Zipse highlighted the i7’s spaciousness — one of the “mandatory needs” for luxury segment customers. The seventh-generation 7 Series has grown in length, width and height. The wheelbase is longer, creating roomier rear seating.
“It’s about sweet spots,” Zipse said, “not about making a compromise.”
Unlike Mercedes, which launched its next-generation EQ models on a new electric architecture, BMW chose to build the i7 on the same platform as its newly redesigned 7-Series combustion-engine model.
All drivetrains of the new 7 Series are based on the latest evolution of the rear-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive CLAR platform and have similar body styles.
Guidehouse Insights principal analyst Sam Abuelsamid said a flexible architecture that supports combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and BEVs is pragmatic given the uncertainty around the pace of EV adoption.
“In the lifetime of this model generation — over the next eight to 10 years — there’s still going to be a significant percentage of customers that want an ICE, and it’s hard to make the business case for a dedicated electric architecture for this,” Abuelsamid said.
Unlike some of its European rivals, BMW is hesitant to go electric-only because charging infrastructure in many markets remains underdeveloped.
Zipse believes demand for combustion engines will continue alongside the growing adoption of electric vehicles.
“This is the decade of diversity, the decade of flexibility,” he said. “We feel, with our approach, we are well prepared for a not-so-predictable future.”
But a common platform is not without sacrifice.
“You’re probably not going to be able to pack as much battery,” Abuelsamid said. “You’re going to have less range than [an EV-only platform]. The packaging on the i7 is compromised — there’s no front storage, and you still have the center transmission tunnel.”