“There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the doors of perception.” — Aldous Huxley

I’m junior Huxley Westemeier and welcome to “The Sift,” a weekly opinions column focused on the impacts and implications of new technologies.

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Huxley Westemeier

THE FUTURE (RIGHT NOW). The 2025 BMW i7 (electric) with the Future Lab sign. As seen in the gallery showcasing the 2025 BMW i7 ($140,000 as tested), the newest flagship car can be described by one word: luxurious.

On Sunday, I attended BMW’s Future Lab event, a test-drive experience highlighting the company’s latest electric cars. As seen in the gallery showcasing the 2025 BMW i7 ($140,000 as tested), the newest flagship car can be described by one word: luxurious. It’s relatively basic from an EV standpoint, with around 300 miles of range (Tesla’s cheapest Model 3 can also go 300 miles and costs much lower at $42,490 after tax credits). But, as with all luxury models, the little details make the difference. What other car has film composer Hans Zimmer create the simulated engine sounds while accelerating? What other vehicle uses a glorified gaming controller thumb stick made of crystal as the primary control input? I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of screens- a massive one for the dashboard, a foldable theater screen in the rear, and two phone-sized displays on the back seat’s doors.

One note about sustainability before I go any further. Research from MIT estimated that an older Tesla Model 3 with an 80 kWh battery created between 3 and 16 tons of carbon emissions to produce the battery. If we scale this estimate to the 105.6 kWh found in the i7, we’re looking at around 4 to 21 tons of carbon emissions for the battery production alone. One ton of carbon dioxide is equivalent to around 2,500 miles in a gas-guzzling car- so the creation of an i7 alone has the same climate impact as driving a gas car for 10,000 to 52,500 miles. This doesn’t account for any electricity used during the car’s lifetime (which could be produced with fossil fuels). While you’re not actively emitting any carbon while driving, you’re still contributing to greenhouse gasses.

The first thing I immediately noticed in the 2025 BMW i7 was the sheer amount of technology (screens, sensors, etc.). What will happen in ten years when these components are no longer manufactured and can’t be replaced? Do all the features and complex electronics somehow limit this car to a short-time purchase and not a vehicle that can last a decade or more? Replacement parts for older gas cars, such as a 2008 Honda Civic, are still widely available. You can even get an Apple CarPlay screen added to any older car. Yet I’m worried that as automakers keep iterating on their designs and the inner workings become increasingly reliant on technology, cars will follow after smartphones and laptops and be forced to become e-waste in the coming years. We must upgrade our vehicles; otherwise, we won’t get important safety/software updates. In the past, customers who have upgraded their cars can sell their old ones as used. That won’t be possible if software limitations make the used vehicle unsafe to drive due to an inability to update.

I’m concerned for a future where a decade-old car in perfect mechanical condition might be unsafe to drive due to a lack of software support.