Forerunner: BMW i3 eDrive35L

While the European range of electric BMW mid-size sedans is limited to the i4, Chinese customers will also be able to choose the fully electric 3 Series from May 2022. The BMW i3 eDrive35L is tailored to the specific requirements of Chinese customers. It is based on the 3 Series, which according to BMW led the premium mid-size segment in China in 2021.

Compared to the standard model of the 3 Series, the wheelbase has been extended by eleven centimeters, making the 3 Series almost 4.9 meters long. More than the original 7 Series once was. The BMW i3 eDrive35L features the latest BMW Gen5 eDrive drive components, already known from the BMW iX3, the BMW i4, and the BMW iX. Additionally, the BMW OS8 operating system and a variety of digital functions and services, such as the latest connectivity and the Digital Key, are being used in the 3 Series for the first time.

The fine-tuning of the chassis systems of the BMW i3 eDrive35L to Chinese road conditions was carried out by the research and development department of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. in Shenyang. This also applies to the adaptation of various components to the Chinese supply chain.

The BMW i3eDrive35L is manufactured exclusively for the Chinese market at the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. plant in Lydia, a district of Shenyang. It also contributes to the electrification of the brand: by 2030, 50% of the BMW Group's worldwide sales are expected to be fully electric vehicles.

What does that mean?

Well, a long version of the 3-series would be hard to convey in Europe and would threaten the 5-series. But a new "i3", cheaper than an i4 and also as a Touring, would certainly find many interested parties in the private and fleet sectors in Europe as well.