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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.

Electric Car Series

How electric vehicle batteries could save the UK auto industry

May 29, 2023 05:31 am UTC| Technology

The UK may have lost Eurovision this year, but it recently beat European rivals for an arguably more valuable prize. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is expected to build a multi-billion-pound electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in...

Electric Car Series

Boosting EV market share to 67% of US car sales is a huge leap – but automakers can meet EPA's tough new standards

Apr 14, 2023 14:11 pm UTC| Business

One big question keeps surfacing after the Biden administration announced plans to raise auto standards so sharply they would likely boost electric vehicle production to 67% of all new passenger vehicle sales in under a...

Electric Car Series

Electric utes can now power the weekend – and the work week

Feb 14, 2023 13:13 pm UTC| Business

Four years ago, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison famously claimed electric vehicles (EVs) would end the weekend. Its not going to tow your trailer. Its not going to tow your boat. Its not going to get you out to your...

Electric Car Series

Electric vehicles are now trending. But where can we charge them?

Feb 06, 2023 05:05 am UTC| Business

Canada is on the road to transformation in mobility. The federal government recently announced its zero-emission vehicle sales target, which requires all light-duty passenger vehicles sold by 2035 to be...

Electric Car Series

Let buyers jump the queue for electric cars by importing them directly

Jan 24, 2023 10:22 am UTC| Business

If Australia is to decarbonise our energy system by 2050, we need to start the transition to electric vehicles very soon. Cars sold in the 2030s will mostly still be on the road in 2050, so we have to make sure most of...

Electric Car Series

Britishvolt: more evidence UK is falling far behind in race to capture growing EV market

Jan 24, 2023 07:51 am UTC| Technology

Britishvolt, the would-be electric vehicle (EV) battery maker that recently went into administration, always faced an uphill struggle. The start-up had no track record developing technology and never confirmed how it would...

Electric Car Series

Exclusive. Top economists call for budget measures to speed the switch to electric cars

Jun 20, 2021 12:05 pm UTC| Economy

Australias top economists overwhelmingly back government measures to speed the transition to electric cars in order to meet emission reduction targets. An exclusive poll of 62 of Australias preeminent economists ...

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Economy

Rotting sargassum is choking the Caribbean’s white sand beaches, fueling an economic and public health crisis

The Caribbeans sandy beaches, clear turquoise water and vibrant coral reefs filled with an amazing variety of sea creatures have long been the pride of the islands. The big three sun, sea and sand have made this...

Sierra Leone’s bushmeat markets pose serious health hazards – we studied two for six months to find solutions

You are walking through the bustling centre of Bo, Sierra Leones third largest city. Following the crowd, you turn off the main road onto a narrower thoroughfare and find yourself in an open-air market. Shelters...

Africa doesn’t have a choice between economic growth and protecting the environment: how they can go hand in hand

Heathrow Airport in the UK currently uses more energy than the entire west African country of Sierra Leone. Despite Africa accounting for less than 4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, many of its countries face...

Spare us the talk about a wages explosion. There’s nothing wrong with lifting Australia’s lowest wages in line with inflation

What is it with the Coalition and wages? When, in the final days of the 2022 election campaign, the then opposition leader Anthony Albanese backed an increase in award wages to keep pace with inflation, his opposite...

Net zero is not just good science – it’s also a good deal for ordinary people

As the UK moves into a general election, a misinformed debate over the countrys climate transition and legally binding net zero targets risks further dividing people. Much of this debate in the UK focuses on the cost of...

Politics

Unmarred by Russian spying scandal, Austria’s far-right expected to cruise to victory in European elections

For the Freedom Party of Austria (FP), the weeks are going by like clockwork. The far-right party continues to top the polls. It is expected to clinch a comfortable victory in the European elections on 9 June with almost...

Indian election: Narendra Modi hasn’t delivered the expected landslide – where the BJP may have gone wrong

Narendra Modi may have led his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a historic third term, but the landslide victory that many had expected failed to materialise. With half of the 640...

Iran: president’s death has set hardliners jostling for position to replace ageing supreme leader

The death of Irans president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in May plunged Iran into political uncertainly. Raisis death has set off an intense power struggle within the Islamic Republic. Irans consitution...

Modi’s narrow win suggests Indian voters saw through religious rhetoric, opting instead to curtail his political power

Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, had hoped for a landslide victory in the countrys six-week general election the largest display of democracy, by far, in a year of voting around the world. But with results...

Science

Eye exercises to improve sight – is there any science behind them? An ophthalmologist explains why you shouldn’t buy the hype

You may have seen advertisements claiming to eliminate the need for eyeglasses through vision therapy or vision training basically, eye exercises. These exercises include putting pressure on or palming the eye; eye...

The universe’s biggest explosions made some of the elements we are composed of. But there’s another mystery source out there

After its birth in the Big Bang, the universe consisted mainly of hydrogen and a few helium atoms. These are the lightest elements in the periodic table. More-or-less all elements heavier than helium were produced in the...

Engineering cells to broadcast their behavior can help scientists study their inner workings

Waves are ubiquitous in nature and technology. Whether its the rise and fall of ocean tides or the swinging of a clocks pendulum, the predictable rhythms of waves create a signal that is easy to track and distinguish from...

If an asteroid hit Earth and all the humans died, would the dinosaurs come back?

Many, many years ago dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Six-year-old Aga knows that a meteorite wiped them out… but could another meteorite bring them back? You can read a print version of this story...

Ancient DNA from an extinct native duck reveals how far birds flew to make New Zealand home

Ask a bird lover if they have heard of the extinct giant moa or its ancient predator, Haasts eagle, and the answer will likely be yes. The same cant be said of New Zealands extinct, but equally unique, mergansers a group...

Technology

Huawei’s Rumored Tri-Fold Smartphone Faces Advanced Software and Thermal Management Challenges

Huaweis rumored tri-fold smartphone is reportedly facing significant challenges, including software adaptation issues and chipset thermal management problems, potentially delaying its release. Huaweis Tri-Fold...

Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade: Report Identifies Key Risks for 2025 Launch

A recent report by Liquid Collective and Obol highlights significant risks associated with Ethereums Pectra upgrade in 2025, emphasizing the need for client, operator, and cloud diversity to maintain network stability and...

Crypto Community Erupts as Top Analyst Calls Memecoin Investments Gambling

Justin Bons, the founder of Cyber Capital, sparked a revolt in the crypto community by labeling memecoin investments as gambling, igniting heated debates and diverse reactions from enthusiasts. Crypto Community Reacts...

Dogecoin Developer Urges Community to Assess Investment Risks in New Warning

Mishaboar, a key Dogecoin developer, has urged traders to conduct thorough risk assessments before investing in the volatile cryptocurrency, emphasizing responsible investment practices. Dogecoin Developer Mishaboar...
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