The other Model 3: BMW's plug-in 3 Series is the hybrid you didn't know about

The Tesla Model 3's debut was, hands down, the biggest electric-car unveiling this year. Its splashy reveal in March brought Tesla millions of dollars in deposits from potential buyers - many of whom lined up at Tesla stores like customers do ahead of a new iPhone launch.

But, the Model 3 is still a long way off. Those who didn't get in on the initial wave of orders, likely won't take one home until well into 2018 or later. There are still quite a few electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to tide the market over until the Model 3 comes through and steals everybody's thunder.

Among them - the BMW 330e. The plug-in hybrid version of the iconic sports sedan you probably didn't know about.

BMW unveiled the 330e in 2015 - months before Tesla would shatter expectations with a Model 3 prototype that quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of preorders. The 330e is one example of BMW's move toward more mainstream green cars, which include the all-electric i3 compact and the plug-in hybrid i8 sports coupe.

The 330e and its SUV counterpart, the X5 xDrive40e, could potentially be a preview of more plug-ins (or perhaps fully electric) BMWs to come.

The automaker recently dropped off a 330e for us to test. Here's how it went.