BMW i3: New Klasse Version.

Electric Bimmer: New and Improved.

Frank Weber, the BMW Development Director, has made known that the iconic German car manufacturer is looking into the feasibility of a brand new line of entry-level electric vehicles founded on Neue Klasse architecture, as shared by Automobilwoche. In the past, BMW had already tried to break into the miniature, hi-tech motorcar market place with the i3; however, those attempts did not generate the same reaction in America as they did in Europe. Not having the range, performance, or attractiveness that American consumers expect from intangibles of the BMW brand, it caused a nine-year period of moderate sales in the US until, eventually, the final global example was produced last summer.

It could be worth considering small EVs once more. Why so? Not only did the i3 receive a lot of positive reviews in various countries, however, the BMW i4 is presently the most inexpensive electric car made by BMW in America. It carries an opening price tag of $52,000. That cost may put off some potential buyers; it could very well be that the upcoming i3 will have a list price lower than $50K, but we will simply have to wait and observe what the precise value is.

When posed the inquiry of whether the i3 could get a replacement with Neue Klasse engineering, Weber answered: “We place incredible significance on giving clients the best conceivable access to the BMW brand. That is the reason we’re pondering cautiously about how this admittance to BMW can be made in the Neue Klasse family. That can be deciphered as a yes.”

Weber was expeditious in noting that since the debut of the i3, things have undergone a stark alteration.

“When the i3 was first unveiled,” said Weber, “its mission was vastly different. In 2013, the electrification of the automotive industry was just beginning, and not many people in the industry thought it would take off as quickly as it did. The i3 was intended to show that electric mobility was feasible.”

The i3 was more of a proof of concept than a car built to make a profit, and as Weber is aware, “these days [of EV apprehension] are over; electromobility is now firmly anchored.” Despite this, BMW is not taking the past failures of the i3 in certain markets as a sign that they should not pursue a new baby EV. According to Weber, “electromobility is now firmly anchored” and the apprehension that once surrounded EVs has dissipated. Therefore, BMW is no longer hindered by the i3’s past shortcomings and is ready to move forward with a new product.

The design of BMW’s Neue Klasse can afford colossal savings throughout the entirety of their i fleet, as well as the raised acceptance from patrons concerning electric cars. This minimizes the major gamble normally held with making the i3’s substitute even more so when using another plan. And it will.

“Many people liked [the i3], but in the eyes of others, it wasn’t a real BMW. A bit of an outsider in the school class, if you will,” stated Weber. “We will not repeat this form,” he promised. “However, there is certainly a need to bring a cost-effective, compact offering from BMW to the market.” This differs slightly from the words of BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec, who previously told us a small Neue Klasse EV would be the perfect luxury item for the wealthy.

Ideally, it is not expected that a top-of-the-line model of this type will require sixty thousand dollars as happens with the combustible X1.

Globally, the i3 was distributed over seventy-four countries throughout 2013 to 2022, with a grand total of more than 250,000 models sold. Models without the range extender component produced an impressive range of 153 miles, while those integrated with the 0.6-liter two-cylinder gas engine reached up to 200 miles. We can anticipate even greater mileage for the current iteration and other electric vehicles produced on the Neue Klasse platform.

According to Weber, electric vehicles of superior quality which are produced using Neue Klasse will be able to attain an additional 30% range. Even if we assume the discontinued i3 range extender model to identify a starting point as it were, that works out to roughly 260 miles. This new mode is presumed to reach at least 300 miles in terms of range.

Weber is cognizant that not all EV owners imperatively require extreme range, and larger batteries expand a car manufacturer’s emissions. Consequently, we are sanguine that the supplanting of the i3 will not be huge, burdensome, or exorbitantly priced.

When will it be available? Weber simply stated that in the initial two years following the Neue Klasse, four additional vehicles will be introduced. It can be assumed that a replacement for the i3 could come any time earlier than 2030.