New EV's amazing claim: 2026 BMW iX3 Neue Klasse could have the longest driving range and be the most sustainable electric car on sale as it prepares to battle the Polestar 4, Tesla Model Y and Chinese machines the Zeekr 7X and XPeng G6

It isn’t easy being green, but BMW is taking a huge step forward with its incoming EVs.

BMW now claims the first car of its next-gen Neue Klasse electric range — the iX3 — will be made of 33 per cent recycled material.

This includes the seat cover and textile yarn which made from recycled plastic bottles. The centre console, instrument panel and interior floor trim are all also made from recycled materials.

BMW hasn't stopped there, it has used recovered plastic from the ocean in its engine compartment cover and in the cargo area under the bonnet. 

Secondary aluminium accounts for 80 per cent of the wheel carriers and swivel bearings as well as 70 per cent of the cast aluminium wheels.

It has also slashed CO2 emissions from its factory thanks to a huge array of solar panels that account for 25 per cent of energy consumption. Any surplus solar energy is stored and used to heat the paint shop ovens as needed, according to BMW.

BMW claims production of the iX3 emits about 66 per cent less emissions than production at other plants.

BMW claims the iX3 can offset its carbon footprint after travelling about 21,500km. The caveat is these calculations are done when sourcing power from the European energy mix, which is far more renewable than Australia’s.

The coming new iX3 isn’t just about sustainability, it has some proper EV credentials that’ll help catapult it to the top of the luxury electric car totem pole.

BMW is claiming the top-tier iX3 will have a WLTP driving range of up to 800km, which is more than any electric car on sale in Australia right now.

It can suck down 400kW of juice, which makes it the fastest charging EV on sale outside of China. BMW claims it can add 350km of range in just 10 minutes.

It’ll have vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) functions, which means you can run appliances, charge other EVs and also power your home using its battery.

At its core is what BMW calls the “Heart of Joy”, which is the computer that controls steering, braking and suspension to power and battery usage. BMW said this processes information 10 times faster than previous tech and responds directly to the driver's command. 

Chinese brand IM Motors claims similar things from its Digital Chassis.

The next-gen BMW iX3 is due to be revealed at the Munich motor show in September, with production to start later this year ahead of an on-sale date in 2026.