the M Sport package, Panoramic Vision, a 3D head-up display, and an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system.
Belgium offers at least one concrete sign of business interest. Logistics group Katoen Natie has ordered more than 1,000 electric BMW and MINI vehicles for delivery by the end of 2027, Belgium’s largest single corporate EV agreement with one manufacturer.
Most will initially be BMW iX1 and MINI Countryman models, but BMW says the contract will also include Neue Klasse cars such as the iX3 and i3. No separate number has been given for either model, so the deal cannot be presented as 1,000 Belgian i3 orders.
A costly bet on the electric 3 Series
BMW has invested around €650 million in converting its 104-year-old Munich plant. The factory continued producing up to 1,000 cars per day during the four-year transformation.
At the same time, a new body shop, assembly hall, and logistics facilities were built on roughly one-third of the site. BMW says the i3’s new architecture, automation, and digitalized processes will cut manufacturing costs by another 10%.
From 2027, Munich will build only electric vehicles, with an i3 Touring already confirmed to follow the saloon. The i3 is intended to replace the current i4 Gran Coupé as BMW’s principal electric executive model, although the i4 name is not expected to disappear.
It is likely to return around 2028 on a Neue Klasse-based two-door Coupé and Convertible, opening a more exclusive niche alongside the mainstream i3 range.
