Cover Photo: Courtesy of BMW

The German automaker is set to release a fully electric version of its luxury sedan by 2021

BMW has officially confirmed that the next generation of the brand’s flagship luxury sedan Series will come in the form of an electric vehicle.

Oliver Zipse, the chairman of the board of management at BMW, revealed the latest 7 Series during the brand’s annual press conference in Munich earlier this week, which marked a major milestone in the marque’s history.

The next generation 7 Series will feature four drivetrains in total: petrol, diesel, and a plug-in hybrid, while the “top, most powerful 7 Series will be fully electric.” According to Zipse, the brand is planning to continue offering multiple variations of the sedan to provide their existing customers with the “power of choice.”

The battery-powered version of BMW’s flagship car will be equipped with a fifth-generation electric drivetrain and while Zipse didn’t disclose any details in terms of the electric vehicle’s aesthetic, it will likely take major cues from the 7 Series predecessors.

Regardless of its aesthetics, the latest generation could wind up being the most popular 7 Series to date. According to BMW, consumer demand for electric vehicles is predicted to double by 2021. In order to stay ahead of the curve, the brand is aiming for at least a quarter of its new vehicle fleet to be fully electric by next year—and at least half by 2030.

While it’s not yet clear which powertrains will roll out first, the next generation 7 Series EV will certainly be on sale in 2022. In the meantime, the first fully electric BMW vehicle, the iX3 electric SUV, is going into production in China and will be available globally later this year.

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