BMW first launched the i3 as the brand’s first production model under the BMW i sub-brand, bringing the company’s Project i research into a series-produced, purpose-built electric car. The original i3 arrived for the 2014 model year, with market introductions beginning in late 2013 in Germany and other early markets. It stood out from BMW’s conventional lineup with its compact urban focus, distinctive tall hatchback body, lightweight construction philosophy, and an interior and exterior design that made its electric mission immediately obvious.
The original i3 became BMW’s first mass-market battery-electric model and a landmark for the brand’s use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic in a volume vehicle. Over its run, BMW expanded the line with range-extender versions and later performance-oriented i3s variants, but the nameplate’s core identity remained that of an innovative premium city EV. Production of the original i3 ended in 2022 after roughly eight and a half years, and BMW has described it as a pioneer for sustainable mobility.
The i3 nameplate then returned in a new form for the Neue Klasse era. BMW has announced a new, fully electric i3 sedan as the second model in the Neue Klasse range, with production scheduled to begin in 2026. This revival is a separate production period from the original hatchback and marks a major shift in body style and product positioning while reusing one of BMW’s most important electric-era nameplates.