BMW 3 Series 100% electric prototype spotted testing

Gareth J. Hargreaves • August 18, 2026 10:18

This particular test mule is doing more than disguising a few styling tweaks under its camouflage: it is also a glimpse of the forthcoming, all-new BMW 3 Series 100% electric.

Although the usual mid-cycle refresh for the BMW 3 Series is still some way off - it is expected to arrive during 2022 - this is already the second development prototype to have been spotted out on public roads.

BMW’s growing 100% electric line-up

The new electric 3 Series will slot into BMW’s expanding range of 100% electric models. The iX3 is already on sale, we have also been introduced to the new i4 and iX, and over the coming years the range will broaden again with electric versions of the X1, 7 Series and 5 Series.

With no real surprises, it would be odd if BMW did not also electrify one of its most important and iconic models.

Will it be called i3?

Given that the electric X3 is called iX3, the electric 4 Series is i4, and the future 5 Series and 7 Series electric models are expected to be named i5 and i7 respectively, logic suggests the electric 3 Series should be called i3.

However, BMW has been selling an i3 since 2013 - a compact urban model - which raises two possibilities: either the future electric 3 Series adopts a different name, or the current i3’s run comes to an end in the medium term. After all, this first generation has already been on the market for eight years, which is longer than average.

What to expect from the BMW 3 Series 100% electric

Whatever final name is chosen, and despite the fact that no specifications have yet been published for the new model, it would not be surprising if many of its figures broadly matched those of the i4, with which it shares its technical underpinnings.

On the i4, the more affordable eDrive40 version already starts at a substantial 340 cv and claims 590 km of range, courtesy of an 83.9 kWh battery. Even so, as the more mainstream 3 Series, it is reasonable to expect an option with less ambitious numbers, both for power output and battery capacity.

China-focused long-wheelbase prototype and design cues

One interesting detail about this test car is that it appears to be the long-wheelbase 3 Series variant sold in China. That could indicate the electric 3 Series may launch there first - a market that, like Europe, is investing heavily in vehicle electrification.

It is also possible to make out new headlamps, featuring a fresh light signature compared with the current 3 Series, which should be part of the visual changes introduced with the model’s facelift. As an electric vehicle, it is also expected that BMW’s usual twin-kidney grille will be fully or almost fully closed off, as seen on the iX3 and i4.

What we cannot see is the cabin, but we have previously reported - when the first test prototype was also caught by photographers - that it should receive the same kind of solutions already seen on the i4.