BMW i3 Electric: What We Know Before Its Official Presentation

The future electric BMW i3, the first sedan of the Neue Klasse, continues its testing ahead of its official presentation scheduled for March 18, 2026.

The future BMW i3 is entering the final phase of its development. Before its official unveiling, expected on March 18, 2026, BMW’s new electric sedan is currently undergoing a series of intensive tests in extreme winter conditions.

The prototypes are being tested at the manufacturer’s testing center located in Arjeplog, near the Arctic Circle. This site has been used for several decades to develop the brand’s models in very cold environments. Snow-covered roads and icy lake surfaces provide ideal conditions for analyzing and fine-tuning the settings of engines, suspensions, and driver assistance electronic systems.

The future BMW i3 will be the first production model based on the next-generation electric architecture called Neue Klasse. This platform will also introduce the sixth generation of the brand’s electric propulsion system, named eDrive Gen6. This new technology will rely on an 800-volt electrical architecture, enabling a maximum charging power of up to 400 kW.

BMW focuses on the pleasure of driving

The sedan will also debut a new electronic management system for driving dynamics. This relies on a central system dubbed “Heart of Joy,” responsible for coordinating several essential vehicle functions, such as engine management, braking, energy recovery, and certain steering functions. According to BMW, this computing architecture would enable significantly faster reaction times than current systems.

Among the expected variants is the BMW i3 50 xDrive. This version is expected to feature two electric motors: a synchronous motor with electric excitation on the rear axle and an asynchronous motor at the front. The combined power could reach around 345 kW, or nearly 469 horsepower, with a reported torque of 645 Nm. However, these figures remain provisional at this stage of development.

The production of the new BMW i3 is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. With this model, BMW aims to transpose the dynamic characteristics associated with the BMW 3 Series into an entirely electric sedan while introducing a new generation of vehicles specifically designed for electric mobility.

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