This is a BMW i3 e-Drive 35 L, seen parked along the roadside in Beijing, capital of China. The BMW i3 is a China-only long-wheelbase fully-electric variant of the BMW 3-Series L. This BMW i3 sedan should not be confused with the BMW i3 hatchback.
About Brilliance-BMW
The BMW i3 is manufactured in China by the long-running BMW-Brilliance joint venture.
The Chinese and the Germans founded the company in 2003, then called Brilliance-BMW, with a 50-50% ownership. However, in 2022, BMW raised its share to 75%. After BMW became the majority shareholder, the English name changed to BMW-Brilliance. This is common practice in the complicated world of joint ventures. But the Chinese name is unchanged: 华晨宝马, Huáchén Bǎomǎ, Brilliance-BMW.
The JV makes a wide range of sedans and SUVs, including several China-only long-wheelbase cars.
The BMW i3 e-Drive 35 L
The BMW i3 (G28 BEV) is based on the China-only, long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series L sedan (G28). The G28 is, in turn, based on the G20 BMW 3-Series sedan.
BMW launched the i3 sedan in 2022, with an update in 2025. The car in the photos is a pre-updated example. The design features some unique elements, including a closed grille, a BMW logo with a blue circle, a distinct front bumper with added aerodynamic enhancements, and a rear bumper with diffuser-style extensions.
The 11-centimeter longer wheelbase works very well on the 3-Series; the proportions are near-perfect now. The color of the car in the photos is Speed Blue, and that is a great color name.
The interior
Chinese consumers see BMW as a high-end brand, and BMW likes to keep it that way, so it doesn’t really offer any low-spec base models in China. Standard equipment includes leather seats, leather trim, and classy matte gray aluminium elements. The i3 has BMW’s curved screen, combining a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen.
Loads of legroom in the rear. That’s what a long-wheelbase car is all about! The interior color is Vilcan Red, and that too is a great color name. The owner added classy floor mats.
Turning a standard car into a long-wheelbase variant is not as easy as it sounds. The easiest way would be to add an extension around the B-pillar, but that’s considered old-fashioned. Nowadays, the section behind the B-pillar is where the extension is. That means it needs a longer body, longer doors, larger windows, and a different C-pillar.
Specifications
The 2022-2024 BMW i3 eDrive 35L model was a single-motor rear-wheel drive car with an output of 210 kW (286 hp) and 400 Nm. That was good for a 180 km/h top speed and a 0-100 accelaration in 6.2 seconds.
The charging port is on the left front fender.
The battery is a 70.17 kWh (Chinese kWh numbers are very precise) ternary lithium unit from CATL. The energy density is 138 Wh/kg, and the energy consumption is 14.3 kWh/100 kilometers. Decent values for a luxury sedan, even today.
BMW also sold an eDrive 40 L model, with 250 kW/430 Nm, and a 78.92 kWh battery.
The price of the BMW i3
In 2024, BMW wanted 198.300 yuan for a BMW i3 eDrive 35L, or $28K under that year’s exchange rate. That was a pretty good deal for a long-wheelbase electric BMW. Sales were not too bad; about 4000 to 6000 units a month. The updated BMW i3 is still around today.