FRANKFURT, June 28 (Reuters) - BMW plans to introduce an electric version of its popular 3 Series in September, a move designed to fend off rival Tesla, Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday.

The German carmaker will present the vehicle at the IAA auto show in Frankfurt in September, the paper said.

The 3 series, which is a high volume sales model, will have a range of 400 km (248 miles) and is seen as a direct response to the success of Tesla’s Model 3, according to Handelsblatt.

BMW declined to comment. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Writing by Tom Sims; editing by Susan Thomas)