All-electric BMW i3 eDrive35L revealed

BMW has unwrapped its all-electric BMW i3 eDrive35L that's based on a long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series and goes on sale in China next month.
 
Introduced as a more spacious alternative to the current BMW i4, the 2022 BMW i3 eDrive35L pictured here is also an indirect replacement for the nine-year-old – and significantly smaller – BMW i3 hatch that ends production in a matter of weeks.

Sharing plenty of components and the same architecture as both the BMW i4 and BMW iX3 SUV, the latest zero-emissions BMW comes equipped with a single rear electric motor that produces 210kW and 400Nm of torque and provides for a 6.2-second 0-100km/h sprint.
 
Powered by a 66.1kWh lithium-ion battery, BMW claims the rear-drive i3 eDrive35L can cover up to 526km on a single charge, but that figure has been homologated on the less-taxing Chinese CLTC regime, rather than the stricter European WLTP tests.

 
According to BMW, its latest i3 can be charged at up to 11kW on an AC charger and up to 95kW using a DC fast-charger. Those figures are somewhat down on the iX3, which has a bigger 74kWh battery that can be topped up at a rate of 150kW.
 
Differing from the i3 Australians are likely to see, the Chinese i3 eDrive35L is based on the 3 Series L not offered here, which benefits from a wheelbase stretched by 115mm.
 

Inside, BMW's latest eighth-generation iDrive infotainment system is a clear highlight.
 
It's not all good news though, as BMW admits the i3 loses around 80 litres of boot capacity, with luggage space shrinking to around 400 litres.
 
Built as part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese car-maker Brilliance, the Chinese-market i3 eDrive35L will donate its new LED headlights, enclosed kidney grille, redesigned front bumper and rear bumper and its aero wheels to the regular short-wheelbase i3 that will be offered in other markets from later this year.

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