Q U I C K T A K E : T H E 2 0 2 3 B M W i X A N D B M W i7 ■ The i7 driver's area is a technological showcase. ■ The i7 has a presence that is both regal and perhaps polarizing at the same time. infrastructure, expanding the power grid to support the charging of electric vehicles, or how to handle the eventual disposal of these vehicles. There is a growing fear by the automotive industry that it will take just one " Hindenburg 34 like " incident following a vehicle collision that will scare the market away from such products. Change is hard. And it's fitting that both the i7 and the iX were photographed with an F-16 Fighting Falcon in the background. The F-16 was the first fighter to use a " fly-by-wire " control system. Unlike conventional controls, it didn't have any direct mechanical connection between the stick and the control surfaces. The F-16 instead used electronic sensors to read the pilot's stick inputs and then transmitted that- with computer interpretation-to hydraulic actuators that moved the control surfaces appropriately. While the intent was to design a " fault tolerant " control system, the aerodynamically unstable design of the fighter required its development and use. While proven to be an engineering success, initially pilots did NOT like it because the " stick " didn't move. So the engineers redesigned the " stick " to provide some movement. So, the jury is still out as to whether EVs will be a niche or volume market. However, owning one will continue to be a personal choice. If you live in an area and have a lifestyle where driving an electric vehicle is practical, then do it - let the politicians and environmentalists squirm as they are forced to figure out how to expand the power grid without increasing our carbon footprint. derBayerische