BMW plans affordable Neue Klasse 1 Series EV for 2028

BMW is weighing a lower-cost Neue Klasse electric model, with multiple reports on May 22 and May 23 saying the company is considering an electric 1 Series as part of that push. Motor1 España reported that BMW is developing a more affordable Neue Klasse EV and that a dedicated battery-electric 1 Series is under study. The Citizen, citing the same product-planning direction, reported the next 1 Series is due in 2028 with both internal-combustion and electric variants. Auto motor und sport said the prospective electric version, likely called i1, could return to rear-wheel drive and produce about 326 PS. BMW has not publicly confirmed a 2028 1 Series EV launch. The company’s official Neue Klasse materials say the architecture is the basis for a new generation of electric BMWs and that the rollout begins with upcoming models such as the iX3. BMW has also said its sixth-generation eDrive technology, including 800-volt architecture, will be used across fully electric Neue Klasse vehicles. (es.motor1.com) ### Why is a 1 Series EV part of the discussion now? Motor1 España reported on May 23 that BMW is working on a more affordable Neue Klasse EV below the first wave of larger models. The report said the company is evaluating a compact offering tied to the 1 Series nameplate, a move that would widen the Neue Klasse range beyond SUVs and midsize sedans. (bmwgroup.com) The Citizen reported on May 22 that BMW’s current fourth-generation 1 Series is expected to run until 2028. Its report said the replacement would use a dual-model strategy, with one version retaining combustion engines and another going fully electric for the first time in the model line. (es.motor1.com) ### What would the electric version look like in BMW’s lineup? Auto motor und sport reported that the electric car is expected to be called the BMW i1. The publication said the model could revive rear-wheel drive in the compact segment, a layout long associated with BMW but absent from the current front-wheel-drive-based 1 Series. It also reported output of about 326 PS. (citizen.co.za) A separate auto motor und sport report from earlier coverage said BMW intends to keep an entry compact model and develop an electric 1 Series on Neue Klasse underpinnings. That report also said compact entry models are important in markets such as Greece, Spain and Italy. (auto-motor-und-sport.de) ### How does this fit with BMW’s official Neue Klasse plan? BMW’s official Neue Klasse overview says the platform is central to the company’s next generation of electric vehicles, covering design, software, production and drivetrain technology. The company has said the first Neue Klasse model enters production in 2025 and that Gen6 electric-drive technology will spread across its future battery-electric range. (auto-motor-und-sport.de) Motor1 España’s recent reporting on the iX3 said the first Neue Klasse SUV is already on sale in some markets from 69,900 euros, with deliveries due from March. That places the reported 1 Series EV, if approved, later in the rollout and further down the price ladder. ### Is the 2028 date firm? (press.bmwgroup.com) The 2028 timing comes from supplier-chain and industry reporting, not from a BMW launch announcement. The Citizen said the next 1 Series will arrive in 2028, while Motor1 España and auto motor und sport described the project as under development or under consideration rather than formally launched. (es.motor1.com) BMW’s next confirmed Neue Klasse milestones are closer in. The company’s official materials center on the iX3 and the broader deployment of Gen6 electric technology, while outside reports now point to a possible i1 as a later compact addition to that program. (bmwgroup.com) (citizen.co.za)