car

Porsche owners in Russia woke up this morning without being able to start their car. And they have a suspicion

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They said in Autonotion in 2019 that Russia was a country of extremes. They weren’t talking about the economy (at least not directly), they were talking about car sales. And the Russian market has always been particular, with Lada being the best-selling car brand and, at the same time, having the ability to sneak Porsche ahead of Peugeot. And Porsche lived a decade of love with Russia with constant growth. The wealthiest did not hesitate to opt for the luxury brands Germans. In fact, that report identified Mercedes and BMW as the tenth and eleventh most purchased car companies. In fact, despite the restrictions, Russians continue to buy Western cars, they explained in Motor1.com recently. Those continued sales have thousands of Porsche cars moving through the streets of Russian cities. Or they had them. Because overnight, car owners in Stuttgart keep reporting a problem as simple as it is obvious: their cars don’t move. No, they don’t work. Either they don’t start or they stop after traveling a few meters. The reason for the problem is already known. The origin is more diffuse. My Porsche doesn’t run They pick up their colleagues Motorpassion that since the last days of November, Russian owners of German sports cars are experiencing serious problems starting their cars. The problem seems to lie in the Porsche VTS (Porsche Vehicle Tracking System), a system that the German company offers as a protection measure. With it activated, the vehicle maintains a constant satellite connection so if someone steals the car it is easy to find its location. In that case, a thief must block the satellite signal but in that case the brand understands that, in fact, the car is being stolen and the car automatically does not start or stops after a few meters. This is what has happened in Russia. With a nuance, the Porsche system has incorrectly understood that hundreds or thousands of cars sold since 2013 have been stolen and, therefore, their starting is prevented. The reason is that these cars have lost the satellite connection for a reason that is still unknown. This automatically activates the system and, as we see, leaves the car inoperable. Rolf, the largest dealer group selling Porsche cars in Russia, has confirmed the latter. And the company ceased operations in the country completely in 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then its users have been left without technical service. It is now believed that the lack of maintenance of the servers may have caused a failure that has broken that satellite connection and the Porsches have become a gigantic paperweight. The event is so striking that those responsible for Rolf have assured Russian media that the widespread shutdown “may be deliberate.” However, there is no conclusive evidence for the latter. If so, it would be a hybrid warfare maneuver especially curious. For now, what is certain is that there are hundreds of post-2013 Porsches completely stranded… and with their customers looking for desperate solutions. The companions of Motorpassion They report that some of them claim to have solved the problem with hard reboots, such as turning off the battery for 10 hours. The car would have picked up the satellite signal again at that moment and could start moving again. Others have achieved it rebooting the VTS system or, directly, removing it completely, which involves disassembling the seats and a good part of the dashboard. Whether it was some kind of computer attack or simply due to a lack of server maintenance, the truth is that hundreds of Porsche cars have been stranded and that speaks volumes. how hopelessly connected our cars are nowadays. Almost always, arguing or defending greater driver safety. Our cars have become a connected data center… whether we want it or not. The Porsche case is an example of how an interesting and useful system to prevent car theft can leave us with a completely stopped car if the system architecture suffers irreparable damage. And in this case we are not talking about a failure in the vehicle, we are talking about a direct attack against servers or satellites that directly allow our cars to move. Right now, a new one keeps constant information about our driving in a small black box. We are connected to a network with geolocation to make an emergency call with eCall, mandatory since 2018. Some modern cars can receive notices in your browsers of various incidents, How does the DGT want to send when detect a car stopped on the road with the V-16 beacon active. But it has even been proposed to use the data collected to force us to circulate around the city. in fully electric mode if we have a plug-in hybrid car or harness its power if it is detected that the batteries have not been recharged for too long. Therefore, technically it is possible to turn off cars remotely. It would be very difficult to order a concrete attack against a single vehicle since connected information sent from a car is supposedly anonymous and end-to-end encrypted. As long as that car has not been reported stolen, which can allow the police to contact the manufacturer and him order a remote shutdown. However, vulnerabilities that could leave hundreds or thousands of cars completely stopped or at the mercy of a remote control are one of the industry’s biggest concerns. Especially in a geopolitical context in which hybrid warfare seems to be increasingly present. Photo | Josh Berquist and Vadim Artyukhin In Xataka | If you do not have the V16 beacon you will be fined, but the director of the DGT proposes a grace period: “the agents will be flexible”

Europe had chosen the electric car as the only solution for the future. Germany is about to knock him down

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There is no official confirmation. It should arrive on December 10, but there is already a first warning that it is possible that the communication will be delayed until January 2026. “For good reasons,” the political leaders assure us. The same people in charge who already advance the guidelines that the review of the 2035 objectives will follow: allowing cars with combustion engines to remain alive. A preview. This is what Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Transport, gave to the German newspaper Handelsblatt. Like almost everything in this life, neither the time nor the place chosen is coincidental. In this interview, the European official points out that in the European Commission “we are open to all technologies”, which already suggests that this ban on selling combustion engines in 2035 is close to falling. In the absence of knowing all the specific and official details, what it does say is that “the role of zero-emission fuels (known as efuels) and with low emissions and advanced biofuels.” And this is where some doubts arise. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? No emissions? What the European Union has to resolve is to what extent it is willing to open its hand. The efuels or synthetic fuels They have been sold as an alternative solution because, it is assumed, they do not generate CO2 emissions. When the car burns said fuel it does generate these emissions but they are neutral because the same or greater amount of CO2 is trapped in their production. The European Union has already opened the door to this possibility changing the wording of the ban. We went from talking about banning combustion engines that produced emissions to combustion engines that were not carbon neutral. The difference is subtle but key because with the burning of any fuel (including hydrogen) polluting emissions beyond CO2 are produced, such as NOx or the dangerous ones fine particles which, in both cases, are harmful to humans. “Low emissions”. Now the European Commissioner also speaks of “low-emission fuels.” It remains to be known what these low emissions are and in what quantities they will be allowed. And the alternative that was put on the table was to allow the sale of combustion engines as long as they were associated with highly electrified options. This would lead, for example, to extended range electric. Cars with long electric ranges but that, in essence, are plug-in hybrids because they have a gasoline tank for emergency use. One of the latest proposals is that the car itself, through software, cape the power when a specific number of kilometers has been traveled without recharging the vehicle. Another technically viable possibility is to geofence the cities. That is, using the vehicle’s navigator, the car always moves in completely electric mode when passing through a city or especially sensitive areas of it (hospitals, schools…). This alternative has been contemplated by some plug-in hybrids for years, like BMW’s. And why all this? Because, according to Tzitzikostas, Europe is risking part of its industrial and economic future. “We want to maintain our objectives, but we must take into account all the latest geopolitical events. We must try not to jeopardize our competitiveness and, at the same time, help European industry maintain its technological advantage,” he points out in the interview. In reaching this conclusion it seems that German pressures have had their effect. “Chancellor Merz’s letter has been very well received,” he told the German media. And Germany has been pushing for some time to go back in the face of the “all electric” that seemed decided for Europe. The German industry is facing one of the worst crises in its history and it is estimated that, in just the last two years, about 55,000 jobs have been lost. When will it be official? The idea is that in December we should already know what will happen to this ban in 2035. In recent days the idea had gained strength that it would be December 10 when the European Commission would confirm all these details but the person in charge of transport has already announced that it is possible that this communication will be delayed until January 2026. Photo | Sophie Jonas and Angelo Abear In Xataka | The Government presents the Auto Plus Plan to forget MOVES III: direct aid for the purchase of electric cars with doubts to clear up

The British skipped fuel tax by switching to an electric car. The Government’s solution: create another tax

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The British Government recently announced a new tax for electric vehicles in which drivers would pay per distance traveled (miles), with the intention of it coming into force in April 2028. The measure, which is included in this documenthas drawn criticism from many citizens and experts, and comes at a key moment, as the United Kingdom plans to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars in 2030. Its public coffers are losing revenue from fuel taxes while the adoption of electric vehicles grows. How the system is planned so far. Electric car drivers will pay 3p per mile traveled (about 3.4 euro cents), while plug-in hybrids will pay 1.5 pence. The calculation will be made through an annual mileage estimate that drivers will declare when renewing their road tax, and will subsequently be verified during the technical inspection of the vehicle. According to the Government, an average electric car driver who travels 13,680 kilometers a year you will pay about 255 pounds additional (approximately 295 euros). Why this change matters. Just like share According to The Telegraph, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves justifies the measure as necessary to compensate for the drop in fuel tax revenue. According to Dan Tomlinson, MP and Secretary of the Treasury, if no action is taken, by 2030 one in five drivers will not pay fuel tax while others will continue to contribute an average of £480 annually. According to the media, the Office of Budget Responsibility predicts that this new tax could reduce sales of electric vehicles by 440,000 units in the next five years. Industry reactions. Manufacturers such as Ford and the British manufacturers’ association SMMT have harshly criticized the measure. Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Autotrader, declared that “we need more carrot and less stick if we are serious about the electric transition.” From Ford they pointed out that the budget sends “a mixed message” about the government’s goal of driving the shift to electric vehicles. Implementation problems. The system presents several practical challenges. Drivers will have to estimate their annual mileage without it necessarily coinciding with the date of their MOT (the equivalent of the MOT in the UK), which complicates the calculation. New cars, which do not require inspection for the first three years, will need additional checks. Furthermore, the Government recognize which could increase odometer fraud, a practice which, according to The Telegraph, already affects 2.3% of British vehicles. A controversial issue. As the current regulations are stated, drivers who use their vehicles outside the United Kingdom They would also pay for those milesdespite not using British roads. The Government justifies this decision by arguing that the percentage of drivers traveling abroad is small, although it recognizes that it will especially affect residents of Northern Ireland, as they frequently cross into the Republic of Ireland. The impact on the pocket. Although the Government insist With the rate equal to half of what gasoline and diesel drivers pay, many electric vehicle owners are already starting to worry. Stephen Walton, a driver who bought an electric car in 2023, counted to the BBC that “it will be my first and last electric vehicle because there are no tax advantages for electric car drivers.” A unexpected advantage for China. Analysts such as Sam Goodman, from the China Strategic Risks Institute, warn that the new tax could encourage British consumers to opt for cheaper Chinese models such as the BYD Dolphin Surfwhich sells for 18,650 pounds compared to the more than 26,000 that some eligible European alternatives cost. During the third quarter of 2025, Chinese models They already represented 11.8% of the British new passenger car market, according to Schmidt Automotive Research. What’s coming now? The Government has opened a consultation period to define the final details of the system before 2028. It also announced an additional investment of 1.3 billion pounds in aid for the purchase of electric vehicles, although only four models currently qualify for the maximum subsidy of 3,750 pounds, the cheapest being the Ford Puma Gen-E (£26,245 applying subsidies). The Office of Budget Responsibility esteem The new tax will raise £1.1bn in its first year and £1.9bn by 2030-31, although the actual figure will depend on how many Britons decide to buy electric cars in the coming years. In Xataka | Your car windshield has hundreds of small black dots. It is not decoration, it is technology to save our lives

The hundreds of black dots on train and car windows are not a whim: they are a shield called ‘frits’

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Traveling by car or train means looking around the windows. You probably don’t just look at the landscape, but at all the vehicle interior elementsthe closest being the edge of those windows. A common element on the train and on the car window is a black border with a curious pattern of dots that become smaller as the rows increase. It is not paint or an aesthetic element, but something that fulfills a crucial technical function to protect the integrity of the glass. They are called ‘frit band‘ either ‘frits‘, and it is one of the most important passive safety elements that these vehicles have. The Science of Car Window Blackheads Although it seems like it, these dots are not paint: they are ceramics baked at very high temperatures, which fuses with glass during manufacturing of the same. He process It is most curious, since first the still hot black ceramic paste is applied to the edges of the glass, and then it is baked together with the glass in the tempering and bending process. In Xataka In 2001, Renault launched a car ahead of its time: it was a miserable failure that now has another chance It is a structural element of glass and this process involves a permanent bond that does not wear over time. The dot pattern motif, known as “gradient matrix”it is not a whim either, but a solution to something that could spontaneously break the car window. Black glass absorbs much more heat than clear glass, and this is something you can easily check on a sunny day: the black band will be hotter than the rest of the glass. When the temperature is extreme, and on trips where the moon can being hit by small stonesif there were an abrupt temperature transition between the black border and the transparent area, stress points would be created that could cause cracks. That’s why they pulled out that gradient that works like a processor heatsink: creates a thermal transition zone which distributes heat more evenly. It is something that provides protection to the glass, but they serve something else: to help the bond between the chassis and the glass. On the perimeter of the crystals there is glue that joins the elements, and the ‘frits’ have a rougher texture that allows a better adhesion from glass to chassis. Also, being black, they protect the glue against ultraviolet rays, maximizing its durability and the security of the union of the components. A detail from Jeep, which introduced an Easter egg in these frits In the end, what might seem like a simple aesthetic element fulfills an important safety function. In the train, this adhesion and thermal dissipation, and in the car, added to the above, greater resistance of the moon to shocks. In some cars it has been used to place a nod, and the fact that they are circles and not another geometric element has an aesthetic part, but also functional because it makes us overlook them while driving. It is one more example of all that everyday technology that surrounds us and that perhaps we always wonder if it would have some function, but once that initial curiosity passes, we forget to look. Images | Jeep, Abil Saputra In Xataka |Cars have become gigantic. The problem is that our parking spaces do not (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news The hundreds of black dots on train and car windows are not a whim: they are a shield called ‘frits’ was originally published in Xataka by Alejandro Alcolea .

While we wait for solid-state batteries, the University of Córdoba has an idea for the electric car: human poop

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The automotive industry has launched itself into electrification arms. Be with the hybrids, plug-ins either 100% electricthey all have batteries, and the key to convincing more users of make the jump from your combustion car is guarantee greater autonomy. The solid state batteries are one of the technologies in researchbut there are other very promising ones such as lithium-sulfur, and the University of Córdoba believes that there are two secret ingredients to improve the formula. Urine and excrement. Li-S. They are not new. We have been talking about the lithium sulfide batteriesand while we find the economy of scale necessary for solid-state ones to establish themselves, lithium-sulfur ones are one of the hopes for electric cars. They have twice the real energy density of lithium-ion, sulfur is extremely abundant and economical compared to critical materials such as cobalt or nickel, It is not something that China controlsit is safer because the risk of thermal runaway is lower and the environmental impact is reduced. They are not perfect, since the conductivity is low, the manufacturing processes are not as optimized as those of current alternatives and, above all, the current useful life is very limited: although they are moving forward In this sense, just 300-500 charge cycles compared to between 1,000 and 3,000 for lithium-ion batteries. However, as we say, they have become a promising technology, and the University of Córdoba wants one of the ingredients in the battery to be… poop. Batteries from waste. The Chemical Institute for Energy and the Environment, or IQUEMA, of the University of Córdoba has published a study in which they test the potential of sludge from a municipal treatment plant when converting it into activated carbon. It is an essential material for lithium-sulfur batteries, since it works as a conductor, and they consider it to be the answer to the challenge of optimizing the electrodes of these batteries. As we said, sulfur has advantages, but one of the great deficiencies is its conductivity index. This requires active carbon and other conductive matrices that are expensive to produce. But of course, if this conductive matrix is ​​created from waste that all cities in the world produce no matter what, things change. Villaviciosa de Córdoba. To do this, IQUEMA has used sludge from the wastewater station of Villaviciosa de Córdoba. This plant uses a treatment system that generates a sludge with an interesting composition to carry out the experiment: It is rich in organic matter. Also in metals, nitrogen and phosphorus. Combining them can create a material with a good electrochemical performance index. The process is as follows: Drying: the mud is dried and pulverized. Chemical modification: Potash is added as a chemical agent to make the material more porous. Pyrolysis: the mixture is subjected to temperatures of 800º to convert the organic matter into activated carbon. Mixture with sulfur: thus it is trapped in the active carbon matrix and the last step would be to integrate it into the battery electrodes. Promising. The researchers have found that the activated carbon obtained has ideal properties to be used as a material in these batteries. Its porous structure and nitrogen doping improve the transport of electrons and ions, and the resulting material has a high sulfur content. This allows the battery to have great electrochemical stability. That is to say, one of the big problems of this technology, the low conductivity of sulfur for the cathode, is something that mitigates the matrix created from the Villaviciosa de Córdoba sludge. And because its raw material is what it is, it is easier to recycle than other conventional batteries for which you have to develop tadjacent technologies for sustainability. According to the researchers, it is an avenue worth exploring because “triple the storage capacity of a lithium-ion battery”. “It is a great advance that we achieved from a waste that we considered problematic” – IQUEMA researchers Beyond the poop. Considering the results, it is likely that we will see more studies in the same direction. It is something that solves a double problem: the municipal waste management by converting it into a key material to solve one of the challenges of lithium-sulfur batteries. And the interesting thing is that IQUEMA has not remained only in the sludge of the sewage treatment plant. Previously explored the potential of agroindustrial byproductslike the olive pits and avocados, but also almond and pistachio shells. The problem is that these materials are already in demand in other sectors (such as composting or heating), and that is where the great advantage of human excrement lies: “no one” wants them. Images | ACE, Thomas Freres In Xataka | No, China has not turned off the tap on batteries for electric cars. The reality is much more complex

Chinese electric car manufacturers opted to develop their own chips. He already plans to sell them to others.

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In 2024, Nio advertisement the world’s first 5nm chip for autonomous driving, being an important step towards technological independence from a Chinese manufacturer of such caliber. A year and a half after its announcement, the company is now beginning the external marketing of that chip, according to they count from Latepost. In this way, Nio is on the eve of transforming one of its most expensive investments into a potential source of income. Just like point The electric vehicle maker has already begun providing technology licenses to an automotive chip company. A multimillion-dollar project that seeks profitability. The development of Shenji NX9031 It has involved an investment of billions of yuan. William Li (Li Bin), CEO of Nio, revealed that the R&D expenditure on this chip was equivalent to the cost of building 1,000 battery exchange stations, which would place the investment above 140 million dollars. The project, started in 2021, has involved more than 600 professionals covering front and back design, verification and testing. What makes this chip special. Made with automotive-grade 5-nanometer technology, the Shenji NX9031 promises approximately four times the computing power of Nvidia’s Orin-X. Zhang Danyu, head of Nio’s chip division, pointed out in May that in some of their specifications they even surpass industry-standard chips and that their mass production began several months before Nvidia’s latest smart driving chip, the Thor-U. It is currently integrated into models such as the ET9, ES6 2025 and EC6. How much does a technology license cost?. According to share From Latepost, the value of these license agreements varies significantly depending on the type of authorization. An individual intellectual property license could be worth several million dollars, while a technical authorization at the system-on-chip (SoC) level could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. A new source of income. That the Nio chip begins to be marketed externally comes at a great time for the company, especially now that the manufacturer faces pressure significant from investors and has promised to become profitable in the fourth quarter. The company has intensified its efforts this year to reduce expenses and explore new sources of income. In March, Li Bin already advertisement publicly at the China EV 100 Forum that Nio chips and operating systems would be open to the industry. “If they want to buy the best chips, they can contact Nio,” he said then. What it means for the future of Nio. According to Li Bin, the chip provides a cost optimization of approximately 10,000 yuan ($1,400) per vehicle in the brand’s own models. Now, with the external license, Nio not only recovers part of its investment, but also positions itself as a technology provider for other manufacturers in the automotive sector. 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

When you bought a car you were supposed to control it 100%. The industry has managed to make us lose our desire

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An owner of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N recently discovered that he couldn’t perform one of the most basic maintenance tasks on his electric car: changing the brake pads. The reason has nothing to do with how complex or not the task was mechanically, but rather with Hyundai’s proprietary software and the professional-level credentials necessary to access it. The episode has reopened the debate on the repairability of electrified vehiclesin an era in which we increasingly need professionals specialized in software and electronics in workshops, and carrying out maintenance on our own is increasingly more complicated. The underlying problem. Brake pads are wear components that any car needs replacing periodically, although in electric vehicles they last longer thanks to the regenerative braking. On most cars, this job can be done at home with more or less basic tools and moderate mechanical experience. However, the Ioniq 5 N incorporates an electronic parking brake that must be fully retracted by a computer to allow changing pads, and then recalibrated to adjust to the thickness of the new parts. What it cost the owner. According to shared user SoultronicPear on Reddit, no conventional diagnostic scanner worked on his 2025 Ioniq 5 N. After trying several options, he purchased a subscription to Hyundai’s J2534 software (costing $60 per week) and an approved adapter (about $2,000). Still, the system didn’t work. After contacting the software developers, he discovered that the Windows version was not updated for the 2025 models, while official dealers use a completely different program based on Android. a barrier. When I finally received the updated version of the software, a new obstacle appeared: the system requested credentials NASTF (National Automotive Service Task Force), a US organization that validates professional mechanics and regulates access to sensitive vehicle functions in the country. According to TheDriveHyundai’s technical documentation states in red that “access to two-way tests and special functions requires NASTF Diagnostic Professional or Vehicle Safety Professional credentials.” Therefore, the owner could not access this adjustment firsthand. Hyundai’s position. The middle consulted to the firm, which defended its procedure arguing reasons of security and functionality. “The official repair procedure requires placing the rear calipers into service mode using our Global Diagnostic System or the J2534 app. This ensures proper functionality and customer safety,” a spokesperson explained. The company he added that it is exploring ways to make routine maintenance easier by “balancing convenience with security,” and that its official tool is available for anyone to purchase, although it is worth mentioning that its price is around $6,000. Beyond legality. Technically, Hyundai does not violate the laws of law to repair because it offers access through systems compatible with the J2534 standard, not only through proprietary equipment. However, what has always been a task accessible to individuals with moderate mechanical knowledge who wanted to do it on their own, has been relegated exclusively to professional workshops, at least in this case. A growing problem. Although the case focuses on Hyundai, the Korean brand is not the only one that makes repairs on modern vehicles difficult. The electrification and digitalization of automobiles is creating new barriers for owners and even independent workshops, who also cannot access these functions. For many enthusiasts, this takes away autonomy over their own vehicles and creates confusion, especially for something that should be as accessible as routine car maintenance. Cover image | Tekton In Xataka | In 2001, Renault launched a car ahead of its time: it was a miserable failure that now has another chance

A study analyzed the power of LED car headlights. The conclusion is what all drivers already know

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I hate traveling at night, almost as much as drive in rain. It had been a while since I went to a national one, but a few days ago I had to do it and what had to happen happened: I was dazzled on more than one occasion. Car headlights have evolved tremendously in a short time and LEDs have prevailed in new vehicles. The problem is that every time there are more signs that we have gone too far with its evolution. And a new report puts a percentage on how dangerous they can be if they are not properly calibrated… or if the car that uses them is an SUV. In short. Whether because you have a new car or because you update the headlights of a car with a few years behind it, they are one of the elements that are most appreciated on the journeys. They see you better, you see better and it is one of the most important points in terms of safety behind the wheel. If the height is correct and they are well calibrated, they are a pleasure, but it can also happen that this is not the case and they dazzle or dazzle you. There, security goes to hell for a few seconds. The British Department for Transport has published the results of a study about glare caused by LED lights. Your conclusion? They represent a road safety problem, altering the habits of drivers in the United Kingdom. We could extrapolate it perfectly. Basically, between October 2024 and early 2025, they combined objective measurements in real conditions with surveys of 1,850 drivers. The results They are devastating: 97% of them affirm that they are frequently distracted, and 96% that glare from headlights is a road safety problem. Analysis. On the one hand, we have those statements from drivers, who were asked about the frequency with which they felt distracted due to glare from the headlights of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. On the other hand, the objective analysis. To do this, the DfT used luminance cameras and mixed the data using a machine learning algorithm to identify the variables that come into play at high glare levels. They discovered that there was a strong correlation between higher luminance levels and reports of glare in some test vehicles (logical, on the other hand). Also that road factors influence, such as circular upwards or curves to the righttimes when drivers’ eyes are most exposed to the beam of light from the headlights. In the end, these are things that a study does not have to confirm if you have ever driven at night, but what is interesting about the study is the consequences and the “culprits.” Impact. For example, more than half of the respondents have affirmed that this discomfort due to glare has generated anxiety when driving at certain hours, which is why they have reduced night driving or have abandoned it altogether. And more than 20% point out that they would like to take the car less at night because of this, but they have no other option. According to statistics and beyond the indirect impact, they estimate that glare has bound about 290 accidents annually. and the effects They depend on age: a 50-year-old person takes nine seconds to recover from glare, while a 16-year-old takes just one second, which applies another risk factor on the road to older drivers. SUV. Beyond this, they have also found that larger vehicles, such as SUVs, are the most associated with glare in surveys. This is logical: they are taller, their headlights are more aligned with the eyes of drivers traveling in the opposite direction (especially in lower cars) and it seems that all new cars are SUVsso they are the ones with the most up-to-date lights. The problem of retrofit. This term in English refers to the modification of an existing component. In short: updating with new parts and superior technologies, such as changing the brakes for better ones, installing a new infotainment system or change the original halogen headlights for LED ones. You can buy new ‘bulbs’ even on Amazon and many are approved, but there are two problems: those that are not well regulated and those that are installed illegally. The British Administration has identified that illegal conversion is a problem, since changing halogen bulbs for LED means that those housings designed for halogen do not work the same with the new LED headlights, causing dangerous glare. British ITV has intensified its analysis of the sale of these kits, with heavy fines for violators. Not simple solutions. They estimate that around 800,000 vehicles fail their annual inspection due to headlight alignment problems, but although these are UK numbers, this is a global problem (in Spain22% of serious failures have to do with the lights) which implies that, perhaps, we have gone too far with the power of our cars’ headlights. The solution is not clear. The report recommends periodic glare checks and rethinking luminance measurements in modern headlights, but this will have to be studied. In the end, it is something that we all suffer at one time or another although, as they point Our colleagues at MotorPasión, for motorcyclists there is another added problem: reflections on the visor itself. Image | Alexander Jawfox In Xataka | The “made in China” business of the DGT’s V-16 beacons: homologating the same product 24 times and selling it under different brands

Volkswagen has presented its “most intelligent car to date” in China. The trick is that Volkswagen hasn’t done it

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Volkswagen prepares the launch of the ID. UNYX 08an electric SUV developed together with the Chinese firm Xpeng that will hit the market in 2026. For years, Volkswagen enjoyed a large presence in China. However, currently, firms such as Xiaomi or BYD have overtaken them to the right with their proposals and technology. The German group has had no choice but join forces with the Chinese Xpeng to continue competing in this very competitive market. And the greatest exponent of this alliance is this same car of which we are going to tell you all the details. Strategy to come back in China. The German brand has lost positions in this market since 2020, when electric vehicles began their massive expansion in the country. Now it is trying to recover the lost ground against local manufacturers such as BYD and Geely through this technological alliance with Xpengwhich provides its G9 platform and its connectivity and driving assistance systems. Design speed. The ID. UNYX 08 was completed in 30 months, a time that according to Volkswagen It is more than 30% lower than usual. This acceleration responds to what the company calls “Chinese speed”, a concept that reflects its need to adapt to the pace of the local market. The German manufacturer affirms having managed to “fully integrate into China’s automotive ecosystem” thanks to local alliances and its own research and development capabilities. The figures of the new SUV. The vehicle measures 5 meters long, 1,954 meters wide and between 1,672 and 1,688 meters high, with a wheelbase of 3,030 meters. These dimensions exceed those of the Xpeng G9, the model on whose platform it was built. It will be available in two configurations: a 230 kW rear motor or dual motor with 140 kW front and 230 kW rear. will ride LFP batteries from CATL, with a range of more than 700 kilometers according to the CLTC cycle, and will support 800-volt fast charging. Technology at the service of the Chinese driver. The ID. UNYX 08 will incorporate L2++ level driving assistance with the capacity for autonomous operation “from parking to parking” both in the city and on highways. It will also have OTA (Over-the-Air) updates and an artificial intelligence assistant based on advanced language models. Volkswagen presents it as “its most intelligent model to date.” The plan to get back into the fight. This SUV is the first of the two models agreed between Volkswagen and Xpeng in 2023. It will be assembled in collaboration with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group, a partner with which Volkswagen created its first joint venture in China in 2017 dedicated exclusively to new energy vehicles. The ID family. UNYX, which already includes the 06 (a compact SUV) and the recently unveiled 07 (an electric sedan), thus expands into the medium-large SUV segment. What’s at stake. For Volkswagen, this launch represents much more than a new product: it is a litmus test on its ability to compete with Chinese manufacturers in its own territory. The Asian market has become the main battlefield of electromobility worldwide, and the German brand needs to demonstrate that it can offer cutting-edge technology without losing its identity. We’ll see if the ID. UNYX 08 convinces drivers in China. If you do so, it will set the course of your strategy in the country. In Xataka | The “made in China” business of the DGT’s V-16 beacons: homologating the same product 24 times and selling it under different brands

an underwater YangWang, a 29-meter dune and a car that turns on its own

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The circuit seems taken from the dream of a megalomaniacal engineer: A gigantic dune indoors. A 70 meter pool for cars, not for humans. An impeccable and very wide asphalt route. A gymkhana off road with unevenness, slopes, gravel… BYD has called it Racing Trackwe have gone to Zhengzhou to see it (and test it), and it is much more than a circuit: it is a declaration of intent on the part of its manufacturer, and a not-so-subtle signal of the role it wants to occupy. Not in China, but in the world. Is permanently tighten muscleis throwing the gauntlet to Europe and the United States to see if they keep up. And for us, it is the key to understanding how this manufacturer has gone from a local phenomenon to a world leader in five years. The U8 dune The interior dune is the pride of the complex: 29 meters high, 28 degrees inclined, more than six thousand tons of sand from the Alxa desert. Guinness has certified it as the largest indoor building in the world. He Yangwang U8a luxury SUV with four electric motors, was in charge of climbing it. Of course, a local driver was behind the wheel. On the sides of the dune, dozens of journalists waiting for the climb like a child waiting to open gifts the night before Three Kings Day. Image: Xataka. Image provided. Image: Xataka. Image provided. At one point, the pilot honked his horn and accelerated hard to scale the sand wall. A five-meter tank that went with an unnatural calm. Not a skid, not a hesitation. Just an electrical hum. Another honk, and the descent. Applause and that feeling of celebration of raw power. We missed hitting each other in the chest making simian gestures. But there was something else: that iconic Pirelli advertisement said that “power without control is useless”, and that aphorism fits perfectly here. The U8 is pure power, but full of control. Symbolism. Where cars breathe The next stop was the wading pool, a 70 meter long pond created for the U8. This time we didn’t drive either, but we were inside while the pilot submerged the car in the water. Upon detecting a certain depth, the car automatically raised the windows and opened the sunroof, two safety measures to prevent water from entering the cabin and to facilitate escape if necessary, respectively. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. From there, the motors work like turbines in each wheel. They keep the car afloat and also allow you to steer it. It was impressive to see the water almost at the height of our window. From there, a gentle 180º turn and return to the shore. Science fiction for a amphibious SUV. That said, this function is intended as a response to an emergency such as flooding. It is not something the manufacturer recommends doing for fun. The dune was fun, but The one in the pool was the most hypnotic moment of the dayalthough with a bitter aftertaste due to memories of DANA. But for extreme situations like that this function is supposed to be there. From water to dust with the Denza B5 After the show, it was our turn at the Off-Road Parkan area with 27 difficulty scenarios. We did it, not completely, at the wheel of the Denza B5, the SUV that will arrive in Spain under that brand – although in China it is sold as Fang Cheng Bao 5 -. A competitor to the Land Cruiser that, depending on its price (it will arrive in Spain) will manage to put Toyota in more or less trouble, but in any case it will be noticed. If you don’t know Denza yet, keep his name: technological luxury that has no reason to have any complexes. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. The assigned circuit was easy: ramps designed to put the car on two wheels, notable inclinations, bridge crossings and areas of complicated relief. Even so, the B5 moved with solvency. Instant electric all-wheel drive and obstacle-filtering suspension with the aplomb of a veteran off-roader. Patrol, is that you? It was not a risky experience, but it served as a symbolic demonstration: Chinese electric cars are no longer only looking for efficiency. They also want to be the most versatile. This one is. And it was extremely easy to drive in those environments even for someone like me, with no experience off-road. The scary crab: Denza Z9 GT The turn of the Denza Z9 GTthe saloon shooting brake that BYD has launched against the Taycan and the Panamera. But we didn’t test it on curves, but on something more disturbing: the crab walk and the U-shaped turn, 180 degrees in static. He crab walk —advancing diagonally like a crab—is a fair trick until you see it in action. You accelerate forward and the car slides sideways, defying all visual logic. It takes a few seconds for the brain to accept that the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels. It is useful for parallel parking without maneuvering. It’s unsettling to drive. And it attracts looks of bewilderment. Image provided. Image provided. But the static 180 degree turn was straight up surreal. Standing still, without moving an inch, The Z9 GT pivots on its own axis until it turns completely around. The four wheels rotate independently, locking one of the front wheels, the car rotates like in a video game and you, inside, only hear the hum of the engines while the world spins outside the window. There’s no need. It is not practical on a day-to-day basis, if perhaps at some specific moment where we do not have an angle to deface a mess But it’s the kind of technological excess that separates a good car from a statement of intent. Of course, it does not seem advisable to play with it too much for the sake of our support tire. “Mickey Mouse” with … Read more

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