Is this BMW 7 Series an electric i sedan mule? Car News and Review

Look at the BMW i line-up. You’ve got the all-electric i3 on the low end and the hybrid flagship i8 on the high end. What’s missing? Lots.

So when our intrepid spy shooters caught this oddly modified 7 Series with ActiveHybrid badging, the wheels of speculation began spinning.

Ignore for a second the misshapen front and rear fenders and direct your attention at the thin front wheels. The bits behind the spokes and brakes look remarkably close to hub-mounted motors, and it looks like there could be a set in the back as well.

BMW has made it clear that the i brand will spawn a number of models in the coming years and if there’s whatever segment ripe for mass consumption, it’s a sedan. So with the Tesla Model S due to come next year and the Fisker Karma continuing to get press, BMW needs its own EV sedan. And if it’s packing a range extending engine, entirely the better.