Now we see some new pure electric models released and launched every three to five minutes.
But we rarely see million-dollar luxury flagship sedans, so much so that we've been associating electrification with various SUVs.
It was only recently that the numerous trailers for the BMW i7 were exposed that reminded the professor of the potential combination of flagship luxury cars + electric systems.
The BMW i7, which was scheduled to make its world debut at the Beijing Motor Show, should be the first mainstream flagship luxury sedan on the market to complete the conversion from fuel to electric.
Although the time and method of the release of the new car are still not finalized, the official preview this time shows us some of the new ideas adopted by BMW to create the flagship luxury car of the i7.
There is not much of a breakthrough in the design level, and as a brand flagship product, some long-term accumulated product images need to be maintained.
Therefore, the i7 will inevitably adopt the same traditional sedan body structure as the current 7 series, and the large nostrils that have now become the "standard" of BMW's models will also appear, and this time it will also use LED lights to draw the nostrils, which is more conspicuous.
Despite the trendy things such as luminous nets and electronic door handles, as well as the design of split headlights, which bring new ideas and controversy to new cars, on the whole, BMW is still interpreting the flagship luxury of the electric era in a traditional way.
The real change should be the interior of the carriage.
In the forward-looking short film released by BMW earlier, we can see that the i7 will carry out a more minimalist design in the central control part, and use more crystal material decoration.
The same approach can be seen in BMW's latest flagship electric SUV, the iX.
The trend of highly integrating the control functions of each system into the central control screen allows designers to have more fun in interior design, and no longer need to accommodate the layout of functional areas and button layouts.
The minimalist design style of the center console will allow the i7 to get a larger display area of high-grade materials, and play some tricks at the visual level such as lighting.
What is more expected is that the rear of the i7 will have a large multimedia screen with an overhead 31-inch rear.
According to reports, the resolution of this screen is as high as 8K, the screen ratio is 32:9, and it is folded on the roof of the car, which will become one of the biggest selling points of this new car.
This means that guests sitting in the back row of the i7 can watch movies through this ultra-high-definition large screen, combined with the top sound system that the flagship model will inevitably be equipped with, the movie-watching experience can be much better than some models pulling a curtain in the front row and a projector in the rear.
There is even a mobile phone-sized touch screen on the rear door armrest, which is believed to be used to control the rear multimedia system, and the rear row of this super wide screen may also support split-screen display and control to meet the entertainment needs of the two passengers in the back row; if these two small control panels can be removed as a smart phone, it will be even more cool.
It can be seen that BMW's understanding of luxury in the electric age is a more powerful technological entertainment experience.
More advanced in-vehicle electronic systems and intelligent architecture will inevitably bring about the upgrading of science and technology entertainment. After all, this kind of technology product, which looks very fancy and "unnecessary", is precisely the easiest way to make a big change in the car experience in this electric era.
As for the part that has changed the most, the powertrain, there don't seem to be many surprises.
BMW's teaser i7 will be equipped with a powertrain with an integrated output of up to 750 hp, a battery pack capacity of up to 120 kWh, and a maximum cruising range of 610 km.
There is still some time to go before the official release of the i7, and from the highlights of the current exposure, it can be seen that it is a new car with a traditional shell wrapped in an innovative core.
But will the market accept it? As the first truly pure electric flagship luxury car, can the i7 successfully impress the rich?
In fact, peers have already tried ~
The earliest attempt to electrify the flagship luxury car should be Lexus's LS, and the addition of the THS oil-electric hybrid system has given the flagship luxury car the first taste of electric drive.
Although this is only a gasoline-electric hybrid system, the electric motor cannot fully take over the work of the engine, and the nickel-metal hydride battery pack with limited capacity cannot support LS for long-distance pure electric driving.
But the quick response of the drive motor at start-up and the power smoothness of the non-conventional gearbox are amazing.
Not to mention that the hybrid technology allows the large car equipped with the large V8 engine to achieve a comprehensive fuel consumption of less than 100 kilometers below 10L, and the fuel money saved is a small thing, but at the image level, at that time, it was a symbol of advanced thinking and support for environmental protection.
However, the electrification of Lexus LS is only concentrated in the power system part, and its body shape, cabin design and other parts still maintain a very traditional design idea.
Therefore, it will not break the traditional image of luxury cars in the minds of consumers because of electrification, and it is more acceptable.
Because of this, Lexus' hybrid strategy has been able to spread to all its models and persist to this day.
Recently, the new Mercedes-Benz EQS was launched, which is to officially bring the flagship model of the luxury brand into the era of pure electric.
This time, Mercedes-Benz not only adopts pure electric form in the form of power, but also uses the EVA platform designed for electric models even the most basic frame, which is a complete new electric flagship.
Due to the "oil to electricity" models such as EQC and EQA in recent years, and participated in the FIA Formula E race, the accumulated technology and experience have enabled the new flagship of EQS to immediately obtain a mature power system.
But EQS's changes are much more than that, it also designed a "mouse" body to reduce power consumption; the "lowest production" 0.20cd drag coefficient coupled with an excellent battery management system allows EQS to achieve a pure electric range of up to 849km under CLTC conditions.
The three-screen Hyperscreen also dominates the entire center console, becoming the highlight of EQS's iconic concept car interior design.
For the first time in history, a Mercedes-Benz flagship model can have almost no physical buttons in the compartment, which is Mercedes-Benz's attempt at new luxury in the era of electrification.
The EQS was surprising at the time of its launch, but the subsequent market performance was a shock.
Although the low wind resistance body shape can bring better power consumption performance, it is far inferior to the S-class atmosphere with the traditional sedan shape in terms of image.
There are even many consumers who think that it is not a "sedan" at all (because of the large hatchback design instead of the traditional independent tail compartment).
Hyperscreen, although the concept is advanced, but at present it is only the "glass area" is more exaggerated, its core is still three independent large screens, although the edge of the screen has been blurred, but there is always some abruptness after the screen.
Not to mention that after the big screen is extinguished, this black painted "fingerprint collection panel" lacks a lot of texture compared with the past Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The bowed roof with low wind resistance also poses a problem with the ride space, and the lack of generous rear legroom and the angle-friendly backrest make it feel that the ride comfort is not even as good as the long wheelbase version of the E-Class.
Therefore, EQS cannot successfully impress consumers who are looking forward to a new era flagship luxury car with a lot of money. Perhaps in their minds, the EQS innovation has gone a little too far, even affecting what they understand as the most critical thing about a flagship luxury car: atmosphere, comfort, luxury.
Lexus' LS has conservatively embraced consumers' attempts to electrify the flagship luxury body, while the Mercedes-Benz EQS has demonstrated with comprehensive innovation that there are some traditions that should not be easily broken.
And BMW seems to be able to do better on this i7.
Write at the end
In terms of powertrain, this is a truly all-electric model, and the technology accumulated in the past on the i3, iX3 and iX models can help BMW make an excellent power system that does not lose to the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
At the same time, although BMW has introduced new era equipment such as minimalist central control and large LCD screen in the rear, it also does not forget to retain the traditional sedan design to ensure that rear passengers can have a top-notch riding experience.
And can this combination of conservative and innovative approach achieve good results? We can only wait for the release of new cars and the market reaction after the listing to give answers.