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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

Self-driving cars are poorly prepared for high-risk road situations – here’s how AI can improve them

Feb 17, 2026 13:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Self-driving cars have made impressive progress. They can follow lanes, keep their distance, and navigate familiar routes with ease. However, despite years of development, they still struggle with one critical problem: the...

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...

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Economy

Deutsche Bank Says Fed Balance Sheet Cuts Could Weaken US Dollar Instead of Boosting It

Deutsche Bank believes the U.S. dollar could come under pressure if the Federal Reserve chooses to tighten monetary policy primarily by shrinking its balance sheet rather than raising interest rates. The view comes as the...

Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, Raising Supply Fears

Oil prices climbed sharply in early Asian trading on Monday as escalating military exchanges between the United States and Iran intensified concerns over potential disruptions to global crude supplies, particularly through...

Asian Markets Cautious as Oil Tops $90, AI Earnings and Fed Rate Fears Weigh on Sentiment

Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Monday as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $90 per barrel, fueling inflation concerns and raising expectations that major central banks could keep...

Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Selloff, Iran Tensions Weigh on Tech Stocks

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Friday, ending a two-week winning streak as investors sold technology shares amid a continued pullback in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and renewed concerns over inflation...

Brent Oil Jumps 16% for Best Week Since April as US-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears

Global oil prices posted their strongest weekly gains in months on Friday as the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over global crude supply and shipping disruptions through the...

Politics

US Service Member Killed During Explosive Disposal of Downed Iranian Drone in Iraq

A U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq on Saturday while taking part in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone, according to a statement released by U.S....

JD Vance and Wife Usha Welcome Fourth Child, Son Alec Neel Vance

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, have welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy named Alec Neel Vance. Vance announced the news on Sunday through a post on X, sharing that Alec was born at Walter Reed...

Russian Strike on Cargo Ship Off Odesa Kills Five Crew as Black Sea Attacks Escalate

A Russian strike on an international cargo vessel in the Black Sea off Ukraines southern port city of Odesa killed at least five crew members on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials, marking another deadly attack on...

US-Iran Conflict Escalates as US Completes Eighth Night of Strikes, Regional Tensions Rise

The United States completed its eighth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, intensifying a conflict that has reignited after a month-old interim ceasefire collapsed. The latest military action follows deadly...

South Korea’s Coupang Fine Sparks U.S. Criticism, Raising Concerns Over Bilateral Ties

South Koreas decision to impose a hefty fine on e-commerce giant Coupang over a major data leak has drawn criticism from Washington, fueling concerns that the dispute is affecting broader U.S.-South Korea relations....

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Bank of America Says These Overlooked AI Stocks Could Be the Next Winners

While semiconductor companies, AI hardware makers, and the Magnificent Seven have dominated the artificial intelligence rally, Bank of America believes the next phase of AI-driven gains could come from less obvious...

Foxconn Wins First SpaceX AI Server Contract Worth Estimated $52 Billion

Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, has reportedly secured its first contract to manufacture artificial intelligence (AI) servers for Elon Musks SpaceX, marking a major expansion of its AI...

SpaceX Targets Thursday Launch for Starship's 13th Test Flight After Last-Minute Delay

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) plans to launch the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket as early as Thursday, following the cancellation of a previous launch attempt just minutes before liftoff due to engine startup issues. The...

TSMC Sees Multi-Year AI Chip Demand as Arizona Expansion Reaches $265 Billion

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) expects strong long-term demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips as it accelerates its U.S. expansion, committing a total of $265 billion to its Arizona operations. The...

Nationwide Data Center Protests Highlight Growing Backlash Against AI Expansion

Opposition to the rapid expansion of AI data centers spread across the United States on Saturday as activists staged 142 protests in 42 states, marking the first coordinated nationwide demonstration against the industrys...