2026 BMW i3 set for March 18 debut

BMW has announced its all-new i3 – electric 3 Series – will debut on March 18, with the simultaneously previewed 50 xDrive variant confirmed to pack 345kW/645Nm and offer up to 400kW DC fast charging.

This is our best (official) look at the upcoming zero-emission four-door and unsurprisingly, the top-spec variant looks a lot like a watered-down M3 EV that’s been teased and previewed over the past 15 months or so.

Based on the published specs, the i3 M50 xDrive will feature exactly the same powertrain as the equivalent iX3 50 xDrive SUV, meaning a pair of electric motors (outputs above) and sustained by a giant 108.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The 800-volt Neue Klasse platform allows for DC fast charging of up to 400kW while its Heart of Joy ‘superbrain’ and BMW Dynamic Performance Control software supposedly furthers the dynamic talent and driver engagement.

Come March 19, the new i3 will shed its camo wrap and be shown to the world in full, however production won’t start until the second half of the year, by which time the new-generation internal combustion 3 Series will also have been revealed.

Neither model is expected Down Under before 2027, with the hot iM3 and M3 variants not due until later.

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