The 2023 BMW i7 is entering its final phase of development and the automaker is marking the occasion by releasing new pictures and video of the upcoming electric vehicle. Billed as the “world’s only purely electrically powered luxury sedan,” the i7 has been subjected to an extensive testing program that has involved “extreme road and weather conditions” across the globe. In particular, BMW said their hot weather testing program saw the car’s electric motors, high-voltage battery and all-wheel drive system subjected to “maximum stress from high temperatures, unpaved roads, dust, and large differences in altitude.”

The company didn’t go into many specifics, but said their testing program involved traveling “tens of thousands of kilometers” in everything from stop-and-go traffic in scorching heat to long-distance runs and episodes of high-speed driving. The model was also forced to drive up mountains in high heat, so engineers could analyze the “temperature behavior of the electric motors and the torque control of the all-electric BMW xDrive [system].”

 

Of course, what goes up must come down, and engineers drove back down the mountain with a fully charged battery. While this doesn’t sound too interesting, BMW noted it’s actually a challenge for the energy management system and power electronics as the battery is already charged and “therefore [can] no longer absorb any recuperation energy.” BMW didn’t focus exclusively on the electric powertrain as engineers also paid attention to the performance of the air conditioning system as well as the temperature resistance of the interior materials. The company went on to say the purpose of these tests was to ensure the sedan “delivers a perfectly harmonized and exclusive driving experience in any situation.”

BMW is staying tight-lipped about specifications, but previous reports have suggested the model might be equipped with a massive 120 kWh battery pack that allows for a range of up to 700 km on a single charge. Rumors have also indicated their will be a variety of different versions including a high-performance variant, which may have a tri-motor powertrain with up to 740 hp.