Alongside the pure electric BMW i7 there is going to be two new PHEVs as part of the latest iteration of the BMW 7 Series, the 750e xDrive and the M760e xDrive. Both feature the same 22kWh battery (18kWh usable) as a result they share a similar official EV range of up to 55 miles. When it comes to towing capacity the BMW 7 Series PHEVs can tow a trailer/caravan up to a maximum of 2,000kg. Charging speed is disappointing though.
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BMW 7 Series PHEV Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 2,000 kg (both versions)
- Availability – 2023
- Price – TBA
- Official MPG – 284 (750e xDrive) & 256 (M760e xDrive)
- Official EV Range – 55 miles
- Real-World EV Range – 38 miles (70% of Official)
- Maximum Charge Rate/Time – 3.5kW/5 Hours
BMW 7 Series PHEV HP & Torque
- 750e xDrive: AWD with 489 HP and 516 lb-ft of torque
- M760e xDrive: AWD with 571 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque
- Electric Motor: 197 HP and 206 lb-ft of torque
BMW 7 Series PHEV Towing Capabilities
It is good to see that BMW across its PHEVs and pure electric versions of this vehicle (the i7) all get the same 2,000kg towing capacity. With these towing capabilities, they are all capable of towing the vast majority of touring caravans or trailers you will see on UK roads.
You then have the option of pure electric with the i7 or these PHEV models. Both have their pros and cons currently as I have discussed in my PHEVs vs BEVs article. So its good to see that BMW is providing its customers with both options that can also tow a decent amount of weight.
Both of these 7 Series PHEVs also have a decent amount of combined power and torque. Furthermore, importantly the electric motor is sufficiently powerful enough to meet most requirements when driving around in pure electric mode.
The official 55 miles of electric range will be closer to 38 miles under real-world driving conditions which can cover the average daily commute of 30 miles. However, there is an area where I think BMW keeps dropping the ball with their PHEVs, and it’s the charging speed.
3.7kW Maximum Charging Is Still Disappointing
For PHEVs to make any sense at all they need to be charged frequently, essentially at the end of every journey when parked on the drive. Both versions of the BMW 7 Series can only charge at a maximum of up to 3.7kW and they will take around 5 hours to fully charge at that rate of power.
Your typical UK home dedicated EV charger can output 7kW. Hence, if these BMW PHEVs were able to take that full 7kW the charging time would be reduced closer to 2.5 hours. Many cheaper PHEVs can do this such as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV, so why can’t these much more expensive BMW PHEVs?
The same limitation was present in the BMW X5 45e. Despite that car’s respectable 54 miles of EV range, it can only charge at 3.7kW. It was sort of excused because it was first released several years ago now. But that excuse is not applicable to these new 7 Series PHEV models.
BMW 7 Series PHEVs vs The Competition
Ok, so the problem as of this moment is BMW is yet to share the price details of these 7 Series PHEVs. I’m pretty sure they will cost below the £107,000 price point of the pure electric i7. However, I would still expect these luxury saloons to be up around that price bracket.
As referenced above, the other BMW option is the BMW X5 45e. Its not a luxury saloon, its a luxury SUV. However, the X5 45e can tow more at up to 2,700kg, and has a similar official EV range of 54 miles.
On the luxury SUV PHEV front, there is also the Mercedes GLE 350de. Again, a superior towing capacity of 2,700kg and a little bit better on the EV range at 56 miles. However, it needs a huge 31kWh battery to achieve a similar range.
Hence, these BMW 7 Series PHEVs are much more efficient in travelling a similar range with a much smaller 18kWh useable battery. That means it not only costs less to cover the same millage but its quicker to recover miles when charging for the same amount of energy.
A good example to further emphasize this point is the Volvo XC90 Recharge. It features an 18.8kWh battery but only has an official EV range of 42 miles. This is the drawback with SUVs, their additional height (increased aerodynamic drag) and additional weight reduce efficiency.
My Thoughts On The BMW 7 Series PHEVs…
We are still quite a while away from release of these new 7 Series PHEVs, hence there are no reviews I can reference. We also don’t know as yet their exact price points which is obviously an important component when giving an opinion on a vehicle in terms of its capabilties/value for money.
What we do know is they can tow a reasonable amount at 2,000 kg and their official EV range of 55 miles is a practical/viable distance for many local commutes when not towing. However, as I’ve stated above, BMW should really be adding 7kW charging capabilities to their PHEVs, there is no excuse not to.