The New BMW iX3 Gets On Rivian And Tesla

• BMW today unveiled the new iX3, the first electric vehicle on its Neue Klasse (New Class) platform. 
• It’s a specs monster, with an estimated 400 miles of range, the ability to add as much as 230 miles of range in 10 minutes of fast-charging, a zonal architecture and almost 500 horsepower.
• It will be built in Hungary at the end of this year. It’s expected to go on sale in the United States in 2026 starting around $60,000.

Forget what you know about BMW’s electric vehicles. Sure, those have been excellent. Newer EV offerings like the iX, i4, i5 and i7 have proven to be a quiet success story for BMW, and they show that a traditional car company can go electric without losing what made it great in the first place.

But this is different. It’s something new altogether. And however impressive the i4 and the rest have been, what’s coming next ups the ante.

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Meet the all-new BMW iX3. It may share a name with a limited-range, rear-drive-only electric SUV sold in Europe and other markets, but that’s where any similarities end. It’s now the first EV on BMW’s all-new Neue Klasse platform, which feels more like something developed by Tesla or Rivian than most electric efforts from “legacy” automakers thus far.

And on paper, it seems very impressive. BMW says it’s rated for up to 805 kilometers of range in Europe, but the automaker also estimates a roughly 400-mile rating under the U.S. EPA’s stricter testing process. The iX3 boasts a 400-kilowatt fast-charging speed and bidirectional charging, so it can power your gadgets or even your home. Under the skin, it has a zonal electrical architecture for simplicity and superb computing power.  

Is it enough to hit back against the high-tech Chinese automakers that are eating the Europeans’ lunch on two continents now? That’s the real question. What’s clear is the iX3 showed up ready for a fight. 

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Meet The New Class

Both the iX3’s name and design echo a pattern we’ve seen more and more from car companies lately: EVs are becoming normal. Granted, BMW has always followed the strategy of offering more or less the same models it always has, just with electric versions. Yet the iX3 really flies under the radar. It’s got chiseled looks and wide, LED-filled headlamps and taillights, but it’s clearly all-BMW, and only the lack of exhaust pipes gives away that it’s electric.

The iX3 is also considerably more handsome than the latest gas X3, which it is completely unrelated to. Size-wise, however, these two are nearly identical. 

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Under the skin, it’s a different story. This is the first car on BMW’s Neue Klasse (New Class) platform—its first truly modern, from-the-ground-up 800-volt EV architecture. Here, that means a zonal electrical system like you’d find in a Rivian, a Tesla or many of China’s EVs.

It’s powered by four main “superbrain” computers that control different aspects of the iX3, like power and handling, the automated driving assistance system, the overall software suite and more. It’s also designed for constant over-the-air software updates. 

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

BMW has said that designing this car with a zonal architecture—the next big thing in EV design—cuts nearly 2,000 feet of wiring vs. a conventional car, uses 20% less energy overall and saves a good amount of weight. That also means it’s cheaper for BMW to produce than past EVs, which is ideal for reaching profitability with those cars.

The old way of doing things, which most of the car industry is still married to, involves hundreds of tiny “electronic control units” scattered throughout a car and tasked with discrete functions—like operating the door locks or headlights. By using a smaller number of more powerful computers, zonal systems aim to streamline things and make software updates easier. 

The iX3 is also loaded with more sustainable materials throughout the cabin, building process and entire supply chain, so that it ends up with lower overall emissions than a comparable gas-powered car after just one year.

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Power comes from BMW’s newest Gen6 cylindrical battery cells, which not only boost energy density for more range but are also better for the environment than the current crop of batteries the automaker uses. 

More variants on the Neue Klasse platform are coming, including the i3 sedan, a coupe and probably more soon. In many ways, the various technologies debuted on the iX3 will inform most of BMW’s future cars, including its gas-powered and hybrid ones. 

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Let’s Talk Power (And Electric Power)

But nobody wants to drive a BMW that isn’t fun. On that front, the iX3’s new 108-kilowatt-hour (usable) battery allows dual electric motors to put down 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque in U.S. spec.

That’s good for a brisk 4.7-second run from zero to 60 mph. BMW tends to sandbag the quoted performance of its cars a bit, so the real thing may be even quicker. A single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version will debut later.

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

BMW’s estimated 400 miles of range would put this car in first-rate company. The Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity, Tesla Model S, Mercedes-Benz EQS and a few others land in that category, but it’s still an exclusive party for now. 

The iX3’s charging stats are perhaps an even bigger deal. The iX3 can fast-charge at speeds of up to 400 kilowatts, tying the Lucid Gravity for what could be the highest speeds in America. On an 800-volt DC fast-charger, the iX3 should be able to go from 10% to 80% in just 21 minutes, or add around 230 miles of range in 10 minutes. Besides the Gravity, those kinds of charging speeds and times put the iX3 in the same category as a few other high-end newer EVs, including the Porsche Macan Electric. 

Moreover, it’ll come equipped with a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug with native access to the Tesla Supercharger network. Oh, and supposedly the charging flap can detect whether you need to use it or not with artificial intelligence, and should open automatically when you do.

Interior And Tech

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

That’s only the tip of the technology iceberg. The iX3 not only uses a slick 17.9-inch central display, but it also debuts BMW’s Panoramic iDrive. Using what the automaker calls its new BMW Operating System X, that thin, pillar-to-pillar screen can be fully customized with a whole assortment of menus, icons and indicators. 

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

There’s a good amount of physical controls throughout the cabin, especially on the grippy steering wheel, where buttons provide haptic feedback. Voice controls do a lot here, including windows, air conditioning, seating comfort and in-car entertainment. And like any good luxury EV, the iX3 includes an “intelligent digital companion” that learns your various preferences and suggests things based on the environment.

“If the driver doesn’t react to the proactive prompts repeatedly or if individual suggestions are frequently rejected, the intelligent system will take note of this and refrain from making suggestions in the future,” BMW said in a news release. I’m glad it’s listening.

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

I got the chance to try out this software suite in Germany ahead of the car’s official debut, and you can see my impressions in the video above. My read: it’s a software and UX setup designed by people who actually like driving cars, because so much of it feels effectively designed to keep you from taking your eyes off the road. 

2026 BMW iX3: Pricing And Release Date

2026 BMW iX3

Photo by: BMW

Between range, charging speed, sustainability and overall tech, it seems like the iX3 will be a powerhouse. And remarkably, it’s not as expensive as I expected. BMW North America said the iX3 50 xDrive, the dual motor launch car, will start around $60,000. I had figured it’d be closer to $75,000 or $80,000, but this price would undercut even the gas-powered X3 M50 xDrive. Not bad. 

So will it sell? BMW is certainly bringing this EV to market at a challenging time. Here in America, the EV tax credit is going away, and while the iX3 is made in Hungary, that credit would’ve been useful for BMW’s many leasing customers. But if it comes in priced similarly to a gas-powered X3, it could convince some buyers to break up with gasoline.

Perhaps more crucially, BMW needs the iX3 to fend off increased competition from China’s advanced EVs. A version of that is in development, BMW officials said, where its sales have been slumping for a while. And now those Chinese brands are grabbing market share in Europe as well. It’s tougher competition than Western automakers have perhaps ever seen before. 

We’ll see how that goes, but anyone who’s a fan of BMW’s EVs so far should be in for something special next. The iX3 goes on sale in Europe at the end of this year, and U.S. deliveries begin in mid-2026.

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com