![BMW gives a sneak peek at the new i3 and iX3 during final stages of testing [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/BMW-i3-iX3.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
BMW gives a sneak peek at the new i3 and iX3 during final stages of testing [Video]
BMW is preparing to launch its next-gen EVs, promising to deliver significantly more range, faster charging, and advanced new tech. With their debut just around the corner, BMW is giving us a closer look at the upcoming i3 and iX3 as it wraps up testing.
BMW’s new i3 and iX3 EVs are coming soon
The first Neue Klasse model, the iX3, will go into series production later this year, followed shortly after by the i3.
Although we will learn full specs later this year, BMW said its advanced new 800V platform is a “quantum leap forward” delivering 30% faster charging while boosting range by up to 30%. Even better, it will enable lower prices.
The platform will house BMW’s next-gen electric motors (up to four) and batteries. BMW confirmed the new NMC batteries feature its new Gen6 cylindrical cells, which are 20% more energy dense than the previous prismatic cells.
For the first time, BMW’s “Heart of Joy” ECU combines the drivetrain and driving dynamics into one single unit to maximize efficiency.
The ECU was developed 100% in-house, featuring four “super brains” that provide “more than 20 times the computing power” compared to BMW’s current vehicles. In other words, BMW’s next-gen iX3 and i3 will be smarter, more powerful, and more efficient than ever.
With testing nearly complete, we are getting a closer look at BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse. BMW previewed the new i3 and iX3 testing under extreme conditions.
BMW’s electric SUV was shown ripping across South Africa’s desert during “final preparations” for hot-land testing as it gears up for its big debut later this year.
The gas-powered X3 is one of BMW’s top-selling vehicles and will still be sold alongside the upcoming EV version.
Meanwhile, the i3 sedan will follow the iX3 as the second electric vehicle based on BMW’s new platform. It was shown during cold weather testing in Sweden, skating across the icy tundra. The i3 will also make an official appearance later this year before launching in early 2026.
As you can see, BMW updated the new generation with a refined face and sportier overall feel. The signature kidney grille remains, but cameras and radars power new ADAS features.
We will find out more later, but to give you an idea, the 2024 i4 has an EPA-estimated range of up to 301 miles and fast charging (10% to 80%) in 31 minutes. A 30% improvement would suggest a range of around 390 miles and fast charging in less than 22 minutes.
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Environment
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Hyundai’s massive new EV plant in Georgia is officially open for business. The company held the grand opening on Wednesday at its new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, where it will build upcoming EVs, including its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9.
Hyundai’s new EV plant is now open in Georgia
Less than two years after starting construction, Hyundai is celebrating what could be the company’s most important investment so far.
Hyundai’s new EV plant is part of a $7.6 billion investment in Georgia, the state’s largest economic development project to date. It’s expected to create about 8,500 direct jobs by 2030.
However, if you include its battery plant with SK On and the 18 suppliers that joined in, Hyundai’s new facility has attracted over $12.6 billion in investments. According to the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai’s new EV plant will create over 58,200 jobs in Georgia.
During the grand opening on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Euisun Chung said, “Together with the talented workforce at HMGMA, we are building the future of mobility with America, in America.”
Chung was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz, and Kia CEO Ho Sung Song, among several others.
The new plant will produce EVs and hybrids under the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands. Despite the opening ceremony, the first model, the new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5, rolled off the assembly line in October.
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with more range (up to 318 miles), a new interior and exterior style, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.
Next up will be Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9. The larger SUV is due out this spring, so it should be any day now.
Like the 2025 IONIQ 5, the IONIQ 9 will include an NACS port. It will also pack a massive 110.3 kWh battery providing up to 335 miles EPA-estimated range.
The opening ceremony follows Hyundai’s landmark $21 billion investment in the US, announced earlier this week. Hyundai will use $9 billion to boost Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brand output to 1.2 million. Another $6 billion will be used to build a new steel plant in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, GA Senator Jon Ossoff issued a warning during a press conference Wednesday: “The Trump Administration’s war on electric vehicles poses a threat to EV sales, to the EV market, and to the automobile industry in Georgia and across the country.” Killing off federal tax credits will only put the US further behind China and others in the global auto and tech industry.
Source: WTOC, Hyundai
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Lightsource bp’s 180 megawatt (MW) Prairie Ronde Solar in Louisiana is now online and generating enough power for the equivalent of around 31,000 homes.
Prairie Ronde Solar in St. Landry Parish is about 30 miles north of Lafayette. It’s one of the largest solar farms in Louisiana and features US-made equipment. First Solar in Arizona manufactured the solar panels, and the tracking systems came from Array Technologies in New Mexico.
In February 2023, Lightsource bp and McDonald’s Corporation announced a Power Purchase Agreement for Prairie Ronde Solar. McDonald’s will purchase all of the solar energy the project generates, equivalent to around 630 restaurants’ worth of renewable electricity annually.
The $170 million project, which is privately funded, will bring long-term benefits to St. Landry Parish. Over its lifetime, it will generate more than $20 million for public services like schools and emergency responders. In just the first five years, $8.3 million will flow into the community. Lightsource bp will also spend $3.9 million a year to operate the site, with most of that money staying in the region.
In 2023, Lightsource bp set up a Community Fund in St. Landry Parish to support local education and development projects. That includes funding for school programs and a new Welcome Center at the local Veterans Memorial.
Read more: This $500M EV battery material plant is the first of its kind in the US
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