With so much attention being focused on the BMW i4 and iNext, it’s easy to forget the company is also working on an electric 3-Series. While it’s been months since the car was last spotted, the sedan was caught undergoing testing near the Nürburgring earlier today. As you can see, the model will follow in the footsteps of the standard 3-Series and adopt a lightly modified front bumper with vertical air intakes. While the grille is camouflaged, it will be fully enclosed and likely echo the one found on the iX3.
The minor styling changes continue out
back as the 3-Series EV has a unique rear bumper which lacks exhaust tips.
This, as well as “electric test vehicle” badging, leaves little question as to
what kind of powertrain the prototype has. Additional changes are limited, but
the car has extended side skirts which help to hide the battery pack which is
mounted beneath the floor. The production model should also have aerodynamic
wheels which minimize drag and maximize efficiency.
BMW has been tight-lipped about the car,
but previous reports have suggested it will be based on the long-wheelbase
version of the 3-Series. This could mean the model will be available
exclusively in China, but nothing is official as of yet. The powertrain also remains
a bit of a mystery, but speculation suggests it will be shared with the iX3
instead of the i4. If that’s the case, we can expect an 80 kWh lithium-ion
battery that powers an electric motor which develops 282 hp and 400 Nm of torque.
This setup enables the iX3 to accelerate
from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds, hit a top speed of 180
km/h and travel up to 460 km on a single charge in the WLTP test
cycle. Of course, the 3-Series EV will likely improve on these numbers thanks
to its lower weight and better aerodynamics.
