Cars

The bargain Xiaomi has died. Its new era goes through luxury, sports cars and competing in premium

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Xiaomi came into this world promising that the price was a conspiracy. That the absurd margins of Samsung and Apple were arbitrary, that a decent cell phone could cost two hundred bucks and that Democratizing was, in itself, a form of gainr. It worked and grew. It became the third smartphone brand in the world with a 14% global share, not so far from Samsung and Apple. And now, at the MWC in Barcelona, ​​he has set up a stand where there is no trace of that initial promise. There is a Xiaomi 17 Ultra for 1,500 euros with the Leica seal. There is a SU7 Ultra that breaks records at the Nürburgring. and there is a concepts of hypercar electric car called Vision Gran Turismo designed to appear in the PlayStation video game alongside Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes. The Xiaomi of the bargain has not died of success. He died, in part, out of necessity. The numbers tell the story that the statements do not usually explain: The average selling price of their smartphones fell almost three percent in 2025weighed down by the weight of Redmi in international markets. In China, its natural market, closed the year in fourth positionlosing ground to Apple and a Huawei that has returned with force. With an R&D budget that exceeds four billion dollars annually and the pressure to sustain that spending, selling more cheap mobile phones is no longer a viable strategy… …so the move to premium is an Excel thing. The photography with Leica and the SU7 Ultra we already knew them. What’s new in Barcelona is the Vision Gran Turismo, and it is true that it deserves some attention. Xiaomi is the first Chinese manufacturer to join Polyphony Digital’s Vision GT program, a club that for three decades has been the exclusive territory of large European and Japanese houses. The concept itself (a hypercar electric, 900 volt platform, power that could be around 1,900 horsepower…) will never reach production. Xiaomi knows that and we all know it. But that’s not the question. The question is why a company that sells mobile phones, appliances and electric cars dedicates resources to designing a video game car and also creates its physical version. The answer is that The Vision GT is not a product but a positioning statement executed in the only territory where Xiaomi still has no history to defend or expectations to manage: the one of pure fantasy. A place where a brand that Four years ago it didn’t even have a car division. can sit without raising an eyebrow at the same table as Porsche. Some photos of stand from Xiaomi at the MWC explain well where the shots are going: What is not seen because it is covered by people surrounding it is the Vision GT, Xiaomi’s biggest eye-catcher at this MWC. Image: Xataka. What you see when you enter the security area thanks to a convenient press pass. Image: Xataka. The queue to get on the SU7 Ultra is already a classic. Image: Xataka. Cell phones continue to attract glances… but they are not even close to the ones that their cars awaken. Or his car and his concept car. Image: Xataka. The move is very reminiscent of Hyundai when it launched Lexus, although with one difference: Hyundai had the discipline to separate the brands. Xiaomi is trying to ensure that the same logo that for years crowned 150 euro phones now supports an ecosystem that ranges from hypercar to the ultra-premium mobile passing through the connected home. This identity clash remains unresolved. And at the MWC stand it looks great: the main protagonists are Leica, the SU7 Ultra and the Vision GT. Redmi and POCO surely have a big place in the hearts of the staff of the brand, but they do not appear on any display, they are something that the Xiaomi of 2026 does not want to boast about. The bet is serious because the premium margins are much better. The vertical integration that Lei Jun pursues with its own chip, its own operating system, its own AI model, etc., It only makes economic sense if the devices that incorporate them sell at a high price.and the total ecosystem that Xiaomi is buildingfrom the pocket to the living room and from the living room to the garage, generates a blocking effect that the low price segment will never be able to offer. The risk is also serious: luxury always works by accumulation of credibility, a unilateral declaration is not enough, and Xiaomi still carries the shadow of having been for a long time the brand you chose when you couldn’t afford anything else. Or when you could, but you preferred not to, and you clung to that comforting feeling of getting something as good as your neighbor while paying half as much. Convincing that neighbor that you are now worth three times as much is one of the biggest marketing challenges in the tech industry right now. In Xataka | Leica is teaching Xiaomi everything it knows. When the student no longer needs the teacher, the agreement will have fulfilled its function Featured image | Xataka

which cars can circulate and which rest on February 28

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This Saturday the Hoy No Circula Saturday scheme is back in operation, the mechanism with which the Environment Secretariat of Mexico City (SEDEMA) restricts the circulation of certain vehicles to try to contain pollution in the Valley of Mexico. Once again, anyone planning to use the car should carefully check its license plate finish and verification hologram before driving off. The restrictions are not limited to the 16 municipalities of CDMX, but also extend to a series of suburban municipalities in the State of Mexico included in the program. Today No Saturday Circulation also applies to: Atizapan of Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlan Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacan Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca Peace Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcoyotl Nicolas Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlan Chalco Valley Also, keep in mind that if your route crosses any of these demarcations, the Saturday No Circulation Day will be equally applicable to your vehicle throughout the journey. What cars and license plates does Hoy No Circula Saturday affect? The logic of the program is to reduce the number of cars in circulation in order to reduce emissions, but Saturdays are governed by their own rules that are added to the scheme from Monday to Friday. Not all drivers rest on the same weekend: it is the combination of hologram, license plate finish and whether Saturday corresponds to an even or odd week that determines which cars must remain stopped and which can leave. It is also worth remembering that Hoy No Circula on Saturdays does not operate 24 hours a day. The application schedule goes from 05:00 to 22:00; Outside of that period—that is, at night and early morning—the program does not limit vehicle traffic, unless an environmental contingency or another extraordinary measure is decreed that adds additional restrictions. For February 21, 2026, the calendar indicates that it is the third Saturday of the month, which is why it is classified as an “odd week.” Under this scenario, vehicles with hologram 1 and plates whose ending is an odd number are the ones that must remain out of circulation during the entire official program schedule. If your car falls into that category, you will have to keep it parked until after 10:00 p.m. On the other hand, vehicles with hologram 0 and 00 retain permission to circulate without restrictions within the framework of Today No Circula Saturday. Cars with hologram 2, for their part, cannot circulate on Saturdays under any circumstances. Along with the previous cases, there is a group of vehicles exempt that can circulate without being affected by these rules. Among them are: Electric, natural gas or hybrid technology vehicles Units registered with plates for people with disabilities All those intended for urban public transport services (including funeral services) Those dedicated to school or passenger transportation Those assigned to public security and/or civil protection Whoever decides to ignore the provisions of Hoy No Circula risks a considerable financial penalty. The fine for failing to comply with the program ranges from 20 to 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which translates into approximately 1,924.40 pesos at the minimum and up to 2,886.60 pesos at the maximum. Added to this blow to the pocketbook is the immobilization of the vehicle and the time lost in resolving the problem before the corresponding authorities. In short, if you are going to use the car this Saturday in CDMX or in one of the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico included in the program, it is advisable to verify before leaving which hologram your vehicle carries, what the ending of your license plate is and if the calendar shows an even or odd week. Today No Circula on Saturday seeks to take the most polluting cars off the road, but at the same time forces people to better plan trips and consider mobility alternatives when the vehicle has to stay at home. Photo | Osmany M Leyva Aldana In Xataka | The countries that pollute the most in the world, gathered in a detailed graph

The owner of Volvo and partner of Renault will also sell Chinese electric cars in our country

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It is possible that if you are not very up to date with the automobile market, the word Geely may not be very familiar to you. Yes, it is more likely that Lotus will tell you something else. And you surely know Smart and Volvo. Any of them, any of those companies that were once European, are owned by Geely, one of the largest Chinese automotive groups in the country. Now, the company lands in Spain with its own brand. Yes, Geely in addition to owning a portfolio with up to 16 brands Under his direction, he also has his own car company. So that we understand it quickly and easily, just as the Volkswagen Group has the Volkswagen brand or as Renault owns Dacia but, of course, sells cars under the Renault brand. Geely, therefore, will arrive in our country with two electrified models. Its presence, as is evident from the first and mentioned brands, is already palpable in Spain but now it will have its own vehicles on the street, with its distribution network separate from any other company and with two SUVs that point to the present and future of the brand. Geely arrives in Spain To have a general photograph of Geely and know what is behind this new brand, the first thing you should know is that in 2024 they became the first Chinese manufacturer to establish itself as one of the 10 most important automotive companies in the world. Shortly after, the brand has been surpassed by the enormous muscle of BYD but In 2025 it managed to put 3.02 million on the market of cars counting only the companies born under its umbrella (without adding Volvo or Smart). With the latter he reached the 4.12 million units sold and was positioned as the ninth largest automotive group in the world, exceeding 2024 sales by 800,000 units. For its arrival in Spain, the company has announced two vehicles. Geely E5 He Geely E5 It is an electric SUV with 160 kW (218 HP) and a maximum range of 475 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. It will be available with two battery sizes (60.22 kWh and 68.79 kWh) developed in-house. In the press release, Geely does not confirm the total peak power and only mentions that it will go from 30 to 80% autonomy in 20 minutes. Geely Starray EM-i On the other hand, the Geely Starray EM-i It is a plug-in hybrid with a combined power of 262 HP where the greatest weight of its dynamics falls on the electric motor that reaches 160 kW (218 HP). It also has two battery options (18.4 kWh and 29.8 kWh) that increase the total range of the set up to 943 kilometers in the mixed cycle. At the moment, Geely does not specify its autonomy in fully electric mode. It is to be hoped that, little by little, we will learn more details about these two new models, especially in their commitment to software and digital functions focused on the user. We do know that this latest plug-in hybridization system has been developed in the heart of Horse, the joint venture that Geely maintains with Renault to continue looking for solutions focused on combustion engines. Regarding its distribution, Geely says that it is developing a network of nationwide dealers “supported by partners with extensive experience and deep knowledge of the local market.” It is to be expected, therefore, that at least in the first months and years its distribution will be supported by the large groups that have been supporting brands such as BYD or the Chery Group. And the Chinese companies are making a strong investment in dealerships to give customer confidence. At the moment, the Chinese company has not set a specific date for us to see these cars on the street but it does set a deadline of “the first half of 2026”, so in the next four months we should have all the details. It must be taken into account that Geely is making clear efforts to expand its market with its own brands. We recently learned that is interested in entering the United Statesdespite the fact that the geopolitical context is complicated. It has also been rumored that it could occupy part of the Ford plant in Almussafes. Movement is key in an ultra-competitive Chinese market that is slowing down and Spain has shown interest in the firms arriving from this country, especially among entry-level vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Photo | Geely In Xataka | MG, BYD, Lynk&Co, Omoda: who’s who of Chinese car manufacturers in Spain

which cars can circulate and which rest on February 21

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This Saturday the Hoy No Circula Saturday scheme is once again applied, the program with which the Secretariat of the Environment of Mexico City (SEDEMA) limits the circulation of certain vehicles to contain pollution in the Valley of Mexico. Again, those planning to use the car will have to carefully check the finish of its license plate and the verification hologram before hitting the road. The restrictions They do not only remain in the 16 municipalities of CDMX, but also reach several metropolitan municipalities of the State of Mexico. The program also operates in: Atizapan of Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlan Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacan Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca Peace Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcoyotl Nicolas Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlan Chalco Valley Also, remember that if your route passes through any of these locations, the Saturday No Circulation Day also applies. What cars and license plates does Hoy No Circula Saturday affect? The principle of the program is to reduce the number of cars in circulation to lower emissions, but Saturdays are governed by specific guidelines that are added to the scheme from Monday to Friday. Not all vehicle owners rest on the same weekend: the hologram, the finish of the license plate and whether Saturday corresponds to an odd or even week define who stays parked and who can leave. It is important to take into account that the Saturday Today Not Circulating is not in effect throughout the day. The application schedule goes from 05:00 to 22:00so that outside of that interval—at night and early morning—the program does not restrict vehicle traffic, as long as no environmental contingency or other additional provision is decreed that imposes extraordinary limits. In the case of February 21, 2026, the calendar indicates that it is the third Saturday of the month, which is why it is considered an “odd week.” Under this configuration, vehicles with hologram 1 and plates whose ending is an odd number are those that must remain out of circulation during program hours. If your car meets that combination, you will have to leave it stored until after 10:00 p.m. On the contrary, cars with hologram 0 and 00 maintain permission to circulate without restrictions within the framework of Today No Circula Saturday. Those with hologram 2 cannot circulate under any circumstances on Saturdays. In addition to the previous cases, remember that there are a series of exempt vehicles that can circulate without being affected by these limitations. These are: Electric, natural gas or hybrid technology vehicles Units registered with plates for people with disabilities All those intended for urban public transport services (including funeral services) Those dedicated to school or passenger transportation Those assigned to public security and/or civil protection Those who decide not to comply with the provisions of Hoy No Circula are exposed to a significant financial penalty. The fine for violating the program ranges from 20 to 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which is equivalent to approximately 1,924.40 pesos at the minimum and up to 2,886.60 pesos at the maximum. Added to the economic impact is the possible immobilization of the vehicle and the time spent resolving the situation before the authorities. Which cars and license plates are affected by Hoy No Circula Saturday? In conclusion, if you are going to travel by car this Saturday through CDMX or through the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico included in the program, it is advisable to check before starting what hologram your vehicle has, what the ending of your license plate is and if the calendar shows an even or odd week. Hoy No Circula Saturday focuses on removing the most polluting cars from circulation, but at the same time it forces people to better plan trips and evaluate mobility alternatives when the vehicle must rest. Photo | Gilbert Ng In Xataka | The countries that pollute the most in the world, gathered in a detailed graph

A company has filled a neighborhood with sidewalk outlets to charge electric cars. Their results are contradictory

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In 2022, a German company called Rheinmetall proposed a new charging solution: put outlets on the sidewalks. Trying to find solutions for those who wanted to jump to an electric or plug-in hybrid car but did not have a garage, the company proposed a system to charge on the same street, without having to go to an electric station. Three years later: we have the results. A pilot test. After receiving approval from the authorities, the company began a pilot in 2024 in central Cologne and Lindenthala residential neighborhood of the city characterized by its low and individual houses. Neighborhood where, by the way, you will find the status of the local soccer team. The idea is simple, you park on the sidewalk and on the ground, on the curb, you find a plug hidden in a cover. You scan a code printed on it and connect the car with your own charging cable for AC use. As if it were any other charging point, both ends are joined and when the payment is completed, it is passed through the use of a mobile application. The results. In general terms, the results have been good. According to the company, a total of 2,800 charging cycles were carried out in the pilot test in one year. On average, the cars recharged 18 kWh, which in the city means more than 100 kilometers of autonomy for an electric car and between 80 and 100 kilometers on the highway (depending on its efficiency). They point out that each day the plug has been used an average of twice a day and that its availability has been 99%, so there have hardly been any breakdowns. The figure is good if we compare it with the European and Spanish average. In our country, public outlets They are only used 1.5 times a day and, on average, each charger is only busy between 30 and 120 minutes a day in Europe. Customer opinion. The company has conducted a survey of users who have offered their point of view to the system. It included the score given by the drivers (five points maximum) and some notes, complaints or recommendations made by customers. In total, the system has obtained 4.38 points out of five. But, above all, they have received very positive evaluations among customers over 60 years old, who value the simplicity of the system. In addition, they highlight that the plugs have not been damaged by water and that vandalism or uncivil acts (such as not picking up pet excrement) have not been found to have been a problem when recharging. A curious solution is that the cover that hides the plug has been designed to open with a small push of the charging cable, allowing the customer to lift said cover without having to touch it with their hand. Good idea, with some cracks. They point out in forumelectriccars that one of the main problems with this type of charging points is the cost of the plug. Each one of them, which has refrigeration and air conditioning to improve charging, costs 5,000 euros, so it is a bad idea compared to a traditional home charger. Furthermore, if you want to get the most out of the system, it would be necessary to reserve space for these charging points on the street, so there is no difference with any other public charging point unless the street is filled with plugs. That is, as happens with public outlets that are not located at a gas station, the parking space is reduced to reserve spaces that are not always occupied. Other proposals. Public charging is one of the great challenges that the electric car represents. One of its advantages is to leave the house with a charged car or, at least, take advantage of its parking lot to fill its batteries since alternating current is slow and most of the time a car is stopped. The most obvious proposal is the electric stations, with a huge number of high-power plugs available. another is fill shopping and leisure centers with chargerssince a visit to fully recharge the battery can take days or weeks (depending on daily trips) without plugging in our car. With an average of 50 kilometers per day, a car that drives 500 kilometers of autonomy in the city has 10 days to go without plugging the car back in, just three days a month. But if we want to bring public charging to the city streets, Portugal, United Kingdom either Netherlands have been experimenting with public outlets on streetlights. The system is as simple as including sockets on the curbs but with the difference that the socket comes from a street lamp and does not require installation on the ground. The paradox of slow recharging. The problem with this type of recharge is that slow charging takes hours and hours with the car plugged in. If a socket charges our car at 7.4 kW of power, it will be necessary to spend about 10 hours to completely fill the battery of a 60 kWh vehicle, a small size that is on the border between those who want the car for an urban environment and those who want to dare to travel with him. Those refills They are interesting if the price is low But they require that, to get the most out of it, we have to leave the car parked there for an entire working day or an entire night. The system, therefore, is certainly inefficient in terms of servicing more than one car. To charge at this power, the data says that most electric car drivers charge at home. Outside of it, the customer usually chooses to recharge at higher powers. For example, a 50 kW plug can now fully charge a car in less than three hours, which is the time we spend watching a movie at the cinema. And on a trip, the most practical thing is usually to look for … Read more

Gemini and Siri were monopolizing modern cars. So Musk has brought Grok to European Teslas

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Tesla is starting to roll out Grok in Europe for free. The electricians of Elon Musk’s company have been betting on their own software from the beginning, leaving hardly any room for third parties. No trace of Android Auto, CarPlayor the best-known assistants, Grok arrives as that intelligent “co-pilot” aboard the Tesla. The problem is that… still very Musk. the arrival. Grok arrives as a free update on European Teslas. We can choose their voice and personality, like in the smartphone application. To start it, all you have to do is activate it from the application launcher itself or press the voice button on the steering wheel. If we have logged in to Grok, from that moment on, it will become the device’s default voice assistant. What can you do. Grok’s list of possibilities is extensive, from guiding us to a destination to locating a nearby supercharger or simply maintaining an informal dialogue with us and recommending options from our Tesla’s digital manual. In addition to this, it has quite curious functions. You can be our language teacher Has special modes for kids, like “Story Time” and trivia games It has a mode for adults (+18), controversial, “sexy”, “extravagant”. In which Teslas it will be available. Currently, this is the list of Tesla cars compatible with Grok. The requirement is that our car has an AMD processor, that the software is updated to version 2025.26 or later, and that we have a WiFi connection or the premium connectivity pack. To find out if your Tesla has an AMD processor, you must go to ‘Controls’ > ‘Software’ > ‘Additional vehicle information’. Careful. Grok, despite its potential as an AI modelis involved in recent controversies. The app has become a focus of misuse, an infinite well of content related to the naked women. Countries like France and India have already denounced itand the Government of Spain has asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate X for the possible dissemination of child pornography through the app. In this context, perhaps it is worth debating whether bringing Grok with an “adult mode” to Tesla vehicles is the most appropriate. In Xataka | Elon Musk thought that Tesla would live outside politics. Germany has shown him the hard way that he was wrong

Two centuries ago the tires on cars and motorcycles were white. It had nothing to do with the design.

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It is more than likely that, in some of the American films you have seen inspired by the last century, you have seen cars or motorcycles with a white stripe on their tires Today, some companies still implement them as a nod to the past. What you may not know is that the only reason the wheels weren’t completely black was to… save a few bucks. As explained in Motorpasion, no tire (neither motorcycle nor car) was born as black as they are now. Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the following century, tires were white, light gray or beige. If you search any car from the 19th century You can check it easily. This was because natural rubber is naturally light in color. But of course, rubber cannot become a tire as it leaves the tree; it must be heated with sulfur so that it is able to withstand the heat of the asphalt, withstand weight and friction, and behave as expected in a tire. To achieve this, the rubber was “cooked” using a technique called vulcanization, a process that bleached the material even more and ended up producing clear, non-durable tires. The big change came with the introduction of a very specific material: carbon. With its arrival, tires became more durable and resistant, since this material reinforced the rubber structure. There was only one problem: it was very expensive. For this reason, during the early 20th century, tire manufacturers opted for a mixed solution: the critical part (the tread that directly contacts the ground) was made with rubber and carbon, the rest without it. The result was this: tires with said black stripe and the rest in white. As carbon became cheaper, tires became completely black as we know them now, but some manufacturers (mainly motorcycle manufacturers) maintain white treads to give their tires a retro feel. It is the case of some Mitas tires for Harley-Davidson. Yes indeed, through the forums they comment the price to pay for this hesitated retro: you have to constantly clean the tread if you want it to remain white. Image | Harley-Davidson In Xataka | I was about to buy the best-selling Chinese motorcycle in Spain. Until I read the fine print

which cars can circulate and which rest on February 14

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This Saturday the Hoy No Circula Saturday scheme is activated again, the program with which the Mexico City Environment Secretariat seeks to limit the number of cars on the streets and, thereby, reduce pollution in the Valley of Mexico. Once again, many motorists will have to carefully check the finish of their license plate and the verification hologram before leaving home. The measure does not remain only in the capital. In addition to the 16 mayoralties of CDMX, Hoy No Circula Saturday is applied in several metropolitan municipalities of the State of Mexico. This is the case of: Atizapan of Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlan Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacan Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca Peace Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcoyotl Nicolas Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlan Chalco Valley What cars and license plates does Hoy No Circula Saturday affect? The heart of the program is simple: it is about leaving a portion of the cars in the garage to alleviate traffic and emissions. However, Saturdays have their own rules that overlap with the Monday to Friday scheme. Not all motorists rest on the same weekendand that’s where the hologram, the finish of the plate and whether Saturday falls on an even or odd week of the month come into play. It is also important to be clear that the Saturday Hoy No Circula does not operate 24 hours a day. The restrictions are limited to the period between 05:00 and 22:00. Outside this range, that is, at night and early morning, vehicles can circulate without the program stopping them, as long as there are no other environmental contingencies or extraordinary provisions. For this February 14, 2026, the key is in the calendar: it is the second Saturday of the month, which is why it is considered an “even week.” In this scenario, cars with hologram 1 and plate ending in even number They are the ones that must remain out of circulation during program hours. If your vehicle fits that combination, you will have to leave it parked until after 10:00 p.m. On the other hand, cars with hologram 0 and 00 maintain their usual permission to circulate without restrictions within the Today No Circula Saturday scheme. Another important block is the exceptions. Some vehicles are left out of the play and can move freely even when others have to rest. This is the case of: Electric, natural gas or hybrid technology vehicles Units registered with plates for people with disabilities All those intended for urban public transport services (including funeral services) Those dedicated to school or passenger transportation Those assigned to public security and/or civil protection Whoever decides to ignore the rules of the program is exposed to a no small financial penalty. The fine associated with non-compliance with Hoy No Circula is calculated between 20 and 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which translates to approximately 1,924.40 pesos at the lower end and up to 2,886.60 pesos at the upper end. In summary, if you plan to use your car this Saturday in CDMX or in the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico, check first what hologram your car has, what the ending of your license plate is and if the calendar shows an even or odd week. Today No Circula Saturday is designed to take the most polluting vehicles out of the equation, but also to force us to better plan our trips and consider mobility alternatives when it’s time to rest. Photo | Ryotando In Xataka | The countries that pollute the most in the world, gathered in a detailed graph

BYD sells a total of zero cars in the United States. And, despite everything, it has denounced the United States for its tariffs

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Not a year ago and it seems like a thousand lives have passed. In case you don’t remember, I’ll give you some background: the United States and China went to war about a year ago. A trade war who left us images to remember, like the photo of Donald Trump with the “reciprocal tariffs” table either the penguins who will now have to pay for putting their products there. Assuming, of course, that the penguins knew how to design, develop, produce and sell products. Beyond Pepín Tre’s own approaches, the truth is that we have been in tug-of-war between the United States and China for almost a year. In OctoberDonald Trump and Xi Jinping met to try to relieve tensions. It is one more of the chapters that has left us a most bizarre year in which, for example, China has been playing its own solitary tricks, redefining the origin of products, classifying them by their place of manufacture and not by the place of development or packaging and, thus, make the entry of chips accessible without lifting restrictions on other types of products. The last chapter of this story seems to be being written by BYD. The Chinese company is not selling cars in the United States. And what has already been approved by Joe Biden before the entry of Donald Trump, with bans on the sale of all cars with Chinese software or hardware, it does not seem to make things easy for the Asian company either. Despite this, BYD has made a tough decision: sue the United States. They believe that the tariffs they are paying are not legal. They doubt that the regulations used by Donald Trump allow tariffs to be imposed. And that is why they demand that all the money paid since April be returned to them. But what money? Much more than cars… although with cars in mind As we have told you in Xatakathe Asian company is much more than a car producer. In fact, and this is part of its secret, BYD did not start out as a regular car manufacturer. BYD, in addition to cars, produces batteries or heat pumps. Vertical integration is part of your secret to saving costs. From this evolution and opening new horizons, its automobile division was launched. But also buses and trucks. Because when BYD arrived in Europe it had already been there for many years selling their buses for our continent. And the same thing happens in the United States. It does not sell cars, but it does sell buses, trucks and batteries. In fact, according to Reuters750 BYD employees work in the United States in its North American division. Up to four BYD subsidiaries from which buses, trucks, batteries and renewable energy systems come out are those that have filed their lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade. In it they defend that “the text of the IEEPA (the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on which the “reciprocal tariffs” policy was based) does not use the word “tariff” or any term of equivalent meaning.” Since Donald Trump announced the tariffs that he was going to impose on practically everyone, doubts about their legality or otherwise have been on the table. The United States Government dusted off the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to move them forward, a rule of the Cold war. However, doubts about whether or not this rule should go through Congress were on the table from day one. Even the Senate has voted against the tariffs to some countries but the resolution is purely aesthetic. Now, BYD claims that nowhere in the law does it specify that tariffs can be imposed on products coming from abroad. It is a theory supported by various companies that in recent months have also presented their own lawsuits in the same terms, such as Toyota, Costco or Prada, they point out in CarNewsChina. The decision of the court in charge of the lawsuit is key because if it rules in favor of the companies, the United States would have to return all the money collected since April. But it would also open the door for products to be exported without these special tariffs being applied, they would simply have to comply with the tariffs that were already active before April 2025. That is to say, At stake is not only money that BYD may have lost on the products it has sold there. At stake is also market entry which, with current tariffs, is almost impossible. Besides, Canada has opened the door to Chinese electric cars and Geely has dropped that their intention is also to sell their Chinese cars in the United States. The big question, as in the case of BYD, is how they intend to do it before the end of the decade with the restrictions that are currently imposed. It is a question that neither BYD nor Geely have answered. Photo | BYD and Joshua Hoehne In Xataka | “They are going to regret it”: Canada has generated even more tension with the US by opening the door to Chinese electric cars

make it clear that “microhybrid” cars are not hybrid cars

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There have never been so many hybrid cars sold in Europe as in 2025. At least that’s what ACEA accounts affirmwho point out that 34.5% of the cars sold in Europe were hybrids, far surpassing gasoline cars (26.6% market share). In this classification, ACEA includes microhybrids, gasoline cars with a small electric motor barely 24 or 48 volts which usually act as a starter motor and occasionally support the gasoline block to save what, in practice, is barely a few tenths of fuel. In the best case, this electric motor can move the car by itself a few meters but They are a few exceptions in the market. Should the microhybrids in this classification? It is a good debate because in theory they are hybrids but in practice they barely save fuel or emissions, so their real impact on homologation figures is minimal. The real problem comes when those same cars do get real distinction on the street, beyond the numbers. Europe has embraced environmental seals to allow or not allow cars to enter its low-emission zones. But he has done it in a very different way. Germany gives its number 4 stamp, the best, to all cars that comply with Euro 1 (all cars from 1993 onwards) if they are gasoline. Diesels must be at least Euro 4 (2006 onwards) to receive this distinction. France makes no distinctions between hybrids and gasoline cars that exceed Euro 5 (as of 2011), for them, only electric and fuel cell cars receive preferential treatment. DGT Spain environmental labeling But in Spain things are very different. As in previous cases, Euro standards have been taken into account to deliver the DGT environmental stickers. But there is a very important nuance. Thus, the environmental labeling in Spain it is the following: Label A (without badge): gasoline cars before Euro 3 (year 2000) and diesel cars before Euro 4 (year 2006) Label B: gasoline cars that comply with Euro 3 (year 2000 onwards) and diesel cars that comply with Euro 4 (year 2006 onwards) Label C: gasoline cars that comply with Euro 4 (year 2006 onwards) and diesel cars that comply with Euro 6 (year 2015 onwards) ECO label: hybrid, LPG and CNG cars and plug-in hybrids or extended range electric cars with less than 40 kilometers of completely electric autonomy. Zero emissions label: plug-in and electric hybrids with more than 40 kilometers of electric range. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are also included. This classification method has created a problem. Microhybrids, which only improve fuel consumption or performance by a few tenths emissions of a gasoline car receive a classification (ECO) that substantially improves on pure gasoline (C) since they are considered hybrids. But, in addition, they cause delicate and contradictory situations. As environmental labeling is not delivered by actual emissions volume, the microhybrid has been used as a trap to pay less rates in road tax (IVTM) in cities like Madrid where the use of hybrids is subsidized or for enter the city center and, in some cases, park at a lower price on streets with regulated parking areas. This has meant that, for example, a Seat Ibiza 80 HP and approved consumption of 5.3 liters receive a C label with 113 gr/km of CO2 and a Audi Q7 340 HP with an approved consumption of 10.6 liters and 241 gr/km of CO2. The same thing happens with a bmw x5 which can also receive the ECO label as a diesel with 282 HP because its 12 HP electric motor saves it from having the C label. Both SUVs, the Audi and the BMW, can circulate in the most restrictive areas of Madrid no restrictions and park on the street in this space for a maximum of two hours but with a 50% bonus. In addition, they receive a bonus in the IVTM. The Seat Ibiza does not have a discount on its taxes or on surface parking. Additionally, you can only enter Madrid’s most protected low-emission zones if you park in an underground car park. If you do not do so, you will have to pay a fine of 200 euros. Mexico takes measures In Mexico, where there are also serious pollution problems, the authorities have taken steps to reduce the volume of cars on the street. It is the most effective and direct measure they have found to improve air quality. The program is called Not Circulating Today and requires leaving the car at home on different days of the week and in different circumstances if it is considered to be too polluting. In short, cars in Mexico have what are known as holograms, which would be our equivalent to environmental stickers in Spain. These holograms have different categories ranging from Exempt to 00, 0, 1 and 2 from least to most polluting. Within the “Exempt” category, there is a differentiation between electric, plug-in hybrids and non-plug-in hybrids in another internal division. Regardless of the latter, vehicles with Exempt and 00 holograms do not have to face the Hoy No Circula restrictions, but there is a substantial difference. Electric vehicles in the Exempt category do not have to pass emissions tests at the “verificentro” (similar to our ITV) throughout its useful life. Hybrids, however, have to pass it every eight years to verify that they comply with the maximum permitted emissions limits. For their part, category 00 cars have to undergo these inspections every two years and then they will repeat more frequently. That is to say, the difference in whether a car is classified as Exempt or 00 lies in the time and money that must be dedicated to its maintenance since each visit to the “check center” is not free. The substantial change is that, now, Mexico classifies microhybrids as vehicles with a 00 hologram. That is, there is no difference with a newly registered gasoline car. Until this year they were part of the Exempt category but that has ended because they consider that the electrical support is … Read more

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