Overview
- BMW began dealer‑only orders for the i3 First Edition on Thursday, June 18, with the special model priced at €75,340 and the later base i3 50 xDrive listed at about €65,900.
- The company published full technical specs showing a 345 kW all‑wheel‑drive system, a roughly 108.7 kWh round‑cell high‑voltage battery, WLTP ranges up to 912 km for the base car and up to 906 km for the First Edition, and an 800‑volt architecture that supports up to 400 kW peak DC charging and bidirectional charging.
- BMW confirmed series production will start at its Munich Stammwerk in August, with customer deliveries expected only after late summer.
- Local Chinese reporting and insiders say BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang will wind down CLAR‑based EV production in July to ready the plant for Neue Klasse models, but the exact timing and scope of that change remain unconfirmed by BMW.
- The early preorder and published specs underline the i3’s role in BMW’s push to regain EV sales momentum as the company faces a weak China market and a downgraded annual profit outlook.