BMW’s new iX3 looks like a hit, making up 1 in 3 EV orders in Europe — SkimNews
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- BMW's iX3 secured 100,000 European orders within a year of launch — about 1 in 3 BMW EV orders and roughly half of all X3 lineup orders — making it the best first-year start for any new BMW vehicle, per global sales chief Jochen Goller.
- China is showing strong early traction, with the iX3 launching last month at 269,900 yuan (~$40,000); dealers told 36Kr the sales team "has barely stopped working" after "tens of thousands" of blind pre-orders in under a week.
- The Neue Klasse platform debuts with the iX3, featuring sixth-generation eDrive, 800V architecture, and cylindrical battery cells that deliver 30% faster charging and 30% better range, with DC fast-charging up to 400 kW (10–80% in ~21 minutes).
- BMW's iX3 50 xDrive starts at $61,500 in the US for the 2027 model year (up to 434 miles EPA range) and €73,925 in Germany (up to 805 km WLTP); the iX3 40 starts at €63,400 in Germany with a 628 km WLTP range.
- BMW plans to open orders for the i3 sedan — the second Neue Klasse EV — later this month and introduce 40 new or updated Neue Klasse models by the end of 2027, as the iX3 leads its push to compete with Tesla and BYD.
Why it matters: The iX3 is BMW's first ground-up Neue Klasse EV — a platform the automaker explicitly built to take on Tesla and BYD. With 1 in 3 European EV orders already going to the iX3 and 40 Neue Klasse models planned by end of 2027, the company's entire electrification strategy now hinges on whether this architecture can convert its loyal combustion buyers to EVs at scale.
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