BMW 7 Series will get a dedicated electric variant
The luxury sedan will be available with four powertrain options, including the EV variant.
As social distancing becomes a new normal around the world, German automaker BMW delivered its Annual Accounts Press Conference digitally on Wednesday. BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse delivered some news on the product front: We're in for an all-electric BMW 7 Series.
In a transcript of the speech, Zipse says the next 7 Series will come with four available powertrain options. The big news is the battery-electric version, but the world will also see a gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid version. Zipse also mentioned that the 7 Series' platform will support each powertrain on a single architecture, rather than stuffing a battery into an architecture meant for an engine up front.
The chairman didn't provide any other details on what to expect from the 7 Series, or when we'll see the next-gen sedan debut, but electric cars will remain a major priority at BMW. Well, it doesn't really have a choice. European regulations, as they stand, will require 40% of vehicles sold to feature an electrified powertrain. Keep in mind, "electrified" can also include something as simple as a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and doesn't necessarily mean 40% of BMWs sold will be purely electric.
In the US, we know BMW has at least two new EVs slated for launch. The iNext concept will come to America in its production form as a range-topping luxury SUV. Then, we'll see the BMW i4. The BMW iX3, meanwhile, has been canceled for the US due to low EV demand in this country.
