The long-delayed launch of BMW’s flagship pure electric car i7 is finally scheduled to take place on April 20 with a global debut. According to BMW’s own definition, the flagship i7 is the “world’s first pure electric luxury sedan,” so I have sorted and summarized some information from foreign media.
The debut version of the i7 is predicted to be the xDrive60 model by foreign media, and its powertrain may be shared with the iX M60, consisting of a dual-motor system with a combined output of 455 kW and a combined torque of 1,100 N·m.
On March 16th, BMW officially released the energy consumption and range data for the i7:
- The comprehensive energy consumption under WLTP conditions: 19.7 – 18.9 kWh/100 km;
- The range under the WLTP standard: 580 – 610 km; the estimated EPA electric range is up to 305 miles.
About Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
BMW’s head of research and development, Frank Weber, confirmed that the i7 will provide hardware support for Level 3 advanced driver assistance systems, with the Level 2 advanced driver assistance system “Motorway Assist” available upon launch, while higher-level features will still require approval from regulatory authorities in various regions and will be activated through OTA updates later.
About the Interior
In terms of interior design, the focus is on the use of the new “My Mode Theatre” and the latest generation iDrive operating system.
The i7 interior hardware includes:
-
The BMW Curved Display on the i7 dashboard, as well as the latest generation of iDrive information and entertainment systems and the BMW Interaction Bar. The BMW Interaction Bar is a “new light and feature bar” on the dashboard and doors, providing “visual and tactile quality”.- The new car will also be equipped with a Sky Lounge panoramic glass sunroof with LED light lines in the style of a starry sky bar, combined with the BMW Theatre Screen to bring a better sensory experience;
-
Drivers can use the all-new My Modes Theatre function to access different driving modes, and accordingly change the atmosphere inside the car;
- An adjustable 31-inch 32:9 ultra-wide 8K touch display and a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System from B&O. The in-car entertainment system supports 5G connectivity and can play internet streaming content. We also saw this trend in the exposure information of the domestic ideal L9.
Any surprises?
Although many Bimmer enthusiasts are looking forward to the debut of the M7 on that day, this wish may be in vain. Instead, the M-Performance version of the i7 may be the one to look out for, and will be named i7 M70 xDrive:
- The i7 M70 xDrive may adopt the same powertrain as the Rolls-Royce Spectre, that is, a four-motor configuration with a total output of 520 kW.
The highlight here is not the power output, but the fact that each of the four motors drives independently. This can provide real-time, separate torque vector control to the M70, rather than just all-wheel drive.
Furthermore, even though Rolls-Royce has been acquired by BMW, the powertrain has always remained non-shared within the BMW group. This tradition may be broken in the upcoming era of electric vehicles.🔗Source: Auto Motor Sport; BMW Newsroom
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.