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Electric Vehicle Series

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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 Vehicle Series

Electric vehicle fires: How worried should we really be?

Dec 02, 2024 05:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Electric vehicles (EVs) bring not just environmental promise, but also raise critical safety questions chief among them, the fire risks posed by their lithium-ion batteries. While indispensable for powering EVs, these...

Electric Vehicle Series

You will soon be able to power your house with your electric car. Here’s how

Nov 13, 2024 08:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

This year, dozens of new models of electric vehicles have hit the Australian market and more are coming. New models of battery electric and plug-in hybrids come with bigger batteries. The average battery electric now has...

Electric Vehicle Series

Electric vehicles in Africa: what’s needed to grow the sector

Nov 09, 2024 06:20 am UTC| Business Insights & Views

In sub-Saharan Africa, high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution from vehicle tailpipe emissions cause poor health, developmental stunting, and even death. Vehicle emissions also contribute to global...

Electric Vehicle Series

Electric vehicles are usually safer for their occupants – but not necessarily for everyone else

May 01, 2024 03:43 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

The future of automobiles is electric, but many people worry about the safety of todays electric vehicles. Public opinion about EV crash safety often hinges on a few high-profile fire incidents. Those safety concerns...

Electric Vehicle Series

Why surging sales of large electric vehicles raises environmental red flags

Nov 07, 2023 09:00 am UTC| Business

Electric cars are getting bigger and heavier. In 2019, 30% of the electric vehicle (EV) models available worldwide were sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Fast forward to 2022 and that figure stood at 40% equivalent to...

Electric Vehicle Series

Will drivers who paid Victoria's electric vehicle tax be able to get their money back?

Oct 25, 2023 05:32 am UTC| Business

Electric vehicle owners in Victoria couldnt be blamed for wondering if they might get their money back after the High Court found the states zero and low-emission vehicle road-user charge to be unconstitutional. The...

Electric Vehicle Series

The High Court of Australia's decision on electric vehicles will make charging for road use very difficult

Oct 24, 2023 09:22 am UTC| Law Business

The High Court of Australias decision to invalidate Victorias electric vehicle tax has been widely noted as a major judgement in the history of federal-state taxation powers. In 2021, Victoria introduced a 2.5 cents per...

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Economy

China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices

Chinas central bank has continued to strengthen its gold reserves, extending its buying streak to a 15th consecutive month in January, according to the latest data released by the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC). The move...

Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal

President Donald Trump has signed a landmark executive order removing the 25% penalty tariff on Indian goods, signaling a major shift in U.S.India trade relations and global geopolitical alignment. The move functions as...

Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that could impose tariffs of up to 25% on countries that continue to do business with Iran, marking a significant escalation in Washingtons pressure campaign...

U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains

The United States and India have taken a significant step toward a long-anticipated bilateral trade agreement by releasing an interim trade framework aimed at lowering tariffs, reshaping energy ties, and strengthening...

Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility

U.S. stocks surged on Friday, posting their strongest session since May 2025, as investors regained confidence following a turbulent week marked by sharp losses in technology shares and uncertainty around the artificial...

Politics

Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Threat Against Vice President JD Vance, Faces Additional Federal Charges

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 33-year-old Ohio man accused of threatening to kill U.S. Vice President JD Vance during the vice presidents visit to the Ohio region in January, according to the...

New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients

New York has officially joined a growing number of U.S. states allowing medical aid in dying after Governor Kathy Hochul signed landmark legislation into law on Friday. The new New York medical aid in dying law permits...

Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that very good talks are ongoing regarding Russias war in Ukraine, signaling potential movement in long-running diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Speaking briefly to...

China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit

China has issued a strong warning to the United States, signaling that any additional arms sales to Taiwan could seriously jeopardize U.S. President Donald Trumps planned visit to China in April. According to a report...

Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation permitting commercial fishing in a previously restricted marine protected area off the coast of New England, a move that has sparked renewed debate over ocean...

Science

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....