BMW has announced that the fully electric version of the facelifted G70 BMW 7 Series, the BMW i7, will be powered by batteries developed in partnership with Rimac Technology and is set to debut at Auto China in Beijing on 22 April 2026. Munich collaborated with the technological division of the Croation company on the
BMW has announced that the fully electric version of the facelifted G70 BMW 7 Series, the BMW i7, will be powered by batteries developed in partnership with Rimac Technology and is set to debut at Auto China in Beijing on 22 April 2026.
Munich collaborated with the technological division of the Croation company on the battery module for the refreshed i7 that saw the latter’s latest Gen6 cylindrical cells fitted within the i7’s existing Gen5 module.
Rimac’s Gen6 cells bring a 20% increase in volumetric energy density over the previous Gen5 prismatic cells. The i7 is not the first from Munich to use them though as they are already powering the Neue Klasse iX3 and i3.
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The new battery cells will increase the i7’s already impressive range from the current WLTP maximum of 624 km. However, the new range will be revealed during the launch later this month.
Apart from going further, the new cells also increase the DC fast-charging rate from the current 195 kW. One thing not disclosed was the electrical architecture, more specifically if the refreshed i7 will run on the 800 V architecture used in the new iX3 and i3, that allows for 400 kW charging, or retain the current 400 V system.
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The batteries will be manufactured at the Rimac Technology state-of-the-art campus in Croatia and delivered ready-for-assembly to the BMW Group’s Dingolfing plant that exclusively manufacturers the 7 Series.
“We are quickly rolling out the technologies of the Neue Klasse across our entire model portfolio, including in our all-electric luxury sedan. The teams of both companies have developed a tailor-made solution for the new BMW i7,” said BMW’s senior VP of high-voltage storage and charging development, Thomas Engelhardt.
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Despite its automotive division merging with Bugatti, Rimac Technology remains a Tier 1 supplier belonging to the Rimac Group that specialises in automotive electrification, especially in high-voltage battery systems, e-axles as well as electronics and software solutions that are developed in-house.
The long-term partnership with the BMW Group demonstrates the company’s transformation from a niche supplier for hyper cars to a Tier 1 supplier for high-volume carmakers.
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“Together, we developed a high-voltage battery system that unlocks the full potential of the new cylindrical cells in record time, delivering significant improvements in energy, range, and charging performance,” said Mate Rimac, Founder and President of Rimac Group, CEO and CTO Bugatti Rimac.
Aside from the improved batteries, other enhancements for the facelifted G70 7 Series will include the latest Panoramic iDrive interface and a more imposing front façade with a possibly larger double kidney grille.
Lastly, the range could also be expanded to include the first new Alpina variant since the tuner was fully-acquired by BMW.