The i7 is BMW’s answer to the Mercedes EQS
There is a whole economy of photographers who take “spy pictures” of pre-production cars and then sell these pictures to publications, including former cloths like Jalopnik, but increasingly manufacturers choose to remove the middleman and release their own pictures. See BMW and i7.
This is the car that will eventually replace the 7 Series, an all-electric luxury sedan or sedan if you are British that looks like an all-electric sedan, with lights in places of interest and a charging port. BMW said it had the i7 out recently doing some tests under snow-covered, cold conditions in Arjeplog, Sweden. BMW says the i7 is “the world’s first all-electric luxury sedan”, which I suppose is based on the fact that the Mercedes EQS and Tesla Model S are liftbacks, but hmm.
Anyway, BMW said the formal launch will be next year. Meanwhile, it wants to reassure potential buyers that it is putting the i7 through in the cold.
Suspension components along with steering, braking and vehicle stability systems developed for the future generation of the BMW 7 Series will be honed to perfection in the extreme climate. Specifically, springs, dampers and various control systems will be subject to performance-oriented tuning to ensure maximum driver feedback and enjoyment to match the several different driving modes.
Among the extremely challenging winter conditions, Lapland’s frozen lakes with their low coefficient of road friction allow for careful development of the steering, Dynamic Stability Control system (DSC) and the precisely regulated interaction between friction brake and deceleration using energy recovery.
The intensive winter test program also focuses on the components of the all-electric drive system. The BMW i7’s electric drive, high-voltage battery, power electronics and charging technology all stem from the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology, which already provides exceptional sustainable driving pleasure in the BMW iX. Above all, it is the engine, battery and temperature control system of the BMW i7 that proves their advanced technology and durability in the extreme minus degrees that are common in northern Sweden.
BMW probably will not hear it, but whatever they want to call the i7, then its competitors in the real world are cars like the Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, and probably also to some extent Polestar 2. We learn range and price closer to the i7’s release, but you can expect these numbers to be “good” and “expensive” respectively. We will also learn later if this car comes to America, but it probably will, as the EQS is. The big news today is, in fact, for all the spy photos that have been scooped.
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