The New BMW i3 EV Will Kick The Gas 3 Series Out Of Its Historic Home

• The all-new BMW i3 electric sedan is kicking out the gas-powered 3 Series from its historic home.
• The Neue Klasse-based i3 will be built in Munich, Germany, starting in the second half of next year.
• That’s where the 3 Series has been made since its introduction 50 years ago.

Big things are happening at BMW. After building a state-of-the-art factory for the first Neue Klasse-based electric car, the iX3 crossover, the German automaker is scrapping an unwritten rule that has been in effect for half a century.

Since 1975, the 3 Series sedan, which is arguably BMW’s most important model, has been built at the company’s main plant in Munich, Germany. That changes in the second half of 2026, when the Neue Klasse-based i3 will kick the gas-powered sedan out of its historic home. The company announced the change in its third-quarter earnings documents, as spotted by BMW Blog.

That’s a big change, and it shows that BMW is taking EVs seriously, but it doesn’t mean that the combustion-powered 3 Series will suddenly be sidelined. While there is no official confirmation yet, one rumor suggests that the next-generation 3 Series will be assembled in Dingolfing, at the automaker’s largest European plant. With nearly 300,000 cars rolling off the assembly lines in 2024 alone, the Dingolfing factory is responsible for multiple BMWs, including the iX, 7 Series and 8 Series.

The BMW i3, which started life as a quirky city hatchback, will evolve into a fully grown, all-electric alternative to the ubiquitous 3 Series sedan. (Not to be confused with the current-gen i3 sedan, which is only sold in China.

Both will be sold simultaneously, and despite their possible design similarities, they won’t share the same underpinnings. The i3 will be based on the Neue Klasse architecture, which is EV-only, while the eighth-generation 3 Series will continue to use the proven CLAR platform, which supports rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive drivetrains with either combustion-only, plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrains.

The iX3 crossover marked a big change for BMW, and it showed that the legacy automaker can hold its own against more progressive brands like Tesla and BYD. Using the latest and greatest technology available, such as an 800-volt battery with bespoke cells, silicon carbide (SiC) components and much more efficient drive units, the iX3 left a great first impression. It packs plenty of driving range, very fast charging abilities and well-rounded driving behavior.

The same is expected to hold true when the new i3 lands next year, and it will be interesting to see whether the electric sedan will trump the gas version, which has long been the go-to choice for many BMW fans.