car

that parking your car costs more than a ticket

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We have been talking about for years the drift schizophrenic that has been generated around large live events, and especially music concerts. The phenomenon has led us to accept that if you want to go to a Bad Bunny concert or Radiohead The formula that never fails is to multiply the original price by three and go to the slaughterhouse from resale. Now, someone unexpected has wanted to go further by opening a parallel market to one of the most anticipated events. The World Cup car parks… and their resale, of course. Pay before entering. The 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States and Mexico is shaping up to be the tournament most expensive ever organized in history, and not only because of the price of the tickets, which are already supposed to be astronomical, but because of everything that surrounds the simple act of going to the stadium. In an urban context designed for the car and not for the pedestrian such as the United States, the fan’s experience begins long before access control and becomes a sum of tolls that raise the real cost to unprecedented levels in the history of football. Parking as a core business. The ironic thing, or perhaps not so ironic, is that it is FIFA itself that has started selling parking passes for figures that range between 75 and 175 dollars in minor games, but that in key venues like Los Angeles reach, attention, nothing less than up to 250 and 300 dollars per vehicle and match… even when those spaces are located more than a kilometer from the stadium. In practice, parking already costs the same (or more) than many official tickets, so a round of 16 or quarterfinal match with a ticket of 400 or 500 dollars and a parking lot of 300 easily raises the total bill per person to around $1,000, a figure that redefines what it means to “go to football.” Stadiums far away, car mandatory. It happens that, unlike in Europe, where large stadiums are usually integrated into the city and connected by subway, train or bus, many World Cup venues in the United States are located in peripheral areas and were specifically conceived to arrive by car. This structural dependency turns the parking lot into an essential resource and allows it to be monetized as part of the show, something unthinkable in most European venues, where even when some clubs already charge for parking (as happens at Atlético de Madrid) there is always the real and massive alternative of public transport. Planned shortages and inflated prices. Plus: the problem is not only the price, but deliberate scarcity. Many parking spaces near the stadiums will remain within security perimeters or reserved for sponsors, drastically reducing the offer for the general public. In cities accustomed to tens of thousands of seats at NFL events, the World Cup will put only a fraction on sale, creating a bottleneck perfect to justify exorbitant prices under the argument of the “local market” and “large comparable events”. Hello resale. Yes, this brings us to an “old acquaintance” of any massive event worth its salt: resale. They counted this week in The Athletic that, as has happened with the concert ticketsparking has fully entered the speculation circuit, with passes resold in secondary markets for even higher figures, although it may seem difficult. In fact, this occurs even in venues where FIFA has not yet published your final offer. The result is a general feeling of abuse, in which the fan pays not only to watch the game, but for each step necessary to get there. A deja vu. This escalation is not an isolated phenomenon and we have been counting in the last few yearsdocumenting how concerts and big events live have entered a price spiral marked by dynamic rates, uncontrollable resales and added charges that turn the luxury experience. The 2026 Soccer World Cup adds to that logic: tickets that are difficult to get at the official price, crazy resale and peripheral costs (such as parking) that equal or exceed the show itself. Parking as a symbol of a new frontier. The underlying message is crystal clear and deeply uncomfortable: the World Cup, a phenomenon of masses and global audiences, is going to explode. a new business without any shame, that of making parking the car cost the same (or even more) than a ticket to watch the games. It is not a trivial detail, nor logistical, nor even collateral damage, but one more piece of the economic model of the tournament, designed to maximize income in each phase of the fan’s journey. The curious thing is that football remains the same as always on the pitch, but off it, getting to the stadium has become part of the bill. If we are not in hell, the truth is that we are getting closer with the tips of our fingers. Image | Ron ReiringRawPixel In Xataka | RTVE wants to win the ratings war at any price. Although that price is 55 million for the World Cup In Xataka | The Government believes it has the solution to the very serious increase in ticket resale prices. It may just make it worse.

Tesla popularized “invisible” car door handles. China has just handed down its death sentence

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In China they have been wanting for a long time ban retractable handles of the vehicles, a design commonly popularized by Tesla. It is no wonder, since over the last few years we have witnessed serious fatal and safety incidents involving this type of handles. The regulations will force many of the best-selling models on the market to be redesigned. what has happened. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has approved a new safety regulation that will come into force on January 1, 2027. The regulation prohibits door handles recessed in the body and requires that all vehicles have visible handles and a mechanical opening system on each door, according to they count from Financial Times. Why is it important. The hidden handle design has become popular in recent years in electric cars. In China they had been following Tesla’s example for a long time, looking for a more minimalist aesthetic and small aerodynamic improvements. Virtually all of the major electric car manufacturers in China have models with retractable handles. However, these designs have proven to be dangerous in emergency situations. The trigger. A fatal accident in 2024 with Aito’s M7 SUV was one of the main triggers. Three people, including a two-year-old child, died after a crash. Videos shared on social media showed rescue teams breaking windows to try to save victims. As Aito explained in a statement, “the power and signal cables were immediately cut, preventing the handle controller from receiving the ejection signal.” The concern continued after two accidents with the Xiaomi SU7whose videos showed people struggling to open the vehicle doors to rescue those inside, without luck. What the regulations require. Just like they explain from CarNewsChina, the ‘GB 48001-2026’ standard states that each door must have a mechanical exterior handle located in specific areas of the door surface, with sufficient space for manual operation in emergencies such as deployment of restraint systems or battery problems. Electric handles must include independent mechanical mechanisms capable of withstanding forces of at least 500 N. On the other hand, inside, each side door must have at least one mechanical opening handle with graphic symbols of at least 100 mm × 70 mm and clearly visible instructions or pictographic symbols. Impact on the industry. The regulations will affect numerous models from manufacturers such as Xiaomi, BYD and others that have adopted designs similar to Tesla. Bill Russo, founder of Automobility, counted to FT that the standard will require changes to some models but not a complete redesign. “Many manufacturers already design alternative handle solutions for export markets with different regulations,” he explains. “With the new regulation, we will be ready to change any handle as the government wants,” Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD, told Bloomberg TV. Outside China. Perhaps the most notorious case is in the United States, where the issue of hidden handles is also being investigated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened investigations on Tesla Model Y and Model 3 over concerns about the accessibility of their vehicles in emergencies. A particularly serious accident in California that caused the death of three teenagers in a Cybertruckwhere neither the occupants nor anyone close to the incident could open the doors through the hidden handles and reinforced glass, prompted Congress to take action and Tesla to announce a redesign of its handles. Cover image | Eyosias G In Xataka | Putting solar panels on an electric car sounds like a total win-win: the reality of extra autonomy is a bucket of cold water

The electric car needs cheap batteries. And a Spanish region is closer to giving it to them: Extremadura

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It’s just the go-ahead but it’s a key go-ahead. It is what will allow Yuneng International Spain New Energy Battery Material SLU to launch a project in Mérida to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP/LiFePO₄). In other words, Mérida will be key to producing essential materials for the manufacture of LFP batteries. Batteries that aspire to be essential in the popularization of the electric car. Merida. It was the place chosen by Yuneng International Spain New Energy Battery Material SLU to build a factory that can produce lithium iron phosphate. The project will be located in the Expacio Mérida business park and will extend across 467,000 square meters after the Government of Extremadura has confirmed the approval of the environmental declaration for this factory. The project aims to have financing of 800 million euros and generate 500 jobs to produce the planned capacity of 50,000 tons per year of these materials. In the first phase they will mobilize between 116 and 125 million euros of investment creating about 160 direct jobs, they point out in Motorpassion. Why is it key? The production of lithium iron phosphate is essential for LFP batteries. Batteries are made up of modules and these, in turn, are made up of cells. In each cell there is an anode and a cathode. It is in the cathodes of LFP batteries where lithium iron phosphate sheets are located. Without them, the batteries would not work. In batteries of this type there are small lithium particles on the anode (negative pole). These particles move to the cathode (positive pole) through a liquid electrolyte found inside. This is when the electric current is generated which is then used by the motors to move the wheels. LFP Batteries. LFP batteries are one of the big promises of the electric car to make models cheaper and popularize this technology. It is a technology that offers less autonomy than NMC (cathode formed by nickel, cobalt and manganese) or NCA (nickel, cobalt and aluminum) because they have lower energy density. However, these batteries are cheaper because lithium and iron are cheaper than nickel or cobalt. And, in addition, they are safer and better resist load cycles so they will be more durable. This is essential for smaller cars, which will have less autonomy and must undergo a greater number of charging cycles but with the backpack of not being able to raise its price. Estremadura. In recent years, Extremadura has become relevant in the electric car supply chain. In addition to this lithium and iron phosphate production plant, in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres) it is already rising a plant to produce complete batteries. This factory was designed to produce NMC batteries but has pivoted to produce LFP accumulatorsso both industries can be connected when the time comes. Additionally, the region is rich in lithium. Next to Cáceres it is believed that there are one of the largest deposits in Europe. The mine that should exploit this deposit has encountered the opposition from some neighbors and environmental platforms which has paralyzed the project. However, up to three of the seven projects that the European Commission wants to carry out in Spain for the exploitation of minerals and rare earths They are in Extremadura. The cheap electric car. To popularize the electric car, China has been betting on LFP batteries for years. In Europe, most electric cars have opted for batteries that include nickel or cobalt because they allow greater charging and discharging power and autonomy but are more expensive. Over the years, this has changed. Renault works with LFP batteries for the entry-level range of electric cars such as the Twingo or the Renault 5 (in the future). Tesla also uses them in the more modest versions of Model 3 and Model Y. In Spain, CATL is going to manufacture this type of batteries in Zaragoza for the smaller Stellantis cars. And Volkswagen too has this type of accumulator in mind for its most affordable electric cars that will come out of the Martorell line. Photo | Mercedes and Google Maps In Xataka | Europe has its hope in the 25,000 euro electric car and Volkswagen already knows who will manufacture it: Spain

the new life of your Cable Car

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This week, January 20, 2026, works started to dismantle one of the symbols of Madrid. They are, however, the first step to modernize it and adapt it to current security standards. With more than 50 years Behind them, the Madrid Cable Car is being taken down. The reason is a comprehensive renovation of the infrastructure. In fact, the cable car will remain alive but The iconic image will no longer return of the blue cabins supported by cables that seemed to flex too much. Because those cables with more than half a century behind them are being dismantled. The project includes a completely renovated cable car. Fewer cabins, faster journeys and, of course, the obligatory announcement that we will have the AI ​​monitoring possible incidents. It is a turning point in a story that was born at the end of the 60s. A cable car to nowhere Year 1969. Gento continued running on the Real Madrid wing and Gregorio “Hacha braba” Benito brought order to the center of the defense. But the team’s best years in Europe had passed. Gárate, Ufarte, Adelardo and Luis Aragonés would lead Atlético de Madrid to become League champion the following year and a few years later to brush with glory in Heysel before that great shot hit the net by one of those Germans with an unpronounceable name. The 60s gave way to a new decade and Madrid began to breathe a certain air of change without yet letting go of its most traditional signs of identity. Carlos Arias Navarro, then mayor of the city, turned the city upside down to get anywhere by car. Urban highways such as scalextric from Atocha and the proliferation of parking lots honored the rich Madrid tradition of drilling holes in the ground and always keep some work active. But, unlike motorized vehicles, in 1969 Madrid inaugurated a mass of iron that allowed people to fly above what would later become the M-30 and unite the Argüelles neighborhood with the Casa de Campo, then open to traffic and the classic setting for Sunday picnics. The plan seemed perfect to spend a day with the family eating tortillas away from the hustle and bustle. A completely isolated hill that, really, has no services at hand. What then led to building a cable car to nowhere in a city that was in full ferment and whose neighbors seemed eager for new plans? They count in elDiario.es that, really, the current Casa de Campo station was nothing more than an intermediate stop to get to the Amusement Park and the Zoo. That 1969, in fact, an attempt was made to inaugurate the first of these attractions together with the Cable Car, taking advantage of the festival of San Isidro, patron saint of the city, but the flying cabins had to wait because some neighbors tried to stop the project, claiming that the passage of these vehicles did not respect their privacy since they could see the interior of their houses. The Casa de Campo Cable Car station is linked to the Lake, the Amusement Park and the Zoo by roads that run through the interior of the urban park. But then you had to walk through pine trees to get to the recent Amusement Park, which is located just over a kilometer from the end of the cable car. To get to the Zoo it is necessary to double the distance. And the project contemplated joining both spaces with the cable car in a monorail that never came to fruition. If it had left, one of the city’s wealthy neighborhoods would be linked by air to two of the municipality’s great leisure attractions at that turn of the decade. The project, however, was stopped. Since 1969 it has been in operation with the same infrastructure, its cables have remained active for more than 50 years and it is estimated that it has transported more than eight million people. In 2022, a review temporarily paralyzed the facility when it was considered that it was not completely safe and in 2023 it was temporarily closed indefinitely. Now, the Madrid Cable Car seeks to write a new page in its history. This week the works for its dismantling began but a renovation project is already underway, so that the cabins can fly again for almost three kilometers above the Parque del Oeste and the Casa de Campo. They will do it with new cabins and renewed cables from Switzerland. With artificial intelligenceof course, which according to the Madrid City Council will help control incidents. Spaces that will weigh a ton with seats to transport a total of 10 people per trip. The challenge, they say from the City Council, has been to put new material in a space that was designed 60 years ago, they collect in The World. If everything goes ahead as planned, the flying cabins will return to the Madrid sky next year. They will do so after a five-year hiatus and almost 60 years after the first travelers covered that walk that, one day, should have linked the Argüelles neighborhood with the Madrid Zoo. Photo | FDV on Wikimedia and Madrid City Council In Xataka | Madrid wants to put 110,000 tons of weight on the M-30. And the challenge is not technical: it is not to collapse the road

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

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