BMW's new all-electric i3 lined up to lead Berlin Marathon field in early public outing

BMW Group said the new, all-electric BMW i3 would serve as the official lead vehicle for the men's elite race group at the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon, in one of its first active public appearances. BMW served as title partner for the 15th time, with more than 84,000 athletes from 162 nations taking part.

BMW describes the i3 as the second model in its Neue Klasse line. It is manufactured at BMW Group's parent plant in Munich, and deliveries are scheduled to begin this year. Series production began in August 2026, with BMW Group Plant Munich reporting a steep ramp-up curve following strong demand after early order opening, and describing the i3 as the second Neue Klasse model to enter series production at the site. BMW Group has said that from 2027 the Munich plant will exclusively produce fully-electric vehicles.

Tim Beltermann, Head of BMW Germany, said the new i3 has an all-electric range of up to 906 kilometres, enough in theory to complete all seven World Marathon Majors over a two-and-a-half-year period without recharging. BMW Group notes that this figure, and other data cited, remain provisional because no binding WLTP values are currently available for the model, with actual figures depending on factors such as load, driving style, route, weather, auxiliary consumers, tyres and battery age.