Everybody is going electric. BMW has been at it for quite some time, in fact, they were one of the early adopters of the electric powertrain as a means of future mobility. The BMW i3 and i8 were both groundbreaking bits of design and to this day don't look dated despite being 10 years old.
They've been at it again and in recent years have been electrifying some of their most iconic (and best-selling) models in order to give the average BMW customer a way of going electric without defamiliarizing themselves with the product.
Now the car we are going to talk about today is in theory a rebadged 7 series, or rather, an electric alternative to the 7 series' spot in the BMW line-up. Meet the i7, BMW's answer to the Mercedes EQS, a fully electric luxury sedan.
BMW's Electric Future
In order to understand the i7, we need to understand the way in which BMW is treating its electrification process. The brand has stepped up its plans for the electrification of its vehicle fleet and will turn its sub-brand Mini into a pure e-car brand. The Munich-based manufacturer announced the last new Mini with a combustion engine will enter the market in 2025.
BMW deliveries of fully electric models are to grow by well over 50 per cent annually on average by 2025 the company predicts and therefore increase more than ten times compared to last year. The aim is by the end of 2025, for the BMW Group to have delivered around two million fully electric vehicles to customers worldwide, the company aims. Fully electric vehicles are to account for at least 50 per cent of global deliveries by 2030.
Although BMW is mainly known for its M-performance vehicles, the Bavarian company has also been a pioneer in e-mobility and sustainability among German carmakers. However, the brand has really fallen behind its domestic rivals Volkswagen and Mercedes but also US rivals Tesla on the road to electrification.
As the whole dynamic of motoring shifts to electric, there are places where some manufacturers need to keep their customers. BMW is not only a performance brand, but it has a long and rich history of producing luxury limousines for the utmost comfort in transportation. The 7 series has always hit this spot, and in hopes of bringing it up to date, BMW has released images of their new electrified 7 series, the i7.
The 2023 BMW i7
After showcasing the new Concept XM earlier this week, BMW is ready for the next generation in its design language. And as these test shots show, we can expect the new flagship i7 sedan will also be getting the already controversial split headlight design. The visible lights at the front are a provisional set for the low/high beams, while the upper strip of daytime running lights remains hidden under the disguise.
As the spy shots have shown, the i7 will look mostly the same as the conventional internal combustion-powered 7 Series. That's a clever decision from BMW because unlike their Mercedes EQS rival we mentioned earlier and its bespoke electric platform, the new flagship of luxury in the BMW lineup will use the same architecture as the versions equipped with combustion engines. This not only cuts costs for them in production, but also makes it easier for those hesitating to go electric if they are getting an already familiar product.
The pictures have been taken on the frozen lakes located just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, a publicity stunt or just cold-weather battery testing? We will have to wait until 2023 to find out. However, the i7 prototype does have the newly designed door handles that remain flush with the bodywork for improved aerodynamics and aesthetics. The white door handles you can see are just stickers located right above the real ones. BMW has also revealed the charger socket location on the passenger side rear fender, neatly tucked away, hardly indicating the presence of a charger.
BMW has confirmed that the electric 7 Series will use the 5th iteration of their "Drive" technology, the same already found in the groundbreaking iX EV. The 0 tailpipe emissions sedan is currently being assessed in temperatures well below freezing to make sure their battery and temperature control systems are capable of functioning effectively in such a harsh climate. Sweden, the country in which they are testing, is not only a very cold climate but also has a huge amount of electric vehicles and charging points, so the location is a fitting match for the product being tested.
Also being tested are the friction brakes and the automatic deceleration and regenerative braking system. With the prototype still lacking lots of the final production parts, it does indicate that the official reveal will probably take place towards the back end of 2022. Orders and sales should start coming in at the start of 2023, but all we can say for now is, so far so good BMW.