When BMW introduced the current 7 Series in 2022, it charted a different course from its German rival. Rather than spinning off a standalone electric flagship, as Mercedes did by selling the EQS alongside the S-Class, BMW simply offered the battery-electric powertrain as an option within the same sedan. Buyers could stick with a V8 or choose the electric version, and only subtle cues such as the badging and the absence of exhaust pipes revealed which was which.
In the years since, BMW has launched a string of newer electric vehicles across its 5 Series and 3 Series lines, along with their SUV counterparts. Those models moved from battery packs built around prismatic cells to more energy-dense arrangements of cylindrical cells. The motors remain electrically excited synchronous units, but the drive units now feature silicon carbide inverters and more compact packaging.
This sixth-generation electric powertrain was developed for the clean-sheet Neue Klasse family, which also discarded the legacy sprawl of dozens of discrete single-function electronic control units in favor of a handful of powerful domain controllers. Those computers handle the same functions with much faster processing, unlocking more capability in areas like chassis control and powertrain efficiency, and they can be updated more easily.
That progress created an awkward question for the flagship. Should the top of the range be clearly outclassed on power, energy density and range efficiency by every other EV in the lineup? BMW's board decided the answer was no, and for the 7 Series' midlife update the i7 received what amounts to comprehensive surgery beneath the skin.
Compared with the outgoing model, the 2027 i7 carries a higher-capacity battery pack, now rated at 112.5 kWh net, up from 101.7 kWh. BMW has stuck with a 400 V architecture, however, rather than adopting the setup used in the Neue Klasse models or in the iX5.
The updated lineup will also include a less powerful 50 xDrive variant and a more powerful M70 xDrive. At the first-drive event, the version available to sample was the midrange 60 xDrive, which delivers a combined 544 hp (400 kW) and 549 lb-ft (745 Nm) of torque, figures roughly equivalent to the pre-facelift car.
The changes keep BMW's flagship sedan in step with the rapid pace of development elsewhere in its electric range, ensuring the most expensive model is no longer left behind by the technology arriving in cheaper ones.
