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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

U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Investors Await Key Jobs Data; Premarket Movers in Focus

U.S. stock futures edged lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of crucial U.S. unemployment data. Market participants are closely watching the labor market figures for signals on the Federal...

Trump's Hammer on Russian Oil Buyers: 500% Tariffs Loom

President Donald Trump has declared his support for the bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bill that Senators Lindsey Graham (R, SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D, CT) have put forward. Secondary sanctions...

Japanese Chemical Stocks Slide as China Launches Anti-Dumping Probe into Chipmaking Material

Shares of major Japanese chemical manufacturers declined sharply on Thursday after China announced the launch of an anti-dumping investigation into imports of dichlorosilane, a critical material used in semiconductor and...

Trump Proposes $1.5 Trillion U.S. Military Budget for 2027, Fueling Defense Stock Rally and Fiscal Concerns

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants the 2027 U.S. military budget to reach $1.5 trillion, a dramatic increase from the $901 billion defense budget approved by Congress for 2026. The proposal immediately...

Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Dollar Firms Ahead of Key U.S. Jobs Data

Asian currencies traded in a narrow, mostly weaker range on Thursday as the U.S. dollar found modest support ahead of a closely watched U.S. labor market report due later this week. Investors across the foreign exchange...

Politics

Senate Vote Looms on Blocking Trump’s Military Action in Venezuela

The U.S. Senate is preparing for a closely watched vote on a war powers resolution that would prevent President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without explicit congressional...

Greenland Weighs Direct U.S. Talks as Trump Renews Push for Control

Greenlands political debate over independence and its relationship with the United States has intensified after a senior opposition leader called for direct talks with Washington, bypassing Denmark, amid renewed pressure...

Steny Hoyer Announces Retirement, Ending Historic Career in U.S. House

Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer has announced that he will not seek reelection, bringing an end to a distinguished career in the U.S. House of Representatives that has spanned more than four decades. The Washington Post...

Trump to Attend World Economic Forum in Davos with Senior U.S. Officials

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, marking his first in-person appearance at the annual global gathering since returning to the White House for a second...

Chevron Seeks Expanded U.S. License to Boost Venezuelan Oil Exports Amid Sanctions Talks

U.S. oil major Chevron is reportedly in discussions with the U.S. government to expand a crucial license that would allow it to increase crude oil exports from Venezuela, according to sources close to the negotiations. The...

Science

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...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Technology

EU Orders Elon Musk’s X to Preserve Grok AI Data Amid Probe Into Illegal Content

The European Commission has ordered Elon Musks social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to retain all internal documents and data related to its built-in artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, until the end of...

SK Hynix Shares Hit Record High as AI Memory Demand Fuels Semiconductor Rally

Shares of South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix surged to a fresh all-time high on Thursday, reflecting growing investor optimism around booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) memory products and a strengthening...

OpenAI Sets $50 Billion Stock Grant Pool, Boosting Employee Equity and Valuation Outlook

OpenAI has reportedly established a massive $50 billion employee stock grant pool, a move that underscores the companys aggressive strategy to attract, retain, and reward top talent as it continues to scale its artificial...

Ford Targets Level 3 Autonomous Driving by 2028 with New EV Platform and AI Innovations

Ford Motor Company has announced plans to bring Level 3 driver-assistance technology to market by 2028, marking a significant step toward hands-free and eyes-off driving on select highways. The advanced system will allow...

Samsung Forecasts Strong Q4 Profit on AI-Driven Memory Chip Boom

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:005930) surprised markets by forecasting a stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter operating profit, driven by surging global demand for memory chips fueled by artificial intelligence. The...