740e pricing starts at just under £70,000, so you're looking at a premium of around £4,000 over a conventional diesel 730d. The long wheelbase 4WD 740Le costs around £75,000 and both variants are available in either Exclusive or M Sport trim. At first glance then, you might think that you'll have to cover quite a few miles to make the fuel savings stack up against the increased purchase prices. However, Company car users will quickly make that back, with the 740e and 740Le falling into the 5% benefit in kind tax band.
Standard equipment is no different to the ordinary petrol and diesel 7 Series variants, so you get four-zone automatic air conditioning, BMW's unique display key, cruise control with brake assist, a DAB radio, heated seats, 'BMW Professional' sat nav, enhanced Bluetooth, parking sensors and a 10.25" colour infotainment dash display. The 740Le adds an electric sunroof and a rear roller blind. Adding flexibility to charging your plug-in model, BMW offers a charging device called a wall box, which can be installed at home or at work, to reduce charging time. Alternatively, you can simply plug your 740e into a domestic wall socket. BMW's ConnectedDrive app will help you find where the nearest charging points are when you are out and about.