BMW’s i7 electric sedan is getting a performance upgrade from the masterminds at BMW M. The up- to-660-horsepower BMW i7 M70 xDrive is setting new internal records as its fastest, most powerful EV model yet.
Last April, the German luxury automaker released its first fully electric 7 series, the i7, with over 300 miles range and top-of-the-line luxury features, including an impressive 31-inch “theatre screen,” massaging seats, a panoramic sunroof, and more.
After rolling out in Europe and China, BMW’s electric sedan landed at US dealerships in the fourth quarter last year.
After delivering nearly 65,000 fully electric vehicles in the first three months of 2023, the BMW Group (including MINI) doubled EV sales (+112.4%) again while many EV makers have struggled.
The i7 has been a hot seller in China and is expected to be a “main growth driver” alongside its other premium models.
Although BMW’s CEO has confirmed there will be lower-priced electric models in the automaker’s lineup, the i70 M70 performance EV will not be one of them, being the automaker’s most powerful electric vehicle with up to 660 hp.
BMW i7 M70 xDrive (Source: BMW)
BMW releases its fastest fully electric vehicle yet
It’s official. The BMW i7 is getting an M performance upgrade. The i7 M70 xDrive will be the third and most powerful EV from BMW M.
With a dual electric motor, all-wheel-drive (AWD) system delivering up to 811 lb-ft (1,100 Nm) of torque and 660 horsepower, the BMW i7 M70 is the fastest, most powerful EV ever produced.
The big-body BMW can pick up quickly, with 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100km/h) capabilities in as little as 3.7 seconds when M launch mode or M sport boost function is enabled.
M sport mode enables performance-specific graphics and BMW Iconic Sounds Electric, an “M Performance specific note.” Sport mode further intensifies the experience with additional sounds.
BMW i7 M70 xDrive (Source: BMW)
Powered by two e-motors and the automaker’s fifth-generation eDrive technology, the BMW i7 M70 is a force. The rear axle motor, in particular, has a power density rating of 2.41 kW/kg, making it the most dynamic electric motor in BMW’s portfolio.
With 101.7 kWh of usable energy from the battery, the i7 M70 electric sedan has long-range capabilities of between 303 to 348 WLTP miles (488 to 560 km).
The performance i7 comes with a max range mode, increasing range by roughly 15% to 25%. However, the EVs top speed is limited to 56 mph (90km/h), and climate control will be deactivated.
For the first time, the BMW i7 M70 will come with a unique illuminated kidney iconic glow around the grille. The EV will also include M-specific design features along the flanks, at the rear, and in the interior.
The i7 M70 will be among the brand’s first models to include the updated BMW operating system 8.5 offering a newly designed home screen and quick select functions.
For BMW performance fans, the automaker has confirmed it will include a fully electric performance series 5 sedan. The i5 is set to launch in October, followed by the M performance version.
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ChargePoint is rolling out a new program called “Safeguard Care” to ensure its EV chargers stay online. The service proactively sends trained technicians into the field to routinely check ChargePoint stations – before things go wrong.
These technicians inspect the chargers, clean them, repair what they can on-site, and run a test charge to ensure everything works before they leave. If they come across something they can’t fix, the issue gets escalated to ChargePoint’s support team for follow-up.
“As the original manufacturer of the chargers, we are able to ensure the highest standards of service and support,” said JD Singh, ChargePoint’s chief customer experience officer. “With Safeguard Care, ChargePoint is giving station owners and EV drivers peace of mind knowing that chargers will be in pristine working order.”
The service, which is starting in five launch markets across the US (ChargePoint hasn’t said which ones, and I’ll update if it answers me), is in addition to ChargePoint Assure, its existing hardware and software monitoring system. It benefits high-traffic charging sites like parking garages, office buildings, and public charging hubs, especially ones that don’t have a dedicated on-site maintenance crew.
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This move is part of ChargePoint’s broader effort to make public EV charging more reliable. In recent months, the company has introduced anti-vandalism upgrades and more proactive monitoring tools. But Safeguard Care marks an interesting shift toward proactive, rather than reactive, boots-on-the-ground support. Technicians usually aren’t dispatched until the EV charger software sends a notification to support that something’s gone wrong. I’ll be curious to see if this new in-person approach makes a difference with EV charger reliability.
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PayPalreported better-than-expected results for the second quarter and raised its full-year guidance for transaction margin dollars and earnings per share. The stock slipped more than 4% following the report.
Here’s how the company did compared with Wall Street estimates, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.40 adjusted vs. $1.30 expected
Revenue: $8.29 billion vs. $8.08 billion expected
Sales increased 5% from $7.89 billion a year earlier, as CEO Alex Chriss worked to roll off lower-margin revenue streams.
Transaction margin dollars, a key measure of profitability, rose 7% to $3.84 billion, marking the company’s sixth straight quarter of growth.
Growth in that metric slowed sequentially, down from 8% in the first quarter when excluding a one-time benefit that boosted results earlier this year. Branded checkout volumes also slowed to 5%, compared with 6% in the first quarter when adjusted for Leap Day.
Total payment volume, an indication of how digital payments are faring in the broader economy, beat estimates, coming in at $443.6 billion, compared with the $433.6 billion analysts had projected, according to StreetAccount. The number of active accounts rose 2% to 438 million, versus expectations of 437.8 million.
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PayPal shares are nearly 10% lower so far this year.
PayPal shares have fallen 8.4% for the year, as of Monday’s close, while the Nasdaq is up about 10% in 2025.
Venmo revenue grew more than 20% from a year earlier, following a 20% jump in the first quarter, though the company didn’t provide a dollar figure. Total payment volume for Venmo increased 12%, its highest growth rate in three years.
Chriss has focused on better monetizing key acquisitions such as Braintree and Venmo. DoorDash,Starbucksand Ticketmaster are among businesses now accepting Venmo as one way consumers can pay.
“We delivered another quarter of profitable growth, driven by continued strength across many of our strategic initiatives ranging from PayPal and Venmo branded experiences” to acting as payment service provider and other services, Chriss said in the statement.
For the third quarter, PayPal forecast adjusted earnings per share of $1.18 to $1.22, compared with the average analyst estimate of $1.20. Transaction margin dollars are expected to increase 4% to between $3.76 billion and $3.82 billion, the company said.
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Ahead of PayPal’s earnings, some analysts had struck a cautiously optimistic tone. Goldman Sachs noted that branded checkout growth was likely to improve sequentially to around 6%, up from 4% in the first quarter.
Morgan Stanley pointed to stronger e-commerce data and progress on PayPal’s checkout initiatives. Advanced integrations are now live at 45% of U.S. merchants, up from 30% in December, and are expected to help branded checkout volumes reaccelerate. The bank also flagged ongoing momentum in Braintree volumes.
PayPal now expects full-year adjusted earnings per share of $5.15 to $5.30, up from its prior forecast of $4.95 to $5.10. While third-quarter guidance is roughly inline with expectations, the updated outlook implies a stronger fourth quarter. The company also projects free cash flow of $6 billion to $7 billion for the year.
Electric bikes are booming in popularity in just about every demographic in the US. From teens riding to school all the way to elderly folks getting back on a bicycle for the first time in years, electric bikes are becoming ubiquitous. But as speeds and power levels have increased, Connecticut is responding with new laws.
Westport Police Lt. Serenity Dobson recently spoke to CTInsider about the phenomenon of more teens riding their e-bikes to school instead of being driven by their parents. “The whole entire bike rack is filled with these bikes that look like electric dirt bikes.”
Moped-style e-bikes have become increasingly popular with teens, with companies like Super73 ushering in a new wave of electric bikes with design cues borrowed from classic mopeds of decades past.
But Dobson says that these e-bikes are too easily modifiable, increasing speed and motor power past acceptable limits.
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“These bikes come stock at 30 mph, but you can cut the controller, and so then they can go 60, 70 mph, and the kids know how to do this,” Dobson said, adding that there has been a “huge increase in middle school-aged kids” riding e-bikes, particularly in the summer when school is out. “There are a lot of YouTube videos where it can show you how easy it is for someone to modify it.”
It’s not clear that such speeds are actually capable on stock parts from nearly any electric bicycle, and legal electric bikes are not capable of exceeding either 20 or 28 mph, depending on their classification, but Dobson may be referring to Sur Ron-style electric motorbikes, which are off-road electric motorcycles that look like small dirt bikes.
Connecticut already uses the common three-class system that codifies legal e-bikes as up to 20 mph (32 km/h) and 750W (one horsepower) for Class 1 and 2, or up to 28 mph (45 km/h) for Class 3 e-bikes.
But now the state is updating its e-bike laws, adding that any e-bike with over 750W of power will be considered a “motor-driven cycle” and require a driver’s license. Over 3,500W? That will be considered a motorcycle and require a motorcycle endorsement to legally ride, as well as registration and insurance like a motorcycle.
The new laws are expected to come into effect in October.
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