Article Summary
- BMW Group Plant Munich will start series production if the i3 Sedan in August.
- The i3 Touring is expected to follow in 2027, when the factory will switch exclusively to making EVs.
- Additional Neue Klasse models are planned, but BMW remains tight-lipped about their identities.
Speaking during his final quarterly call as CEO before stepping down next week, Oliver Zipse made an important disclosure. Aside from reconfirming plans to start series production of the BMW i3 Sedan in August at the Munich plant, he reiterated that the i3 Touring will follow.
Interestingly, BMW’s outgoing boss also revealed that “several additional Neue Klasse models” are in the pipeline. He refrained from going into details, but we can already exclude cars powered by combustion engines. At some point in 2027, the company’s oldest factory will switch exclusively to EV production following a €650 million investment.
With ICE models completely out of the picture, what should we expect on the EV front? Logic suggests that the already-announced electric M3 (ZA0) will be built alongside its i3 (NA0) sibling. If the NA1 wagon version (teased below) also gets the M treatment (ZA1?), it would make sense to assemble the high-performance long-roof model at the same plant.
The iX4 Is Likely To Be Made In Debrecen
Meanwhile, spy photos have revealed BMW is working on a first-ever iX4. However, the coupe-styled crossover is unlikely to be built in Munich. Instead, it will probably roll off the assembly line alongside the conventionally shaped iX3 at the Debrecen factory in Hungary.
We can also rule out the upcoming iX5 and next year’s iX7 since the two larger SUVs will be built in Spartanburg alongside their combustion-engine counterparts. If rumors about the iX6 prove accurate, that model would also be produced in South Carolina together with the next-generation X6.
Automotive paparazzi have also snapped photos of a Neue Klasse iX1, but it will likely be built in Regensburg, just like the current model. In fact, BMW has already been upgrading the factory in preparation for a Neue Klasse EV arriving later this decade.
Could BMW Build The i4 Coupe In Munich?
After excluding several models, that leaves a new i4 Coupe as a potential candidate for the Munich plant. No, not another electric 4 Series Gran Coupe, but a proper two-door coupe. Allegedly codenamed NA2, it could arrive around 2029. It certainly won’t beat the i3 Touring to market.
An i4 Coupe would be an ideal candidate for the M treatment, further ensuring Munich’s assembly lines stay busy. Meanwhile, the gas-powered cars are on their way out. Once production of the 3 Series (G20) ends, its G50 replacement will move to Dingolfing. Similarly, the M3 G80 successor arriving in 2028 as the G84 will also change production sites.
The next few years will be among the busiest in BMW’s history as the company expands its Neue Klasse lineup. Mind you, NK isn’t just about electric cars. Gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid models will also adopt the new design language, iDrive X, and other features already seen in the iX3 and i3.