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BMW i3 50 xDrive Electric Sedan Opens for US Orders in October
BMW's new electric 3 Series, the i3 50 xDrive, will open for US orders in early October 2026, with deliveries expected in the first quarter of 2027. The single launch configuration offers 463 hp, up to 440 miles of EPA-estimated range, and 400 kW DC charging.
By Charlotte Redford · 3 min read
BMW's new electric 3 Series, the i3 50 xDrive, will open for orders in the United States in the first half of October 2026, according to sources at BMW of North America. Dealers have already begun running their own reservation pages, taking non-binding deposits ahead of the official order bank opening, a soft-launch tactic commonly used before a new model's configurator goes live.
The timing aligns with production schedules. US-spec i3 builds are set to start at BMW's Munich plant in November, following European-spec cars that have been rolling off the same line since August. Using the iX3 electric SUV as a comparison, reservations for that model opened on May 6 with first US deliveries expected in late September or early October, a gap of roughly four to five months. Applying the same timeline, an October order opening for the i3 would place deliveries in the first quarter of 2027.
The US launch will feature a single configuration: a dual-motor setup producing 463 horsepower, a 108.7 kWh battery, and an EPA-estimated range of up to 440 miles. Charging peaks at 400 kW DC, and the car comes with a NACS port alongside a CCS adapter, meaning Tesla Supercharger access requires no aftermarket dongle. A more affordable i3 40 xDrive and a performance-oriented M60 xDrive are planned for later, with the M60 reportedly entering production around March 2027.
BMW has not yet announced pricing. The iX3 50 xDrive starts around $60,000, and sedans have historically undercut their crossover siblings by a few thousand dollars, so a sub-$60,000 starting price for the i3 would not be surprising, though nothing is official until BMW confirms it.
The i3 enters a crowded segment. Tesla's Model 3 remains the default cross-shop, with the Premium RWD trim rated at 363 miles and starting around $42,500, well below where the i3 is expected to land. However, the i3's 463 hp output outguns even the Model 3 Performance. Mercedes has also arrived first with the CLA sedan on its own 800-volt architecture: the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology starts at $47,250 with an EPA-rated 374 miles, while the dual-motor CLA 350 4Matic runs $49,800 with 312 miles and 349 hp. Both put pressure on BMW to justify whatever premium the i3 carries.
Lucid's Air Pure sits higher on the price ladder but still casts a shadow on efficiency, extracting more range from a similarly sized battery than anything from Stuttgart or Munich has managed so far. BMW's answer, at least on paper, is horsepower and charging speed: nothing in this group tops the i3's 463 hp or matches its 400 kW peak DC rate.
