BMW i7 undergoes hot-weather testing ahead of debut

BMW has released more images of the forthcoming i7 fully electric flagship as it undergoes the later stages of its pre-production development, where it remains kitted in its camouflage foil and fascia disguise panels. Therefore, little has been revealed about the aesthetics of the i7 and the 7 Series it is based on, though it is more distinctly a three-box sedan than the Mercedes-Benz EQS with its sloping rear hatch.

The German marque has been testing the i7 in hot-weather situations and with strenuous loads and hill climbs, as well as in stop-and-go traffic situations to ensure that its fifth-generation eDrive electric powertrain copes with the most demanding scenarios that customers might deploy the car in. This is crucial because heat impacts battery performance, and therefore available range.

The i7 is expected to use the modular Cluster Architecture (CLAR) underpinnings which also forms the basis of the iX, and the flagship sedan should share the SUV’s 320 PS and 500 PS dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrains.

A top-end version for the i7 range reportedly will also receive a dual-motor setup, albeit with a total output of 650 PS, and likely succeed the petrol V12-powered M760Li. Elsewhere in the forthcoming 7 Series range, there will continue to be internal combustion and plug-in hybrid versions joining the fully electric i7.

Battery specification for the i7 could follow those of the iX as well, where a capacity of over 70 kWh is specified for the xDrive40 variant, and a unit with over 100 kWh is used for the xDrive50 variant. Battery range for the i7 has yet to be revealed, though energy consumption is currently rated as 19.5 to 22.5 kWh per 100 km.

In terms of a release date, BMW has stated that the i7 will be presented “in the course of 2022,” along with other variants of the next-generation 7 Series.