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Electric BMW 3 Series Prototype Spied Testing in Germany, May Replace the i3

BMW sales were up 2 percent last year, and even though utility vehicles reign supreme, the 3 Series remains one of the Bavarian automaker’s most important products. Available with four- and six-cylinder engines as well as a plug-in hybrid, the 3er will go fully electric in the near future to fend off the ever-popular Tesla Model 3 and upcoming rivals.
Electric BMW 3 Series Prototype 17 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
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Nobody except BMW knows when we’ll get the i3, which is a placeholder for the yet-to-be-named electric sedan. Munich has already confirmed the current i3 won’t have a successor, and the focus from here on in is the electrification of mainstream models.

BMW made a rather shy move in this direction with the iX3, which is exclusively produced in China with rear-wheel drive. The compact crossover shares the CLuster ARchitecture with the X3 and 3 Series, and this brings us to the EV prototype spied by the carparazzi on the country roads near the Nurburgring. Just like the iX3, this fellow here is gifted with a cleaner front, rear, and more aerodynamic side skirts.

It’s impossible to tell if we’re looking at the same rear-mounted electric motor and 80 kWh, but the battery’s capacity could be spot on. As a brief refresher, BMW is also developing the Concept i4 for series production in the guise of the all-new i4. The 4 Series Gran Coupe-like model features the same battery as the iX3 and a single electric motor with a bigger punch, namely 530 PS or 522 horsepower in U.S. money.

BMW may be tempted to use a less powerful motor in order to better differentiate the i3 from the i4, but for the time being, we’re completely in the dark in regard to these details. According to the latest reports from German motoring publications, late 2022 or early 2023 is when the all-electric 3 Series is expected to enter production.

Under the Power of Choiceproduct plan, the Bavarians are committed to selling more than seven million PHEVs and EVs by the end of 2030. The 10-year plan includes all-new nameplates such as the iNEXT electric SUV that will be unwrapped next week.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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