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by Leticia PINEDA Agence France Presse SANTA CLARA, Cuba (AFP) — There is a new sight on the streets of Havana: increasing numbers of electric vehicles whizzing among the old American cars so emblematic of the Cuban capital. As fuel shortages and US sanctions take their toll, and even though electricity generation can be spotty, Cubans are turning to smaller, cheaper, plug-in alternatives. “Gasoline? Imagine. After 50 years battling to get hold of it, […]
China will end subsidies for electric and hybrid cars at the end of the year, authorities have announced, saying the strength of sales in the sector meant state support was no longer needed. In a statement published Friday, the Ministry of Finance said purchase subsidies would be reduced by 30 percent from the beginning of 2022 before being scrapped completely by the end of the year. “Given the growth of the industry for vehicles with […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – General Motors plans to launch in 2023 a premium model that would enable hands-free operation in 95 percent of driving scenarios, the US auto giant announced Wednesday. The technology, called “Ultra Cruise,” is a centerpiece of a newly unveiled plan that the Detroit company says will enable it to double annual revenues by 2030. “The vehicle has become a software platform,” Chief Executive Mary Barra said at a briefing […]
by Taimaz SZIRNIKS Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Demand for electric vehicles soared in the EU last year as buyers took advantage of government subsidies for clean cars aimed at helping manufacturers weather the unprecedented hit from the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said Thursday. Some 538,772 fully electric autos were sold across the bloc, up 117 percent from 2019, while sales of plug-in hybrids more than tripled, to 507,059 from […]
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German high-end carmaker BMW aims to slash the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by its cars sold in Europe this year by 20 percent, its chief executive said Wednesday. The pledge comes as new European Union regulations bite this year, requiring carmakers to sharply reduce fleet-wide emissions on pain of massive fines. “We will achieve an improvement of 20 percent in Europe this year alone” compared with 2019, CEO […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The big reveal of Tesla’s electric pick-up went embarrassingly wrong when the supposedly impact-proof windows smashed, leaving a flustered Elon Musk to flounder through the rest of his presentation in front of a badly damaged vehicle. The Tesla co-founder unveiled the all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck in California on Thursday, daring staff to hit the vehicle with sledgehammers and showing a video of it withstanding bullets shot from a 9mm […]
Frankfurt am Main, Germany (AFP) — The growing use of electrified vehicles is expected to cost Germany’s crucial car sector some 75,000 jobs by 2030, a study found Tuesday, with smaller auto parts suppliers set to be worst hit. The IG Metall union, which commissioned the study along with BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler and a string of car parts makers, said the pivot towards cleaner engines posed a “major challenge” to Germany’s biggest industry, which […]
TORONTO, Canada (Reuters) — Autonomous wheelchair technology that could be retrofitted to any existing electric wheelchair for less than $1,000 USD has been developed by Canadian firm Cyberworks Robotics, Inc and researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T). The technology combines inexpensive off-the-shelf sensors and artificial intelligence. Electric wheelchairs have been around for more than 60 years but their fundamental technology has changed little. “Conventional electric powered wheelchairs use joysticks for their control […]
PARIS, France (Reuters) — Frenchman Fabrice Gropaiz completed his tour of France on an electric skate on Saturday (July 29), ending his challenge on the streets of Paris. Roughly 20 years after setting a record for the first world tour on roller skates, Gropaiz challenged himself to tour Fance on an electric skateboard, in preparation for his next around-the-world journey. Public-relations specialist Gropaiz became the first person to successfully rollerblade around the world when he […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Japanese electronic musical instrument maker Roland which defined much of the sound of 1980s pop, has died aged 87. Kakehashi, who won a technical Grammy, passed away on Saturday, according to digital musical instrument manufacturer ATV, which he established in 2013. An ATV official said details were being withheld until after Kakehashi’s funeral at his family’s request. Kakehashi founded Roland in 1972 after running an electronic appliance […]
