Samsung chooses BMW's i7 full-electric sedan
Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Oliver Zipse poses with the i7, BMW's first fully electric vehicle, at BMW Driving Center on Incheon's Yeongjong Island, Dec. 16. Courtesy of BMW Korea
By Kim Jae-heun
The i7, BMW's first full-electric flagship sedan, is drawing attention among corporate leaders in Korea. The German carmaker's Korean branch delivered its first 10 new i7 vehicles to Samsung Group for corporate use, the company said Thursday.
The new i7 is the BMW'7 Series' first purely electric model, launched in Korea on Dec. 16. The electric vehicle (EV) offers a new level of luxury with its overwhelming presence, exterior accentuating elegant emotion, sense of luxury and innovative digital experience.
The i7 xDrive60 delivered to Samsung Group has BMW's latest fifth-generation eDrive system. With two electric motors, it has a maximum output of 544 horsepower and a travel range of 438 kilometers on a single charge with 105.7 kilowatt-hours of high-voltage batteries supplied by Samsung SDI.
The vehicle is also equipped with a BMW Theatre Screen for the rear seats, which unfolds from the ceiling. The screen is the world's first vehicle entertainment system with a 32:9 ratio of a 31.3-inch panoramic display. It includes over-the-top platforms such as Netflix and YouTube that can play videos without a separate device connection and the screen supports up to 8K resolution.
Samsung Group ordered 10 i7 sedans for CEOs of its affiliates.
“The BMW Group is proud to cooperate with leading Korean automotive and high-tech companies. We will continue to leverage the technological potential of our partners to bring unprecedented innovations into our vehicles,” Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Oliver Zipse said. “Samsung is one of these important partners when it comes to electro-mobility and it is a strong symbol to see Samsung's management team enjoying the new BMW i7 equipped with our latest cutting-edge technologies.”
“I am happy to be with BMW,” Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong said. “Let's strengthen current cooperation between the two companies.”
“As a strategic partner of BMW, Samsung SDI is proud to participate in the development of the new i7 luxury flagship electric sedan,” Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho said. “The two companies will set new standards for EVs and batteries.”