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BMW Adds Cheaper i3 40 xDrive With Smaller Battery And 441-Mile Range
BMW has expanded its electric 3 Series lineup with the i3 40 xDrive, a more affordable all-wheel-drive variant that trades power and battery capacity for a lower price while retaining an impressive WLTP range of up to 710 kilometres.
By Charlotte Redford · 4 min read
BMW has widened its electric 3 Series range with a new entry-level variant, the i3 40 xDrive, which keeps dual-motor all-wheel drive but swaps outright performance and battery capacity for a lower price. The model sits beneath the existing i3 50 xDrive and becomes the cheapest route into BMW's electric saloon line-up in Europe.
The new version produces 369 horsepower and 520 newton metres of torque, a reduction of 94 hp and 125 Nm compared with the 463 hp and 645 Nm of the i3 50 xDrive. Even so, the i3 40 xDrive is hardly slow: it reaches 100 kilometres per hour in 5.4 seconds, just 0.7 seconds behind its more powerful sibling, and both cars are electronically limited to 200 km/h.
The bigger change is the battery. The i3 40 xDrive uses an 82.8-kilowatt-hour pack, nearly 26 kWh smaller than the 108.7-kWh unit in the i3 50 xDrive. That reduces WLTP range from 912 kilometres to 710 kilometres, a difference of 202 kilometres. Even so, BMW notes that 710 kilometres remains a substantial figure for a saloon, and the smaller battery brings a weight saving of 115 kilograms, with the base model tipping the scales at 2,090 kilograms.
Charging performance also takes a step down. The i3 40 xDrive accepts a maximum of 300 kilowatts rather than the 400 kW available in the i3 50 xDrive, but it can still charge from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes. A ten-minute top-up adds up to 337 kilometres of range, according to BMW.
The most tangible gain for buyers is price. In Germany, the i3 40 xDrive starts at 59,900 euros, undercutting the i3 50 xDrive at 65,900 euros by 6,000 euros. BMW is not currently offering a rear-wheel-drive, single-motor version of the cheaper i3, though such a variant could arrive later and bring the price down further. For now, the i3 40 xDrive is the entry point to the electric 3 Series Sedan range.
BMW has confirmed the i3 40 xDrive for the European market, with expectations that it will also reach the United States. A new i3 M60 is set to join the line-up next year, sitting at the opposite end of the range from the new base model.
The launch reflects a broader pattern in the electric vehicle market, where car makers are increasingly competing on cost and speed to market rather than technology alone. Chinese manufacturers have shown a willingness to share platforms with global brands, and several European models due in the coming years will be built on Chinese underpinnings. That approach allows established manufacturers to bring cheaper electric cars to showrooms more quickly, a strategy that matters as buyers weigh range and performance against price.
For BMW, the i3 40 xDrive occupies a middle ground. It gives up some of the range and acceleration of the flagship i3 50 xDrive without becoming a stripped-down product. The dual-motor set-up, all-wheel drive and a range comfortably above 400 miles on the WLTP cycle mean the cheaper model is likely to appeal to buyers who do not need the longest-range version but still want the traction and pace associated with BMW's electric saloon.
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