My First Look At The New BMW i3! Interior, Exterior, Neue Klasse Platform, Battery & More

TL;DR

The new BMW i3 sedan on the Neue Klasse platform delivers 440 miles of EPA-estimated range and 400kW peak charging in a ~$60,000 package.

Key Points

• 1.112 kWh usable battery in a compact sedan. The i3 uses a cell-to-pack, module-free 4695 NMC cell battery (updated to 112 kWh usable for the US market) that serves as a structural floor component.
• 2.400kW peak charging at 500 amps. The i3 supports both 400V and 800V charging at 500 amps, ships with NACS in the US, CCS2 in Europe, and GB/T in China.
• 3.440 miles of EPA-estimated range. BMW's internal testing projects 440 miles of range, placing it above the Model 3 and Ioniq 6 and making it one of the longest-range EVs available.
• 4.463 hp and 467 lb-ft of torque. Power comes from a rear externally excited synchronous motor (EESM, built in-house) and a front 120kW induction motor (ASM) that activates for AWD traction and drift recovery.
• 5.Neue Klasse zonal electrical architecture replaces domain ECUs. BMW switched to a four-zone centralized architecture similar to Rivian Gen 2, enabling faster processing and easier over-the-air software updates.
• 6.Heart of Joy driving computer enables drifting and smooth one-pedal stop. The centralized driving ECU handles yaw, wheel slip, and steering inputs via algorithm, delivering up to 3.4g of regenerative braking before blending to friction brakes.
• 7.Rear seat compromised by tall battery pack, but front seating position is excellent. The 95mm-tall 4695 cells raise the floor, pushing rear passengers' knees up, though the host (6'1") confirmed adequate headroom and roughly 2 inches of clearance.
• 8.Production starts August 2025 with fall deliveries. Built north of Munich, Germany, with batteries from Hungary and motors from BMW's Steyr, Austria plant; includes BMW Digital Key Plus with ultra-wideband support for Apple and Samsung wallets.