Rumors about a possible zero-emission
variant of the BMW 7-Series go back a few years, but it’s finally happening and
we have the first spy shots that confirm it.
Seen on the back of a trailer along with
other Bimmers, the i7 (name unconfirmed) has an ‘Electric Test Vehicle’ sticker
on the front door and a plug-in port on the front fender. Furthermore, the
company has applied camouflage to the headlamps and taillights, which means
that they will be different from the ones on the ICE-powered 7er.
Now, the sixth generation of Munich’s
flagship sedan has been in production since 2015, and the rumor mill says that
it will be replaced in mid-2022. So, is this actually a prototype of the
current iteration, or a test mule of its successor? We do know that BMW takes
time developing and testing new products, and with almost three years of
production left, do they have enough time to launch the Mercedes-Benz EQS
rival? Moreover, if they do, will it serve as the swansong of the G11/G12
(normal/long wheelbase)?
Anyhow, one thing is certain: the 7-Series
will go electric, and in a few years, we’ll have three different versions of
it: ICE-powered, PHEV and EV. It is understood that the latter will be offered
in two flavors: the i7 and i7 S. The first one might get an 80 kWh battery pack
and probably the powertrain of the i4, whereas the second one is thought to
come with a 120 kWh battery, more than 650 HP and have a range of around 700 km.
