BMW Suddenly Has One Of America’s Longest-Range EVs

• BMW estimates up to 468 miles of U.S. range for the i3, beating every Tesla passenger car.
• Its preliminary range would rank fourth among U.S. EVs by advertised figures, behind Lucid, Chevrolet, and GMC.
• U.S. models get a NACS port and 400-kW charging, with up to 208 miles added in 10 minutes.
  

BMW’s new electric 3 Series has a specification that might be more useful than another few hundred horsepower or another screen. Its claimed range is enough to make you stop worrying about the battery and start worrying about how long you can drive before needing a bathroom break. The new i3 50 xDrive sedan is targeting up to 468 miles in the United States.

That would put it among the longest-range EVs Americans can buy, and comfortably beyond anything in Tesla’s passenger-car lineup. This is just a preliminary figure, but it’s more than the equivalent Tesla Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which the EPA rates at up to 342 miles. It’s also more than the single-motor long-range version of the Model 3, which has a rating of 363 miles.

BMW’s preliminary i3 range claim would put it fourth among U.S. EVs for advertised range, behind the Lucid Air (512 miles), Chevrolet Silverado EV (493 miles), and GMC Sierra EV (478 miles). Among sedans, only the Lucid goes farther on paper.

Europe, meanwhile, gets an even more extravagant claim for the same i3 version: up to 567 miles (912 kilometers), or 567 miles on the more optimistic WLTP test cycle.

Underneath, the 50 xDrive mirrors the iX3 SUV’s specs and follows the same basic recipe on both sides of the Atlantic: two motors, all-wheel drive, 800 volts, and BMW’s new cylindrical battery cells. In Europe, the battery’s capacity has been confirmed at 108.7 kWh, while the U.S. release doesn’t explicitly state it, but it’s likely identical.

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In both markets, the i3 50 xDrive has 463 hp (469 PS) and needs just 4.5 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill. In Europe, it’s rated at 4.7 seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h). Charging power peaks at 400 kilowatts, but BMW says ten minutes can add up to 208 miles in America versus 263 miles (423 km) in Europe. The difference comes from how range is calculated in the two markets, not from different hardware.

But there are actual hardware differences. U.S. cars get a NACS socket and a CCS adapter; European cars use CCS. For AC charging, America gets up to 15.4 kW, while Europe gets 11 kW as standard and an optional 22-kW upgrade.

Europe also gets a cheaper i3 40 xDrive (as well as an equivalent iX3 variant), whose entry-level credentials are somewhat undermined by a dual-motor setup with 369 hp. Its 82.8-kWh battery is smaller, but the claimed 441 miles (710 km) WLTP still makes it great for long journeys. It reaches 62 mph in 5.4 seconds and charges at up to 300 kW.

The 40 starts at €59,900 in Germany, versus €65,900 for the 50. It’s currently confirmed for Europe, with no official U.S. launch announcement. American buyers get the 50 xDrive from $61,500, or $62,850 including destination, arriving in the first quarter of 2027. UK deliveries begin this autumn.

An i3 M60 xDrive is coming in 2027, including the U.S., but BMW hasn’t supplied its power or range figures yet. A more practical wagon body was also spotted testing under camouflage in Germany, so an i3 Touring will also arrive later, but we don't know if it's coming to America.