BMW brings Neue Klasse EV rollout to China with two November launches

By Grace Kim

BMW will begin customer deliveries of the China-specific Neue Klasse iX3 on Nov. 25, two days before the i3 opens for firm orders at the Guangzhou Auto Show, as combined BMW and Mini deliveries in China fell 21.8% to about 376,000 vehicles in the first three quarters.

BMW China said on its official Weibo account on Monday: “The Neue Klasse iX3 will officially launch on November 25, with test drives and customer deliveries starting the same day.” The automaker scheduled the i3’s launch for Nov. 27, when firm orders open without a preliminary reservation.

The iX3 notice sets a firmer milestone than a general product reveal: test drives, reservation-to-order conversion and customer deliveries all start Nov. 25. BMW previously said only that deliveries would begin in November. For the i3, Nov. 27 is an order-opening date; the announcement does not specify deliveries.

BMW opened reservations for the long-wheelbase iX3 on Aug. 21. The pre-sale prices were:

• iX3 30L: 269,900 yuan ($40,170 at $1=6.7188 yuan).
• iX3 40L xDrive: 299,900 yuan.
• iX3 50L xDrive: 339,900 yuan.

At the reservation announcement, BMW said: “Pre-sales prices would match official launch prices.” Those remain company-set pre-sale figures until launch; the announcement did not provide an i3 price.

Customers holding an iX3 reservation can convert it directly into a firm order. Both models will use nationwide uniform pricing in China, so the listed price will not vary by region.

The China-exclusive iX3 uses the Neue Klasse, BMW’s new-generation all-electric platform, and has a 3,005-mm wheelbase—the distance between the front and rear axles—108 mm longer than the standard-wheelbase model sold overseas. BMW is tailoring its China vehicles through longer wheelbases and local software partnerships. The China-market iX3 will carry a driver-assistance system, or computer-assisted driving support, jointly developed with Momenta, which trades in Hong Kong under stock code 6880.

On Oct. 15, BMW said its Gen 6 (sixth-generation) high-voltage batteries had entered mass production in Shenyang, initially supplying the iX3 and i3. The company disclosed no plant capacity, output rate or production ramp, leaving the scale of the claim unverified against vehicle-production data.

BMW also said the long-wheelbase i3 completed a 1,213-kilometer test drive without recharging. That is a company-reported test result, not a certified range figure for buyers.

What changes for Chinese EV buyers?

The immediate change is a simpler purchase path: iX3 reservation holders can convert directly, while i3 buyers can place firm orders from Nov. 27 without first reserving. The China-specific products bring a longer wheelbase, locally developed driver assistance and locally produced batteries. Official prices and actual battery output still require confirmation.

The volume backdrop is harder. BMW and Mini delivered about 376,000 vehicles in China during the first three quarters, down 21.8% from a year earlier. The announcement did not break that decline down by model or powertrain, so it cannot show how much Neue Klasse volume might offset pressure on BMW’s broader line.

What should buyers and suppliers watch next?

Watch whether test drives and iX3 deliveries actually begin Nov. 25; whether the i3 order book opens on schedule Nov. 27; and whether Shenyang’s Gen 6 battery output rises fast enough to support the initial rollout. The launch dates provide the first hard checkpoints.

Watch later policy decisions affecting EV demand as well; BMW’s announcement sets no government deadline.