- Initial demand for the all-new i3 electric sedan has been strong, BMW says.
- i3 will be joined by several other Neue Klasse models at the Munich plant.
- BMW has initially launched the i3 in 50 xDrive guise with 463 hp.
BMW has kicked off production of the all-electric i3 sedan in Germany, and the significance runs beyond the car itself. The i3 is shaping up as a legitimate rival to the Tesla Model 3, but the bigger story sits with the factory itself. From next year, BMW’s Munich plant will build nothing but EVs, ending decades of combustion-car history at the site where the company has produced vehicles since the 1950s.
Getting there took a substantial rework of the facility. BMW added a new body shop to support production of the i3 and the Neue Klasse models that follow it, along with fresh vehicle assembly and logistics areas and a new delivery hall. The company credits those changes, plus new production technologies and tighter cooperation between departments and suppliers, with cutting manufacturing costs at the plant by 10 percent.
Read: BMW’s Electric i3 Wagon Just Got Caught, And Its Roofline Hides A Trick
Orders for the new i3 opened in mid-June, and BMW says the reception has been strong enough to trigger a steep production ramp-up. The company won’t say how many are rolling out each day, though it has noted that i3 demand has outpaced even the new iX3, which drew more than 50,000 orders in its first few months.
Efficient And Powerful
“The start of production of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant,” BMW board member Raymond Wittman said. “With the fully-electric BMW i3, we are bringing together what belongs together: The 3 Series embodies BMW more than almost any other model – and Plant Munich represents our brand more than almost any other production site.”
The i3 is initially available in i3 50 xDrive configuration. This model uses a 108.7 kWh battery pack and has two electric motors combining to produce 463 hp and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque, allowing it to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.7 seconds. More impressively, the car boasts a WLTP driving range of up to 563 miles (906 km). What’s more, the 800-volt architecture and 400kW DC fast charging support allow 263 miles (423 km) of range to be added in just ten minutes.