BMW i3 Neue Klasse: Global launch on March 18, will arrive with a range of 800km and superfast charging
German luxury carmaker BMW is about to usher in its “Neue Klasse” (New Class) era. The company has confirmed that its next-generation electric sedan, the BMW i3 , will be unveiled to the world on March 18, 2026. This car not only represents the face of BMW’s future, but will also be an electric alternative to the current 3 Series.
Design: A glimpse of the ‘Vision New Class’ concept
The BMW i3’s design will be completely different from traditional cars. The teaser reveals that it ‘s heavily inspired by the BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept:
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New look of kidney grille: Instead of the vertical grille, it has a wide and horizontal illuminated grille, in which the LED headlights have been integrated with the grille itself.
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Classic Stance: The car will have a long bonnet and short overhangs (less area in front and behind the wheels), giving it a sporty look.
Interior: The era of buttons is over, the magic of screens begins
Inside, the car features a ‘minimalist’ cabin:
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17.9-inch touchscreen: The center of the dashboard will feature a massive screen that will run on BMW OS ‘X’.
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Panoramic Projection: There will be no traditional instrument cluster (speedometer). Instead, there will be a wide-projection display at the bottom of the windscreen, providing all the information to the driver.
Power and Battery: 30% more range and speed
BMW’s 6th-Gen eDrive technology makes this car extremely powerful:
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Cylindrical Cell: Energy density has increased by 20% thanks to new battery technology.
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Battery and Range: It could get a larger 108.7kWh battery pack, which can deliver a range of up to 805km (WLTP) on a single charge .
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Ultra-fast charging: The 800-volt architecture allows charging at speeds of up to 400kW . That means hundreds of kilometers of travel in just 10 minutes of charging!
M3 electric avatar and competition
BMW is also working on a high-performance electric M3 based on this platform, which could arrive by 2027. Currently, upon launch, the BMW i3 will compete directly with the Tesla Model 3 , Audi A4 e-tron and Mercedes C-Class EV .
