340 BMW “3” Made in China! It’s a pity that it’s not the fuel-powered 3 series but BMW’s pure electric car i3 in the 40L version.

On August 10th, the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) released the 360th batch of the “Announcement on Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Enterprises and their Products”. The i3 from BMW Brilliance Automotive landed on the MIIT list. Compared with the previous eDrive 35L, this time, BMW brought a more powerful version, eDrive 40L.

Let’s look at the specs first,

• Dimensions: 4,872 × 1,846 × 1,481 mm, wheelbase 2,966 mm;
• Battery: Three-element lithium-ion battery pack. The battery capacity is expected to be the same as the current i3, 70 kWh;
• Power: The motor power is 250 kW, equivalent to about 340 horsepower;
• Suspension: Air suspension is still standard on the rear axle;
• Curb weight: 2,087 kg;
• Tires: There are several options, including 225/45 R19 and 245/40 R19, 225/50 R18 and 245/45 R18.

The most important update for this i3 is the increase in horsepower. Now, the i3 with 40 at the end of the nameplate has the same horsepower as the current i4 eDrive40 and the fuel-powered 540i, which is much higher than the i3 eDrive 35L’s 286 horsepower.

Compare to i4 eDrive40, which has a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 5.7 seconds and a curb weight of 2,112 kg, i3 eDrive 40L is expected to have a 0-100 km/h acceleration of around 5.5 seconds with the same horsepower but an increased curb weight. It is speculated that the price of i3 eDrive40L will be around 400,000 RMB, considering that the official price of i3 eDrive35L is 349,900 RMB, and i4 eDrive40, as an import car, is priced at 449,900 RMB.

This price-performance ratio is still relatively cost-effective compared to the BBA series, as the fuel version of the 40 series alone sells for up to 600,000 RMB. However, in the field of electric vehicles, especially compared to current domestic newcomers, the price of i3 eDrive40L is still relatively high.

Will you choose the i3 40L? What do you think the market’s feedback on this car will be like? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.