Overview
- BMW, which on Monday said the iX3 has about 50,000 preorders, added an extra production shift in January to keep pace with demand.
- The iX3 is the first model on BMW’s Neue Klasse, using 800‑volt electronics and a new cylindrical NMC battery cell that the company says boosts energy density by about 20% and enables up to 805 km of range in the largest pack.
- CFO Walter Mertl says the Neue Klasse is designed to restore the auto division to an 8–10% profit margin, with the iX3 targeted to match combustion-car profits in Europe.
- Oliver Zipse says the SUV is attracting many first-time BMW buyers, which the company sees as key to regaining share in markets such as China.
- A China‑specific iX3 is scheduled to debut at April’s Beijing auto show, and factory plans shift to EVs with iX3 production in Debrecen now and i3 series output starting in Munich in the second half of 2026 as incoming CEO Milan Nedelkjović takes over on May 14.