car

Europe’s passenger car industry, in a revealing map that makes it clear who is the real “engine” of the EU

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Even though it is submerged in a deep crisis of competitivenessIt’s no secret that The automobile industry is one of the driving forces of the European Union. Thus, it is responsible for 8% of its GDP (figures collected by CCOO) and employs 13,000 million people, including direct and indirect jobs. Of course, the EU is large and the distribution of its factories presents enormous divergence. Although there are things that don’t change. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association has an interactive map which is quite good to see what the distribution is like quantitatively, insofar as it shows even the few electric battery plants on the old continent, but if you are more interested in the qualitative and only passenger cars, there is a clearer map: that of World Wide Mobility. And beyond a barrage of concentrated icons that are difficult to distinguishshows in general terms the main brands that are produced or assembled there, production volumes and the percentage they represent of the total. Which countries are the engine of Europe in the automobile industry The data on the map dates back to 2024 and shows a figure of 11.4 million passenger cars manufactured in the European Union, which are essentially concentrated in three states in a non-uniform manner: Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic. World Wide Mobility Germany, 12 points. The leading country in the old continent when it comes to motors is, of course, Germany: it is not only the largest producer by volume with more than four million passenger cars and a 35.7% share, but also the one with the densest network of high-tech factories. Own brands stand out such as Volkswagen and its five factories that include the headquarters in Wolfsburg, BMW with four factories, the three of Mercedes – Benz or the two of Audi, Porsche or Opel (Stellantis). But it also has plants from foreign companies, such as Tesla in Grünheide (Berlin) or the North American Ford in Cologne. Much lower but still outstanding silver is Spainwith a share of 16.4% and almost two million cars assembled in the state. With the high efficiency per flag (in the words of the Spanish Minister of IndustryJordi Hereu), has fewer of its own brands but in exchange it is the nerve center for foreign groups. Thus, in addition to Martorell’s own SEAT/Cupra, legendary highlights include the Volkswagen factory in Landaben in Navarra, Stellantis distributed in three plants, both of which are Renault, Ford in Almussafes, and the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plant in Alava. And be careful because it does not take into account the reactivation of the old Nissan factory for Chery/Ebro EV, already operational. Third place belongs to the Czech Republic with 12.7% and almost 1.5 million passenger cars, which together with Slovakia (fourth with 8.7% and almost a million cars) form “the Detroit of Central Europe“. A bronze achieved thanks to the importance of Škoda and the growing impact of Hyundai and Toyota. In fact, Slovakia It has the highest car production per capita on the planet: over there Large SUVs in the most premium segment are manufactured of the Volkswagen group in its factory in Bratislava, but it also houses manufactures of Kia, Stellantis or Jaguar and Land Rover. Romania and Hungary below demonstrate a reality: the strength of the Central European axis in this industry. France deserves special mentiona country with historically mythical brands that have been relocating production, but which still houses five plants of the Stellantis group and four of Renault, as well as foreign brands such as Fiat. And if we go to luxury, Italy and Sweden appear on the map, with high-end brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg or Volvo, although their figures are lower. In Xataka | There is a Europe that is suffocating to pay for housing and another that lives in peace. And this map shows the differences In Xataka | All the car plants in Europe (including the few battery-electric ones), on a map Cover | World Wide Mobility

The Xiaomi electric car that beat Tesla in sales has been renewed. And he has shattered a resistance record along the way

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Xiaomi’s Xiaomi SU7 has broken a world endurance record and has become the first electric sedan in the world capable of traveling 4,264 kilometers in 24 hours. The previous record was held by another Chinese company. the car. The Xiaomi SU7 renewed just a few weeks ago not only some aesthetic touches: now the engine is the V6s Plus, the same one fitted to the Xiaomi YU7 with the promise of achieving 902km (under CLTC cycle) on a single charge and 670 kilometers of autonomy in 15 minutes. The test. The Chinese brand has just announced that the Xiaomi SU7 Max has just broken a record that until now was held by Xpeng’s P7. 4264 kilometers traveled in 24 hours, within a closed circuit. Why is it important. First of all, this number is the immediate translation of what Xiaomi has achieved with its affordable sedan: shattering the endurance record for electric vehicles. A milestone that places it far above the Xpeng P7. Bringing the circuit test to the practical world, the record comes close to the new SU7 going on sale in China. Xiaomi wants to make it clear that its car is capable of withstanding limits well above those that no user will expose it to on the street. How has he achieved it. For much of the test, the SU7 Max maintained a constant speed of 240 km/h, with a maximum of 265 km/h along CATARC, a 7.8 kilometer oval track. The only stops made were to recharge the vehicle. The engine of this updated SU7 mounts a 101.7 kWH NMC battery, capable of recovering 670 km of autonomy (according to the Chinese CLTC cycle) in just 15 minutes. A V6s Plus engine capable of rotating at 22,000 rpm and extracting a maximum power of 681 HP. Sales success. Xiaomi’s SU7 is an unprecedented success. Being the first car manufactured by the company, it has achieved sell more than the Tesla Model 3, outperform rivals in specifications like him Taycan Turbo in its Ultra version. Still, the company is losing money. 800 million dollars. Ironic as it may seem, Xiaomi lost close to a billion dollars in the first year manufacturing the SU7. The company has placed more than 350,000 cars on the market since the launch of the SU7 but… Between 2021 and 2025, it spent 3.3 billion on the development of both the car and its ecosystem. The figure increased to 4.2 billion in research in 2025. Figures that, as astronomical as they may seem, do not represent a major problem for a company that aspires to become the largest manufacturer of electric cars in the world, above Tesla. Image | Xiaomi In Xataka | Xiaomi’s electric car heads to Europe: the global launch will take place in 2027

a fishing rod and a car with missiles

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The drone war has become a volume war, and that forces Ukraine to find solutions that work not just once, but, if necessary, a hundred times a night: if Russia launches waves of Shaheds and decoy devices to saturate, the response cannot always depend on expensive missiles, heavy radars or scarce systems. The latest inventions are the best example. Creativity without luxury. What is emerging is a “field” air defense, mobile and pragmatic, where the decisive factor is not so much the perfect design but the capacity. to react quicklymove even faster and shoot down enough to keep the sky usable. In this framework, two apparently absurd ideas (a light car armed with missiles guided and an interceptor drone with what seems a fishing rod) are displaying an implacable logic: if the enemy turns the air into a highway of cheap threats, you turn the shootdown into a simple, repeatable and adaptable gesture. A buggy with missiles. The first surprise is a platform that seems more typical of an improvised patrol than an anti-aircraft battery: a light four-wheeled vehicle, an all-terrain buggy type, capable of moving through mud, open fields or roads and launch guided missiles from a rear-mounted dual launcher. Its value is not only in shooting, but in arriving on time: Shaheds fly above 160 km/h and the margin between detecting, positioning and shooting is minimal, so mobility becomes an operational survival condition. Instead of waiting for the drone, this air defense goes out to look for ithe places himself where he should, throws and moves again. That a single endowment has accumulated more than twenty demolitions suggests that, at least in certain sectors and windows, the system is functioning as a “rapid sky closure” tool, a type of anti-aircraft fighter that does not need large infrastructure to produce results. Hellfire on the ground. The most striking technical detail is the type of ammunition: due to its shape, the launcher is reminiscent of American Hellfiresmissiles originally designed for aerial platforms such as helicopters or armed drones, and which in advanced variants can act in “fire and forget” mode thanks to radar guidance. On paper, it is a huge leap compared to emergency solutions such as truck-mounted machine guns, which suffer when the enemy increases altitude, increases numbers and complicates engagement. But here it appears central tension of this war: shooting down a relatively cheap drone with a comparatively expensive missile is, in economic terms, an uncomfortable decision. Still, war is not decided by unit cost alone, but by the ability to prevent the enemy from hitting infrastructure, exhausting defenses, and normalizing damage. In some circumstances, pay more for each demolition may be rational if it avoids strategic impacts or preserves other critical munitions. The “fishing rod” The “fishing rod” in the sky. The second idea looks directly like a trench invention: an interceptor drone equipped with a protruding rod and a hanging thin rope, tensioned by a small weight, which is used to entangle the propellers of enemy quadcopter drones. In practice, the interceptor does not need to explode or land a perfect hit: he just needs to go over it, “comb” the target and let it the thread do the work dirty, turning physics into a weapon. If you like, it is an elegantly brutal response to a modern problem: when electronic warfare evolvesdrones become more resistant to the blockade and the jammingso the mechanics that cannot be “patched” with software gain value again. Tangle a propeller is the most direct way of telling a drone that it doesn’t matter how smart it is: without rotation, it will fall. Antijamming and the tangible. These tactics reflect a deeper adaptation: the battlefield is pushing both sides to combine electronic jamming with physical solutionsbecause the duel between countermeasures and counter-countermeasures no longer guarantees stable results. Nets, ropes, cheap interceptors, controlled crashes, “captures” in flight: everything points to a trend where the shooting down of drones small ones is less like classic air defense and more like a craft accelerated by urgency. Even outside Ukraine they are being tested net throwers integrated into drones or portable devices, but here innovation does not come from laboratories, but from units that need something to work as soon as possible. Two threats, two solutions. Furthermore, the interesting thing is that they do not compete with each other: each system seems optimized for a type of prey different. He missile vehicle points to the large and repetitive problem of fixed-wing Shahed/Geran style drones, fast, persistent, used in mass attacks and sometimes accompanied by decoys to saturate. The “fishing rod”, on the other hand, is a more surgical tool. against quadcopterswhich usually operate near the front, spy, correct fire or attack with light ammunition. One is road hunting against targets that they come from afarand the other is hand-to-hand fighting in the airalmost a contact combat. Together they draw a clear map: Ukraine is not looking for a single miracle solution, but rather a toolbox where each trick covers a part of the enemy’s arsenal. The cost war. It we have counted before. Ultimately, it all comes back to the same dilemma: how to tear down a lot without going bankrupt. Ukraine is already using FPV interceptors fast that can cost very little compared to traditional systems, but require an operator, expertise and pursuit time, which limits their scalability. That missile buggy It offers “cleaner” takedowns and with less human burden in the final guidance, but it forces you to select carefully when it is worth spending that shot. The “cane” it’s the opposite: an attempt to make the demolition as cheap as a simple gesture, extreme economy. In other words: air defense is no longer just advanced technology: it is tactical accounting applied to the minute. Image | Ukraine Air Command Central In Xataka | Bombing your own trench is a kamikaze tactic. Until Ukraine has turned it into a Russian butcher shop: the “second course” In Xataka | The “zombies” of the … Read more

ride a 15 kilometer long cable car

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Mexico City is one of the most massive cities on the planet. Also hell when it comes to transportation. It is about one of the most congested cities in the world because you have to take the car for absolutely everything, but the Government found a solution: the cable car. What we have associated with ski resorts and tourism is in Mexico the artery for thousands of people to move much more quickly and economically. After a line of almost 12 kilometers, Mexico City is preparing something worthy of China. A new 15 kilometer cable car that will become the longest in the world. In short. If someone controls cable cars, that is Doppelmayr. This Austrian company is the largest manufacturer of cable cars in the world and is the one that, as we read in EFEis going to be in charge of the new longest cable car in the world. In total, 15.2 kilometers in length for Line 5 of the Cablebus of the Mexican capital. This line will have twelve stations, will interconnect the suburbs of Álvaro Obdal, Contreón and Beni Contreón and it is estimated that it will be able to transport 3,000 passengers per hour and direction in the 642 cabins it will have. The project will have a cost of about 400 million euros and something that draws attention is the start-up: 2028. It is one of the advantages of this transportation system. While railway lines, subways or roads require years of planning and construction, laying cable car cables is faster and easier. The longest, but not the only one. Those 15.2 kilometers are impressive, but they are not that far from other lines that already operate in Mexico City. Without going any further, Doppelmayr has laid more than 25 kilometers of cable between three lines that operate in different parts of the city and they are already building a Line 4 of 11.4 kilometers in length. In addition to Cablebús, there is Mexicanable (that came before), with another 13 kilometers deployed. Mexicable is the system of the State of Mexico operated by a Mexican company, while Cablebús is from CDMX and operated by Doppelmayr. Advantages. Aside from the short development times from when the project is approved to when it starts operating, the cable car is a relief for daily traffic. The first thing is that it is a simple way to connect the suburbs with the most central parts. Areas that are poorly connected today will be able to access a continuous route with other areas. In areas where the orography is complex and the roads are collapsed, it is a real transportation alternative. And, although it does not have the capacity of the metro, it is affordable transportation and, as we say, any help when it comes to decongesting the city is welcome in a city where Mexicans spend, on average, a hundred hours in traffic jams. There is also a reduction in CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere. The intangibles of ‘Cablebús’. Although they are not perfect and are sensitive to extreme weather conditions, such as strong winds or storms, there is something less visible, but equally important: the state of mind with which the user arrives at their destination. One of the problems that CDMX faces is that the population is geographically far away and disconnected. Travel times from peripheral areas to employment, education or health centers can be up to an hour and a half when the cable car would take about 45 minutes. This reduces the inequality gap, which is measured not so much in money as in hours and opportunities lost by living so far away. A study of the United Nations Office for Project Services measured the benefits of two Cablebús lines, specifically what they called: generalized travel costs. They are everything that a passenger absorbs beyond the price of the ticket, and the conclusion is that traveling by cable car saves 466 million hours in 20 years, 102,000 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere and users arrive more rested where they need to go. Also safer as they are not exposed to traffic accidents. And, in the end, although they are not a magic solution, in certain cities, especially where the terrain is not a help, cable cars seem like a support for decongest the brutal daily traffic. When lines 4 and 5 are completed (by 2028), Mexico will have about 50 kilometers of public cable car. Images | Government of Mexico City, Joke 2021 In Xataka | Mexico spent a fortune building its Mayan Train to attract tourists. Things are not going as expected.

More and more car brands are fleeing from Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And it makes all the sense in the world

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My Volkswagen Polo is 10 years old, has a screen where I can see car statistics and play the radio or Spotify and little else: if I want to enjoy a GPS navigator, I have to place my phone on a support on the grille and it will work. So yes, I get really excited when I drive my partner’s Kona, with a screen bigger than a tablet on which I can visit Xataka from the web browser, watch videos either play a game. Android Auto is wonderful, but if I connect my iPhone, using apps like Waze on CarPlay is also another story. For someone who has a stupid screen in their car and the intention of not renewing it in the next five years, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay sound like a heavenly melody in my ears. However, Google and Apple’s infotainment systems are taking a step back: there are manufacturers who decide to back off, so their new models are left out. And it doesn’t surprise me. Goodbye to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Last summer and despite the delays, Apple promised they would be happy with their Apple CarPlay Ultra budding until he got a brand slam: There are barely Aston Martin and Porsche left. Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Ford, Lincoln, Audi, Jaguar, Acura, Volvo, Honda, Renault, Infinity and Polestar got off the boat. In the fall, the leadership of General Motors explained in a The Verge podcast that it intended to remove both infotainment systems from its newer vehicles and replace them with its own Gemini-spiked system. Finally, German brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Volkswagen they have joined to create an open source alternative called Safety Open Vehicle Core. S-Core, its abbreviation, is basically a base infrastructure with the essentials from which each manufacturer will build its adapted customization layer. It’s a matter of control. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay provide a unified and mainstream experience within the reach of the majority who have a smartphone and implementing them is not expensive. Although well, it is not so much because of the money they spend installing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and more because of what they stop earning. Data collection and what you can do with it. It should be noted that with their respective infotainment systems, Apple collects information such as your position and how it varies over time, which allows you to know your speed, schedules, frequent routes… to give some simple examples. They also know what apps you use and when. An open door to the vein of subscriptions. In recent years we have already seen how large manufacturers launched a subscription model to release certain premium hardware functions: Volkswagen to unlock all the powerthe controversial BMW heated seats (then backed out), Mercedes and its improvements subscription accelerationor Polestar for offering similar performance packages. Having access to detailed information on usage habits would allow the establishment of a user profile and thus offer a more personalized experience in the form of a subscription. Materializing it will not be easy or fast. The GM news detailed that the measure would be implemented in the coming years and does not even imply a complete disengagement as long as it does not completely eliminate Google from the equation, since it implements Gemini, the Menlo Park company’s big bet. And Google’s AI is not exactly sparing in capturing information. Using an Android fork could also be an interesting option. S-Core- Eclipse Release Schedule The route of German companies does seem more viable. In fact, their preview schedule is available on HitHub and for now they are fulfilling it to the letter. Of course, one thing is that they are able to create a platform and another is the experience it offers. How cold it is outside of Android Auto and CarPlay. One of the great assets of Android Auto is the quantity and quality of compatible apps: Thinking about a platform without Google Maps, Waze or Spotify would feel like a huge step backwards. So later, they will have to get the companies behind them to bring their apps to these systems. And even if they did achieve it, then there are other hot potatoes such as updates to their frequency. Life without Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is an option and if you don’t tell Rivian or Tesla, but in the end it’s all about user experience. Don’t let it feel like taking a step back. Buying a car (especially if it is high-end) and finding a setback is not a dish of good taste. They don’t charge you a premium for unlocking functions or removing advertising either. The scenario of having to pay a monthly fee to access maps and extras when you have a solid and free alternative on the market sounds absurd. In any case, the winds of change are blowing on car screens. In Xataka | Android Auto is quietly preparing for us to drive with smart glasses. In Spain it won’t be easy In Xataka | This car was a pioneer with Android Automotive, but its users were crying out for Android Auto. Your wish has been granted

Olivier Blume is the CEO who has piloted Porsche’s jump to the electric car. Now he leaves with a message: “we were wrong”

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Porsche is going through difficulties. To display data: Its profit margin has plummeted to 0.2%. Its sales are clearly declining and it has encountered the worst possible scenario in Europe, China and the United States. Now, Oliver Blume, who has been its CEO for a decade and has piloted the transition to electric cars in the company he leaves. And it does so with a painful message. “We were wrong”. This is what Oliver Blume has pointed out outside of Porsche in an interview with the German newspaper FACE: “Our strategy was to offer sports cars with internal combustion, hybrid and electric engines in each of our three segments, but not for all models. We were wrong with the Macan. With the data and market studies available at that time (late last decade), we would make the same decision today” The statement refers to the complete electrification of the Porsche Macan. A car that, like we count on Xatakaruns like a shot and maintains all the quality and touch of the company but has to deal with the backpack that Porsche, at the time, offered that same car with a V6 gasoline engine. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? Today the Porsche Macan is an exclusively electric car that, in addition, was delayed countless times as a consequence of creating a platform with an expiration date for this model and the Audi Q6 e-tron. A solution that only created more chaos and difficulties to an internal development that was prolonged to the point of being one of the reasons that removed Herbert Diess, then CEO of the Volkswagen Groupfrom the company. A perfect storm. In favor of Blume it must be said that Porsche has encountered a perfect storm. And this is reflected in the statements to the German newspaper: “The Chinese luxury market has plummeted by more than 80% in a very short time. In the United States, we face high tariffs. These two markets each account for more than 50% of Porsche sales” European luxury brands are having serious difficulties in China. It has been difficult for them to understand a market that has turned its back on them and that has changed his tastes. What was once a sign of quality has become an obsolete product. Now, luxury chinese cars navigate rivers, break speed records and they are filled with screens. “It was just an electrified Porsche. That’s all,” a Chinese customer pointed out to Bloomberg to express his disappointment when getting into the Porsche Taycan To this we must add that the tariffs that the United States has raised for the entry of vehicles from Europe have been a very harsh punishment for the Volkswagen Group and especially for Porsche, which distributes its production between Germany, Bratislava and Malaysia. There is no good option when it comes to putting cars in a very important market for Porsche and much more interesting than China or Europe if we take into account the drop in sales in the former and the position in terms of emissions in the latter. Already in July Porsche’s operating profit was estimated to fall by 67%. Not very flexible. In his interview, Blume acknowledges that they were not very flexible. Buoyed by the enormous success of the Porsche Taycan, the company decided it had to electrify its best-seller. With the numbers in hand, it seemed that converting the Macan into a purely electric car was a good idea to reduce emissions and avoid fines. Over time it has been proven that it was a bad decision. The European Union has made fines more flexible, delaying the accountability of manufacturers from 2030 to 2032 when the Volkswagen Group will have greater room for maneuver to cover Porsche’s presumed excess emissions with greater electric sales of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda or Cupra. Furthermore, they leave the door open to a future of very expensive combustion cars from 2035what gives life to an even more expensive and exclusive Porsche 911. Without understanding the public. But, furthermore, everything indicates that they did not understand their own audience. And the customer of a Porsche Taycan, the company’s most advanced car at its launch With the appeal of being its first electric car (which was also much more advanced than any other car on the market), it is very different from that of a Porsche Macan. Yes, it is very likely that there is a Macan audience that wants an electric car as a second vehicle in a home where there is already a Porsche 911 or a Panamera to travel with. But the Macan is also the gateway to the Porsche world, the most accessible entry for those who have always dreamed of having one of the Stuttgart cars in their garage. And that customer does not dream of an electric car. going backwards. It’s easy to talk in the past when the data said Porsche was on the right track With the electric car he only does a little more than two exercises. And it must be taken into account that the company has experienced years of record after record in the last decade. All in all, they seem to have verified that their range of clients is very wide. The Porsche Cayenne that it aimed to be electric only will include hybrid engines. The Porsche 718 that were also going to go all-electric They will maintain combustion versions. And the Porsche Macan is preparing for new gasoline versions that have to be mounted on another platform (presumably from the Audi Q5) because the current PPE does not allow the use of a combustion engine. Photo | porsche In Xataka | Porsche wanted to convince us that the electric sports car was the future. The problem: almost no one wants it

How to safely defrost your car windshield glass

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Let’s explain to you how to defrost your car windows quickly and safelywithout risking them breaking or having any damage. Because on these extremely cold days we may have to go out in the car and encounter this inconvenience. When this happens, we can be left not knowing very well what to do, especially when we are in a hurry. This can lead to dangerous mistakes such as using hot water or adding salt, which can damage the windshield. Therefore, we are going to try to give you several tips that are safe. Use the car heater This is perhaps one of the slowest methods, but it is the safest. Simply put the car in gear, activates the air conditioning heatingand put your car’s defogging mode so that the air flow goes to the glass. This will progressively soften the ice, something that It will make it easier for you to remove it with a cloth or scraper.. It may take several minutes, but it prevents the most damage to the glass. Use plastic scrapers There are plastic scrapers designed specifically for carsand to avoid damaging the windshield glass. These will help you remove the surface layer of ice with firm and smooth movements. You should avoid any type of sharp or metal scraper to avoid scratching the windshield. If the smell is very thick, you can combine the plastic scraper with the car heater from the previous point and with the defrosting liquid. Use deicing liquid It is also useful use commercial deicing liquids specifically prepared to melt ice. They are fast and efficient, and are formulated not to damage the glass or paint of your vehicle. This is the best solution, although in order to use it you must have remembered to buy this liquid and carry it in the car. If so, you just have to spray it on the windshield and wait a few seconds for it to work, and then scrape it off. Be careful with warm water When the car glass is frozen, the great contrast in temperatures resulting from pouring hot water can cause the windshield to break instantly due to thermal shock. But if you use warm water with caution, then it can serve. What you have to do is avoid making the water too hot, just lukewarm. Then, pour it slowly and evenly to melt the ice little by little. Always with care. In Xataka Basics | How to see the warnings for extreme cold and snow anywhere in Spain

If it seems expensive to change the battery in an electric car, wait until you see what it costs in a Ferrari LaFerrari: more than 200,000 euros

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For the majority of mortals, considering costs such as consumption or maintenance are a must when purchasing a car. And if we talk about buy an electric carAlthough the maintenance is less, there is one operation that makes the difference: changing the battery. Depending on the brand and model, prices vary. between 4,000 and more than 30,000 euros. That’s for EV cars, but those of hybrids They are not exactly cheap either. But there are cars and cars and obviously, The Ferrari LaFerrari plays in another league. The firm’s first hybrid hypercar offers performance typical of its range: it is capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and exceeds 350 km/h thanks to its 963 HP. But no matter how Ferrari it is, it does not escape suffering from the weak point common to hybrid technologies: the battery. If we take into account that there are only 499 examples of the Ferrari LaFerrari and that each one was launched with a base RRP of 1.3 million euros (over time, it has gotten worse: it is around four million on the second hand market), the price of its battery is not far behind: exceeds 200,000 euros. Ferrari’s lucrative solution: replace the entire battery With just 1,440 kilometers traveled, one of the few and exclusive owners of a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari in Croatia discovered how his precious car ran out of traction battery. The first diagnosis indicated that the hybrid battery was out of service. The solution proposed by Ferrari was to replace the entire battery pack at a reasonable price: from 213,000 euroswithout counting on labor. So the owner decided to explore other more economical options, arriving until EV Clinica Croatian workshop specializing in electric and hybrid vehicle batteries. After an exhaustive analysis of the state of that group of batteries, with 120 cells and weighing about 60 kilos, they identified two failures: defective cells and a defect in the manufacturing assembly. Good news. The battery was not a brick, but had a localized fault that could be fixed without having to perform a complete replacement. Although the price of this meticulous and precision work has not been released, the owner had his LaFerrari back saving the price of the entire package. What of ask for quotes from other workshops It is always a good idea, whether you have a Dacia Sandero or a Ferrari. And if they don’t tell the owner of this Bugatti Veyronfrom whom the company asked him for 11,000 euros to change the button for the electric adjustment of the rearview mirror when the workshop in his town did it for less than two euros. Fortunately for those who own a hybrid Ferrari, last year the Italian firm launched an additional guarantee extension, so it will replace the traction batteries of the cars covered in this service in years 8 and 16 of their life. In Xataka | China has discovered another front to elevate its electric car: competing face to face against Ferrari and Lamborghini In Xataka | They are founders and ultra-rich, but they have not always driven luxury supercars: a review of the cars of tech millionaires Cover | Ferrari, EV Clinic

Japan had dominated total car sales for more than 20 years, until China knocked on the door

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Projections for 2025 anticipate a historic change in the global automobile industry. And as they point out data According to Nikkei China, Chinese manufacturers expect to reach approximately 27 million vehicles sold globally, surpassing the almost 25 million expected from Japanese brands. It is the first time in more than two decades that Japan has lost absolute leadership in total automobile sales. Why is it important. For more than 20 years, Japanese manufacturers have dominated global vehicle sales figures. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and company have become a global reference in sales volume and efficiency over all these years. That China is going to overtake them reflects the mammoth change that is happening in the automobile industry, with the Asian giant conquering every possible corner at a speed that is difficult for the rest of the competitors to digest. In detail. According to data from Nikkei China based on information from manufacturers and figures from S&P Global Mobility until November 2025, China’s growth in this sector will be 17% year-on-year. The figures include both passenger and commercial vehicles, and include both domestic sales and exports. The Chinese domestic market represents around 70% of these total sales, where new energy vehicles (pure electric and plug-in hybrids) already account for almost 60% of passenger cars sold. Brands such as BYD and Geely have entered the global top 10 manufacturers by sales this year, while Chery has consolidated as one of the largest exporters in the country. Exports support growth. The domestic market in China is a jungle. Overcapacity and increasingly fierce price competition They are making a dent in the country, which is why Chinese manufacturers have intensified their international expansion. In Southeast Asia, traditionally dominated by Japanese brands, Chinese sales will grow by 49% to reach around 500,000 units, according to data from the report. In Europe, despite the tariffs imposed Regarding electric vehicles, it is expected that there will be sales of about 2.3 million vehicles, benefiting from the fact that many plug-in hybrids are exempt from additional taxes. Emerging markets also joinand the figures indicate that Africa will register 230,000 vehicles sold (32% more) and Latin America will reach 540,000 units (33% more). A turning point. Japan reached its peak sales in 2018 with almost 30 million units. In just three years, the eight million vehicle lead it had over China in 2022 has completely evaporated. Japanese brands have lost market share in key Asian markets and are struggling to adapt to the electric transition, where they have arrived late. Toyota maintains its strength in segments such as pickups and is committed to carbon-neutral combustion engines (via renewable fuels) and hybrid technology, but in China, the largest market in the world and capital of the electric car, that approach is costing them dearly. Not even Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi, which now they collaborate on software and electrical infrastructure, can withstand the storm coming from China, a country that has specialized above all in batteries, software and production speed. And now what. Japan has a great challenge ahead if it wants to recover ground in electrification and stop the erosion in markets where until recently they dominated strongly. China does not have a bed of roses either, since its challenge will be to maintain the pace in a context of growing protectionism, with the United States and Canada Tariffs of more than 100% already apply to Chinese electric companies, and those of the European Union of up to 45.3%. Things are going to be interesting. Cover image | BYD and Xiaomi In Xataka | Ferdinand Porsche devised the first car with an electric motor in each wheel. Today a Chinese manufacturer is going to make it possible

Two V16 beacons with more than 100 candles to have better visibility if we have an emergency with the car

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Now that the V16 beacons are going to replace the triangles, we should pay attention to some of their characteristics to have better visibility in case of an emergency —continuing carrying the triangles in the car is also recommended. Therefore, in this article we are going to review two of the V16 beacons with the most candles that are available right now in stores like Amazon or PcComponentes. Help Flash IoT+ One of the V16 beacons with the most candles is the Help Flash IoT+from Netun Solutions, which is also manufactured in Spain. Do not confuse it with Help Flash IoTwhich usually has a similar price, but has worse specifications, especially in the candles. The Help Flash IoT+ offers, according to the brand itself, more than 290 candlesa fairly high figure considering that the mandatory minimum is between 40 and 80 candles. This beacon can also be connected to myIncidencean app with which we can notify emergency services and insurance. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LEDOne Maybe the LEDOne It may not have the best number in candles, but it does have the most differential format: incorporates a support to raise the beaconsomething that may be interesting in certain vehicles. However, we are still talking about a V16 beacon that far exceeds 100 candles. In this sense, the LEDOne offers, according to the brand itself, 120 effective candles. It does not reach the same figure as that of Netun Solutions, but it is still a fairly high figure. In addition, it is also manufactured in Spain and allows you to connect to your own app to call emergency services and insurance. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links You may also be interested OTTOCAST Mini Pot 2026, 2 in 1 wireless adapter for CarPlay and Android Auto, Compatible iOS 10+/Android 11+ and Cars with Carplay Since 2016, Plug & Play, USB-A/Type C, OTA Update, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Portable Electric Air Compressor 2 – Portable air compressor (0.2 10.3 bar/3-150 psi, 6 modes, 2000mAh battery, 14.4Wh, USB-C charging, LED display), black (ES Version) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Image | Netun Solutions, LEDOne In Xataka | Safety, organization and entertainment gadgets and accessories for cars on long trips In Xataka | Clarifying all the mess that the DGT has on its hands: the V-16 light, the V-27 signal and the emergency triangles

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