BMW has launched a new ad campaign that is aimed at promoting its new 330e plug-in hybrid. However, that it aims to achieve that at the cost of landing a few jabs directly at the Model 3 is what has added a whole new twist to the story.

Not surprisingly, BMW is not holding itself back at hitting Tesla where perhaps it hurts the most. The central theme of both the ads is 'waiting' and highlights the almost endless waiting that one has to endure to get their hands on the Model 3.

BMW finds it really amazing why anyone would wait for a car that is nowhere in the scene when they can lay their hands on a spanking new 330e plug-in hybrid right away.

Accordingly, the two ads have been named 'Waiting' and 'Wait or Drive', underscoring the options that prospective buyers have at the moment. They can either wait for the Model 3 to turn up or have the new 330e waiting for them in their driveway.

Tesla had earlier launched the Model 3 priced at $35,000, less than half of what the hugely successful Model S costs. That coupled to the more than 200 mile range the Model 3 promises had made it an instance hit. About 373,000 have already evinced strong support for the upcoming Tesla even though the earliest it is slated to arrive at showrooms, as Cnet points out, is around end 2017 or early next.

For those who might be impressed with BMW's line of thought, the 330e plug-in hybrid comes with a 2.0 turbocharged 4-cylinder engine coupled to a 7.6kwh battery pack. Both make for a combined output of 248 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque with an EPA certified 72 MPGe range. Further, according to VentureBeat, The all-electric range of the 330e is just 14 miles and does 31 mpg in hybrid mode. Range apart, the Model 3 is a zero pollution car while the 330e still burns gasoline.

So the one thing that's likely to be uppermost in the minds of Tesla loyalists is whether a direct comparison between the Model 3 and the 330e is ever possible. As Jalopnik points out, there might still be some who switch over to the BMW offering but the Model 3 will still likely hold its sway.

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