When BMW first announced that it was reinventing the i3 as an all-electric four-door sedan built on its Neue Klasse platform, it left out many important details, like battery capacity, range and price. Now, the German automaker is finally starting to fill the void on the i3.
Let’s start with the price. BMW says the 2027 i3 50 xDrive will start at $61,500, plus a $1,350 destination charge, putting it firmly in the Mercedes C-Class’ competitive segment. (In March, we could only guess at a rough starting price of around $60,000.) We also didn’t know when the new electric vehicle would be available in the United States; today, BMW confirmed an official launch in the first quarter of 2027.
BMW also revealed new details about the i3’s engines. There are two: an electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM) in the rear axle that produces 322 horsepower and 321 lb-ft of torque; and an asynchronous motor on the front axle, developing 165 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque — for a total output of 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque.
BMW has confirmed an official launch in the first quarter of 2027.
The EESM, which serves as the main drive axle, uses electricity instead of permanent magnets to power both its outer stator frame and its inner rotating rotor portion. An inverter acts as the brains of the system, converting direct current from the battery into alternating current for the motor, regulating the electromagnets, and monitoring performance to keep the motor running as efficiently as possible.
The autonomy figures cited in the press release are quite impressive. Back in March, we estimated about 440 miles of battery range, but BMW says the actual estimated figure will be closer to 468 miles, based on EPA testing. BMW may have gotten wind of the 2027 Mercedes EQS’s crazy range estimate of 575 miles (925 km) on the WLTP cycle (which tends to be about 10 to 20 percent more generous than EPA estimates), and figured it could do almost as well for a lot less money. Honestly, it’s a pretty decent bet.
Frustratingly, BMW is still keeping mum on the i3’s battery capacity, although it does confirm that it is equipped with the automaker’s high-voltage ‘Gen6’ battery built with cylindrical lithium-ion cells measuring 46mm in diameter and 95mm in height. The new cylindrical cells offer a 20% increase in energy density compared to the prismatic cells used in Gen5 batteries.
The BMW i3 has a few other tricks up its sleeve, including two-way charging with vehicle-to-charge and vehicle-to-home capabilities, a smart charging flap that opens when a driver approaches a known charging point, and Plug & Charge for automatic charging from 10 different charging providers.
The iDrive infotainment system represents a completely redesigned digital instrument cluster that replaces traditional gauge clusters with a heads-up projection on the windshield. It remains visible even if you wear polarized sunglasses, and passengers can view or customize parts of it. The 17.9-inch central touchscreen presents itself as a free-standing display where you can drag and drop up to six “widgets” like media, weather or navigation from the screen directly onto the windshield screen. And the steering wheel uses “timid” controls, in which buttons only light up when available and provide haptic feedback so you don’t have to look down while driving.
In line with luxury automakers working to integrate more AI features into their vehicles, BMW is integrating Amazon’s Alexa into the i3. The highly delayed, large-language version of Alexa can handle natural conversational requests, search for information online, or manage temperature and windows naturally. (BMW has been seeking to integrate the new AI-based version of Alexa into its cars since 2022, but has been delayed by Amazon’s long development cycle.)
When the car is parked, you can watch movies or live shows through the built-in video app powered by TiVo (remember that?) and optionally Amazon Prime Video. The navigation system will work on BMW’s own maps, but with Google Places – points of interest powered by search data – integrated. The system runs on an Android-based platform and receives over-the-air software updates continuously.
But if you’re looking for more performance, BMW also offers the i3 M60 xDrive, a very powerful racing variant with M-specific lights and graphics and 21-inch Style 1067M aero wheels. This version will arrive in 2027 for an undetermined price.
Gn bussni
