The BMW i7 electric sedan has a “budget” rear-wheel drive version of the eDrive50

The BMW i7 eDrive50 gets the same 101.7kWh battery as the 4WD versions, but still has more range it has less than the BMW i7 xDrive60.

The G70-generation BMW 7 Series debuted last April, making it the first time in history that the Bavarian marque's flagship is offered not only with «hydrocarbons», but also with fully electric propulsion systems — battery versions are marked with the index i7

At the time of the debut, the BMW i7 was announced only in the xDrive60 version with a twin-engine power plant, the maximum combined output of which is 400 kW (544 hp) and 745 Nm, such an electric sedan picks up the first “hundred” in 4.7 seconds, the maximum speed is limited at around 240 km/h. The power reserve on one charge according to the WLTP cycle is 591-625 km, depending on the equipment.

In April of this year, the sports top version of the i7 M70 xDrive joined the range, it is also twin-engine, with a maximum combined output of 485 kW (660 hp) and 1100 Nm. The power reserve on one charge of this version is 490-560 km, it accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, and the maximum speed is 250 km/h.

Presented this week is the junior i7 eDrive50, with a single electric motor on the rear axle delivering 335 kW (455 hp) and 650 Nm, with which the electric sedan accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 205 km/h. h. The most interesting indicator is the range: the BMW i7 eDrive50 has a range of 575-611 km, which is less than the all-wheel drive BMW i7 xDrive60.

An inquisitive reader will ask how is this possible with a constant battery capacity? The fact is that a less powerful 230-kilowatt (313 hp) electric motor is installed on the BMW i7 xDrive60 on the rear axle and it is the main one on most of the route, and the front 195-kilowatt (258 hp) electric motor is connected only as needed — for example, for sudden acceleration or when the rear wheels spin on slippery surfaces. In addition, the front electric motor additionally feeds the battery during regenerative braking. It turns out that the all-wheel drive BMW i7 xDrive60 is more energy efficient than the rear-wheel drive BMW i7 eDrive50.

If BMW had given the smaller i7 the same rear electric motor as the i7 xDrive60, the range would likely be the longest in the range, but the marketing department apparently felt that 230kW didn't go well with the i7's flagship status. However, we won't be surprised if even more budget i7 eDrive40 or even i7 eDrive30 appears in the range later. />

The BMW i7 eDrive50 starts at €115,700 in Germany, while the BMW i7 xDrive60 costs at least €139,900 and the BMW i7 M70 xDrive costs €181,800.