2022 BMW i3: Electric 3 Series spied

The 2022 BMW i3 has been caught by an amateur photographer in China.

Images have been posted to website Sohu showing the first fully-electric 3 Series, with the new BMW expected to slot in below the i4 – but believed to instead share a similar powertrain to the iX3 SUV.

Rumours suggest the new model will offer an entry-level variant initially – possibly called the i3 eDrive30 – with a single electric motor sending 210kW and 400Nm to the rear wheels. Expect a 0-100km/h sprint time under seven seconds.

Unlike the iX3’s 80kWh battery capacity, it’s more likely the i3 shares the larger 84kWh battery pack with its i4 sibling, meaning the sedan should easily reach 600km of driving range on a single charge – which is the maximum range the German manufacturer currently aims for in its electric vehicles.

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Despite the first-generation i3 being its own stand-alone hatchback model, it’s believed BMW has decided to proceed with using the i3 name, providing continuity across its current range in which ‘i’ denotes the fully-electric version. The original i3 ended production in July, freeing up space within the BMW stable for the new i3.

There’s no word yet as to whether a second variant of the all-electric 3 Series will follow – either matching the i4 eDrive40 as a mid-range model, or in the form of a performance flagship following the same recipe as the i4 M50.

With the 2021 BMW 330e plug-in hybrid (top) priced from $83,971 before on-road costs, and the 2022 BMW i4 eDrive40 costing $99,900 plus on-roads, expect the 2022 BMW i3 eDrive30 to start at a touch over $90,000 when it eventually comes to Australia.