Per BMW’s slogan, you’ve the “energy of alternative” with regards to shopping for a brand new automotive from the Bavarian model. Many fashions supply choices for gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and electrical drivetrains, together with the flagship. Relying in your location, the 7 Collection Sedan is accessible with an unlimited array of engines or motors. However which variant is cheaper to run?

The Australian crew at CarExpert determined to take issues into their very own arms and arrange an effectivity take a look at between a gasoline model and an electrical counterpart. They opted for a 740i and the mighty i7 M70. Whereas some would possibly argue it could have made extra sense to make use of the i7 xDrive60 as a substitute, because it’s extra frugal, that is the mannequin the journalists had obtainable on the time of filming.

CarExpert’s Paul Maric drove the a lot heavier i7 M70 whereas YouTuber Joe Achilles sat behind the wheel of the 740i. The duo drove from Sydney to Melbourne, protecting 542 miles or 873 kilometers. After finishing the journey, it was math time. They crunched the numbers and concluded the gasoline automotive was about $14 cheaper to run. Thoughts you, that’s Australian {dollars}.

The 740i burned 56.16 liters (14.8 gallons) of gas whereas the i7 M70 consumed 203.03 kWh from its huge battery pack that has a usable capability of 101.7 kWh. Although the electrical sedan put some juice again into the battery because of the vitality recuperation system, it was the gasoline mannequin’s effectivity that impressed. It averaged 6.6 liters / 100 km, which works out to 35.6 miles per gallon (42.8 mpg UK). Not too shabby for such a big and heavy automotive.

Then there’s the refueling time. The BMW 7 Collection 740i took simply six minutes to place gasoline within the tank whereas the i7 M70 wanted two hours and eight minutes.

We additionally mustn’t omit the massive value hole between the 2, though they’re mainly the identical vehicles, simply with totally different powertrains. In the USA, a base 740i retails for $96,400 (or $99,400 for the 740i xDrive) whereas the i7 M70 prices from $168,500.

Supply: CarExpert / YouTube