BMW presents electric luxury sedan i7
With the new 7 Series, the manufacturer aims to create forward-looking opportunities to enjoy driving pleasure, a high level of travel comfort and a high-level digital experience. At the centre of this new interpretation is the purely electric BMW i7.
Called the BMW i7 xDrive60, the electric version is equipped with a total of 440 kW (544 hp) of all-wheel drive, 230 kW of which is applied to the rear wheels and 190 kW to the front axle. The manufacturer specifies the torque at 745 Nm, the acceleration from zero to one hundred at 4.7 seconds and the maximum speed at 240 km/h. In the WLTP test cycle, the i7 can travel up to 625 kilometres, powered by a 102 kWh high-voltage battery.
During DC charging at fast-charging stations, the i7 absorbs energy with up to 195 kW of power. This means that the electric sedan can recharge for a range of 170 kilometres within ten minutes.
For the first time, both combustion engines and plug-in hybrid systems as well as fully electric drive systems are available for the new BMW 7 Series. The diversity in the drive portfolio is based on a newly developed flexible vehicle architecture and is an expression of a globally oriented supply strategy for the new edition of the BMW 7 Series. In this way, the BMW Group aims to take into account individual customer needs, infrastructure conditions and legal regulations in all relevant automotive markets around the world.
In Europe, the market launch will initially be exclusive to the all-electric BMW i7. In the USA, the Chinese automotive market and other selected sales regions, two models each with petrol engines and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology will be offered alongside the all-electric variant at the start of sales.
In numerous markets, plug-in hybrid models of the new BMW 7 Series are expected to follow at the beginning of 2023, with a purely electric range of more than 80 kilometres. This will also include the first BMW M automobile with an inline six-cylinder petrol engine and plug-in hybrid drive. In addition, a model variant with a diesel engine and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology will be added to the range in Europe immediately after the market launch. Further model variants of the all-electric i7, including the future top model BMW i7 M70 xDrive, will also be available at a later date.
Like all their predecessors, the models of the new BMW 7 Series are produced at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. The company's largest production plant in Europe thus combines tradition and the future. It is also the manufacturer's centre of excellence for the production of e-drive components. The highly integrated electric drive and the high-voltage battery of the BMW i7 are also produced there. Vehicles with combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems and fully electric drive systems come off the same production line in Dingolfing. In addition to the all-electric BMW iX, the luxury sports cars of the BMW 8 Series and vehicles of the BMW 5 Series, among others, are also produced there in addition to the new BMW 7 Series.
Two BMW M automobiles based on the new BMW 7 Series
Worldwide, the model range of the new BMW 7 Series will be supplemented by two BMW M automobiles with electrified powertrains, one plug-in hybrid and one purely electric model. The electric version, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive, features two motors on the front and rear axles and is scheduled to go on sale in 2023. Its drive system generates a maximum output of well over 600 hp and a maximum torque of more than 1000 Nm. The most powerful BMW model ever approved for road use accelerates from zero to 100 kilometres in less than 4 seconds. (The power, performance and energy consumption figures for the BMW i7 M70 xDrive are forecasts based on the vehicle's development status to date, including temporary boosts).