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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

Asian Stocks Slide Ahead of Nvidia Earnings as Tech Shares Tumble

Asian stock markets declined sharply on Wednesday as investors pulled back from technology and semiconductor stocks ahead of Nvidias highly anticipated quarterly earnings report. The cautious mood followed another weak...

Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Dollar Holds Near Six-Week High Amid Iran War Concerns

Asian currencies traded within a narrow range on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar remained close to a six-week high, supported by growing expectations of another Federal Reserve rate hike and ongoing uncertainty surrounding...

Rubio to Push NATO Defense Spending, Strengthen India Ties During Key Diplomatic Tour

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Sweden and India this week for high-level diplomatic talks focused on NATO defense spending, regional security, trade cooperation, and energy stability. The trip comes as...

Fed’s Anna Paulson Signals Rates Could Stay Higher Longer Amid Inflation Risks

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Anna Paulson said Tuesday that financial markets are right to consider the possibility of future U.S. interest rate hikes as inflation pressures continue to linger. Speaking...

Nvidia Earnings in Focus as U.S. Stock Futures Hold Steady Amid Rising Treasury Yields

U.S. stock futures traded mostly flat Tuesday night as investors turned cautious ahead of Nvidias highly anticipated quarterly earnings report. Concerns over rising Treasury yields, stubborn inflation, and geopolitical...

Politics

Georgia GOP Senate Primary Heads to Runoff as Collins and Dooley Advance

Georgias Republican Senate primary will move to a runoff after U.S. Representative Mike Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley emerged as the top candidates in Tuesdays election. With about 80% of votes...

US Expands Criminal Investigation Into Nicolas Maduro With New Florida Probe

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly pursuing a second criminal investigation into former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, increasing the likelihood that he could face additional federal charges in the United...

Kast Reshuffles Cabinet as Chile Pushes Tougher Security Agenda

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast has announced major cabinet changes as his administration intensifies its focus on public security, migration control, and economic reform. The reshuffle comes just two months after Kast...

UK Diplomat James Roscoe Leaves Washington Embassy Role Amid Leadership Changes

James Roscoe, Britains second most senior diplomat in Washington, has stepped down from his position at the British Embassy in the United States, according to a statement released by the UK Foreign Office on Wednesday. The...

Venezuela to Release 300 Prisoners Amid Ongoing Human Rights Debate

Venezuelas National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced Tuesday that the government will release 300 prisoners between Monday and Friday, drawing renewed attention to the countrys prison system and human rights...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

SpaceX IPO Nears as Goldman Sachs Set to Lead Historic $75 Billion Offering

Goldman Sachs is expected to secure the prestigious lead-left position for SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. Morgan Stanley will also play a major role...

Blackstone and Google Launch AI Cloud Venture, Pressuring CoreWeave and Nebius Shares

Shares of CoreWeave and Nebius fell nearly 4.5% on Tuesday after Blackstone and Google announced a major joint venture focused on building a new artificial intelligence cloud infrastructure company powered by Googles...

Mistral AI Acquires Emmi AI to Expand Industrial AI Solutions in Europe

French artificial intelligence company Mistral AI has acquired Austrian startup Emmi AI in a strategic move to strengthen its industrial AI capabilities across Europe. The deal, announced Tuesday, highlights the growing...

Tencent Shares Jump 4% as AI Models Move Toward Paid Commercial Services

Tencent Holdings (HK:0700) shares surged more than 4% on Tuesday after the Chinese tech giant announced plans to commercialize several of its artificial intelligence models, signaling a stronger push into monetizing AI...

Analog Devices Nears $1.5B Acquisition of AI Chip Firm Empower Semiconductor

U.S. semiconductor giant Analog Devices is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire AI-focused chipmaker Empower Semiconductor in a deal valued at approximately $1.5 billion in cash, according to a Bloomberg News...