BMW i3 teaser: a new electric 3 Series is coming - with a 500 mile range!
Mon, 09 Mar 2026
- New electric 3 Series shown on production line
- The i3 model will be the first new 3 Series released
- Full production starts in the second half of 2026
BMW has teased the new i3 – the electric version of the next-generation 3 Series – ahead of its full unveil next week.
The stylish shadow image follows the clearest views yet of the all-new 3 Series, when BMW showed off a disguised electric i3 version undergoing winter testing in Sweden.
The car in those images is what BMW calls a "near-series test vehicle" used in the final steps of full production, which is due to start in the second half of this year. The BMW i3 will be the first model produced in the new 3 Series line, which uses the same Neue Klasse design style seen on the latest iX3. This look will adorn some 40 new or updated BMW models over the next two years.
The revival of the i3 name follows its use on the long-running electric city car that was part of BMW's first run of electric vehicles between 2013 and 2022. Petrol models will also follow, along with a 3 Series Touring estate and an M3 high-performance version (with both petrol and electric power options) next year.
Little specific information about the new BMW i3 has been released so far, but we know it'll sit on a new electric vehicle platform with 800-volt architecture for fast charging, like the BMW iX3. A range of around 500 miles on a full battery could be possible.
When it goes on sale, the new i3 will be arival for the next generation of Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which we should also see later this year.
We'll update this article with more information on the new BMW i3 when it's released.
2026 BMW i3 price and release date
There's no news yet on an official release date for the new BMW i3, but it will be revealed in full on 18 March. Production is due to start in the second half of this year, we'd expect cars to arrive in the UK at the back end of the year or at the beginning of 2027.
2026 BMW i3 styling, interior and tech
As well as the disguised shots you see here, the clearest indication we have of the new i3's styling comes from 2023's Vision Neue Klasse concept, the face of which is mirrored in the latest teaser shot. There's a new interpretation of the classic BMW kidney grille (illuminated, as is the current style) and revised headlight designs. There would seem to be flush door handles and the familiar "Hofmeister kink" feature in the rear window frames remains.
No shots of the car's interior have yet been released.
2026 BMW motors, batteries and range
We know that the new BMW i3 will use a new platform with an 800-volt architecture that will allow fast fast charging. How fast that will be hasn't been released, but it's tech shared with the latest iX3, which can gather more than 250 miles of range in just 10 minutes when using a suitable charger.
We're expecting a range of batteries to be made available, the largest of which will likely be more than 100kWh and boast a range north of 500 miles.
