BMW have introduced the most powerful purely electric model in the BMW portfolio – the 2024 BMW i7 M70 xDrive. With two electric motors generating a maximum system output of 650 hp and an M-tuned chassis, the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in an estimated 3.7 seconds, making it the quickest fully electric BMW model. The i7 M70 xDrive is the company’s third performance model to have an all-electric drive system and will be built at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing – the competence centre for electric drive system production where both the electric motors and the high-voltage batteries for all variants of the BMW i7 are manufactured on site.
The car benefits from a M-specific configuration of the drive system technology which enables the rear-axle motor to achieve new levels of power density. The drive unit has a six- phase design with a dual inverter. This forms the basis for a substantial increase in output that remains consistent as speed builds, endowing the BMW i7 M70 xDrive with the power delivery characteristic of M models. The motor’s power density of 2.41 kW/kg represents an increase of 25.5% over the unit that drives the rear axle of the BMW i7 xDrive60, resulting in what is currently the company’s most powerful electric motor.
This new benchmark figure can be attributed to using six excitation windings in the motor’s stator instead of the customary three. The resulting “double excitation” compared with conventional units allows the electric motor to generate an extremely high output, despite its exceptionally light and compact design, and to maintain it continuously at higher vehicle speeds.
Alongside its power and torque figures, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive also benefits from long-distance capability, aided by the efficiency of the highly integrated drive units and measures introduced to reduce power consumption. These include adaptive recuperation of braking energy and the heat pump technology used in the integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and powertrain.
To optimize efficiency further, the vehicle is fitted with a high-voltage battery with a high energy density. Installed in the underbody of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive is a battery with 101.7kWh of usable energy, delivering an estimated range of up to 475km. The vehicle can be AC charged at up to 11kW, while DC power can be taken on board at a rate of up to 195kW.
The worldwide market launch of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive will start in the second half of 2023. Rounding out the 7 series offering, the new 750e xDrive plug-in hybrid will be added to the portfolio as a 2024 model-year and will begin production in July of 2023.
