First Fully Electric BMW 3 Series Unveiled for China
The first fully electric BMW 3 Series has been unveiled but there’s a catch: it’s the Chinese variant that will go on sale over there starting in May.
Called i3 eDrive35L (not to be confused with the late i3 hatchback), this car is derived from the long-wheelbase 3 Series sedan sold in China. It’s designed specifically with Chinese customers in mind and will be built locally.
Physical changes include new headlights (which will probably wind up on the refreshed 2023 3 Series), a closed front grille, revised front bumper with different intakes, aerodynamic alloy wheels and new rear bumper with integrated diffuser. While not shown in the pictures released by BMW, the cockpit features the latest iDrive 8 infotainment system.
In terms of powertrain, the BMW i3 eDrive35L uses the fifth-generation eDrive system similar to the i4 sedan and iX crossover that recently launched in Canada, not to mention the Chinese-exclusive iX3 compact SUV. The rear-mounted electric motor generates 282 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, allowing 0-100 km/h acceleration in 6.2 seconds.
The high-voltage battery has a capacity of 70.3 kWh gross (66.1 kWh net) and is said to provide 526 kilometres of range based on the testing protocols in China. BMW claims that it needs 35 minutes to charge from 10-80 percent on 95kW DC fast chargers.
What About Canada?
An electric 3 Series sedan will take longer to arrive in Canada. How much longer exactly? Well, as we previously reported, the German automaker is working on the next step in its electrification strategy, which will kick off around 2025 with a brand new platform called “Neue Klasse” and sixth-gen electric drive system known as eDrive 6.
Said platform, whose name also evokes an important family of cars that BMW launched in the 1960s and 1970s, will underpin all sorts of body styles and configurations ranging from small cars to large SUVs. In fact, the plan is to use it for all new BMW-badged EVs launched from mid-decade onwards.
According to a report by British website Autocar last fall, the first vehicle to be based on the Neue Klasse platform will be an electric alternative to the next-generation 3 Series. It will be sold alongside the conventionally powered variant to give consumers the option to go electric or not.
The BMW Group (BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce) is aiming for fully electric vehicles to account for 50 percent of its global sales by 2030.