The Next BMW i7 Will Get Its Batteries From An Unexpected Source

• Rimac Technology will supply the battery packs for the next-generation BMW i7.
• The packs will be manufactured in Croatia and shipped to BMW’s plant in Germany.
• BMW is claiming gains in range and charging performance.

BMW has tapped Croatian supercar specialist Rimac Technology to supply the high-performance batteries for the next-generation i7, the German automaker announced Tuesday.

The flagship sedan will receive the full Neue Klasse treatment as the latest iX3 and the i3. That means the next i7 will ride on a truly software-defined platform built from scratch, featuring BMW’s latest battery and powertrain technology, as well as the centralized Heart of Joy supercomputer. The current i7 rides on the shared Cluster Architecture (CLAR), which is more of a combustion engine platform adapted to accommodate EVs and plug-in hybrids.

A dedicated EV platform allows for a far more advanced battery architecture, as BMW has already demonstrated with the iX3 and i3, both of which promise at least 400 miles of range on a full charge. The Neue Klasse i7 should be in similar territory.

For the batteries themselves, Rimac said BMW’s Gen5 module-based technology, combined with its Gen6 4695 cylindrical lithium-ion cells will deliver meaningful gains in range, energy density, and charging performance. “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,” Mate Rimac, the founder and president of the Rimac Group, said in a press release.

The cells will be manufactured at Rimac’s facility, part of a sprawling 90,000-square-meter campus in Zagreb, Croatia, before the completed packs ship to BMW Group Plant Dingolfing in Germany for final assembly. Dingolfing will be the sole production site for the Neue Klasse i7.

So why is BMW working with Rimac, rather than just picking batteries off the shelf from mainstream battery suppliers? It’s because Rimac Technology isn’t your typical battery maker like BYD or CATL. It’s the fully owned EV technology arm of the Rimac Group, which also holds a 55% stake in Bugatti Rimac, with Porsche owning the remainder.

The company specializes in exactly the kind of high-performance, high-voltage battery systems and EV components that go into electric hypercars and flagship luxury models. It already supplies batteries for the Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid and the Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar. BMW first entered a supply agreement with Rimac back in 2023. The i7 will be the first car produced through the collaboration.  

The new i7 will go head-to-head with the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class EV, which Mercedes has said will launch later this decade and fold into the S-Class line-up instead of being part of a separate EV family like the EQS. 

The i7 will be revealed on April 22 at concurrent events at the Beijing Auto Show and in New York. InsideEVs will be on the ground in NYC, so make sure to mark your calendar and check back for our full coverage.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com