Official figures are yet to be revealed, but, for reference, the rival VW ID 3 can currently manage up to 369 miles in its most efficient form, while the upcoming electric Audi A3 is targeting 435 miles on a single charge.

The Gen6 platform should also accommodate 800V charging, which means the next-gen 1 Series could be among the fastest-charging electric cars on the market – although that’s a moving target, because charging speeds are continually improving across the board.

Since the electric 3 Series will carry over the i3 badge, following that same logic, the 1 Series could follow in its footsteps with the name i1.

In terms of looks, the new 1 Series will likely carry over some design cues from the next-gen 3 Series, including its slim kidney-shaped grilles and more traditional headlights.

Inside, it’ll likely get BMW’s new iDrive system, which has moved entirely away from buttons and gravitated towards touch-sensitive or voice controls. The Neue Klasse concept upon which the 1 Series could be based featured a tech-heavy central touchscreen and full-width head-up display alongside haptic steering-wheel controls.

We were impressed with the iDrive system’s sharp graphics when we tested it, but we were big fans of the old BMW rotary dial, so it would be a shame to see it go.

The electric 1 Series is likely to arrive in 2028. No prices have been revealed yet, but we expect it could start at around £35,000 – more than what you’d pay for an ID 3, but less than the projected price of the electric A3.

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