BMW is seeing a sharp rise in EV interest across Europe. In the first quarter of 2026, the company said new battery electric vehicle orders in the region climbed by about 40% from a year earlier.
The biggest reason is the new BMW iX3. BMW says customer demand for its first Neue Klasse model has already moved well past internal expectations.
That matters because the iX3 is more than just another electric SUV. It is the first real test of the platform BMW is counting on for its next generation of EVs.
The early signals look strong. Even so, BMW’s global EV delivery numbers still moved in the opposite direction during the same quarter.
The iX3 Is Driving The Momentum
BMW says it has already received well over 50,000 orders for the new iX3 since order books opened in Europe. That is a serious early result for a model that has only just begun reaching customers.
Jochen Goller, the BMW board member responsible for customers, brands, and sales, said interest in the iX3 has exceeded the company’s high expectations. He also said more than half of all X3 orders are now for fully electric versions.
That gives BMW an encouraging read on where European demand is moving. Buyers are not just showing curiosity about Neue Klasse, they are placing real orders for it.
Neue Klasse Is Starting To Matter
BMW is treating the iX3 as the first full expression of its Neue Klasse era. The company says strong demand for the model confirms the technological leap it believes this new platform delivers.
BMW also says the response to the newly revealed i3 has been very positive. That car is the second model in the Neue Klasse family, and its design premiere took place on March 18, 2026.
Together, those two models are starting to define BMW’s next EV chapter. The iX3 is the first one reaching customers, while the i3 is already helping build anticipation for what comes next.
Orders Are Up, Deliveries Are Not Yet
Despite the strong order picture, BMW Group’s global EV deliveries fell in the first quarter. The company delivered 87,458 fully electric vehicles worldwide, down 20.1% from the same period last year.
That gap is easier to understand once launch timing is considered. BMW says the first iX3 deliveries in Europe only began in March, so the model contributed to order growth before it could make a major difference in quarterly delivery totals.
Electric vehicles accounted for about 15% of BMW Group’s total first quarter deliveries of 565,748 vehicles. At the same time, Reuters reported that weaker demand in China and the U.S. offset Europe’s stronger performance.
The Next Few Quarters Matter More
BMW is clearly expecting stronger momentum as Neue Klasse production ramps up. The company said it is confident that broader availability of the new models will create increasingly positive momentum around the world.
That makes the current quarter look more like a transition point than a final verdict. The order book is building quickly, but the delivery impact is only beginning to show.
If the iX3 keeps converting early interest into real volume, BMW could soon have a much stronger EV story in Europe than the first quarter delivery totals alone suggest. And once the i3 joins it later in the rollout, the Neue Klasse era should become much easier to measure in the showroom, not just on the order sheet.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.