The 2027 BMW i3 Starts at $62,850, Has Over 450 Miles Of Range

• What's new: The BMW i3, the new 3 Series' fully electric sibling, has an official starting price of $62,850.
• Why it matters: It also posts some seriously impressive range figures, with a max of 468 miles on a single charge.
• Edmunds says: The range makes it a compelling option when 300-ish miles has been the norm for so long, but that price will make it hard to stomach for some shoppers.

The i3 gets up to 468 miles of range

What we didn't know before today is just how much range BMW is claiming the i3 will have, but BMW recently revealed the figures and they're huge. While largely dependent on wheel size, the i3 xDrive 50 will have a max of 468 miles of range on a single charge. If you opt for wheels that aren't quite as focused on passing air smoothly down the side of the car, you're still going to get a minimum of 446 miles out of a full charge, per BMW. The EPA hasn't officially rated the i3 just yet.

The two electric motors (one at the front, one at the rear) work differently. The rear permanently gets power or is used for regeneration when coasting, while the front motor can be decoupled to lower rolling resistance and up efficiency. If the range figures hold up once we put the i3 against the Edmunds EV Range Test, it would be one of the most efficient EVs we've ever tested, coming in at 24.18 kWh/100 miles. That said, every BMW we have ever tested has beaten its official EPA number, and it remains to be seen if the i3 will follow that trend. 

Here's how much the i3's big options cost

But you're going to have to pay for that range. The base price of over $62,000 is already pretty steep, but as with every BMW these days, there are a ton of options that can send the price skyward. Some of the major options are the M Sport package ($2,000); optional wheels (which range from $600 to $1,350); a real leather interior ($1,500); the Technology package (which bundles the 3D head-up display and the Harman Kardon audio system for $1,900); the Parking Assistance package, which gets you a 360-degree surround view camera setup ($750); and the Driving Assistance Professional package, which allows you to drive hands-free on the highway at speeds of up to 85 mph ($2,500). 

Throw all those in — and maybe a smattering of a few smaller options, like the $200 heated steering wheel — and your i3 will easily cross the $70,000 threshold. Is the new i3 good enough to be worth that kind of money? We'll know more when we get behind the wheel and finally get the chance to compare it to rivals from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and more.