Menu

Search

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

Elon Musk Sees Fully Autonomous Tesla Vehicles In 2 Years

Dec 24, 2015 05:20 am UTC| Technology

Tesla Motors, the American electric car manufacturer, released its new software version 7.0 in October that enables autopilot feature. The software employs a variety of tools a forward radar, a forward-looking camera, 12...

Electric Car Series

Apple Maintains More Secrecy Than CIA On Electric Car Project

Dec 23, 2015 05:31 am UTC| Technology

Rumors about Apples electric car project, codenamed Titan, are constantly in the media circles. Although the tech company hasnt confirmed anything yet, reports suggest that the project has a shipping date of 2019. The...

Electric Car Series

Finally, interesting uses for the blockchain that go beyond bitcoin

Dec 05, 2015 05:02 am UTC| Insights & Views

Most people who have heard the term think that the blockchain is only something to do with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, doguecoin and others. Its the technology that underpins digital currencies and ensures...

Electric Car Series

For Tesla Safety Comes First, Recalls 90,000 Model S Vehicles For Seatbelt Inspection

Nov 24, 2015 07:29 am UTC| Business

Tesla, the electric car maker, last week took a proactive step by recalling 90,000 vehicles of the Model S after finding a Model S in Europe with a faulty front seatbelt. Describing the problem with seatbelts, Tesla...

Electric Car Series

Fitch: Strong US Auto Sales Continue but Industry Risks Remain

Nov 04, 2015 22:36 pm UTC| Research & Analysis

Auto sales continue to be strong in the U.S., but numerous industry risks pose ongoing challenges, according to Fitch Ratings. Weak market conditions in a number of regions outside the U.S., labor contract negotiations in...

Electric Car Series

General Motors Announces Alliance With LG, To Challenge Tesla Motors

Oct 21, 2015 19:01 pm UTC| Business

Is there a new player in the electric automobile industry? It appears so, if we based it on General Motors announcement of its strategic alliance with Korean company LG on Tuesday. According to ValueWalk, the veteran...

Electric Car Series

Tesla Model S Sedan - ‘Best Performing’ But Not ‘Reliable’

Oct 21, 2015 05:25 am UTC| Technology

Heres some bad news for the luxury electric car maker Tesla. On the basis of Annual Auto Reliability Survey, Consumer Reports said that it would not recommend Tesla Model S and it forecasts that owning the said variant is...

  11 12 13 14 

Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Why is the London Stock Exchange losing out to the US

London Stock Exchange (LSE), which can trace its heritage to the coffee houses of the 17th century, is failing. The volume of shares traded is sharply declining, and some UK companies are swiftly moving to the US...

Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back

One year ago, Germany took its last three nuclear power stations offline. When it comes to energy, few events have baffled outsiders more. In the face of climate change, calls to expedite the transition away from fossil...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Joe Biden Proposes Record 44.6% Capital Gains Tax in Latest Budget Plan That May Favor Cryptocurrencies

President Joe Biden has proposed raising the capital gains tax to an unprecedented 44.6% in a bold fiscal move, targeting the wealthiest Americans. This hike is part of his 2025 budget proposal to reduce income...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

KT Innovates Media, Content Business Through AI

KT Group is transforming its media and content business through artificial intelligence (AI). The company is innovating the mentioned units as part of its acceleration strategy. According to Yonhap News Agency, KT said...

Musk Engages China: Baidu’s Data Deal and High-Stakes Hotel Meet with CATL

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is making headlines with a double play in China: securing critical navigation data from Baidu and engaging in strategic talks with CATL. These moves underline Teslas push to lead in global tech and...

Elon Musk Injects $10 Billion Into Tesla AI, Eyes Autonomous Robotaxi

Elon Musk has declared a monumental $10 billion investment in Teslas artificial intelligence, setting the stage for advanced autonomous driving and a potential Robotaxi service. Tesla to Invest $10 Billion in AI for...

OpenAI and Worldcoin Eye Strategic Partnership Amid Regulatory Gaze

Amid escalating regulatory scrutiny, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is reportedly discussing a potential partnership with Worldcoin, another venture Altman co-founded. As detailed by Bloomberg, these talks could lead to...
  • Market Data
Close

Welcome to EconoTimes

Sign up for daily updates for the most important
stories unfolding in the global economy.