Between the Mercedes EQS, Lucid Air, and the Tesla Model S Plaid, it’s safe to say the battle in the electric luxury sedan segment is heating up. BMW wants a piece of the action with its forthcoming i7, a zero-emissions take on the 7 Series. The German luxury brand is confirming the world premiere is scheduled to take place in 2022, but in the meantime, there’s still a lot of testing that needs to be done.
For this reason, prototypes have made the journey to Sweden, specifically to Arjeplog where future models from BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce are being tested before hitting the market. The i7 is undergoing final testing related to ironing out any last-minute issues with the suspension, steering, and brakes. The three-box sedan is going to have approximately the same shape and design as the gasoline- and diesel-fueled 7 Series by sharing the same underpinnings.
Much like the Concept XM and the subsequent namesake production version arriving in 2022, the next BMW 7 Series / i7 will have an unusual headlight layout with an upper LED light bar serving as the daytime running lights. Lower in the bumper, the main headlights consisting of the low and high beams will be “hidden” under a heavily tinted piece of glass.
We can see the main lights here because the prototype still has a provisional set of lights, but the final ones are going to have a discreet appearance as seen in the dedicated M plug-in hybrid SUV a couple of days ago. It’s the same story at the back where the taillights are not the final ones. We are getting the impression the rear lights of the i7 are much wider than what BMW is allowing us to see for the time being.
The company is remaining tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but we’ve heard through the grapevine the top-spec model will boast three electric motors for a combined output of 650 horsepower. It’s also said to have a massive 120-kWh battery to give the i7 a maximum range of 700 kilometers (435 miles) based on the WLTP cycle.
More details should be disclosed in the first half of next year since BMW plans to put the i7 on sale by the end of 2022 or early 2023.
Source: BMW
