city

BYD has built a megafactory in record time. And it’s not just a car factory: it’s a city

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The chinese automotive industry has one goal: flood the west with their cars. BYD is one of the companies that, while wanting to take over the national market, wants a good slice of the international pie. For this you have as many employees as a small countryand to carry out its vision it has the most beastly car factory you can imagine. This is the Zhengzhou plant, and more than a factory, it is a city. Gigafactory? Best Uberfactory. Everything that surrounds the Zhengzhou plant It is imposing. Starting with the times, BYD and the Henan government they signed the project in September 2021, in just one month the works began and less than two years later the factory began production. His ability It is imposing and, already in its first operational phase in April 2023, it demonstrated that it could have a ability 400,000 vehicles annually. Not only did they get it up and running in record time: its dimensions are also impressive. The plant is estimated to have an area of ​​10.68 square kilometers in factories alone, but when the project comes to completion, it will occupy about 130 km². Context. Ten times more than Tesla Gigafactory in Nevadawith its 12 km², and larger than the area of ​​the city of San Francisco (it is approximately 120 km²). It is not unusual for large technology companies to have “cities” under their control and, without leaving China, Huawei has a similar campus (and another that copy different European cities). But BYD is overwhelming. More than cars. The factory is a “living” project of which four phases have been completed so far. The first two have focused on the production of cars, but as we said, we are talking about a factory that goes beyond vehicles. The third phase launched a plant for the battery manufacturing and the fourth has the necessary facilities for the production of semiconductors. They are underway new phases to expand production to two million vehicles annually and it is estimated that the facility generates a complete vehicle every 50 seconds. Technology. This is achieved thanks to an automation rate of 98%, one of the highest in the automotive industry worldwide. For example, the welding process is carried out with 91% robot labor and there are hundreds of them operating in other sectors, such as assembly or logistics. It is not due to a lack of human work, since the factory currently employs about 60,000 people, 90% of them coming from Zhengzhou or its surroundings and there are plans to reach up to 200,000 employees in 2026. Imagine all of Salamanca working in the same factory. Independent Republic of BYD. That is why we are not just talking about a factory: it also has housing and everything necessary is being built to make it a full-fledged city. Apart from housing blocks for employees, the megafactory has canteens, commercial areas, recreational facilities such as soccer fields and other areas for playing sports, as well as an internal transportation system. It also has additional facilities to carry out tests on their vehicles, such as a 1,758 meter circuit with nine curves, sand dunes to carry out off-road tests, a 70 meter pool (this is where you can see the Yangwang U8 in action) and multifunctional areas to carry out braking, acceleration and other more specific tests, such as autonomous parking. Apart from testing, it is like an amusement park for those who want to see the benefits of the brand’s EV cars. International connection. In the end, it is a mix between ambition and space (something that is abundant in China), which gives rise to a city focused on a single task: producing new energy cars with which China is setting the standard globally. In addition, it is an economic engine for the region and such a strategic element that, in 2024, Zhengzhou inaugurated the International Land Port with a one kilometer railway line to the BYD base. In this way, BYD can produce cars and instantly send them by train to the international market. It is also easier to load them into RO-RO boats with capacity for reach Europe in three or four weeks. Such is the importance of Zhengzhou for the company that its seventh ship car carrier was named after the city. Images | BYD In Xataka | Volkswagen is determined to copy China to make its electric cars attractive in Europe: put a gasoline engine in them

Crossing the A-5 works on foot has become a risky sport. The Madrid City Council solution: AI

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He burial of the A-5 It has become a headache for the neighbors. It is not only that traffic jams are the daily routine or that the works have forced the route to be diverted, creating a kind of Mario Kart where drivers have to avoid unexpected curves, unexpected exits or the appearance of cranes and heavy machinery. Pedestrians also begin to look with horror as his life becomes complicated every time they have to cross from one side of the highway to the other. The promise Being able to cross the road at the top of it surrounded by a park instead of dark and uninviting passageways is closer. But, for now, crossing from the Batán neighborhood to Lucero or Aluche is nothing short of a pipe dream. One in which the Madrid City Council has decided to intervene with artificial intelligence. With a little AI A couple of weeks ago, the large underground work on the A-5 appeared with a couple of unexpected traffic lights around Villagarcía Street, near the junction with Batán. The intention was to regulate traffic at one of the most complicated intersections in the area. Taking advantage of this unnecessary action, the neighbors began to demand that zebra crossings be set up so they could cross on foot to the other side of the road and have a quick access to the neighborhoods of Lucero and Aluche. In this way, residents would also have access, for example, to public transportation that circulates a little less than a kilometer from their homes, schools or work centers but which are much more difficult to reach on foot since the works began. Now we know that the Madrid City Council is going to take advantage of these works to also test one of the latest purchases announced: traffic lights with artificial intelligence. They explain in The World that current traffic lights already have cameras to control road traffic. This will help, taking advantage of an artificial intelligence system, to regulate traffic on demand. The traffic lights will detect the number of pedestrians waiting for the green light to turn and the system will decide when to let vehicles and pedestrians pass. Thus, it will open the way to the latter for a more or less time depending on demand. The area is conflictive because there are schools that are currently wedged between the Casa de Campo and the underground works of the A-5. With the installation of traffic lights with artificial intelligence, an attempt will be made to prioritize the passage of pedestrians at peak times when entering and leaving educational centers. The use of the system, as we said, is not new. a few weeks ago the Madrid City Council confirmed the installation of these systems in various parts of the capital, especially complicated by the large influx of pedestrians. For example, they already adjust the steps at the intersection of Calle Princesa and Alberto Aguilera, on the Segovia and San Isidro bridges (Madrid Río area) or in the Plaza de Grecia next to the Metropolitan Stadium where traffic lights with artificial intelligence regulate the passage if there are concerts or large events to improve fluidity. Photo | Xataka and Madrid City Council In Xataka | The residents of Madrid had been longing for the A-5 to be buried underground for years. Now he’s making their lives miserable.

How to use Ruta-E, the government app to find cheap gas stations and charging points in your city or your route

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We are going to tell you how to use Route-Ethe new application of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, creators of My Citizen Folder among many other apps. It is an application that seeks to help you find the cheapest gas stations and electric charging points. It is a simple but versatile application. You can choose between gasoline or electric chargers, and then you have the options of exploring on the map or trace a route and see all the gas stations or charging points along with the price of fuel, so you know which one allows you to save a little money on your trips. Look at the price of gasoline with Ruta-E The first thing you have to do is download the Ruta-E application, available on Google Play for Android and in the App Store of iPhones. Once inside you will have a map, and at the top right you will have a filter in which you can choose fuel type for which you want to find a gas station or charging station. When you choose the type of fuel, you will see information about all the pumps in your city. But you can navigate the map to explore the entire country in case you want to look at those of some place you are going to visit. In the gasoline pump preview you will see the price of the fuel you have chosen. The app also has an option to trace the route of a trip what you want to do, with origin and destination point. When you do, you will see all the gas stations you have along the route along with the prices of the type of fuel you have chosen, and also the charging points. When you press at a gas stationyou will be able to see their hours and prices, and thus compare the cheapest ones or those that are open. And if you click on a charging point you will not see the price, but you will see the types of plugs available. In Xataka Basics | Gasoline price on Google Maps: how to see nearby gas stations and their prices on Android or iOS

Hangzhou is the city of DeepSeek, Alibaba and Unitree without any of the typical Silicon Valley ingredients. His secret is another

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Hangzhou, a city of 12 million inhabitants 180 km south of Shanghai, is home to a striking number of powerful technology companies: Seven reference technologies (the six ‘little dragons’ plus the giant Alibaba) in a city that does not have any of the elements considered essential in Silicon Valley: Abundant venture capital. Leading universities. Links between university and industry. And a robust industrial structure. How could you then Hangzhou emerge well? The facts. Venture capital is plummeting in China. Funds in yuan have fallen from 88.42 billion dollars in 2022 to 5.38 billion in 2024. Funds in dollars, from 17.32 billion to 750 million. Hangzhou has not been a major recipient of investment until last year, when its province –Zheijang– stood out with 41 new corporate venture capital funds. But it was only after Unitree or Game Science had gained national attention. Missing. Hangzhou has only one elite university – Zhejiang – compared to 26 in Beijing, 11 in Jiangsu or 10 in Shanghai. The admission rate at Tsinghua and Beijing Universities for students from the capital (0.85%) is almost ten times that of students from Zhejiang (0.09%). None of the founders of “the six little dragons” or Alibaba created their company directly from university. Liang Wenfeng founded High-Flyer, the hedge fund after DeepSeekeight years after graduating. Jack Ma was rejected for 30 jobs after finishing his studies. Yes, but. The city has innovated by doing away with those ingredients. The explanation offered by Zilan Qian, a researcher at the Oxford China Policy Lab, points out ChinaTalk to “flexible governance”: a model where officials adopt “waiters” and “babysitters” mentality that facilitate rather than control. The context. Hangzhou does not have the political, financial or industrial importance of first-tier cities, which has given it greater local autonomy to shape its technology sector. Zhejiang province was a pioneer since the 1980s in promoting private enterprise during the early phases of Chinese economic reforms. Jack Ma He tried to establish Alibaba’s headquarters in Beijing or Shanghai, but failed due to the cost of rent and bureaucratic barriers. In 2015, Ma explained her decision: “Beijing favors state-owned enterprises, Shanghai favors foreign companies, and Alibaba was nothing in their eyes. If we return to Hangzhou, we become the local only child who receives all the attention and support.” Hangzhou is part of the sometimes called “chinese technology triangle“(sometimes also”golden triangle“) along with Shanghai and Shenzhen. More than a geometric reality, the functional metaphor describes the complementarity of three cities: Shenzhen provides industrial capacity and hardware. Shanghai concentrates finances and internationalization Hangzhou stands out in the internet, AI and an ecosystem favorable to private companies. Each vertex of the triangle has different strengths that, combined, generate an ecosystem where geographical proximity facilitates collaboration and flow of talent between the three poles. Between the lines. The model is described as “market-oriented” but maintains a level of centralized governance. The Hangzhou government sees quality of life as a strategy to attract businesses and talent, but positions itself as an enabler, not a controller. The absence of state-backed research institutes and a strong industrial base contributes to the government’s humble attitude. If Hangzhou were more strategic or more industrial, DeepSeek might not have had the creative space to emerge and provoke the earthquake that caused in January. The narrative of “self-made industry” and “entrepreneurial bureaucracy” admits conflicting readings. What some interpret as facilitation, others read as a euphemism for “dirigiste intervention by the State”, with a very defined plan of action and long-term objectives. “Flexible governance” can be both real local autonomy… and dirigisme disguised as pragmatism. At least it is no longer “a city south of Shanghai” but “Alibaba City” or “DeepSeek City”. In Xataka | China is selling us a future full of humanoid robots. We have (many) doubts Featured image | JinHui CHEN in Unsplash

allows you to see how your city will disappear underwater

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Climate change has a consequence that is undoubtedly greatly feared by everyone: the sea ​​level rise. Far from being a distant threat, its effects are already are feeling all over the world and future projections force us to prepare for a scenario where our coasts are going to be altered, even having to prepare simulations to find out which buildings will be submerged under the seabed. A simulator. To understand the magnitude of this challenge and precisely visualize which areas will be submerged, there are tools such as ‘Sea Level Rise Viewer‘, a 3D map that allows us to peer into an uncertain future. A map created by developer Akihiko Kusanagi and consisting of an interactive simulation away from traditional 2D maps to offer us a photorealistic, and above all alarming, experience. A great result that has been achieved using the powerful photorealistic 3D mosaics of Google Maps and rendering technologies such as deck.gl and three.js. Something that has allowed any user to become a direct witness of the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, the code is completely open as it is published on GitHub. How it works. The genius of ‘Sea Level Rise 3D Map’ lies in its simplicity. When accessing the website, we find a 3D map of the world accompanied by a very minimalist interface that focuses on two key elements: Sea level: in this case it is possible to visualize how the coastal geography will change when the sea level increases meter by meter. With each increase, a layer of blue water will rise to cover the entire terrain, first flooding the port areas and beaches and then entering the urban centers. And we must take into account that For every cm that sea level rises, the coastline retreats 100 cm. Time of day: a second control located at the bottom that allows us to change the time, adjusting the lighting and shadows to have an even more realistic effect. Simulation on the coasts of Motril (Granada) that shows the impact that an increase in sea level of 58 meters would have. But the best of all is the search engine that is at the top of the map and that allows us to go to any city in the world with Google 3D coverage and see streets, monuments or emblematic neighborhoods that can end up underwater. And from the Statue of Liberty in New York to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or Big Ben in London, the tool offers a unique and personalized perspective of a global crisis. The science behind. Although the tool is a visual demonstration and not a predictive model with the precision of scientific studies, it puts face and volume to the data that the scientific community has been warning about for years through papers or conferences. It must be taken into account that the rise of the sea is caused by two key factors. The first of them is thermal expansion, since the oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the extra heat generated by human emissionscausing the water to expand much more, which causes the coastline to end up receding. This also adds to the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, as well as mountain glaciers, dumping billions of tons of water into the oceans each year. Few solutions. Even if we started doing things right now, according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), even if the global warming at 1.5°C, sea ​​level would continue to rise inevitably. Projections for 2100 vary from about 43 cm in the most optimistic scenario to exceeding 84 cm in the most pessimistic. But clearly with this tool, what represents just two or three meters of climbing gives us an idea of ​​the magnitude of the long-term challenge to finish raising awareness of where we can venture and what we are going to leave to our descendants. The conscience. Projects like the “Sea Level Rise 3D Map” are more necessary than ever. By transforming abstract data into a visual and personal experience, they achieve something that scientific reports often fail to do: generate an emotional impact and a sense of urgency on society. Images | Chris Gallagher In Xataka | What is a dana: how it forms, how it differs from a normal storm and how to act in one of them

The most pacifist city in Germany lived off its legendary train factory. Now they will make it from a gigantic tank factory

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Görlitz was known for its neat historic center, its post-war memory and a practical inclination towards pacifism. For decades, the city on the eastern border fit on the German map as a haven of caution and resigned industrial melancholy, a place where work and tradition maneuvered away from military power. But that calm is beginning to show cracks that force its inhabitants to rethink what it means to maintain peace when the world seems to want just the opposite. From the steel of peace to that of war. For more than a century and a half, the town of Görlitz, on Germany’s eastern border, lived off the rhythmic sound of trains. The wagon and locomotive factories They provided work for entire generations and defined the identity of this working-class region of the former East. But that era is coming to an end. After 176 years of railway production, the historic Alstom industrial complex is being converted by the arms consortium KNDS to manufacture components Leopard II tanks and Puma armored vehicles. What was once a symbol of civil mobility and reconstruction, today is transformed in gear of the German military machine. This metamorphosis does not arise from nowhere, of course: it responds to the country’s strategic shift towards rearmamentmotivated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fear of a withdrawal of American security guarantees and a economy in decline desperately looking for new sources of employment. Between pacifism and necessity. I was counting last week the new york times that, in Görlitz, industrial reconversion divide feelings. The population, aging and punished by decades of deindustrialization since reunification, sees the production of tanks as a lesser evil. In this area where the far-right AfD party (openly pro-Russian and opposed to helping Ukraine) concentrates almost half the voteseven its local leaders have accepted the change with resignation. “It is not a cause for celebration, but we cannot oppose having work either,” recognizeaware that the loss of employment would be even more devastating than the moral dilemma of manufacturing weapons. Reconversion. The factory, which once had more than 2,000 employeesbarely kept 700 before the sale, and KNDS agrees to keep half of them and plans to multiply it in the future. In fact, the unions, led by IG Metall, were the ones who promoted the idea of ​​reorienting the plant towards the defense sector to avoid its definitive closure. In a territory marked by youth exodus and economic frustration, the arms industry has ended up offering something similar to a second chance. German military reindustrialization. The Görlitz case reflects a broader phenomenon: German rearmament as a driver of a new industrial reconversion. Since 2020, Berlin’s defense spending has increased about 80%exceeding 90,000 million euros, and the demand for specialized labor has skyrocketed. Companies such as Rheinmetall, Diehl Defense, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems or MBDA have added more than 16,000 workers since the start of the war of Ukraine and plan to hire 12,000 more before 2026. The sector’s profits are so high that its managers increase dividends while exploring the purchase of automobile plants in decline, as that of Volkswagen in Osnabrück. The “logic”. The message from its CEO, Armin Papperger, summarize the logic of the new defense economy: if taxpayers’ money finances national security, jobs must stay in Germany. In this context, the factory conversion like Görlitz, it is perceived as an industrial policy with a dual purpose: to sustain the productive fabric and strengthen the country’s strategic autonomy. The moral dilemma. Despite the economic relief that the renaissance of the arms sector represents, it persists in German society a deep tension between the pacifism inherited from the post-war and the need to guarantee European defense. For many East Germans, who already experienced a first deindustrialization after the fall of the Wall and now suffer the loss of energy and manufacturing jobs, manufacturing tanks is a bitter way of survival. Some fear that the weapons produced will end up on the Ukrainian front, others that the rise of the business depends on the continuity of the war. “Will it be sustainable to manufacture tanks? I hope not. I hope the wars end soon,” admitted to the Financial Times a union representative. However, the reality of the market and geopolitics point in another direction: defense has become the new industrial hub European, and Germany (due to history, technological capacity and allied pressure) leads that transition. Goodbye train, hello tank. Thus, the old Görlitz factory, with its warehouses blackened by decades of metallurgical work, symbolizes the change of era that crosses Europe. Where wagons were previously welded to transport passengers, steel shells will be assembled for combat vehicles. What began as a strategy to save jobs threatens to redefine the industrial soul of the country: from civil ingenuity to military power, from the steel that united continents to that which now armors them. And a profound paradox: in a fractured political landscape, where the fear of war coexists with the need to prosper, the workers of Eastern Germany are once again the involuntary protagonists of history. Its destiny, between nostalgia for trains and the pragmatic acceptance of tanks or battle tanks, summarizes the dilemma of a nation that tries to reconcile its pacifist past with a present that pushes it, once again, to manufacture weapons to ensure its future. Image | Norwegian Armed Forces, State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection In Xataka | The US no longer has to worry about Spain or the rearmament bill in Europe. Germany had a plan B In Xataka | The “rearmament” of Europe has begun at a Volkswagen factory in Germany: instead of cars they will produce tanks

A Japanese city has had enough of its neighbors spending the day on their cell phones. So he has set a limit: two hours

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“When you get on a train in Japan, most passengers are looking at their phones. They don’t do anything else.” Speaks Masafumi Kouiki, mayor Toyoake (Japan) and probably the country’s most recognizable face in the fight against addiction to smartphonesthe sleep hygiene and life away from the screens. The reason is very simple: despite the suspicion on the part of his neighbors, Kouiki has promoted an ordinance that limits the use of cell phones and tablets to two hours a day. The measure was launched October 1 and for now it has served one of the objectives that Kouiki pursued: to move consciences and generate debate. What has happened? That October has arrived with a curious legislative novelty in Toyoakea city of almost 70,000 inhabitants in Aichi Prefecture that in practice functions as a dormitory city for Nagoya. On Wednesday the 1st, a new rule came into force that restricts the time that your neighbors can spend in front of a screen for recreational reasons: maximum two hours. 120 minutes. Not one more. The measure was announced months ago, in Augustwhen it was still a proposal, and despite the huge stir that it generated has managed to move forward: in September it received the endorsement of the municipal assembly with 12 votes in favor and seven against. What does the standard say exactly? Roughly speaking, the ordinance, 2,400 charactersestablishes a limit on the recreational use of smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers. The rule applies to Toyoake residents and sets that limit at two hours a day, not counting time spent studying or working. There is an important nuance, of course: although it is an ordinance endorsed by the municipal assembly, in reality what it offers is a guidelinenot a mandatory rule. No one will check whether the residents of Toyoake conform to that standard or not. No sanctions are foreseen either. This is just a recommendation. Is it wet paper then? At all. To begin with, because Japanese culture exerts strong social pressure to follow official guidelines. Beyond its real impact, the rule has also served to open the debate on the excessive use of screens and its influence on aspects such as sleep. In fact, the same ordinance advises that younger children stop using their devices at 9:00 p.m. and those in secondary school and those under 18 should not drive them after 10:00 p.m. The objective: guarantee your correct rest. That’s all? No. On October 1, coinciding with the entry into force of the rule, the Toyoake Government sent emails to young people and parents in the city to insist on the same message. Primary and secondary school students were in fact urged to “take care of their rest and health hours” and agree with their families how much time they would dedicate to their devices. “The main objective of the ordinance is to guarantee sufficient hours of sleep,” underlines the organism. The City Council has also carried out a survey among 250 residents registered in its monitoring system and wants to find out the real scope of the guideline: whether the use of smartphones during free time, the duration of sleep or the hours of family conversation changes. TO beginning of next yearIn fact, the authorities want to do a new survey among their students. Why have they done it? To change habits. “It’s very sad to end the day looking at your phone all the time at home,” explained a few days ago Kouki a The New York Times. “I hope citizens change their behavior.” Rather than strictly limiting the recreational use of screens to 120 minutes a day, its purpose is to invite “reflection and debate” and make people think about how much time they spend on screens and until what time they do it. In 2024, a state study revealed that, on average, younger Japanese (those in primary or secondary school) invest about five hours up to date on their mobile phones. And not only that. More than 80% of Japanese people between 15 and 24 years old consider themselves “dependent” on smartphones and 14% already show symptoms of addiction. How have people responded? Depends. Not everyone has reacted equally well to Kouki’s attempts to restrict screen use. Although it is not a mandatory rule nor are there fines for breaking it, there are those who believe that the mere existence of the ordinance means an intrusion in the lives of the people of Toyoake.”In one sentence: it’s none of your business”, claims Mariko Fujie, one of the local politicians who voted against. In his opinion, there is no “scientific evidence” to support a norm that, he warns, also does not take into account the perspective of young people. “Many of my supporters find it condescending. This ordinance is complete nonsense.” Is Toyoake a unique case? Yes. And no. The Town Hall assures that theirs is the first standard of its kind in Japan. This is also presented by media such as The Japan Times either The Mainichiwhich have highlighted its pioneering nature. Whether or not this is the case, the truth is that it is not the first attempt by a Japanese public institution to put limits on the use of screens among the population. Especially among young people. A few years ago Kagawa promoted another ordinance that aimed to restrict young people’s access to video games. Their objective: that minors do not dedicate themselves to them more than one hour daily during the week, a margin that the authorities were willing to extend to 90 minutes on holidays. In Yamato, another town, they also prohibited use mobile to pedestrians while they walk. Images | Yifei Wong (Unsplash) and Launde Morel (Unsplash) In Xataka | In Europe we have a problem: we are becoming the Japan of the 21st century

Madrid riders have been using municipal bikes for some time despite it being prohibited. The City Council is tired

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When it was released, more than a decadeBicimad was proposed as a public transport service with shared bikes. His idea was very simple: make it easier (and cheaper) for Madrid residents to get around the city by bike. Over time, its network of vehicles and stations has expanded, but it has also attracted a new type of user: riders interested in their benefits and low cost who rent them, skipping the regulation. Now the City Council has said enough. What has happened? That Madrid has grown tired of the riders use during your deliveries Bicimada public bicycle rental service. The message has been conveyed with crystal clear the delegate of Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility of the City Council, Borja Carabante, who recalled that the system was designed to be used by individuals (such as neighbors or tourists) not so that economic benefit could be taken from it, a possibility clearly banned in its regulations. Is the problem that serious? Yes. And no. The Municipal Transport Company (EMT) recognize that he is not aware that the riders are making “massive use” of Bicimad, although it has detected “some cases.” Much clearer has been Carabante, who assures that it is a practice that “we all see” on the street and seems to be getting worse. In fact, the City Council speaks of “an increase”. What does the regulations say? The issue is not so much that the practice is more or less widespread as that it completely fails to comply with the bases (and spirit) that regulate the service. In its chapter XI the document that sets the conditions of use slips several ideas, including one that closes the doors to riders and other delivery people. “The bicycle will be used exclusively for the transportation of users, and cannot transport other people, animals or merchandise,” collect the text. “Nor can the bicycle, nor the stations, be used for commercial purposes.” Why do they use them then? For its advantages. Bicimad offers more than 7,700 bikes and 630 stations spread across 21 districts of the capital. Those who use the service can enjoy electric bikes with a 250W central motor and 70 kilometers of autonomy for a fee of only 10 euros monthly. The service offers free, unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes. After that time, the second 30-minute fraction costs 0.5 and the subsequent three euros. In addition, its users are insured. A rider Anyone who wanted to buy a similar urban bike to deliver orders would have to pay hundreds of eurosat least. This without taking into account the wear and tear of the vehicle and another of the great advantages of Bicimad: the station network and charging points. Those responsible they calculate The service currently has 450,000 monthly users who make journeys that, on average, last just over 15 minutes. What does the City Council want to do? For now he has made it clear that he is aware that the riders They are misusing bikes and he is not willing to turn a blind eye. How he will respond and how far he is willing to go in his endeavor is another matter. The City Council has stated that it will look for a way to “disincentivize” delivery drivers from taking advantage of Bicimad and to do so, one of the options on the table is to apply extra rates to them. “We will have to see if there is some type of specific rate for this type of activity and we are analyzing possible alternatives so that it does not occur,” Carabante specifiedwho recognizes that what has sparked the interest of riders and has caused the use of Bicimad to increase among the group (according to the data managed by the City Council) it is precisely the “low rates” that the service applies, which “makes its use attractive” by the delivery people. Are you considering anything else? Yeah. Increase controls at street level. The City Council of the capital has recognized The World He plans to pay more attention to who rents the bikes to get a more precise idea of ​​the problem. “To assess whether any measure must be taken to avoid this type of use, the EMTE will soon begin a surveillance campaign to monitor these activities,” keep it up. “According to these results, actions will be applied to discourage use for commercial activities.” They won’t have it easy. The riders They use the same cards as the rest of the users and to confirm that they are using the service for commercial purposes, the police would have to stop them. Hence, for example, at the moment the improper use of bicycles is not being penalized either. The problem is not entirely new, but the City Council seems determined to put an end to a custom that, as the delegate alertsharms individuals who want to use public bicycles. Images | Bicimad In Xataka | There are no more 20 euro tickets: the trains between Madrid and Barcelona have become very expensive again for a reason

Opening an R&D center in the city that makes the most sense

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Xiaomi recently announced that The Su7its first electric car, would arrive in Europe in 2027. In this way, the European public will be able to taste first hand one of the electric cars that have caused the most in recent years. In addition, silently, the now also vehicle manufacturer has opened Your first research and development center Out of China. The installation, located in Munich, marks the starting point of the arrival of the Chinese manufacturer to the European market for electric vehicles. The first step. The opening of this center is much more than a simple technical office. Xiaomi, a company known for its mobile phones and other technological gadgets, launched its first car in 2023, and this new expansion is accelerating its transformation into a car manufacturer made and right. Its president, William Lu, He already made it clear In August that the company aspires to become one of the five largest automobile in the world, and Europe is key in that plan. What will the center of Munich do. German facilities will focus on adapting Xiaomi vehicles to the demands of the European market: from the development of technology for electric vehicles and intelligent driving to compliance with strict safety regulations. The teams of engineers, designers and European researchers will collaborate directly with the centers in China to prepare specific models for international markets. The models that will arrive. Although Xiaomi has not officially confirmed which vehicles will bring to Europe, everything points to SU7, a high performance sedan that would compete with the Porsche Taycanand al Yu7a SUV that would be measured with the Tesla Model and. Su7 Ultra has already demonstrated its potential by establishing The fastest back record For an electric production car in the Nürburgring circuit, with a time of 7 minutes and 4 seconds (6 minutes and 22 seconds its prototype version). A success in China. The growth of Xiaomi in the automobile sector has been meteoric. His su7 reached 200,000 units delivered in China In just 119 days, a stellar figure for a brand that opens for the first time in the automobile world. Now, the brand seeks to replicate that success beyond its borders, taking advantage of its experience in technology and software. It is not the only China in Munich. The Bavarian city has become The favorite destination of Chinese manufacturers to establish your design and research centers in Europe. Nio opened his design headquarters in 2015, while Avat and Li Auto have also chosen Munich for their European facilities. The proximity to the German car industry and access to specialized talent are usually the main reasons for this election. Cover image | Xiaomi In Xataka | China’s government is discovering that selling cheap cars is not enough in Europe: spare parts will be insured

The city of Las Vegas bet everything on mass entertainment. Now he only lacks the most important: tourists

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In the summer of 2023 it seemed clear that something had changed in Las Vegas. The data They corroborated it: the “city of sin” had fewer clients than in 2019, but in return Much more money squeezing your visitors as never before. Since then until now, drifting towards exorbitant prices for anything has done nothing but grow. The problem is that he has done it at the same pace that lost the most important thing: the tourists who supported her. Neons cemetery. I told the weekend in A report The New York Times. A few steps from the strip, in a plot where old marques rest, the condensed history of Las Vegas can be read: pink feathers of the Flamingo, the red martini of the Red Barn, or the dancing shirt of a dye frequented by Liberace. This Neon Museum Remember that the city has managed to reinvent itself again and again, from that to the game, of gastronomy to the sports show. However, the present does not distill so many “vibes” as turbulence. The imitation elvis, almost empty coffees and European tourists who are surprised to pay one hundred dollars for a breakfast They feed the feeling that the world capital of excess goes through a stage of uncertainty. A descent as a warning of something worse. Recent figures from the Convention and Visitors Authority talk about a 11% setback In the volume of visitors in a single year. What happens in Las Vegas resonates beyond: experts like Andrew Woods They warn that the city works as an advanced barometer of the US economy. In other words, if the Vegas cools, the country could be at the gates of a broader brake. The fall is perceived In details: nightclubs without queues, gondolas sailing empty in artificial channels and half -filled card tables. The Canadian facor. One of the most sensitive blows comes from the north. Canada, which contributes 1.4 million visitors a year, has reduced In almost 20% His trips, dragged by commercial and diplomatic tension with the Trump administration. He Canadian boycott Threat to subtract hundreds of thousands of tourists from the final numbers of 2025. For a city where the international clientele represents the oxygen of hotels, restaurants and shows, that absence translates into less busy rooms and revenues that evaporate. Price bubble. The other great wound is in The traveler’s pocket. Room prices have gone from an average of $ 120 in 2019 to more than 160 this year, with peaks of more than 1,000 in luxury hotels, to which are added resort rates of 50 dollars daily and tickets to shows that exceed 300. After The “Revenge Travel” From postpania, the industry got used to it To collect expensive. Now, in a context of uncertainty, that strategy is perceived as greed and dissuades the average visitor. The buffets of 29 dollars gave way to banquets of 90, and even a simple bottle of water or a parking lot have become Symbols of increation. The crossroads of identity. The city had always maintained a balance between luxury and accessibility. But today the balance leans towards the exclusiveleaving behind that tourist who once found in Vegas an affordable destination. The risk is clear: lose the essence of “theme park for all” and become An unsustainable bubble. Voices such as Guy Martin, veteran contractor, defend that prices respond to mathematics and not to greed, remembering that structures Like Sphere or the Allegiant Stadium cost more than 2,000 million each. Others, as Caesars executives, admit that the industry “went from enthusiasm” after the pandemic. Global comparative. The Las Vegas dilemma is not unique. Macao, who in the last two decades displaced Las Vegas as the world’s world capital in terms of income, A collapse in 2014 When Beijing imposed restrictions on capitals from the Chinese continent. The city then turned to diversify with family tourism, conventions and shows, and although it recovered muscle after the pandemic, the dependence of the visitor of high purchasing power remains an Achilles heel. Dubaifor his part, he opted for a radically different model: Instead of lowering, it has consolidated a premium destination with massive infrastructure and a global luxury story. But even there, price inflation and event saturation generate similar tensions. Both examples show that raising indiscriminate prices can turn the destination exclusive, but also fragile and vulnerable to geopolitical or economic changes. Persistence, nostalgia and uncertainty. Despite the storm, andn the Times remembered That there are faithful visitors who are still considering the city of their ritual refuge, such as Mary Reyes and her husband, who have returned twice a year for decades and barely notice the difference. He neons museum It symbolizes that duality: the city of a thousand reinventions that never ends, but that today hesitated before him Dilemma of your future. Will you be able to recover the vibrant and affordable destination image, or will it become a prohibitive enclave for majorities? The outcome will mark whether the Las Vegas brightness continues to dazzle the world, or if the bullshit signs of the museum cease to be a relic to become an omen of so many other cities with the same bet. Image | PxhereStefan Wagener In Xataka | Las Vegas now has fewer customers than in 2019, but earns much more money. Is squeezing its visitors like never before In Xataka | Las Vegas changed entertainment with The Sphere: now its creators want to carry the innovative concept much further

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