The 2026 BMW i3 – the first battery-electric 3 Series and sedan based on the German automaker’s 800-volt “Neue Klasse” electrical architecture – will reportedly offer up to 800 km of range on a single battery charge.
If the report is from a UK publication Autocar If the statement proves correct, the BMW i3 will offer more range than any electric vehicle (EV) currently sold in Australia, including the 2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD – the longest range electric vehicle available here, at a claimed 750km.
The electric 3 Series is expected to launch in Australia in late 2026 or early 2027, competing not only with the Model 3 but also electric versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class – also expected here in 2026 – and the Audi A4 in 2028.
In addition to the new battery-powered 3 Series, updated petrol versions will also be sold, but will be based on the CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform that underpins the current G20 model – with BMW having already confirmed both the six-cylinder petrol and electric versions of the legendary M3 performance flagship.
While BMW Australia has found great success with its i4 midsize electric liftback – which outsold the entire Mercedes-Benz C-Class range in 2024 but is now only offered in a single model class – the 2026 i3 will offer a variety of options.
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Autocar says the i3 will launch in sedan form – followed by a touring (wagon) derivative – starting with the 50 xDrive variant of the new iX3 mid-size electric SUV, BMW’s first Neue Klasse-based model, which was unveiled in Munich last month and is due to be available in Australia in mid-2026.
In the new iX3, the powertrain offers 346kW of power and 649Nm of torque, with a 108kW nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery offering a range of up to 800km and DC fast charging speeds of up to 400kW.
The i3’s exterior will reflect the look of the Vision Neue Klasse concept shown in 2023, with traditional BMW styling cues including the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar.
The cabin will also follow the interior design of the new iX3 and feature a wraparound multimedia display including an angled infotainment touchscreen as well as an extended head-up display that covers the entire windshield.
Electric models accounted for almost a quarter (24.2 percent) of BMW’s global sales in 2024 – almost 600,000 vehicles – with the company’s Australian electric car sales accounting for an even higher share at almost a third (29.6 percent).
The iX1 small electric SUV was BMW’s best-selling electric SUV in Australia last year, ahead of the i4 and iX2.
The iconic 3 Series is currently the German brand’s fifth best-selling model here, behind the X1, X3, X5 and X2.
Further details on the reborn i3, which will revive a nameplate last seen on a BMW electric city car produced between 2013 and 2022, are expected ahead of its world premiere in early 2026.
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