Electric BMW 3 Series previewed by Vision Neue Klasse concept

BMW’s new electric sedan concept points to the future of the 3 Series, with dedicated electric-car underpinnings and drivetrain technology claimed to deliver up to 1000km of driving range.

BMW has provided the strongest clues yet to the design and underpinnings planned for the electric version of the next-generation 2025 BMW 3 Series with the Vision Neue Klasse concept.

Unveiling at the Munich motor show in Germany, the Vision Neue Klasse is a clear evolution of the earlier i Vision Dee concept revealed by BMW the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2023.

It signals a radical shift in new-model development at the German car maker as it pivots from the production of traditional petrol and diesel-powered models to a broader range of electric cars scheduled for launch during the latter half of the decade.

The electric production version of the Vision Neue Klasse concept – likely to be badged i3 – is tipped to be sold alongside a next-generation 3 Series with petrol propulsion, for buyers not ready to make the switch to battery power.

However – whereas the petrol version is expected to sit on similar underpinnings to today’s model – the electric version will use BMW’s next-generation ‘Neue Klasse’ platform dedicated to electric vehicles.

BMW says it will offer an electric model in each of its core market segments by the end of this year, and by the end of 2025 it aims for more than a quarter of all sales to be electric models. 

It gets even more ambitious thereafter. By the end of 2026, BMW expects electric models to account for a third of its sales worldwide.

MORE: Next BMW 3 Series to offer petrol and electric power on different platforms – report

An early entrant to the electric-car ranks with the inherently-complex and costly-to-produce i3 launched in 2013, BMW has since taken a more cautious and cost-effective approach by basing all of its current electric cars on its existing petrol-car underpinnings, known as FAAR and CLAR.

The move has allowed BMW to amortise development costs and produce both traditional petrol models and their electric siblings alongside one another on the same production lines. 

Now, with acceptance growing in key markets across the globe, BMW has extended its financial and engineering commitment to a series of new electric models with the development of its first modular electric-car platform intended for large-scale production.

The new platform structure not only forms the basis of BMW’s latest concept car but also lends it its name: Neue Klasse.

There is history here. BMW first used Neue Klasse on a series of sedans and coupes produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s – including the 2000 CS – which turned the company’s fortunes around at the time.

As with the introduction of these models over 50 years ago, the development of its new electric-vehicle platform and the Vision Neue Klasse concept car are considered a once-in-a-lifetime brand reshaping exercise that is intended to project BMW into a new electric-car era.

“With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history,” BMW board member responsible for development, Frank Weber, said in a media statement.

“We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book. That’s why the Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations.”

As well as showcasing its new platform, BMW’s new concept car also adopts elements of the drivetrain, design and digital functionality the German car maker plans to provide to its future electric models. 

According to Mr Weber, BMW will launch up to six new electric models under the umbrella of the Neue Klasse project, including sedans and SUVs, between 2025 and 2027.

The first of these is planned to be an electric 3 Series billed as a direct rival to the likes of the Tesla Model 3. 

To be produced at a new factory under construction in Debrecen, Hungary, the new sedan is planned to be the first BMW model to benefit from a new sixth-generation electric drivetrain.

In combination with new a battery featuring round cells with a 20 per cent higher energy density than the prismatic cells used in today’s electric BMW models, it is claimed to bring a 30 per cent increase in range together with a 30 per cent increase in charging capacity, to 270kW.

Mr Weber says the electric drivetrain technology showcased by the Vision Neue Klasse, including its so-called ’46XX’ battery cells, will bring a 25 per cent increase in efficiency compared to current designs.

It is estimated to provide the electric version of the next 3 Series – the i3 as it is tipped to be called – with a theoretical driving range of up to 1000km.

As with the earlier Vision Dee, the Vision Neue Klasse previews the design lineage BMW has chosen for its next generation of electric models. 

The new look combines crisp and angular lines with taut and largely unadorned surfacing to provide the new concept car with a clean and contemporary appearance.

BMW describes its new sedan as being “clear, elegant and timeless”. It also points to new detailing that will distinguish its future models from those on sale today.

Included is a reinterpretation of its signature front ‘kidney’ grilles featuring illumination and various lighting themes, thin LED headlights, large wheelhouses, a heavily-angled windscreen, large windows, and tail-lights that extend across the rear to accentuate the concept’s width.

Inside, the interior of the Vision Neue Klasse follows the theme established outside, with a minimalist design that does away with almost all physical controls.

The main point of interaction is a central touchscreen supported by a voice-activated “intelligent personal assistant” and “panoramic vision” head-up display unit that projects information and graphics across the entire windscreen.

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