Launched for China in April 2022, the BMW i3 (G28) has nothing in common with the small carbon-bodied i3 once sold in Europe. This is an electric saloon derived from the long-wheelbase 3 Series, aimed squarely at buyers who might also look at a Tesla Model 3 for comfort, connectivity and perceived quality. The extra 11 cm between the axles mainly helps rear-seat room, but the car still reads as a genuine premium family saloon.
Its technical story revolves around BMW's fifth-generation eDrive hardware. Early cars are mainly the eDrive35L with 70.2 kWh, 210 kW and 400 Nm, while the later eDrive40L brings 79.1 kWh, 250 kW and 430 Nm. In either form, it should be assessed as a heavy but capable EV where the high-voltage battery, preconditioning, AC/DC charging performance, cooling stability and freedom from power limiting under heat and repeated rapid charging matter more than the range figure on the screen.