Rumour: BMW is set to drop the i4 and shift its focus to the Neue Klasse i3
BMW appears to be preparing the i4 for the exit just as it gets ready to launch a new electric i3 and reshape its Munich plant for the Neue Klasse era. As portfolio reshuffles go, this one would make perfect sense. It would centre on a new architecture, a higher technical ceiling and the freeing up of factory capacity for the next wave of electric BMWs.
According to Autocar, the i4 is entering its final chapter. The report claims BMW will end production of the model within the next year, with the new i3 stepping into its place. The timing lines up neatly with the company’s factory plans. BMW will begin series production of the i3 in Munich in August 2026, then about a year later shift the site’s output fully over to Neue Klasse electric models. In that context, the i4 would not be leaving by accident, but as part of a clear industrial strategy.
At first glance, it still looks like a fairly bold move. The i4 played a significant role in BMW’s electric line up and, since 2021, stood among the brand’s early mass market EVs. BMW M’s own figures show that the i4’s flagship version was the best selling model across BMW M GmbH from 2022 to 2024, and demand stayed strong in 2025 as well. So BMW would be retiring a car that delivered both volume and image.
That is exactly where the new i3 comes in. BMW is positioning it as the second Neue Klasse model and presenting it as a genuine technological leap. It brings sixth generation eDrive, an 800 volt architecture, DC charging of up to 400 kW and as much as 400 kilometres of added range in ten minutes. Early WLTP figures also point to a range of up to 900 kilometres. Add bidirectional charging, a new software architecture and a thoroughly modernised Munich plant, and the i3 starts to look less like a fresh body style and more like the car that is meant to carry BMW into its next phase.
The important detail here is that the i4’s departure would not signal any loss of faith in electric cars. BMW Group sold 442,072 fully electric vehicles worldwide in 2025, up 3.6 per cent, while BEV sales in Europe rose by 28.2 per cent. At the same time, Reuters described China as a tougher market for BMW, with sales there falling by 12.5 per cent in 2025. The company is now hoping Neue Klasse will help restore momentum.
In other words, BMW is not backing away from EVs. It is replacing one successful but ageing technical package with a new platform that promises better margins, greater efficiency and a much fresher technological story. That may look ruthless from the i4’s point of view, but car makers rarely let sentiment get in the way when a new era is waiting on the production line.
