BMW has officially kicked off production of its all-electric i3 sedan in Munich, Germany.
The move signals a major step for the brand as it prepares to transition its main plant to EV-only manufacturing.
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The i3 is positioned as a direct competitor to the Tesla Model 3.
But the bigger story lies in the factory itself, which will stop building combustion-engine cars entirely from next year.
Munich has been producing vehicles since the 1950s, making this a historic shift. To achieve this, BMW invested heavily in reworking the facility.
A New Era for Munich Plant
BMW added a new body shop, fresh assembly and logistics areas, and a new delivery hall to support i3 production.
The company also credits new production technologies and tighter cooperation between departments and suppliers for cutting manufacturing costs by 10 percent.
Orders for the i3 opened in mid-June, and BMW says demand has been strong enough to trigger a steep production ramp-up.
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While the company hasn't disclosed daily output figures, it notes that i3 demand has outpaced the new iX3, which drew over 50,000 orders in its first months.
“The start of production of the BMW i3 heralds a new era for our main plant,” said BMW board member Raymond Wittman.
“With the fully-electric BMW i3, we are bringing together what belongs together: The 3 Series embodies BMW more than almost any other model – and Plant Munich represents our brand more than almost any other production site.”
The initial version, the i3 50 xDrive, features a 108.7 kWh battery pack and two electric motors producing 463 hp and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque.
It accelerates from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.7 seconds and offers a WLTP range of up to 563 miles (906 km).
Thanks to its 800-volt architecture and 400 kW DC fast charging, the i3 can add 263 miles (423 km) of range in just ten minutes.
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The i3 will be joined by several other Neue Klasse models at the Munich plant in the coming years.
