BMW to release electric i7 flagship in 2022

The electric entry in the 7 Series segment could be previewed as a concept in 2020.

BMW will allegedly expand its portfolio of electric, i-badged models with a range-topping sedan tentatively called i7. As its name implies, it will be marketed as a green alternative to the 7 Series.

Enthusiast website BMW Blog learned from sources within the Munich-based automaker that the i7 will be closely related to the next-generation 7 Series, and the two models will be sold side-by-side. It won't replace the 7 altogether. The rolling display of technology will boast 650 horsepower from a battery-electric powertrain and up to 384 miles of range when put through the European testing cycle thanks to the next generation of BMW's battery pack.

The report makes no mention of self-driving technology, but we'd be surprised if BMW spends a fortune on an electric flagship and doesn't incorporate a high degree of automation. We know the firm is developing autonomous technology, and testing it on the roads around its headquarters in Germany.

BMW Blog's sources claim the i7 will go on sale in 2022. If that time-frame is accurate, BMW could preview the model with a thinly-veiled concept car in 2020. When it goes on sale, assuming the report is accurate, the i7 will compete against the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Tesla Model S.