Article Summary
- A two-shift operation at BMW Plant Debrecen is in place to keep up with a high influx of orders for the iX3.
- The Neue Klasse SUV accounts for a third of all BMW EVs ordered in Europe.
- Deliveries of the BMW iX3 "NA5" kicked off this month.
Well, that didn’t take long. It was only in January when BMW announced that it would add a second shift at the Debrecen plant, and we’ve now learned the extra shift is already in place. Since the iX3 debuted last September, it has been accounting for a third of all electric vehicle orders in Europe.
As you can imagine, adding a second shift at a completely new factory much sooner than initially scheduled is a complicated process. That said, it’s a good problem to have, one BMW has already addressed by doubling shifts at its site in Hungary. At full capacity, the factory can build up to 150,000 vehicles annually.
Initially, the standard-wheelbase iX3 (NA5) will be built exclusively in Debrecen. The inaugural Neue Klasse model of the modern era is also likely to be assembled in Mexico. Output at the San Luis Potosí plant is expected to start in mid-2027. In the meantime, a long-wheelbase variant (NA6) will go into production this year in China, from where it will be exported to other markets, including India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Deliveries of the standard-wheelbase iX3 kicked off days ago across Europe and will begin later this summer in the United States. Who is buying the electric crossover? According to outgoing CEO Oliver Zipse, both private and fleet customers are lining up to buy the EV. Interestingly, the second-generation iX3 is also attracting buyers who haven’t owned a BMW before.
While not completely sold out yet, the iX3’s order books “reach well into this year,” said Zipse. BMW is happy to report that demand is exceeding the company’s expectations. That’s despite there being just one version available: the 50 xDrive. Cheaper variants are on the way, as the 40 and 40 xDrive are expected by year’s end in Europe. A more potent iX3 M60 is also coming before a full-fat X3 M arrives later in 2027.
BMW kicked off the Neue Klasse revival with a crossover, but sedan loyalists won’t be neglected. The new i3 will be revealed on March 18 before entering production in the second half of the year. It won’t share the assembly line with the iX3, as the electric sedan will be built at home in Munich. To make room for the i3 at the German plant, BMW is shifting 3 Series production to Dingolfing. The “G50” will enter production near the end of the year.
