EVs can still be huge hits even when some markets are rough. BMW is reportedly set to open pre-orders in Germany for the new 2027 i3 (aka the electric 3 Series) two months early due to strong demand.
Sources speaking to Automobilewoche claim an I3 First Edition will be available to order as soon as today (June 18th) even though production officially begins in August. Interest is said to be high in China as well despite that country gravitating toward local brands like BYD and XPENG.
The electric sedan has a starting price of €63,400 in Germany (about $73,800). That makes it only slightly more expensive than the plug-in hybrid 3 Series, and matches the cost of the iX3. That SUV is also popular, with over 50,000 orders in March and more than 10,000 sold in April.
Why is the BMW i3 so popular
A home market with a renewed thirst for EVs
The 2027 BMW i3 is mainly appealing as a major redesign both inside and out. It’s the automaker’s second car built around its Neue Klasse aesthetic (the iX3 was the first) and delivers up to 463HP and an EPA estimated 440 miles of range. An 800-volt architecture provides up to 250 miles of range in 10 minutes, and North American versions of the car will have NACS ports to plug directly into Tesla Superchargers.
Other factors are at work, of course. The 3 Series remains BMW’s most iconic car, and the I3 is debuting in the company’s home country—it’s logical that customers would flock to the new car in Germany. It also comes as fuel prices remain high, prompting renewed interest in EVs and hybrids in numerous countries.
Germany and other European Union countries remain committed to phasing out combustion engine cars, even if the 2035 target now involves a 90 percent fleet CO2 emission reduction rather than outright bans on gas and diesel engines.
BMW’s first iX5 EV will have the brand’s largest-ever battery
The X5 SUV series will also come in gas, hybrid, and even hydrogen models.
Demand in China is less clear, although the country’s government has pushed for electrification and has brands like BYD aggressively expanding worldwide. However, gas car sales plunged 37 percent year-over-year in April even though EV subsidies were reduced at the end of 2025. There’s more overall interest in EVs, and Chinese customers are sometimes willing to buy foreign vehicles like the Tesla Model Y.
Will the BMW i3 be popular in the U.S.
It’s not certain if successful BMW i3 launches in Germany or China will translate to the U.S. market. The end to the $7,500 federal tax credit led to a steep year-over-year sales drop in the first quarter of 2026, with BMW facing a 63.3 percent decline. The brand hasn’t delivered any Neue Klasse EVs in the country yet, however, and high gas prices might draw buyers who would otherwise be content with hybrids.
Source: Automobilwoche
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
