Changes continue to set the pace for the electric vehicle industry. While some brands expand their ranges, others take the opportunity to reorganize their offer and prepare for the arrival of more advanced technologies. That is the path that BMW has decided to follow with one of its most particular models.

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The German firm will end manufacturing of the current BMW i3 destined for the Chinese market in the coming weeks.

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The electric sedan, produced at the Lydia plant in Shenyang, will stop rolling off the assembly line to make way for a new generation that is already in development.

Model created especially for China

Although it shares a name with the well-known electric urban car that BMW marketed years ago, this i3 has a different story. It was introduced in 2022 as a fully electric variant derived from the Series 3 and designed specifically for the needs of the Chinese market.

One of its main attributes was the ample space available for rear passengers, a feature highly valued by buyers of premium sedans in that country. In addition, it incorporated several of the technological innovations that later reached the rest of the brand's range.

The model used the fifth generation of the BMW eDrive system and a battery with a capacity of close to 70 kWh. Thanks to this configuration, it could reach up to 526 kilometers of approved autonomy.

It also stood out for integrating large curved screens and the iDrive 8.0 operating system, elements that helped modernize BMW's image in the midst of the transition towards electrification.

The future lies in the Neue Klasse

The decision to stop production does not respond to poor commercial performance, but to a much deeper technological change within the company.

BMW is preparing the launch of the Neue Klasse architecture, a platform developed exclusively for electric vehicles.

Unlike the current bases, designed to adapt to both combustion and electric engines, this new structure has been designed from scratch to maximize efficiency, autonomy and use of interior space.

A new generation will arrive in 2027

The closure of production of the current i3 will allow BMW to reorganize part of its industrial capacity and advance in the adaptation of its factories for the next stage.

The future generation of the electric sedan will maintain the i3 name, but will arrive with a completely renewed proposal.

Among its main novelties is the adoption of the sixth generation of BMW electrical technology and an 800-volt system that will improve both performance and recharging times.