BMW hasn’t really had much success in the luxury EV segment yet, but things may change when the next generation of the 7 Series debuts in 2021.
According to unofficial sources, the company aims to produce an all-new performance car called the i7S, which would pack an enormous 120-kWh battery (the Porsche Taycan has 93.4 kWh). With a traction unit like this, it will boast a total output close to 680 PS (671 horsepower, or 500 kilowatts) and offer at least 580 kilometers (360 miles) of driving. It will also likely accelerate faster than the latest V12-equipped M760Li, which does 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.9 seconds.
The base model for this performance car will be called simply the i7, the sources claim. It will likely ship with a barely smaller 100-kWh battery and deliver around 500 PS (373 kW) to the wheels.
As we reported before, the 7 Series will be trading its gasoline V12 powertrain in favor of a hybrid system based on a 3.0-liter inline-six engine (approx. 400 hp / 300 kW) and a single electric motor. The resulting output should come close to 550 hp (410 kW) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque. To put things into perspective, the latest BMW 745 e Hybrid (shown on the video and the photos) makes 394 hp (294 kW) total.
We will not know for sure until the next generation premieres in 2021, though.