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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

Hydrogen cars won't overtake electric vehicles because they're hampered by the laws of science

Jun 03, 2020 14:35 pm UTC| Science

Hydrogen has long been touted as the future for passenger cars. The hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which simply runs on pressurised hydrogen from a fuelling station, produces zero carbon emissions from its...

Electric Vehicle Series

Wrong way, go back: a proposed new tax on electric vehicles is a bad idea

Dec 24, 2019 08:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

In recent years, false claims have circulated that electric vehicles are breaking our roads because they dont use fuel and so their drivers dont pay fuel excise. Heeding such concerns, both the Victorian and New South...

Electric Vehicle Series

Love it or hate it, Tesla's Cybertruck is revolutionary

Dec 04, 2019 11:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

With a collective gasp and puzzled looks, the world was recently introduced to Teslas newest vehicle. The so-called Cybertruck is an angular, stainless steel, all-electric pickup truck that quickly became...

Electric Vehicle Series

Sweden's new road powers electric vehicles – what's the environmental impact?

Apr 21, 2018 16:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Sweden has built the first smart road that will allow electric vehicles to charge as they drive. The eRoadArlanda pilot scheme, which covers two kilometres of road outside Stockholm, is an attempt to solve one of the...

Electric Vehicle Series

Why don't electric cars look like the future?

Jan 09, 2018 15:34 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Electric cars were supposed to be the future or at least look like it. So now theyre here, why do they still look like ordinary petrol and diesel cars and not dazzling props from a science fiction film. Before they hit...

Electric Vehicle Series

End of the road for traditional vehicles? Here are the facts

Oct 10, 2017 13:32 pm UTC| Insights & Views

New sales of petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2040 in the UK, which has since been joined by France. Sweden and Scotland will impose the ban by 2032, and Norway by 2025. Coupled with increasing concern over the...

Electric Vehicle Series

Jobs, tax and politics: three ways electric vehicles will change our world

Oct 06, 2017 00:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Economy

China, the worlds largest car market, is working on a timetable to stop the production and sale of vehicles powered by fossil fuels. India has declared its intention to make all new vehicles electric by 2030. Like...

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Economy

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Oil Prices Rise as Gulf Hurricane and Middle East Supply Risks Mount

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US-Led Coalition Targets Global Factory Overcapacity

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Mike Rogers Calls for End to US-Canada Tariff War

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Bangladesh GDP Growth Accelerates to 4.6% on Industrial Rebound

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Politics

US Pressures Allies to Distance From Anti-Disinformation Conference

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Hegseth Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew After Record Iran War Deployment

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday as the aircraft carrier completed an extended wartime deployment marked by intense combat operations and concerns over crew...

Tsai Warns of China’s Sustained Pressure on Taiwan

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Trump Backs Florida Golf Course as Presidential Retreat

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Saudi Airport Attacks Kill Three as Yemen Fighting Escalates

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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

Tencent Shares Fall as $5 Billion AI Bond Sale Weighed

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Elon Musk Accuses Indian Telecom Giants of Blocking Starlink Launch

Elon Musk has accused powerful telecommunications companies in India of obstructing SpaceXs Starlink satellite internet launch, raising concerns about competition and regulatory barriers in one of the worlds largest...

Solidigm Taps Goldman, Morgan Stanley for $10 Billion US IPO

SK hynixs U.S. flash-memory subsidiary Solidigm has reportedly selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters for a planned initial public offering that could raise around $10 billion. Bloomberg News...

Samsung Q3 Profit Hits Record High on AI Memory Demand

Samsung Electronics forecast its strongest-ever third-quarter operating profit as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to fuel sales of advanced memory chips, although earnings landed slightly below the higher...

Broadcom, Oracle and SpaceX Seek Billions in Private Debt for AI Expansion

Major artificial intelligence companies are increasingly turning to private debt markets to finance tens of billions of dollars in AI chips and data center infrastructure, as traditional funding sources struggle to keep...
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