An electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries or another energy storage device. Electric motors give electric cars instant torque, creating strong and smooth acceleration. They are also around three times as efficient as cars with an internal combustion engine. The first electric cars were produced in the 1880s. Since 2008, a renaissance in electric vehicle manufacturing has occurred due to advances in batteries and energy management, concerns about increasing oil prices, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several national and local governments have established tax credits, subsidies, and other incentives to promote the introduction and adoption in the mass market of new electric vehicles depending on battery size and their all-electric range. Electric cars are significantly quieter than conventional internal combustion engine automobiles. They do not emit tailpipe pollutants, giving a large reduction of local air pollution, and, can give a significant reduction in total greenhouse gas and other emissions (dependent on the method used for electricity generation). As of September 2015, there are over 30 models of highway legal all-electric passenger cars and utility vans available for retail sales, mainly in the United States, China, Japan, Western European countries. By mid-September 2015, about 620,000 light-duty electric vehicles have been sold worldwide out of total global sales of one million plug-in electric cars sold since 2008. The world's top selling highway-capable electric car is the Nissan Leaf, released in December 2010 and sold in 46 countries. Global Leaf sales passed the 200,000 unit milestone in December 2015, and the Tesla Model S, released in June 2012, ranks second with over 107,000 units sold worldwide. In this series, we cover stories covering the development of electric vehicles around the world.
Economy 
Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes
Oil prices fell on Friday, ending a two-day rally as traders weighed reports that the United States and Iran were discussing a phased agreement that could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease disruptions to...
Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness
The Japanese yen ended a five-day losing streak on Friday, rebounding from the closely watched 160-per-dollar level after Tokyo disclosed that U.S. President Donald Trump had raised concerns about the currencys weakness...
Politics 
Colombia Extradites FARC Dissident Leader ‘Spider’ to US
Colombia has extradited Geovany Andres Rojas, a senior commander of a dissident faction linked to the former FARC rebel movement, to the United States, where he is wanted on drug-trafficking charges. Rojas, widely known by...
Putin Says Ukraine Peace Proposals Remain on Table
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that proposals aimed at ending the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine remain under consideration, although Moscow must determine which options best serve Russias interests. Speaking to...
Iran Rejects Nuclear Concessions in Hormuz Deal
Iran will not compromise on its nuclear rights even if the United States accepts Tehrans proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring major obstacles to ending the...
Technology 
AMD Hits $1 Trillion as BofA Raises Price Target to $720
Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) has joined the $1 trillion market capitalization club, and BofA Securities believes the semiconductor giant has room to climb further as artificial intelligence drives stronger demand...
US Appeals Court Upholds Anthropic AI Supply Chain Ban
A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the Department of Wars decision to exclude Anthropic from its supply chain, handing the Trump administration a significant victory in a closely watched dispute over military use of...
DaVoice Sues Perplexity AI Over Trade Secrets
AI technology startup DaVoice has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI in California federal court, accusing the artificial intelligence company of misappropriating trade secrets connected to wake word technology used in...