:focal(2497x2018:2498x2019))
New BMW i3 Reaches Crucial Milestone: Pre-Production Begins in Munich
At BMW, the moment has arrived where vision becomes reality: the first pre-production examples of the new BMW i3 have officially rolled off the line at BMW Group Plant Munich. And that is a much bigger step than it appears at first glance.
This marks the start of the final stretch towards series production, planned for the second half of 2026. But more importantly: this is the moment BMW proves that the Neue Klasse is ready for the future, not just technologically, but industrially too.
:focal())
The BMW i3 is back, but this is a completely different car
Anyone who still thinks of the experimental carbon-fibre city car from 2013 when they hear “BMW i3” needs to let go of that image. The new i3 is the first genuine production example of BMW's Neue Klasse: a completely new generation of electric models, developed from the ground up as EVs, without compromises to existing platforms.
This i3 symbolises where BMW wants to go: electric propulsion with genuine BMW dynamics, a software-first architecture and a design meant to evoke emotion once again. The fact that it is already being built in pre-production means that the complete package (from drivetrain to interior, and from software to bodywork) is ready to be scaled up industrially.
Munich transforms into a high-tech iFACTORY
At least as important as the car itself is where it is built. The historic factory at BMW Group Plant Munich has been completely reinvented in recent years according to BMW's iFACTORY vision. That is not a marketing term, but a fundamental redesign of how cars are built.
In Munich, the pre-production BMW i3 now goes through all production steps at a single location for the first time: press shop, body construction, paint shop, assembly and logistics. Everything already runs as it would in series production, just at limited volumes. Every component follows its definitive route, every machine operates under realistic conditions and every process step is digitally monitored. This is the point where you find out whether a future strategy actually works.
Why pre-production is such a big moment
In the car industry, this is the phase where mistakes are costly, but essential to guarantee success later on. Pre-production is where BMW checks whether thousands of components, robots, software layers and people are perfectly aligned with one another. Every detail is analysed: panel fit, logistics timing, digital connections between machines and quality control.
For BMW, this is a stress test of its entire Neue Klasse approach. Only once this phase succeeds can series production be scaled up safely.
People remain crucial, even in a digital factory
It is striking how BMW is preparing its employees for this new generation of production. Training started virtually, using augmented reality, and is now shifting to the real installations on the factory floor. This allows teams to learn to work with new machines, new software and new processes before volumes ramp up.
The result should be a factory that is not only more efficient, but also more flexible. A place where new models can be integrated faster than ever before.
More than one model: this is BMW's EV blueprint
The new BMW i3 is not a standalone project. It is the blueprint for everything that follows within the Neue Klasse. What works here in Munich will later be applied to other BMW factories and future models. In that sense, this pre-production is strategically at least as important as the car itself.
Where competitors are betting on entirely new factories, BMW is proving that existing production sites, too, can be successfully transformed into high-tech EV hubs.
