The 2023 BMW 7 Series offers a cargo capacity of 540 liters, but only if you stick with a version powered solely by a combustion engine. Go for the plug-in hybrid and the volume drops to 525 liters, while choosing the fully electric i7 xDrive60 shrinks the load space to 500 liters. YouTuber
Bjørn Nyland wanted to visualize the latter number by cramming as many banana boxes as possible in the luxurious EV.
500 liters isn’t all that great since there are compact cars with 20-30% greater capacity, but those mainstream vehicles don’t offer the stellar rear legroom you’ll find in the 7 Series G70. Fullsize luxury sedans – be them with combustion engines or electric drivetrains – prioritize the comfort of those relaxing in the back rather than offering a huge load area.
That being said, the i7 was able to swallow five banana boxes in the unconventional practicality test orchestrated by the popular YouTuber. The Tesla Model S Plaid and Mercedes EQS – which are both technically hatchbacks – were previously tested by Bjørn Nyland and he managed to put an extra three boxes in both for a grand total of eight.
However, the BMW i7 xDrive60 didn’t significantly trail behind those two models as it was able to accommodate no fewer than 17 additional banana boxes on those lovely rear seats wrapped in cashmere wool. With a total of 22 boxes crammed in, Bavaria’s flagship EV was down by only one banana box compared to the Tesla Model S Plaid and by two compared to the Mercedes EQS. It came ahead of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo (20 boxes) and the Nio ET7 (19 boxes).
Should you want an electric BMW with greater cargo capacity, you’ll have to wait until next year when the i5 Touring is slated to come out. Logic tells us it’ll have a significantly larger cargo area, plus the added practicality of a tailgate opening. Assuming it will stay true to the Touring formula, it’ll be possible to open the rear glass independently from the tailgate.
It should be mentioned BMW is already selling an EV with greater cargo capacity considering the iX3 can swallow 510 liters with the rear seats in place. The i7 has the same 500-liter volume as the iX, representing an additional 10 liters compared to the iX1 and 30 liters over the i4. Over in China, the i3 Sedan can accommodate 410 liters behind the rear bench.
Source: Bjørn Nyland / YouTube