BMW Starts Building Its Electric 3 Series as Munich Goes EV-Only

Revolutionary i3 enters series production

BMW has officially started series production of the electric i3 sedan at Plant Munich in Germany. Essentially the electric version of the next 3 Series, the i3 is also the second Neue Klasse model after the iX3 and one of BMW’s most important new cars. After all, the 3 Series remains the best-selling BMW model of all time, despite high demand for the automaker’s SUVs. With the start of i3 production, the company also announced that its home plant will produce only EVs from 2027.

BMW i3 Production: A New Era For The 3 Series

With its new, cleaner design language and reimagined driver’s cockpit, the i3 paves the way for the new gas-powered 3 Series. The current G20 3 Series has been in production since 2018, so a successor is expected sooner rather than later.

BMW says that demand for the new i3 has been strong since the order books opened in June, although specific order numbers were not shared. The high demand follows a similarly enthusiastic response to the related iX3 SUV, which was seeing more orders this year than the gas-powered X3.

“The start of production of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant. 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,” said Raymond Wittman, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production.

From 2027, Plant Munich will only produce electric cars, including upcoming Neue Klasse models. For this reason, production of the next 3 Series will move to Dingolfing, a town in Bavaria, Germany.