Due to popular demand, the i3 has gone on sale in Europe sooner than originally planned. The First Edition has been available across Europe since mid-June, months ahead of BMW’s initial plan to roll out the electric 3 Series sedan. However, it comes with a long list of standard equipment, pushing the sticker price in Germany to €75,340.
If you’d rather configure the i3 yourself instead of letting BMW choose the options for you, the regular model will be available to order from the end of September. CEO Milan Nedeljković shared the news today during a conference call related to the quarterly report. Without providing any numbers, the new head honcho in Munich claims there is “strong demand” for the First Edition. There’s also been a “positive response” to the electric 3er, which so far has only been available to order across Europe.
Once the order books open for the standard i3, the price will come down. In Germany, the entry-level model will cost €65,900. That said, it’s hard to imagine too many customers resisting the temptation to tick a few boxes on the options list. Nearly $10,000 more expensive, the First Edition comes loaded with the M Sport Package, an illuminated grille, and a head-up display.
The New BMW i3 Goes Over 900 Kilometers On A Single Charge
Not only will you pay considerably less for the base model, but you’ll also travel a smidge farther. As a refresher, the First Edition goes 906 kilometers (563 miles) on a single charge in the WLTP cycle. The entry-level i3 travels an extra 6 km (nearly 4 miles) before running out of juice. We think the minor difference likely stems from the different wheels.
Like the First Edition, the standard i3 will be offered exclusively in the 50 xDrive flavor. Although BMW hasn’t announced any plans to expand the lineup, we firmly believe more versions are on the way. After all, the iX3 has already gained a rear-wheel-drive, single-motor 40 version, with a 40 xDrive likely to follow. Both the sedan and crossover are bound to get M Performance and M treatments sooner rather than later.
The U.S. Is Not Getting The BMW i3 Until Next Year
America will have to wait. BMW won’t launch the i3 sedan in the U.S. until later in 2027. Whether the cars will come from the Munich or San Luis Potosí plants remains unclear. Earlier this week, the company confirmed that the i3 and iX3 will be assembled in Mexico from next year. As with the European model, the i3 bound for the States will come exclusively in standard-wheelbase guise.
The stretched version will be assembled in Shenyang for the local Chinese market. There’s a good chance the long-wheelbase i3 won’t remain exclusive to China, seeing as how the elongated iX3 has already been confirmed for several other markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Thailand.
One i3 model Europe will get is the more practical Touring, which debuts in 2027 and may even come to the U.S. It was recently spotted undergoing preliminary testing and will be built in Munich alongside its sedan counterpart.
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