BMW and Rimac develop Gen6 battery for new i7 sedan

The BMW Group has partnered with Croatian supplier Rimac Technology to develop a new high-voltage battery for the all-electric BMW i7, which will make its world premiere at Auto China 2026 in Beijing on 22 April. The battery combines BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology (Gen6) with the established Gen5 module design to deliver increased range and faster charging in the group’s flagship electric sedan.

The Gen6 cell at the heart of the system is a 4695 lithium-ion cylindrical unit offering 20% higher volumetric energy density than the prismatic cells used in Gen5. The higher energy density enables a significantly extended range for the i7, while charging capacity has also been increased, reducing charge times accordingly.

The battery is manufactured at Rimac Technology’s facility in Croatia and delivered ready for assembly at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing in Germany, the sole production site for the BMW 7 Series. Rimac Technology, a Tier 1 supplier within the Rimac Group, specialises in high-voltage battery systems, e-axles, and electronics and software solutions.

In a statement, Thomas Engelhardt, Senior Vice-President of Development for High-Voltage Storage and Charging at the BMW Group, said: “We are quickly rolling out the technologies of the Neue Klasse across our entire model portfolio, including, of course, in our all-electric luxury sedan. The teams of both companies have developed a tailor-made solution for the new BMW i7. The excellent collaboration with Rimac Technology is a good example of European innovative strength.”

Source: BMW Group