The latest photo gallery by BMW depicts its all-electric flagship sedan, the i7, in production-ready form and testing somewhere warm.
There is still no premiere date available, but the car is said to be almost ready to ship. In the meantime, it withstands a series of tests reproducing extreme driving scenarios. This includes driving under blazing sun with constant stops and starts, navigating mountain trails, and fast driving on challenging uneven terrain, such as coarse gravel.
The engineering team aims to see how resilient the powertrain is to different kinds of loads, how well climate control works and how well the insulant materials keep the cabin warm or cold in different situations. They also look into the reliability of electric motors and electronic systems, and make sure the batteries are capable of keeping their output current at a stable nominal level. An earlier round of tests took place in a very different location: near the Arctic Circle.
When it reaches the market, the BMW i7 will bring along the fifth-gen eDrive system designed specifically for the flagship. Rumor has it the entry spec will make do with two electric motors jointly rated at 523 PS (516 hp / 385 kW), like in the iX SUV. In turn, the top spec will boast a three-motor system capable of 750 PS (740 hp / 552 kW).