car

This is how the ‘twin’ car scam works

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The second-hand vehicle market does not stop growing. They don’t do it either the traps that lie in wait. Among all of them, there is one that stands out for its sophistication and the consequences it can have for those who fall for it: the twin car scam. And this fraud is not only limited to making those who fall for it lose money, but it can also leave them without a car, with an active debt and, in some cases, with criminal charges. What exactly is a twin car. With the word “twin” one can imagine what it could be about. Basically it refers to a stolen vehicle which has been assigned the identity of another car completely legal. Criminals locate a vehicle in circulation (of the same model, color and year as the one they have stolen) and copy its chassis number, the VIN. With that information, they create a false license plate, falsify the documentation and put the stolen car up for sale as if it were their legal twin. The result is a vehicle with a new identity that, in the eyes of any bona fide person who is only looking to buy a second-hand car, appears to be in order. In this way, the buyer, unknowingly, acquires a stolen car that has the same number as another one that circulates perfectly on the street. Two cars with the same chassis number. The VIN, which is the 17-digit number that we see under the windshield, stamped on the chassis, or on the driver’s door frame, uniquely identifies each vehicle manufactured in the world. This number contains the manufacturer, the technical specifications, the year of production and is used to track the complete history of the car, from license plates and warranties to theft and claims to insurance companies. As it could not be otherwise, its manipulation is expressly prohibited by law in all countries. In Spain, the Penal Code classifies the falsification of this type of document as a crime with penalties of up to six months in prison. The problem is that when cloning is done well, it is extremely difficult to detect with the naked eye. How it operatesn the scammers. The sale of twin vehicles is usually carried out by organized networks that are responsible for the theft, counterfeiting and sale of the car. First they steal the vehicle, usually without an active alarm or tracker. Then they “cool it” (they hide it for a few days so that it does not appear on radars) while they look for an identical car to copy the VIN from. Then they create false documentation, They advertise at a striking price on online platforms and disappear as soon as they get paid. According to Marco ArbanDirector of Business Development in Europe at CARFAX, “fraud in the used car market is increasingly complex and difficult to detect, often hidden behind seemingly normal behavior.” Cases. The FBI document a case in Tampa, Florida, in which more than 1,000 cloned cars were sold to buyers spread across twenty states and several countries, with estimated losses of more than $27 million among consumers, insurers and other victims. In Argentina, where the figure of the “twin car” has been established for years, the NGOs Defendamos Buenos Aires and Defendamos la República Argentina estimate that there are circulating more than 80,000 vehicles with modified documentation, and that approximately 80% are trucks, SUVs and pick-ups. In Europe, the phenomenon is growing as the second-hand market expands at a rapid pace, favored above all by the increase in the cost of new cars. What can happen to someone who buys one. If authorities discover that the vehicle is stolen, they can confiscate it immediately. The insurer can cancel the policy upon detecting fraud. And the buyer could even inherit outstanding debts associated with the legitimate VIN that was cloned. But there’s more: the buyer could face charges of possession of stolen goods, even if they had no knowledge of the fraud. And the owner of the car with the stolen identity does not come out unscathed either: he may receive traffic fines that do not correspond to him or, in extreme cases, be linked to criminal investigations for activities he has never committed. Many of these vehicles usually start out as scrap or total wrecks, which means that their safety systems (airbags, brakes, steering) may have been modified or assembled incorrectly, also increasing the risk of serious accidents. Warning signs. The good news is that, with a little attention, there are signs that can give away a twin car before it is too late. The first thing to do is check the VIN in all the points where it appears on the vehicle: on the dashboard next to the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, in the engine compartment and on the documentation. If there are numbers with different fonts, new rivets, sanding marks, recent welds or repainted areas around the engraving, there may be tampering. It is also a good idea to look at the price: if it is well below the market, if the seller is in a hurry to close without a contract, it is better to walk away. What to do before closing any purchase. The most effective tool available to anyone in Spain is the DGT report. The General Directorate of Traffic offers several types of report on any vehicle registered in Spain: from a free one with basic data to a complete one, for about 9 euros, which includes the ITV history, the recorded mileage, the number of previous owners, possible charges or seizures and the legal status of the vehicle. If the VIN that appears in that report does not exactly match the one that appears on the car, there is a serious problem. For vehicles with international history, services such as CARFAX or carVertical expand the query to databases from dozens of countries. And if you have a trusted mechanic on hand who can take … Read more

For the CEO of Ford, the reference for the electric car is no longer Tesla, it is China

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The head of Ford has been studying Chinese manufacturers in depth for months and is clear about one thing: that to understand where the electric car is going, we must pay close attention to China. For some years now the country is leading a historic transition in the automobile, and the perfect proof of this reality is the fixation that brands as historic as Ford have with the Chinese electric car. And for Jim Farley, CEO of the company, Tesla is no longer the benchmark. China, not Tesla. The automobile industry has been at a crossroads for some time. Electric sales are not growing at the expected rate in the West, large manufacturers have had to rethink their strategies and convert their factories (energy storage for data centers), and in the United States the elimination of federal tax incentive It has made the purchase of a new electric car even more expensive. In this context, Ford CEO Jim Farley explained in the Rapid Response podcast that Tesla is no longer the benchmark, and that it is now China. Change of sight. In the interview, Farley explained why he has been testing a Xiaomi SU7 instead of an American vehicle. “If you’re an American and you want us to beat the Chinese in the car business, you’re going to want to pay attention, not necessarily to Tesla. Nothing against Tesla, they’re doing well, but they don’t really have an up-to-date vehicle,” he said. And his reference for Ford is not Elon Musk, but BYD: “The best thing in the business for us in cost, supply chain, manufacturing experience and innovation is BYD,” Farley said. in the same podcast. Concerning. BYD was born in 1995 as a battery manufacturer and today is the largest electric car manufacturer in the world by volume. having surpassed Tesla in global sales in 2025. In 2022 it was the first manufacturer to completely abandon pure gasoline cars. For Farley, what is relevant is not the market capitalization of each company, but rather who is defining what the consumer will want to buy in the next decade. TOGod to the expensive electric ones. Ford has learned its lesson through million-dollar losses. The company became the second brand that sold the most electric cars in the US after Tesla, but its models were, according to Farley himself, “designed in the wrong way.” In December 2025, Ford took over a $19.5 billion correction having to reformulate its entire electric strategy. He F-150 Lightningwhich was presented as the flagship of its electrical commitment, is converted into an EREV vehicle (with a small combustion engine that acts as a generator) because, as admitted Farley himself in December, “the $70,000 electric cars were not selling.” The new roadmap involves launching an electric pickup at $30,000 before 2027. The key is in the second-hand market. Farley has an unconventional way of reading the market. And it is that prefer look at the sales of used cars before those of new ones, because “the second-hand market is twice that of new ones, and since they are all sold at lower prices, they are a better predictor of consumer behavior.” And of course, in this market, affordable electric and hybrid vehicles are the ones that move the most compared to those in the premium segment. China is not just price. Farley recognize that each Chinese car incorporates about 4,000 or 5,000 dollars in government subsidies, direct and indirect. He is also aware that these vehicles incorporate up to ten cameras and advanced connectivity systems that, in his opinion, “should be reviewed by the US Department of Defense for reasons of national security.” However, Farley concludes that the correct response is not to ignore them, but to learn from them. “That is the gift that China has given us: that we are respectful enough of its progress not to settle for business as usual,” he said in the interview. Cover image | Hans and Rapid Response In Xataka | The longest straight road in the world is a mental challenge: 240 km without curves, in the middle of the desert and with truck traffic

no car is more luxurious than the one no one can buy

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One hundred buyers have paid 3.5 million dollars for a Rolls-Royce that does not exist, that they have not seen and about which they know very little. The most surprising thing is that many other millionaires would have paid much more than those 3.5 million to be among that group of select owners. The British brand has been turning the inaccessible into the highest possible aspiration for a century and has used that FOMO of millionaires to promote their Project Nightingale, the first model of the new Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection. A concept of exclusive cars manufactured one by one in an artisanal way in which the first luxury is knowing that no one will be able to buy one like it. Do things like yesterday, with tomorrow’s technology The Nightingale Project is not a car itself, but a collection of fully customized bodies and artisanal manufacturing. The resulting car has the dimensions of a Phantom, but only has room for two people. Its design is inspired by the 16EX and 17EX prototypes that the brand developed in the 1920s. The name of the new model comes from “Le Rossignol”, the house that co-founder Henry Royce had on the French Riviera. Rolls-Royce 17ex from 1928 The new proposal from the British luxury brand is based on a 100% electric platform. According to the official note of Rolls-Royce, “the quiet, effortless delivery of power amplifies every characteristic that has defined the Rolls-Royce experience for more than a century.” The first 100 units of this new electric luxury concept are already sold and deliveries will not begin until well into 2028. Nowadays we see it as an eccentricity to make bodies by hand, but this was normal until Henry Ford generalized mass production of automobiles. However, until the late 1940s, all Rolls-Royces were produced one by one. The Nightingale Project recovers that artisanal and unique essence of the classic Rolls-Royce and adds the latest technology and exclusive luxury finishes of the brand, adapting it to the client’s taste. Although the brand announced this project only a few days ago, in reality the buyers of these first 100 units have been involved in the development since 2024, and this year they will accompany the engineers in tests in extreme climates. As explained CEO Chris Brownridge to Bloomberg: “Customers always ask us for more extraordinary cars. But we know that luxury does not lie only in having the car, but in the experience of knowing that they were present from the beginning,” said the manager. Luxury is no longer measured in money, it is measured in desire Antoine Tessier, CEO of duPont Registry Group and co-author of the report of the Boston Consulting Group on the future of the luxury car, puts it aptly described: “If the automaker tells you that you’re one of 900, that’s one thing. But if they say, ‘We’ll give you access to one of three,’ that’s where it becomes psychological or even egocentric. You can say, ‘I’m different.’ You’re no longer part of the richest 1%, you’re part of the 0.1%, and that makes you feel good.” It has been a long time since horses, cylinders or acceleration stopped being the main argument for selling luxury cars like those manufactured by Rolls-Royce. This already It’s not about cars, it’s about status and exclusivity. Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale According to Felix Stellmaszek, global director of BCG’s automotive practice, he stated in his report that “technical specifications are not even among the main reasons why people buy certain vehicles or certain brands. It is much more about the emotion and the overall experience that a brand offers. Access is essential.” According to data in this report, the US market for vehicles over $100,000 is valued at around $110 billion and could double in the next decade, registering annual growth of between 5% and 7%. For its part, the hyper-luxury segment (vehicles over $500,000) in which Rolls-Royce operates will grow at a rate of 5% over the next decade. The key to this segment is found in the scarcity and exclusivity. For this reason, luxury car manufacturers are investing in their customization “ateliers.” The billing of customization workshop of Ferrari has grown so much that, according to official dataof the 1,525 million euros of profit it obtained in 2024, about 1,300 million euros of those profits were invoiced from units that had gone through the Ferrari Atelier. Porsche is in the same situation, which has stepped on the accelerator at its Sonderwunsch programin which the brand accepts orders from the owners to build exclusive units and 100% handmade of their cars. Lamborghini has also jumped on the bandwagon with the Opera Unica editionsin which unique versions of its series models are created by hand. However, the brand that has best known how to exploit this new need for extreme exclusivity among millionaires has been Bugatti with models like the Tourbillonwith which it does not matter if you have all the money in the world to pay for it, if you have not been selected as a potential owner of one of its few units, you can never have it. In Xataka | Bugatti has found a new vein: its customers spend an average of 500,000 euros on extras to personalize their car Image | Rolls-Royce

Putting on a bear suit to defraud more than $141,000 in car insurance seemed believable. Until it stopped being

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There are stories that seem written not to be believed. It all starts with a luxury car, a course bear attack in the middle of California and some images that, in theory, should prove everything. The story fits in appearance, damage to the interior of the vehicle, claw marks, an animal that would have entered and destroyed the cabin. However, from the first moment there is something that squeaks. It’s not so much what you see, but how you see it, as if the scene is too well constructed to be real. The story began to go wrong when an insurance company reviewed more carefully a claim registered on January 28, 2024 in Lake Arrowhead, an area of ​​California where the presence of bears is not unusual. The report described how the animal had accessed the interior of a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost and caused damage to the seats and doors. The images provided seemed to support it, but the company detected enough inconsistencies to take it a step further. That notice ended up triggering a formal investigation by the California Department of Insurance. When the bear didn’t look like a bear From that moment, the investigation began to reconstruct how the scene had been created. As detailed by the California Department of Insurancethe alleged attack did not have any wild animal behind it, but rather a person dressed in a bear suit. To simulate damage, they used utensils claw-shaped kitchen tools, designed to tear meat, with which they marked seats and interior panels. The objective was clear: to build visual evidence convincing enough to support the claim before the insurer. The case stopped seeming timely when investigators found more claims with the same pattern. It wasn’t just one vehicle or one insurer. Those involved filed similar requests with two other companies, alleging that a bear had caused damage to the interior of two Mercedes-Benzes on the same day and at the same location. The recordings associated with these cases showed practically identical scenes, with the alleged animal accessing the cars and moving around inside them. With several files on the table, the California Department of Insurance formalized the investigation under the name “Operation Bear Claw.” The objective was clear: to analyze the claims together, images and videos provided to determine whether they responded to real events or a montage. The investigators reviewed the material provided, compared the damage described and reconstructed the sequence of the alleged attacks. As they progressed, the coincidences stopped seeming coincidental and began to fit into the same scheme. The key finally came together when an outside specialist reviewed the recorded material. A biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife examined the images and his conclusion was straightforward. The expert noted that the alleged animal was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” This technical assessment marked a before and after in the investigation, because it transformed a suspicion into a statement supported by professional analysis. One expert noted that the alleged animal was “clearly a human in a bear suit.” The next piece of the case came during the execution of a search warrant. In a home related to those involved, investigators found what until then only fit based on clues. The authorities They located a brown bear suit and kitchen tools used to tear meat. Both elements coincided with what was observed in the videos and with the way in which the damage had been caused, thus closing the circle between theory and material evidence. With the evidence now consolidated, the case moved to the judicial field. Those involved were arrested in November 2024 after the investigation. Three of them, residents of Los Angeles County, pleaded “no contest,” a formula by which they do not formally admit guilt but do not dispute the charges, in the face of accusations of insurance fraud, a serious crime. They were later convicted to 180 days in jail, approximately six months, and in two of the cases they were also ordered to pay more than $50,000 each in restitution. The economic figure helps to size the case. According to official information, the claims presented allowed those involved to obtain more than $141,000 in insurance payments. It was not a failed attempt from the beginning, but rather a scheme that managed to overcome the first filters and generate income. Only when an insurer flagged a claim as suspicious and the investigation moved forward did the case stop appearing to be an isolated incident. Although three of those involved have already been convicted, the investigation remains open. According to official information, a fourth defendant, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in September. His case has not yet gone through the same phase as that of the others involved, so his responsibility within the scheme will be evaluated in the next judicial steps. The story, in that sense, is not completely over yet. The story ends as it began, with a scene that was intended to seem convincing and that, seen as a whole, was not so convincing. For a time, the plan worked and made it possible to obtain money from various insurers, but every detail that sought to reinforce the story ended up playing against him. The repetition of the same pattern, the analysis of the images and the appearance of material evidence ended up dismantling the initial version. Images | Valeriia Neganova | California Department of Insurance | Alexander Bendus In Xataka | In 2019, Elon Musk promised autonomous driving for all Teslas sold since then. In 2026, it has reversed

A Cuban mechanic has converted his car to run on charcoal because gasoline is no longer an option

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Juan Carlos Pino, 56, has left his neighbors speechless after convert your small Fiat Polski 1980 in a vehicle that runs on charcoal to operate. He has done it from his workshop in Aguacate, Cuba, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants 70 kilometers east of Havana, and the news has gone around the world. Shortage. Cuba passes through one of its worst energy crises in decades. Since January, when the Trump administration blocked fuel supplies to the island, gasoline has become a practically inaccessible commodity for most Cubans. On the black market, a liter costs eight dollars (about six times the official price), and power outages are now a constant. Added to this scenario is the closing of Venezuela’s oil tap, which historically had acted as an energy cushion for Havana. As if that were not enough, the global context is also worrying with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the war conflict in the Middle East. The barrels that Russia has supplied to Cuba has given some relief to the country, but as reported its Minister of Energy and Mining, Vicente de la O Levy, the supply is scheduled for “the end of April”, and at the moment there is no confirmation on when the next shipment could arrive. Hence, some have opted for such creative measures to boost the engines of their vehicles. How the invention works. Pino built the propulsion system entirely from salvaged parts and scrap materials. The charcoal is burned inside a converted propane cylinder, sealed with the lid of an electrical transformer. The hot gases pass through a filter made from a stainless steel milk can filled with old clothes, and from there they reach the carburetor to replace gasoline. The whole set (a 60 liter tank welded to the rear of the car) It took two months to build.. Starting up, however, requires patience, since you have to light the charcoal with alcohol and wait about thirty minutes before you can leave. “It’s not a car for someone who’s in a hurry,” he joked. The inspiration came from the internet. Pino did not start from scratch. According to what he said, he spent hours watching videos of Edmundo Ramos, an Argentine engineer who has been perfecting biomass-powered car technology. According to explained Ramos himself told Reuters, since the crisis in Cuba began, he has received calls from several Cubans asking for help, from an ice manufacturer that could not produce, to an ice cream maker or shopkeepers. Ramos maintains that practically any engine can adapt to this system, as long as hot gas can be introduced into the carburetor instead of gasoline. Atracloc tionto the. Pino started his car for the first time at the beginning of last month. The Polski completed a journey of 85 kilometers and reached a top speed of 70 km/h, according to collected Reuters. In Aguacate, the vehicle has become the newest, as neighbors come to take photos, and some ask out of curiosity if the mechanic can build one for them. “This is Cuba. A salad made of everything,” summed up one of the neighbors in the middle. Distress. This very creative invention is nothing more than the symptom of an economy on the limit. In Cuba, scarcity has generated an entire culture of improvisation that Cubans themselves call “creole inventions”. Blackouts of up to nineteen hours, neighborhoods without water for weeks, families cooking with firewood or collecting rainwater in soda bottles. Just like shared El País, the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts, registered more than 1,200 protests in the last month, mainly due to supply cuts. What comes next. Pino already has the following project in mind: adapt a tractor with the same system. “We need mobility, we need to be able to farm,” he declared to the media. To his neighbors, he has become more than just a handyman. “They tell me I’m a magician,” he says proudly. Images | Reuters, The Country In Xataka | Someone dumped 167,000 tons of rubble and asbestos in Malaga. And now Malaga has a serious problem

Spain 1- Hungary 0. MG chooses Spain for its European electric car factory, according to Bloomberg

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MG is one of the Chinese fashion brands in Spain. It is the company that dominates the market by sales volume, among other things thanks to its clear focus on the entry-level or mid-range. Its figures in the Spanish state rise like foam: In 2025 they sold 45,163 units and grew by 46.78%. In the midst of the global structural reconfiguration of the sector towards electric mobility enhanced by an EU that does not hesitate to try to regulate the market in favor of classic players located in its territory against the deluge in quantity, quality and price made in ChinaSAIC motor has made a move to protect its piece of the pie in the old continent: set up a plant to act as a European hub. Anonymous sources They have leaked to Bloomberg that the chosen destination is Spain. MG Choose Spain. SAIC Motor, one of the China’s largest automakers by volumeplans to establish its first electric vehicle production plant in Europe within Spanish territory. Anonymous sources linked to the sector they point out to Bloomberg that the decision is not yet final and that key details such as the size of the investment, production capacity or deadlines are missing. As explains The EconomistSAIC Motor has been studying options within the Spanish state for more than a year, which has experience in the deployment of electric vehicle platforms under the umbrella of government incentives. Why is it important. For SAIC Motor the answer is simple: investment is critical to mitigate the impact of the tariffs that the EU applies to Chinese manufacturers. By producing on European soil, MG escapes these taxes, which allows it to continue maintaining its aggressive pricing strategy, essential for its rapid growth. From a technical point of view, having a plant here would allow it to better adapt its models to the standards and tastes of the European consumer, in addition to reducing its logistical footprint. Spain It is the second European automobile producer and ninth in the world, with almost 2.3 million vehicles produced in 2025 according to ANFAC data. The arrival of a brand with the sales volume of MG represents traction for the entire automotive and associated industry, in the face of a panorama of forced transition from combustion engines and with an uncertain future of its most historic plants. That the industry shifts from fossil fuel engines to electromobility is key so that it does not lose relevance in the state GDP. Context. After eight months of investigation, Brussels determined that Chinese electric manufacturers receive state subsidies that distort competition and threaten millions of European jobs, so producing these cars on the old continent avoids those tariffs in the bud. The final tariffs approved by the European Commission applicable to BEVs imported from China are: BYD Group, 17%; Geely Group, 18.8%; SAIC Group, 35.3%, among others. To that we must add 10% base. Bottom line: SAIC Motor Corporation Limited is more interested than anyone in finding a solution. Despite this, they are selling cars like hotcakes: just look at any recent ranking of best-selling cars. Chinese brands have found two ways to avoid tariffs: establish factories within Europe or import vehicles in unassembled kits (CKD) to assemble them on European soil. SAIC aims to combine both phases. What Spain has that Hungary does not have. The eastern European country has until now been the favorite of Chinese manufacturers in terms of electric cars and batteries and there are no shortage of reasons to choose it: it offers lower labor costs, it has a geographically central position in Europe and direct links with China through the Belt and Road Initiative (Belt and Road). In addition, it already accumulates investments from BYD, CATL either NIOas well as other classic actors in the industry. Spain adds to its industrial muscle and its consolidated experience in the sector an advantage that Hungary does not have: a market where MG already leads sales and an ecosystem that is fully activated. In addition to having efficiency as a flag, in the words of the Spanish Minister of IndustryJordi Hereu. But there is a key milestone: the Figueruelas (Zaragoza) plant now has a date for make Leapmotor electric vehicles starting in October of this year, combining Chinese technology and Spanish production, consolidating a model in which SAIC can be reflected. Zaragoza is not only a precedent: it is proof that Spain can accommodate the Chinese electricity transition without industrial or political friction. All the pools point to Galicia. In the absence of official confirmation and knowing more details, the location for the future plant What sounds the most is Galicia: has extensive industrial experience linked to the sector, a consolidated chain of suppliers, the Salvaterra-As Neves logistics platform and the proximity to the port of Vigo, which opens the doors to maritime connections with the United Kingdom, northern Europe and Atlantic markets. The icing on the cake: the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, focused on his recent official trip to China in strengthening commercial relations in the automotive industry and in his busy schedule he had time to visit the SAIC factories and hold a meeting with the board of directors. First steps. Unveil Galicia Press that the model initially proposed for its Spanish plant points to CKD assembly, with the possibility of evolving towards full production according to sources in the sector. That is, the main components of the vehicle are manufactured at source and sent in pieces to the new factory for final assembly. Leo Zhang, head of SAIC for Spain and Portugal, has already spoken profitability of a possible European plant: from around 250,000 units per year. Although it is unknown which model they will start with (there are those who point to the utility vehicle MG2, direct rival of the Renault 5 and the future Volkswagen ID.2), if there is an orientation regarding deadlines: SAIC intends launch the first model manufactured in Europe in 2027. Yes, but. The news rests on anonymous … Read more

Ford has been slow to adapt to the electric car, so it is going to start manufacturing batteries for… data centers

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Ford has decided to convert its electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity into a large-scale energy storage business. The move has its own name: Ford Energy, a new division with $2 billion in investment planned for the next two years and the stated objective of supplying batteries to data centers, electricity companies and large industrial consumers. Because now. The starting point is not exactly ideal for the company. Ford’s electric division accumulated net losses of 11.1 billion dollars only in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Reuters. For this year, the company expects to continue losing between 4,000 and 4,500 million additional dollars in its electrical and software division. “I think the customer has already spoken,” Ford CEO Jim Farley told investors. With battery factories operating at low capacity and the electric vehicle market in the United States in free fall, especially after the elimination of the $7,500 aid last September, Ford has chosen not to dismantle that infrastructure, but to redirect it. What is Ford Energy and how it will work. The bet is articulated around the Glendale, Kentucky, plant, which will be converted to manufacture energy storage systems at network scale. According to counted Ford late last year, the facility will produce LFP (lithium ferrophosphate) cells and storage modules. The cell technology used is licensed by the Chinese firm CATL, with whom Ford already had agreements on its line of electric vehicles. The plan, according to the company itself, is to have initial operational capacity within 18 months and reach at least 20 GWh of annual production by the end of 2027. In parallel, the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan plant, in Marshall, will continue with its production of LFP cells for Ford’s upcoming midsize electric truck, but will also make lower amperage cells aimed at residential storage. Lisa Drake, the board of directors who heads Ford Energy, explained that the “predominant” business opportunity will be in commercial electric grid customers, with data centers as the second priority and the residential segment as the third leg. Drake also noted that when going out to market to explore demand, it became clear that the technology preferred by customers was precisely the containerized prismatic LFP system, something that Ford could easily manufacture thanks to its licenses. For his part, John Lawler, vice president of Ford, counted In the statement, Ford Energy’s core purpose is to “capture the growing demand for reliable energy storage that reinforces the stability and resilience of the electric grid for utilities and large consumers.” The market you want to conquer. The explosion of artificial intelligence electricity consumption in data centers is skyrocketing on a global scale. The International Energy Agency places the demand for these centers around 945 TWh by 2030approximately 3% of global electricity consumption, with a projected growth of 15% annually. In the United States alone, according to the Battery Council International, this consumption could double to between 400 and 600 TWh on the same date. In that scenario, large-scale energy storage becomes critical infrastructure and Ford, like many other converted manufacturersthey see a great business opportunity. Ford is late, but he is not alone. The problem is that Tesla has a decade of advantage. Its energy storage business deployed 46.7 GWh in 2025 alone, 48% more than the previous year according to TechCrunchand was also more profitable than its own electric car division, with gross margins close to 30% compared to 15% for the automobile. General Motors has also made a move: its joint venture with LG Energy Solution has just invested $70 million to convert its Tennessee plant, south of Nashville, into the production of batteries for storage. The transition, however, is neither easy nor cheap. Switching a factory from nickel chemistry, common in electric car batteries, to LFP can take up to 18 months and cost several hundred million dollars, according to share from Reuters. Added to this is technological dependence on China, which dominates the LFP supply chain, and 35% US tariffs on cathode and anode materials of Chinese origin. What this means in the long term. Just like they count From the middle, although the demand for energy storage in North America is expected to almost double in five years, going from 76 to 125 GWh, that is not enough to absorb the more than 275 GWh of productive capacity that the automobile industry has installed with electric in mind. Storage alleviates the problem, but does not completely solve it. Even so, this same reorientation is what many other car manufacturers have opted for in order to take advantage of their infrastructure and contain losses due to their electric cars, especially in the United States, which is where things are much weaker. Cover image | Hans and ford In Xataka | Australia has a straight highway of 150 kilometers. And to prevent you from falling asleep he has put hobbies on the posters

China has shown that the good and cheap electric car exists. So Citröen has had to get its act together

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China is doing very well with the cheap electric car. And if not, tell them BYD Dolphin Surfa 100% electric vehicle that the company finances at just over 3% for 125 euros per month. Without financing it costs 19,990 euros which, after aid, can become 11,780 euros. Saving exceptions like Dacia Springwhich compete in a much lower league, Western manufacturers have no choice but to respond. And Citröen has been the first to do so. 11,700 euros. Citroen has been lowering the price of its ë-C3 for more than a yeara car that was launched on the market for more than 20,000 euros and that, since its launch, has been reduced by almost half. Now, after aid, the Citröen C3 costs 11,700 euros, with an eight-year warranty. What it offers. With a price practically identical to the Dolphin Surf, an almost identical autonomy (220 km under the WLTP cycle), and a technology relatively similar to that of the Chinese alternative, we are finally talking about a price at which the company can be competitive. What China offers. Both vehicles, in their most economical version, have LFP batteries. The main difference is in the charging system: 65 kW for the BYD and 30 kW for the Citröen. The key, however, is not in the specs: it is that BYD has been offering a competitive price since its arrival in Spain, which has catapulted it into the top 3 of the best-selling electric cars in the country. Beyond Tesla. There is no electric car that sells more than the Model 3 in Spain. This is to be expected, given the reliability, range and price of the vehicle. Just below Tesla, we have the BYD Dolphin Surf, which has sold more than 1,332 units so far this year (compared to 2,489 for the Model 3 and 2,023 for the Model Y). Taking into account that they play in completely different leagues, the BYD case is a resounding success. A purely urban car that sells practically twice as much as its direct rivals. The electric C3 has 634 units sold, placing it in the top 9. The ranking points to something very clear: the price is the main purchasing factor for the Spanish electric companyand Western manufacturers will have to tighten their grip if they want to compete with China. In Xataka | The electric cars with the most autonomy that can be bought in 2026

Plastic is the great recycling nightmare. Car battery acid aspires to be the great nightmare of plastic

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Have a problem with recycling. Thus, in general and even in countries that the more they try and complicate things. But, specifically, we have a problem with plastic recycling. It is a difficult and therefore expensive process, rather than producing new plastic, which leads to a scenario in which potential waste accumulates. To complicate things further, there are many types of plasticsand some are terribly difficult to recycle. But the University of Cambridge has had an idea: a solar reactor to destroy those difficult plastics. And the secret ingredient is car battery acid. The data. Before entering the ‘invention‘ from Cambridge, let’s go with some context. Recycling is not collecting, and vice versa. An example of this is Japan, a country in which there are areas in which there are 45 different categories of garbage that citizens must separate and where only 20% is recycled. In Spain, with an infinitely less obsessive systemwe are around 39%. And what is not recycled is burned in Japan and sent to landfills in Spain. Focusing on plastic and according to Cambridge researchers, the world produces 400 million tons per year and only 18% is recycled. And, as I say, there are plastics such as nylon or polyurethane that are particularly complex to recycle because their chemical structure is very resistant, which makes breaking them down complex and very expensive. plastic fulminator. This is where the discovery of the University of Cambridge comes into play. What they have developed is a solar-powered reactor that uses a very special ingredient: car battery acid. This component breaks the structural chains of the polymers into more basic chemical blocks and, therefore, easier to assimilate, such as ethylene glycol. Once the new material is obtained, a very special photocatalyst is what allows it to be converted into hydrogen and acetic acid, putting an end to that ‘rebellious’ plastic. By fluke. The team of researchers comments that the discovery was practically an accident since they knew that battery acid could be used for the process, but it was not convenient because, just as it melts plastics, it ‘eats’ the catalysts. Theirs, however, held out, and it turns out to be cheap and scalable. It is a photocatalyst composed of carbon nitride functionalized with cyanamide and integrated with molybdenum disulfide promoted with cobalt. Lots of text to say that it is a hybrid material specifically designed to remain stable in a strongly acidic environment. According to the team, it is economical and solves two problems at once: it dissolves difficult plastics and reuses battery acid that usually ends up as waste after extracting its lead content for resale. Future. In the tests, the team points out that the system has worked for more than 260 hours without losing performance and works with the aforementioned plastics, but also with that of the plastic bottles They are also not particularly easy to deal with. They claim that their discovery offers a potential cost reduction in recycling tasks because, in addition, reusable hydrogen is produced in the process. The key here is finding a way to collect the battery acid before it is neutralized for uninterrupted use to break down plastics. The team comments that they do not promise to solve the problem, but they demonstrate how waste can become a resource. new life. This approach approaches the problem from the angle of decomposition, but there are other proposals to give these plastics a second life. Because ‘melting’ them may be expensive, but if they are put into presses they can be turned directly into bricks or paving stones for the streets. This is what Nzambi Matee proposes, a Kenyan materials engineer who has proposed convert that waste into construction material. Like the University of Cambridge experiment, it addresses two problems at the same time: recycling and creating necessary non-polluting construction elements, and this idea is catching on because the authorities have given the green light to use this 2.0 brick to pave the streets of Nairobi. Returning to battery acid, the business arm of the University of Cambridge is looking to commercialize the company, but now the most complicated thing remains: making it a standard. Images | Cambridge University (Beverly Low) In Xataka | The big problem with nuclear energy has always been its waste. Russia can now recycle them up to five times

The first “autonomous” car in history dates back to 1958 and had a peculiar problem: it smelled like fish

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Nowadays, and with few exceptions such as Cybertruckautomobile design is moved by very clear trends. However, in the 1950s and in the midst of the space age, the sky was the limit. Some examples are the amazing General Motors Firebird Ihe Zündapp Janus that you don’t know if it comes or goes or the refrigerator with wheels called BMW Isetta. At that time was born the Golden Sahara IIa car truly ahead of its time. It was so far ahead that it brought driving assistance and full connectivity (of what there was). It is, in short, the grandfather of today’s smart car. A crazy repair idea. If I say George Barris you may not know who I’m talking about, but if I reveal that he is the creator of the Batmobile things change. Well, back in 1953 the car designer had a car accident with his Lincoln Capri: crashed into a hay truck and as a result, the top of the vehicle was destroyed. Probably many of us would have taken the car to the workshop or scrapyard based on the mechanic’s bill, but Barris invested a whopping $5,000 and what was left of his battered Capri (which had a 200 horsepower V8 engine) was built into the Golden Sahara. Be careful, to give you an idea of ​​the inverted grassland: in the 50s the luxurious Cadillac Eldorado It cost $7,750.. Clean slate in the form of an ultra-futuristic car. Equipment from another era. At a time when FM radio was an extra, Barris himself tells its most differential design elements: hand-molded steel panels, vertical design headlights installed in fenders and bullet-type bumpers, fins integrated into the fenders, lounge-type seat with bar furniture on the sides, a removable bubble dome for the roof. Kontinent Media …and paint of with sardines The streamlined design was finished with a two-tone 24-karat gold finish (hence its name) instead of the classic chrome and a paint that shone like a diamond. Barris was looking for a finish never seen before, so he came up with a natural way to achieve a pearlescent touch before that type of paint became popular: with fish scales. As explained the designer in an interview with Jonnie King for his “Hall of Fame Legends” series: “So Shirley and I went to the fishmonger, and I remember that the fish looked very pearly. I had the fishmongers turn all the sardines so that their bellies could be seen until I found the one with the gold. We took it, removed the scales, put it in a jar, took it to the store and mixed it with a natural cellulose clearcoat and toner lacquers. Then I gave it a base of matte white and I sprayed it on top, and it turned out a spectacular pearly gold. The only problem was that it was very difficult to smell because it smelled like fish.” An even more extravagant Golden Sahara II. In 1954 the first Golden Sahara was born and from ’56 to ’58 Barris teamed up with Jim Street and Bob Metz to give it a twist until they found the Golden Sahara II. For this second generation, Goodyear added Translucent and luminous tires to replace the conventional white band tires of the time. It is just the tip of the iceberg of a car that is surprising both on the outside and (especially) on the inside. But Metz also gave it a good facelift and modified the windshield, hood and roof of the vehicle, he put quad headlights and rear fins. And it went from having a radio and steering wheel to truly futuristic technology: with panels on the upper part of the dashboard where it housed a television, tape recorder and even a refrigerator for its bar. It is said that the total cost of the Sahara exceeded $75,000 of the time. Under the hood: ahead of its time. Jim Rote’s electronics It was what made the difference compared to the cars of that era and brought it closer to ours. The steering wheel gave way to a fighter-style central joystick and implemented voice control for tasks such as opening the doors or starting the engine. Likewise, it integrated proximity sensors in two antennas on the front bumper, so that it could brake autonomously. What happened to him. In his days of wine and roses he went to fairs like the Petersen Motorama (his debut), he appeared in ‘cinderfella‘ (1960) with Jerry Lewis, Ed Winn and Judith Anderson and also in the competition ‘I’ve got a secret‘, in 1962. But in the 60s it disappeared from the front page and was relegated to ostracism for half a century, until it returned in style and restored in the Geneva Motor Show of 2019 from the hand of Goodyear. In Xataka | Make your old stickerless car a historic vehicle. A shortcut to circulate through Madrid without fines that does not always work In Xataka | The Bugatti Veyron was a unique car. And we say “was” because Bugatti has decided to betray him with nostalgia Cover | Matti Blume

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