All-electric BMW 3 Series makes debut in China

Late last week BMW announced that they are adding a new all-electric car to its portfolio, and it's weird in a bittersweet way. The iconic brand is calling it the i3 eDrive35L, which is definitely not easy on the tongue — or on human memory. 

Contrary to what the name suggests, the latest BMW EV is not based on the original i3, which was widely mocked for its toy-like design and that is still available on the local market. Instead, BMW has based the i3 eDrive35L on the popular BMW 3 Series sedan, which is quite evident from the looks. 

Now, let's get the bad news out of the way. The new electric sedan will only be sold in China, and the company hasn't shared any plans of bringing it to other markets.

The i3 eDrive35L employs the in-house BMW Gen5 eDrive powertrain that also lends its services to the more premium iX3, i4, and iX models. BMW says it has made some adjustments to the car's suspension system to handle the roads in China. The car will be assembled at the company's plant in the Lydia region of Shenyang. With the i3 eDrive35L, the number of all-electric cars in BMW's portfolio has now climbed to six models. BMW hasn't revealed details about the pricing, however, and has only shared a May timeline for market release. Selling the car in China won't exactly be a cakewalk for BMW, as it will face stiff competition from Tesla and local heavyweights like BYD, Xpeng, and Nio, among others.

BMW is touting a range of 526 km for the i3 eDrive35L, which comfortably puts it ahead of other electric cars. But do keep in mind that this is the CLTC range that BMW is flaunting, which happens to be a tad generous and significantly higher than practical figures for day-to-day usage. 

The four-door all-electric EV claims a peak 400 Nm torque output with BMW saying the i3 eDrive35L can go from 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. BMW has fitted a 66.1 kWh battery in its electric car and claims that it can go from 10-80% charge in a matter of 35 minutes. Charging it for 10 mins at its peak recommended wattage will offer enough juice for a 97 km journey. 

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