BMW is closing in on one of the most important launches in its electric future. The
all-new BMW i3 — a fully electric sedan in the 3 Series class — is currently being pushed to its limits in the winter cold of northern
Sweden ahead of its official design reveal, scheduled for
March 18, 2026.
Tested at the edge of Arctic
At BMW’s winter
testing facility in Arjeplog, well above the Arctic Circle, the first prototypes of the new i3 are undergoing intensive cold-weather trials on snow-covered roads and frozen lakes. Everything from the drivetrain to stability systems
is being fine-tuned in temperatures far below freezing. According to BMW, the goal is to ensure that the brand’s hallmark driving character survives — and thrives — in the transition to electric power.
The upcoming i3 will be only the second BMW built on the brand’s new dedicated EV architecture, known as
Neue Klasse and already seen on the iX3.
The i3 also introduces the sixth generation of BMW’s electric drivetrain, called
eDrive Gen6, which brings 800-volt technology to the lineup. That opens the door to significantly faster charging: preliminary specs suggest the top variant will support up to
400 kW of charging power.
The “Heart of Joy”
One of the most significant technological leaps in the new i3 is a central control unit BMW calls
Heart of Joy. The system unifies management of the drivetrain, brakes, and energy recuperation — and reportedly responds up to ten times faster than previous-generation systems.
The aim is both sharper driving dynamics and more efficient energy use. Among other things, the system can optimize regenerative braking mid-corner without compromising stability. BMW is also introducing a new
Soft-Stop function designed to make deceleration smoother than in any previous 3 Series generation.
Power figures
The first version revealed in prototype form is the
BMW i3 50 xDrive, featuring dual electric motors — one at the rear, one at the front — for all-wheel drive. Preliminary specifications include:
- Up to 345 kW / 469 hp
- 645 Nm of torque
- Dual electric motors
- 800-volt battery system
- Up to 400 kW charging power
These are numbers that place the car firmly at the sporting end of the mid-size EV segment.
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