The 2027 BMW i3 will Have Up to 750 Kilometers of Range and 400 kW Charging

• This places it third in terms of the longest-range EV available in North America.

• BMW says level-3 charging will be able to add up to 335 km of range in 10 minutes.

• Only one version will be available in Canada at launch, starting at $74,900.

BMW Canada has confirmed the specifications of the upcoming i3 electric sedan, which is set to arrive at local dealerships in the first quarter of 2027.

Therefore, we now know that the i3, the second model from the automaker’s Neue Klasse family, will offer up to 750 kilometres of range according to the North American EPA testing standard.

This is unsurprisingly lower than the 912 km figure quoted for the European market, as the WLTP testing cycle used in Europe is known to be more optimistic than the EPA’s.

750 kilometres of advertised range places the BMW i3 third on the list of electric vehicles available in Canada, behind the Lucid Air (up to 824 km) and the Chevrolet Silverado EV (up to 793).

Given that the Silverado is a truck and the Lucid Air is significantly more expensive, this makes the BMW i3 the range champion in its category.

The closest competitor is the Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD, which can drive up to 570 km on a full charge.

The Tesla comparison is interesting in another way, as while the BMW i3 50 xDrive is priced and positioned closer to the Model 3 Performance, its horsepower and acceleration figures are closer to the Premium AWD.

Indeed, the BMW features 463 horsepower and can reach 100 km in 4.7 seconds, while the Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD features an undisclosed horsepower figure that allows it to reach 100 km in 4.4 seconds. By contrast, the Model 3 Performance boasts 510 horsepower and a 0 to 100 km sprint in 3.1 seconds.

Where the BMW i3 takes the upper hand is in terms of range, of course, but also charging.

While the i3 50 xDrive is rated for up to 750 kilometres of range, the Model 3 Performance can only manage 505 kilometres.

Similarly, while Tesla is unbeaten in terms of 400-volt charging, the Model 3 being able to reach a peak charging rate of 250 kW on V3 and V4 Superchargers, it can’t compete with the 800-volt electrical architecture used by BMW.

In practice, this means that the BMW i3 is capable of a peak charging rate of 400 kW on compatible charging stations, which makes it possible to add 335 kilometres of range in 10 minutes.

A more powerful i3 M60 xDrive will be added to the lineup later in 2027, but few details are known at the moment.

Deliveries of the 2027 BMW i3 50 xDrive are expected to start in Canada during the first quarter of next year, at a starting price of $74,900.