Cars

The mechanics of Spain are increasingly trusting Asian cars. And maintenance data are right

by

“If you want a car that does not fail, buy a Toyota or a Honda.” This phrase is a classic when it touches Buy a carwe want one that passes as little as possible through the workshop and we start asking acquaintances. It has an obvious problem: it is a bias limited affirmation and experience, but there are more and more voices that point that, perhaps, it does not go so disenchanted. Because there are countless brands, each with its reputation, but beyond the film that each company wants to tell us to close the embers to its flame, there are two elements of help when buying a car that does not fail: Reliability surveys and experience of mechanics. The mechanics. “I think the Asian market has eaten the European, when it was the other way around.” This is the opinion that the mechanic Kike Ferrer shared A few months ago, pointing out that “the best cars you can buy are Asians, they are the ones that are least repaired in the workshops” That is an important point because when they are under guarantee, it does not bother to have to visit the workshop, but the problems come when the Reliability outside that guarantee framework It begins to be compromised. There may be minor arrangements, but also many who bite in their pocket. The mechanic Carlos Pérez has also commented Recently that “Honda, Mazda, Toyota … are very reliable cars, well manufactured and that endure many kilometers without giving problems. Nor must we forget Kia and Hyundai, Korean and a quality guarantee.” The statistics. Kike’s is not an isolated opinion, and to check it, you have to go to statistics. This type of surveys and lists They are always controversial Because reliability is measured for both software and mechanics and, above all, because it is segmented to the North American market. Two of the most important are that of Consumer Reports and that of JD Power. Consumer Report Analyze 20 problematic areas of the car (ranging from the brakes to the engine, through broken beautifiers, potential problems outside battery, transmission and problems that affect the electric and hybrids as the battery and load) and compares with the historic since 2000, giving a score from 1 to 100 to each car. JD Power also handles reports sent by thousands of consumers. They are not simple surveys, but a thermometer that the automobile industry takes very seriously (so much that some of its findings They have forced brands to take action (such as the failure in the rotary engines of Mazda in 1973). That said, Asians such as Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Honda, Hyundai or Mazda usually occupy the top positions. OCU table The OCU. Within each brand, obviously, there are better or worse models. For example, within Toyota, the BZ4Xlowered the score of the brand in one of the surveys. Interestingly, it is the basis of Subaru’s single, and also lowers the average of this company. But of course, when we say that it is a biased list, we mean that, although there are models that we share between markets, the European and the American are not the same. There the OCU comes into play and Whatar. Let’s go with the seconds. It is a British media that conducted a survey of almost 30,000 drivers to find the most reliable models of Great Britain. The same as before: the ones that have gone through the workshop. The result is that Lexus and Toyota (same group) led the list with the Lexus NX and the Toyota Aygo X. The following were the Mini Countryman, the Audi Q3 and the Kia Picanto. Regarding the OCU, with other almost 30,000 people surveyed in Europe and information of 276 models, In the 2024 table We see that the Top 10 is occupied by eight Asian brands and the only non -Japanese/South Korean are Cupra and Smart. And the Chinese? In the different surveysthere are names that usually exchange positions, but there are three elements that do not vary. The first thing is that Lexus is usually the first. The second is that the Japanese and South Korean are the ones who take the top positions and the third is that those brands that we see more and more through the streets are missing: the Chinese. In Kike Ferrer’s interview to Adrian.gmartin, the mechanic mentions To the Chinese cars among those reliable Asians, but with an asterisk: the spare parts logistics that, in their opinion, is not yet up to it, sharing an opinion with Pérez. Brands like mg (of the best selling in Spain) or byd are the ones that we begin to see the most in the streets and, although it will have to spend time for official guarantees to be exhausted and we start having data on how much they pass through the workshop, there are already authorized voices that approve Chinese cars. For example, Enroncap, the body responsible for granting security scores in the European territory that is clear that they are even better than others of more settled brands in the region. But of course, in the end, although a very valid opinion has nothing to do with seeing them more or less in the workshop. For that, as we say, we will have to wait a few more years. Images | OCU, Magic Booster In Xataka | The German ITV has analyzed the reliability of the Tesla and has reached a conclusion: Dacia is above

2025 is being a relief for the sale of electric cars in Europe. For everyone, except for Tesla

by

Although the electric vehicle park in Europe is still very much from what the European Union He plans For the next few years, the truth is that the European market for electric vehicles lives its best stage to date. And is that its growth It has been 26% In the first eight months of the year. In contrast to this, it is also worth focusing on Tesla, a brand that leads the electric vehicle segment on the continent with its Model and and that, however, Its sales have decreased significantly. Tesla still does not lift heads. Tesla keeps Model and as the electric most selling from Europebut their figures tell a different story. Between January and August, sales have been 83,314 units for Model Y. If we compare the figures with the same period of the previous year, we see that it is a brutal decrease of 34%. He Model 3which occupies third place in sales, does not escape the trend with a drop of 29% and 50,237 units sold. The company now faces a radically different context than that of only a few years ago, since there is greater diversity of electric vehicles and competition. If we look at concrete markets, the firm fell significantly in August in France, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy, as points Reuters In France they fell 47.3% in August, and in Sweden 84%. However, it should be noted that in Spain (1,435 cars sold in August) and Norway (rebound of 21.3%) their sales have grown, although the percentage is much lower than the performance of ByD in these regions. In Germany, which is where the brand has greater competition, between January and August They sold 11,441 cars. The American manufacturer is located in Germany in thirteenth position, behind Opel, with 13,000 electric cars sold in the same period. There was a year in which Tesla maintained the first position in this country, back in 2022, when the firm sold almost 70,000 cars Only that year. Now, with much more competition and expansion of the rest of the manufacturers, the context is very different. Volkswagen takes control. While Tesla goes back, traditional European manufacturers take advantage of the wave. Volkswagen has been crowned as The largest electric seller in August With 16,105 units, a spectacular jump of 45% year -on -year thanks to its ID.3, ID.4 and ID.7 models. Tesla was second with 14,245 cars sold during that same month, but with a general fall of 23%. BMW completed the podium with 12,546 electric vehicles, growing 7%. More adoption, but it still remains. Between 2024 and 2025, Europe has lived constant growth in the adoption of electric vehicles, the result of the largest variety of vehicles that are available for purchase, and the growing evolution in infrastructure and incentives. The 154,582 electric vehicles sold In August they represented 20% of the total new cars sold that month. Several manufacturers They point That a 20-25% quota is sufficient to meet EU emission objectives by 2025-2027, although there is still a cloth to cut, especially for The objectives that the agency is scheduled for 2030 and 2035. The conquest of China. Chinese manufacturers, especially bydthey have broken into European territory. According to data From Jato Dynamics, Byd came to overcome Tesla in April in some regions, tripling his enrollments in certain periods. Chinese competition combines competitive prices with a diverse range that includes plug -in hybrids, gaining ground despite EU tariffs. Then it is that Byd is the one that resonates the most, but there is everything A flood of Chinese brands settling in Europe, as is the case of MG, Xpeng or Nio, among many others. In Xataka | Hyundai has tired of the autonomy of its electric cars. Your solution: copy China and stuff them a combustion engine

Europe has filled with Stellantis cars that are not sold. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

by

Zaragoza and Madrid will suffer a temporary stop in vehicle production. This has been confirmed to us from Stellantis, who we have asked about the rumored machine stop in six European floors. With a stock that is not giving out, the company does not want to return to past times. Temporary. That is the makeup: a temporary stop. Although we have asked in Stellantis about stops distributed throughout Europethe company has only confirmed in our case those related to Madrid and Zaragoza. Nor have we been offered data on when and how long these stops will take place. If it is confirmed that the company for the Poissy factory, which produces the DS 3 and Opel Mokka, from October 13 to 31, 2025, according to the French media Echos. In Bloomberg They expand the stop to the Italian Pomigliano factory where the Alpha Romeo Tonale and the Fiat Panda are manufactured. There are already four confirmed plants but in the French media it was ensured that the strikes could affect up to six European factories. Spain. What is manufactured in our country? In Madrid, Stellantis produces the Citroën C4y C4 X, as well as its completely electric variants. For its part, in Zaragoza produces the small electric electric. That is, Los Lancia Ypsilon, Opel Corsa Ey Peugeot E-208. In addition, it had recently confirmed that the B10 Leapmotor would arrive in Spain and, everything indicates, should land in Zaragoza. The one that will not stop is the Vigo plant. There Stellantis produces the commercial vehicles of Peugeot and Citroën, as well as the 2008 Peugeot and its completely electric version that takes advantage of the lines of the electric vans. The stock. Stellantis’s intention is to reduce the stock of his stores. The company has long dealt with its stores at a healthy level. In fact, during The last call with shareholders Following the middle of the year results, the message was sent that the company had maintained a “strong discipline in inventories after the corrective actions of 2024” and that it is “maintaining that discipline throughout 2025”. These messages are not causal. The company has been dealing with an enormous overstock, especially in the United States. So much so that in that market some of their concessionaires came to accumulate so many fiat 500 electric that ended give them away to take them off. The company does not want to be in a similar situation but some of its products are becoming outdated and are increasingly complicated to sell. That is why the production of cars such as the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the DS3, which do not reap good results. A serious problem. In your latest results reportStellantis confirmed that the network has more than 1.2 million cars without selling. Of these, 300,000 are possession of the group but there are more than 900,000 cars distributed by independent dealers to those who have not given exit. In Europe, in addition, this inventory has grown by 7% compared to 2024 because products to the available cars portfolio have been added. Among the data maremagnum, he emphasizes that Stellantis has produced fewer cars but his margin has also collapsed. If we talk about Europe, the company had already reduced its production in about 100,000 units but its benefit for the sale of these cars has collapsed at 2,000 million euros, because of discounts to sell vehicles in stock, low sales and the obligation to repurry units set on the market. Sales. In that last fact, sales were made. At the end of August, According to AceaStellantis has reduced its sales by 8.9%. And what is worse, the rivals eat ground because their market share has gone from 17,%to 15.9%. The reorganization in the portfolio of its range leaves us dramatic falls in what we have been. For example, Opel, its third best selling brand, falls 11.8%. Fiat, its fourth best brand, falls 19%. Lancia, which only has the electric ypsilon, falls by 72.8%. And the electric? When it was confirmed that Zaragoza was going to continue receiving electric cars, Like the Leapmotorwe already explain that the news can be seen from two perspectives that seem contradictory. The optimistic is that Zaragoza will manufacture the electric cars of Stellantis, which should guarantee the future of the long -term factory, especially if we take into account that, together with CATL, the company will raise a battery production plant To nurture your lines. This should be the confirmation that the bet is very serious. The pessimistic is that although the small electric car Sales should increase (especially if manufacturers want to meet the maximum limits set and flee) They will have to put these cars on the market. But, for now, they continue to demand certain complications from their owners and, therefore, they are being more complicated to sell even if they lower their prices. And a financial situation … difficult. To all of the above we must add what we have already counted a few weeks ago. Stellantis is going through a complicated moment in some decisions made by Carlos Tavares in the past. His commitment to the multienergy platform has forced the company to make great efforts to develop the Stla Medium and Small. Those economic results are still green. But, in addition, they have gotten into investments such as hydrogen and two electricity cars that They have been canceled. In total, 3.3 billion euros in the trash. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | Before developing a pile of hydrogen or competing with Chinese electric, Stellantis has chosen a third way: surrender

Mercedes has filled its screens cars. Now your software boss says that the lifelong buttons are better

by

Automobiles are immersed in two revolutions. One seems to have a clear destination: the adoption of batteries for support decarbonization. The other is that of the buttons, and it is somewhat more diffuse. If a few years ago the main companies They launched into the arms of the screens Already the condemnation of the physical buttons, now there is a shy back. And, precisely, one of the cars that is returning to the buttons is the New Mercedes GLC. Yes, the one with a 39.1 -inch side screen. Mbux Hyperscreen. Presented during the Munich Auto Hall a few weeks ago, the new Mercedes GLC is a most curious electric. On the outside, it reminds us of more classic cars of the brand, but inside it is an absolute fantasy. It does not reach the end of Intel prototypes with screens everywherean idea that became ‘obscene’, but in the dashboard we have a huge screen of almost 40 inches from side to side. It’s about your Hyperscreena subway and a half screen that simulates three screens and that has the controls of the entire infotainment system, car information and, after the steering wheel, the digital velocimeter area and important details for driving. Reverse. When Mercedes designed it, he relegated absolutely all car controls to digital buttons on that touch screen. However, the industry is in a moment of change and there are brands that are rethinking those movements. Although shy, Mercedes has joined this with the aforementioned GLC, but also with the Cla Shooting Brake (Another electric). The German brand has redesigned the steering wheel to include elements that should not have disappeared from it as knobs, rollers and buttons to control important sections of the car and do not have to divert the view of the road to look at a screen. The British environment Coach He has been able to talk to Magnus Östberg, head of software in Mercedes (so he must be one of the most interested in integrating everything into the user interface of the screens), who has recognized that, perhaps, they went from futurists. The new steering wheel with buttons The buttons are better. In the interview, Östberg pointed out that wearing the buttons back to the wheel is “the easiest and most profitable way to add physical controls to cars” while maintaining cabins in which there is great importance to digital. To the surprise of few drivers, “having that balance between physical and tactile buttons is extremely important for us. We rely on the data and what is most used, and the data show us that the physical buttons are better. That is why we have put them again,” he says in a forceful way. The software chief commented that this will mark the Mercedes roadmap from now on and that, probably include more buttons. Now, it will not be in all models. Östberg points out that, while the flyers with buttons will mark the new path of the brand, those cars that will include more additional buttons, surely will be the SUV. “In the largest cars we have more freedom of space and, in addition, the buyers of these ranges care more about the buttons,” he says. This may depend on the market, since the manager suggested that there could be different flyers depending on the region. He pointed out that while Europeans want buttons, Asians prefer screens and voice controls. Climatizer controls will continue on screen Also in the industry. The truth is that Östberg’s statements do not catch us by surprise if we take into account what other companies are doing. One of those who made a big difference between the classic and new ‘cabins’ with screens everywhere is Volkswagen and, precisely, in the Munich Automobile Hall presented Your new design language for interiors of their cars: more buttons and, in addition, real buttons (Nothing of its controversial capacitive buttons). But it is not just that companies are realizing that the buttons are useful for security reasons: Euro NCAP announced a few months ago that cars will only get five stars (a very important marketing point for the user) If the basic functions continue to control with physical controls. Mazda and his “Submit me the cup”. But, while some of the companies that most bet on the buttons are collecting cable, even timidly, there are others that move in an opposite direction. I mean Mazda, the Japanese company that became resistance When betting on small screens and many buttons and that, with its last models, has given the flying to embrace the touch screens. He Mazda 6e It was a warning, but consolidation came with the Mazda CX-5 2025a car that relegated important controls to the large central touch screen. And, like Östberg, from Mazda United States, they said that drivers want … screens. But well, despite the words of the Mercedes manager, the screens will not disappear. In fact, in Autocar, the design chief of the German firm, Gordon Wagener, said that the interior of the GLC is a luxury and that they look at Apple so that the software is the differentiating point With competition. The point now is to find that average term in which the buttons and the screens of a meter and a half manage to live together. Images | Mercedes-Benz In Xataka | Volkswagen adds to an increasingly common trend: to pay a subscription so that your car runs more

Ford had 20,000 workers in the Colonia factory. Ten years later they are 7,600 because their electric cars are not bought

by

Three years ago, Ford presented its short and medium -term road map for Europe. Then they announced seven new completely electric modelsof which they were commercial vehicles. Of the other three, only one was a Ford. And, in fact, it has ended up becoming the electric variant of a combustion car. We talk about Ford Pumaan electric car in which they have had to juggle to put an electric motor train. A car limited to the city because platform restrictions Combustion barely leave space for a 43 kWh battery. With its more than 34,000 euros of departure, it has become a difficult car taking into account that it moves on the highway between 200 and the 250 real kilometers of autonomy. The other two, as we said, are not Ford cars. The Ford Explorer and Ford Capri They are electric cars mounted on the Volkswagen platform. In both cases we have stressed that, dynamically, cars have a slightly more interesting tuning than that of the Germans, with more hard suspensions and a slightly more direct direction. However, if you mount one and another it is easy to verify that both models are mounted on the Volkswagen MEB platform. That is disguised with the vertical displaceable screen in depth and a speaker arranged as if it were a sound bar. But that’s it. The interface of a good part of the menus is Purely Volkswagen And, specifically, it is evident that it is a hardware and software mounted on the MEB platform. And that is bad news. For your touch controls or for your usability decisions. And they are also bad news for Ford. So much that it will fire a thousand German employees because their electric cars are not buying. The results of a failed strategy A thousand employees. That is the number that Ford will say goodbye to its neighborhood plant (Germany). They argue that “in Europe, the demand for electric cars is still well below the forecasts of the sector” and that, therefore, the plant will pass to a single shift in 2026, reducing its productive capacity, in words collected by Motorpasion. They explain in the middle that so far this year, Ford has sold 19,000 Ford Explorer units and Capri is still below. In fact, you have to go down to the fourteenth place between best -selling electric cars in Europe in the first half of the year to find the Americans. Cupra, Byd or Peugeot were above them. We could talk about bad results but Ford invested 1,000 million euros in Colonia to modernize the plant and get its electric cars out of there. With a productive capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year, the factory works at half a gas. Nor is it a good time to receive this news since The company is losing money this year and suffering with American tariffs. So much so that last year he earned 1.8 billion dollars and this year plays in red numbers. The result is also the consequence of a risky strategy: to offer two clearly differentiated products. In October 2024, Jim Farley, his CEO, said that the company was “leaving the market of boring cars to enter the market of iconic cars” to the magazine Car. The statements They coincided over time with the abandonment of classic vehicles in the European market such as party, Mondeo or Focus. And it continued: “We are good making a quick car (about Ford and the bronco sub -jack) and authentic SUVs. Look at the Raptor, we brought it from Mexican competitions and turned it into a car that can be used in the street. It is a great example of where I think our passenger cars should go (…) We can face Porsche with the Mustang, it is the best -selling sports coupe in the world. and be stronger and stronger “ In those words, Ford’s strategy was hidden. European emission regulations They aimed at 2025 of Milmillonarias fines. Finally, the sanctions were delayed to 2027 but, if applied, Ford needs to sell many more electric and few cars like the ones Farley mentioned since they exceed the maximum proposed emissions of 93 gr/km of CO2. The answer was the hug to the Volkswagen MEB platform. This has been criticized harshly by critics and the public. In their eagerness to reduce costs, decisions have been made as a profusion of tactile controls They bother in place of adding. And cars have not highlighted precisely for good autonomy or a groundbreaking price. But, in return, Ford has obtained two electric cars in the market with a minimum investment. The risk is almost limited to the modernization of the colony plant. So, There are two clearly differentiated business lines In Ford: Cheap cars (developed on the work of others) and expensive and representative cars that do not even refer to Ford. It is no accident that the Mustang, Bronco or Raptor have lost the Ford logo on their front. They are, in themselves, as families that work almost independently. The problem is that the public has not bought Ford’s bet. The Ford Explorer or Capri are not bad electric cars but you have to assume the youth errors of the MEB platform paid, in addition, at a high price. In what we have been, in Spain, 649 units have been bought between the sum of these two models. 649 units of the almost 21,000 registrations that Ford is registered at the end of August. The damage is especially bleeding in more powerful markets. In Germany, Volkswagen has managed to overcome with the ID.3a car that seemed dead but is the best selling in the electricity market. He is followed ID.7which also uses the MEB platform. The Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 They are positioned in the fourth position (add up to the same bag because ID.5 is only the Coupé variant of ID.4). You have to go down to the twelfth position to find the Ford Explorer. Capri is not among … Read more

The Chinese brand has begun to make its cars in the continent

by

The Chinese brand of electric vehicles has launched Your first local production line In Europe, marking an important step in the industry, as it is placed as one of the first Chinese manufacturers to produce local vehicles in the continent. The company has chosen Magna’s facilities in Graz, Austria, to start the assembly of its most successful models in the European market. A key movement. Xpeng’s decision of manufacture at the local level in Europe Respond directly to Tariffs imposed by the European Union to electric vehicles manufactured in China. The tariff tax can reach up to 35.3% for some manufacturers, a percentage that adds to the 10% base tariff. In the case of Xpeng, considered A “cooperating” entity In European research on subsidies, the additional rate is only 20.7%. Xpeng G6. Image: Xpeng The choice of the perfect partner. Magna Steyr It is not any manufacturer by contract. Its Graz facilities have produced vehicles for brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota. The plant specializes in flexible production of low volumes to media, and is recognized for its ability to assemble multiple complex models in shared lines. Currently, it is where the Mercedes-Benz class G. and the BMW Z4. The numbers speak. Between January and July 2025, Xpeng registered sales abroad from 18,701 vehicleswhich represents an interannual increase of 217%. In Europe specifically, more than 8,000 units were recorded in the first half of the year. The G6 monopolizes 67% of the brand’s total sales in Europe, becoming the star model of the region. More than a factory. Xpeng’s European strategy goes beyond production. The company has recently opened Your first center European research and development in Munich, Germany. This installation is designed to support technical collaboration and the adaptation of products to local markets. Although, like Explain The president and CEO he Xiaopeng, the center also focuses on conceptual prototypes through “an ecosystem driven by the focused on intelligent electric vehicles, humanoid robotics and flying vehicles.” The time factor. Xpeng has advanced to his rival byd in the race for local European production. While serial production in Austria should be in full operation next month, ByD plans to start Your production in Hungary Towards the end of the year. And now what. The company Plan Expand local production to other models in the future, including the new Xpeng P7+, described as its “car with AI”. The firm already has a presence in more than 46 countries and regions worldwide since its entry into Norway in 2021, being an example of the hunger that the Chinese automotive industry has by conquer other regionsnot only by export, but also through local manufacturing to grow the brand towards international markets. Cover image | Xpeng In Xataka | From Byd to Xiaomi: all Chinese cars that are already sold in Spain, Europe and those who are coming

What cars can circulate and which ones rest on September 13

by

It’s here, it is already. Yes, the Sabatino does not circulate today returns through his fueros. As every Saturday, drivers affected by these restrictions collected in the program designed by the CDMX Ministry of Environment (Sedema) with the aim of improving the air we breathe. The restrictions go, indeed, to reduce the number of cars in the streets. How could it be otherwise, that forces cars at home. Restrictions that, as you know, apply in the 16 mayors in Mexico City and in the following conurbation municipalities of the State of Mexico: Atizapán de Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlán Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacán Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca La Paz Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcóyotl Nicolás Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlán Chalco Valley What cars and plaques affect the Sabatino today Taking this into account, how can we avoid an irregularly circular pore? Obviously, the most important thing is to know well the restrictions that apply. Restrictions you will find in the superior image. All those days have a particularity. The rules are clear but on Saturdays they change slightly. And it is not always the same drivers who have to leave their cars at home. In short, on a Saturday the following conditions can be applied. Cars that can circulate every Saturday Cars that have to rest every Saturday Cars that rest on a Saturday yes and another no+ These restrictions, however, do not apply all day. At night they do not take into account and, therefore, are active between 05:00 and 10:00 p.m.. That is, at night we can move freely and without being afraid of fines. Once we have clarified all these concepts, what else do we have to take into account? The first thing is that today does not circulate Sabatino does not always apply the same. You have to take into account the calendar because on Saturdays do not always stay at home the same cars. It will be the plate number that defines it. Hologram 2 cars do have the obligation to rest. But, for example, hologram cars 0 and 00 never have to rest. The latter can circulate with total freedom because they are the cars that least contaminate. But what happens to hologram 1? On a Saturday like this, September 13, 2025it will be the cars with hologram 1 and plate finished in even number that remain at home. Because this Saturday is the second Saturday of September and, therefore, it coincides with “par”. Next week, the odd ones will go around and rest. However, there are some exceptions that must be taken into account because those cars can move with total freedom: Those that work for electricity, natural gas or are hybrid Those who have disabled plate All those dedicated to urban transport services (includes funerals) Those who offer school or passenger transport Those for public safety and/or civil protection In case of breaching these restrictions, the fine will be 20 to 30 times the unit of measurement and update (Uma), which is equivalent to 1,924.40 pesos and even 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Ryan Pearson In Xataka | Contamination is not only making you live less and worse. You are also making you darker

“The problem is not the price, it is that Chinese cars are really better”

by

The founder of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, has launched a warning that can be uncomfortable for the western car industry, especially for how the panorama is in terms of The conquest of Chinese manufacturers. And it is that for the CEO of Rivian, Chinese manufacturers not only compete in price, but have developed superior technology. In his recent statements, the US executive makes it clear that obsessing with the cost of Chinese electric vehicles is a strategic error that can cost expensive long -term. Chinese technological advantage. During An interview In the podcast plugged-in, Scaringe went straight to the grain: “The alarming, if you look at the entire industry, is that technology is much better.” The CEO does not only refer to lower prices, but to cars that technically exceed the majority of western manufacturers. “They are technically very advanced and more advanced vehicles than most western manufacturers, I would say that Tesla and Rivian are exceptions,” declared Later in the Everything Electric podcast. More than Smartphones on wheels. While Western brands have been promising to convert their cars into “smartphones on wheels”, China takes time that has achieved it. And today, Chinese vehicles incorporate powerful infotainment systems with voice assistants and even karaoke, with architectures similar to those we commonly see in the consumer electronics sector and frequent software updates. An outstanding example is the Xiaomi Su7that Scaringe described as “an impressively well done vehicle”, especially notable for being the first car of the Chinese technological giant, who have also contributed their great software experience. The cost is not the background issue. “There are two things that will happen: or we will put tariffs that match the cost, or we will allow Chinese manufacturers to build in the United States. But in both cases, the cost will be essentially the same,” explained Scaringe “There is nothing magical when disarming it that allows these really impressive cost structures. There is nothing secret and magical,” said the manager. Chinese advantage comes from government subsidieslower labor costs and a lower capital cost. The reality of supply chains. The Rivian CEO also addresses a crucial point that tariffs cannot resolve: the dependence on critical materials. “We don’t have the same geological advantages we had in the fossil fuel area,” pointed outexplaining that your company needs nickel for batteries, but the greatest world production is in Indonesia, not in the United States. The real challenge is about to arrive. Scaringe admits that when commercial barriers are reduced or Chinese manufacturers establish plants in the West, competition will be decided by technology, not for the price. “They will win in technology,” he warns. “If I were a current manufacturer, I would worry less about the cost and focus more on cars are really better,” says the manager. The founder of Rivian has not been the only one to recognize this point, since Ford He also recognized That China has “much higher vehicle technology” and is developing new platforms specifically to compete. In Europe, a multitude of Chinese brands begin to establish themselves, with Byd as main flag bearer. Tariffs are the weapon of the European Union to stop that mismatch in competition, but it will be difficult. Cover image | Patrick T. Fallon and Rivian In Xataka | Toyota has been using a megaprensa for 90 years to make cars. They have transported half planet to continue using it

Toyota has been using a megaprensa for 90 years to make cars. They have transported half planet to continue using it

by

In 2024 About 92 million vehicles were manufactured worldwide. Plants like him Hyundai Ulsan Colossus Manufacture one every ten seconds Thanks to a tremendously specific machinery. One of the machines that are used are prey, Monsters such as Tesla Gigapress that allow to shape the metal in a few seconds, but despite innovations, Toyota has a press that has been working as the first day and resist to leave. In fact, it is older than the car company itself, when Toyota was nothing more than a loom manufacturer. The Komatsu press. Now, Toyota is not only one of the Industry powersbut an example of reliability and one of the most manufactured cars. It is one of Japan’s economic engines, but a century ago, things were very different. In the 1920s, Toyoda (it was named for the surname of its founder, Sakichi Toyoda) It was a company that manufactured looms. Curiously, Keep being. Toyoda Automatic Loom, from 1924, was considered the most advanced loom in the world and the company saw that it should not be so different from an engine, so they got to work. They created their first engine, also their first car and, to accelerate production, acquired a huge 700 -ton press manufactured by Komatsu. This purchase was made in 1934, when Toyota was already in the car business, but three years before the formal foundation of Toyota Motor Corporation in 1937. With its 700 tons of strength, it could work with large body panels, shaping the metal sheets with ease, and it was the one that helped boost the business during the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in the first years in HONshus plantto. The flag in the Sao Bernardo plant Travel. Masahiro Inoue, CEO of Toyota for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted That it was incredible that a Japanese company acquired such a large team before the war, since it had to be “incredibly expensive.” According to Inoue, they were able to face the purchase thanks to the money obtained by the sale of Patents from the Automatic Loom to a British company. During five years, the Komatsu press gave life to some of Toyota’s most iconic cars, but in 1962, they decided to open their first floor outside Japan. Located in Sao Bernardo, the factory needed specialized machinery for the local Variant of Land Cruiser, and decided that the Komatsu press should be installed on that new plant. After a very complicated logistics due to its dimensions and weight to move it to Brazil, for 39 years, the already veteran press proved to be vital for the construction of the Toyota Banderiant. After the end of the production of the SUV in 2001, he continued in service stamping pieces both for the Corolla as for the Hilux. Back home. In November 2023, the Sao Bernardo plant closed, but that did not mean the death of the veteran press. Toyota was, and it is still a machine factory, and I don’t know whether for adherence to the press or for something merely practical, They announced that he would return to Japan. In fact, as we read in Toyota TimesThey affirmed that he would have his own tribute because his new destination would be exactly the place he occupied in the Honsha plant during those years in which he helped to shape both cars and the company itself. President Akio Toyoda approved that “functional conservation” of the machine, because it will not be a mere museum piece: it will serve both for use in the manufacture of spare parts and to train the new factory employees. An icon. For 90 years, the Komatsu press has been key in the development of Toyota both for what it helped to forge and for representing that first large deployment of the company outside its borders. At this point, it is part of the spirit of the company, but also a sample of how, for certain such specific tasks, the passage of time and the creation of new machinery has not been able to take this pillar of the automotive ahead. Now, as Inoue commented, it was sure to be “greatly expensive”, but after 90 years, the investment is well amortized. Images | Toyota In Xataka | This monstrous machine of 580 tons builds bridges as if it were flying

What cars can circulate and which ones rest on September 6

by

Saturday, September 6 … Everything sounds like it should be a particularly comfortable and rested day. It will not be if your car is under the measures of the program today does not circulate Sabatino. Well, as you know, certain vehicles will have to be protected at home during this day. This initiative, promoted by the CDMX Ministry of Environment (Sedema), Search mainly decrease toxic emissions improving the quality of the air we inhale. The operation is simple: certain cars, especially those that produce more pollution, are restricted traffic. Of course, it does not always fall on the same vehicles every Saturday. In the areas where this provision governs, some of them rest in alternate weeks. And where is it applied? Specifically in the 16 mayors in Mexico City and in the following conurbation municipalities of the State of Mexico: Atizapán de Zaragoza Coacalco de Berriozábal Cuautitlán Cuautitlán Izcalli Chalco Chicoloapan Chimalhuacán Ecatepec de Morelos Huixquilucan Ixtapaluca La Paz Naucalpan de Juárez Nezahualcóyotl Nicolás Romero Tecámac Tlalnepantla de Baz Tultitlán Chalco Valley What cars and plaques affect the Sabatino today Who should be kept home? The daily functioning of the program is simple to understand, as seen in the superior image. But on Saturdays it is modified and not all cars face the same limitations every week. Certain vehicles have freedom of traffic some Saturdays, while on other occasions they run into prohibitions. The categories for this day can be divided into: Cars that can circulate every Saturday Cars that have to rest every Saturday Cars that rest on a Saturday yes and another These limitations work exclusively between 05:00 and 10:00 p.m. In night, the prohibition is suspended, enabling traffic without the possibility of sanction. Beyond knowing the fundamental, it is relevant to underline that the implementation of the program is not uniform for all cars. Therefore, it is important to check three elements before leaving home: the calendar of the month, the hologram class that wears the vehicle and the final digit of its plate. As shown, cars with hologram 2 maintain the current limitation every Saturday, while those who carry holograms 0 and 00 have freedom of traffic every week. Those who have hologram 1 face interspersed limitations week after week. He Saturday, September 6, 2025which is located as the first Saturday of the month (odd), those cars with plates ended in odd number are obliged to rest. Next week, second Saturday (PAR), the limitation will touch cars with plates that conclude in even number. However, there are some exceptions that should be considered because those cars will have complete mobility: Those that work for electricity, natural gas or are hybrid Those who have disabled plate All those dedicated to urban transport services (includes funerals) Those who offer school or passenger transport those destined for public safety and/or civil protection Those who violate these provisions will receive sanctions that go from 20 to 30 times the unit of measure and update (UMA), which represents a sanction between 1,924.40 and 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Danylo Suprun In Xataka | Contamination is not only making you live less and worse. You are also making you darker

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.