BMW is reportedly developing a new i7 electric
vehicle. According to BMW Blog, one of its sources in Munich said the large EV
could be introduced by 2022. This may not come as a surprise, considering that
BMW has filed the rights for i1 to i9 and iX1 to iX9, but the rights had to be
renewed last year because the car isn’t launched yet, the website claims.
The i7 will apparently be the equivalent of an
electric 7 Series, and the 2022 debutant could in fact be an electric version
of the next-generation 7 Series, which is also scheduled to debut around the
same time. Word is that BMW engineers are working round the clock to deliver,
and that “customers won’t be disappointed in the driving range the car offers.”
It could feature a
heavy set of batteries and powerful electric motors, though the former could
materialise in the form of a denser energy storage unit. It seems that BMW is
already working on its fifth-generation battery technology, backed by research
from its exploits in Formula E. BMW targets a driving range of about 600 km,
based on the new WLTP testing procedure.
In terms of output, the i7 is tipped to get about
650 hp, making it one of the most powerful cars to grace the Munich automaker’s
line-up. The i7 will be part of BMW’s plan to introduce 25 new electrified
models, including a dozen fully-electric cars by 2025.
