electric

A Chinese driver bought a spectacular electric SUV to travel to Europe. Everything was perfect until he reached the border

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Fabio Belmone is Volata di Peluca. At the beginning of last year he went viral when he posted that he was going to Tokyo. So far, everything is normal. Another millennial going to Japan. What made Fabio Belmone’s trip special is that he planned to reach the Japanese capital by car. 25,000 kilometers and 80 days later, the account Volata di Peluca confirmed that it had arrived in Japan. But perhaps the most curious thing about the trip is that, in addition to crossing all of Europe and Asia, the car chosen was a Fiat Marea. The only thing he could afford with 900 euros, he explained to The Vanguard. “I have crossed two continents, but my car can’t enter Barcelona,” he said in the interview. And perhaps, precisely because of that, because the car was tremendously analog, the adventure was able to reach its destination. Because in any country they could fix it. And, above all, because it wasn’t a car that was going to stop for crossing a border. The owner of this Zeekr 9X cannot say the same, explain our French colleagues from L’Automobile. At least he’s not standing still That transcontinental journey is having its particular replica from China. Mr. Liu is a Chinese driver who wants to repeat Fabio Belmone’s adventure in reverse. From Europe to China. Of course, aboard a Zeekr 9X, one of the most luxurious SUVs in the country. He Zeekr 9X It is a car that costs, in direct exchange, just over 61,000 euros. That means that in the Asian country it is one of the most luxurious options you can buy since manufacturers have filled their cars with technology at ridiculous prices. In this case we are talking about an extended range electric vehicle (a particular version of a plug-in hybrid) that in China it reaches 1,300 HP of power. The car, in fact, has just arrived in Europe although reduced in power, with an 897 HP version. But beyond the power figures, what is truly interesting about this car is inside, with six seats (or rather six seats), this huge SUV can become a rolling living room. Heated, ventilated and massaged seats that can be faced until they become a kind of hammock, 32 speakers spread throughout the cabin, two consecutive 16-inch screens to manage the infotainment system and even a third 17-inch screen that slides from the roof so that the rear passengers can enjoy it while they are driving. Inside the Zeekr 9X The experience of traveling in the car goes far beyond traveling through countries because, unlike with the Marea, the beauty is on the inside. Mr. Liu must have been thinking something similar when he began the trip. But a few thousand kilometers later, upon crossing the first border, the dream turned into a nightmare. Suddenly, your Zeekr 9X hood a multitude of functions. All software functions fell apart when it crossed the border into Kazakhstan. The loading ports and access to the warehouse also did the same. The reason was simple: the car, using GPS, had detected that the border had been crossed. They explain in CarNewsChina that the driver could not find a way to continue his journey for 30 hours. The reason, they explain from the specialized media, is in the vehicle’s anti-theft system. Automatically, the car detects through GPS positioning whether it is in China or beyond the borders. In the latter case, the vehicle repeatedly sends warnings but if it continues moving it blocks the vast majority of the functions. The system is activated by default in the car. The company has recognized in the Chinese media National Business Daily that, indeed, most of the car’s systems were blocked but that the vehicle can continue moving. To unlock the gas tank and charging socket you have to press and hold some specific buttons. This information, according to the company, should be known to the owner. What they explain however in CarNewsChina is that Mr. Liu knew about the blocking system before leaving China so went to a dealer. To avoid theft or illegal exports, what they do at the point of sale is certify the validity of some documents such as the driving license or the purchase contract. At that moment and after knowing the client’s intentions, they should have deactivated the anti-theft system with GPS positioning but they did not do so and it was not clear to the driver what he should do if this situation arose. But this time, what the software takes away from you, the software gives you. With an activation code, the brand was able to update the car via OTA and unlock the anti-theft systems, leaving the car ready to be used again. Photo | In Xataka | China wants to throw the door on the European electric car. Zeekr is your argument in the premium segment

China is already experiencing a fever for ultra-technological electric caravans and the reason is simple: they are better than combustion ones

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China wants to attract tourists. And he wants his tourists to bet on the national tourism. The objective, evidently, is to attract money and promote internal consumption in the country. So much so that in 2025 tourism generated 16% more income than the previous year, according to data from the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The movement, of course, has promoted the use of the train or the plane. But it has had an unexpected effect: the fever of electric caravans. “To take a nap”. It is, according to Daniel Wu, global director of brand and marketing at XPeng, what some people do when they finish their work hours. “Many people go to their cars to take a one-hour nap. After work, they stay in the car for an hour before returning home, doing things they like—for example, playing—simply because it is a very comfortable space,” he explains in words reported by Bloomberg. And the American media has focused on the Chinese camping fever. Since the Covid-19 crisis, this type of tourism has spread throughout the country as it offers an alternative to much more expensive hotels and adds the flexibility inherent to this type of tourism. The reasons for prioritizing camping tourism are exactly the same ones that we have defended in Europe and that have fired these types of proposals since the confinements due to the coronavirus crisis. The difference is that, in the Asian country, manufacturers are specializing in making the interior of the car its own space where the wheels are the addition. In Xataka Spain changes the rules of the game for motorhomes: they will be able to park where any car parks best electric. The big difference is that a good part of this fever is being channeled through fully electric or extended range vehicles. These types of vehicles allow functions such as “camping” or “sleep” modes to be incorporated, making life easier for the user who finds greater flexibility in this type of vehicle. In fact, the chinese media themselves They highlight that the boom is concentrating on models that offer more “high quality and comfort” options. According to their data, in 2022 this business moved 113.47 billion yuan but in 2025 it reached 250 billion yuan. A good part of this result lies in the fact that users increasingly opt for this type of vehicle when they have to rent them. To understand the fever for this type of vehicle, in ChinaDaily They reported that orders for “new energy” vehicles (as they call electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles there) are growing at a rate 10 times higher year after year and the rental period is increasingly longer. In Xataka Pebble has created the mother of all electric caravans. It parks itself and has a propulsion system A substantial advantage. Both in Bloomberg like in chinese media like People They highlight that these electric caravans are more sought after because their huge battery expands everything that can be done with the car. Users rateFor example, being able to carry appliances and all kinds of cooking utensils that only require a gigantic battery on wheels. There are some that even use 4K projectors inside so that passengers can enjoy wherever they go. A good example of this is this caravan that they collected in esquire with the interior space divided into two floors, refrigerator and induction hob, a compact toilet and karaoke, a highly sought after feature in all types of cars. Or this other one from Changan capable of fording rivers wave Geely Farizon. In addition, the possibilities for keeping the interior at a constant temperature are much greater than in a traditional vehicle, making it especially interesting for those who travel with pets. In Xataka It is no longer enough for luxury motorhomes to be huge. Now they have their own garage (with a car inside) The Millennials. One of the reasons given for this increase in the use of electric caravans is, evidently, the savings they represent compared to hotels. They are the travelers born from the 90s those who travel the most with this type of automobile. In fact, 53% of travelers were born during this decade. During May Day holidaysrentals of this type of car skyrocketed again but not only among caravans. And it is that car manufacturers are increasingly likely to include camping modes of use and sell a greater number of accessories to make these cars a realistic option with which to go camping without having to invest in a motorhome. In Xataka If the question is whether you can live in your caravan due to impossible housing prices, the answer is simple: it depends. Chargers everywhere. Of course, all this would not be possible if the charging network were not there. And the huge batteries that serve refrigerators and kitchens would no longer serve their main purpose (moving the car) if, for example, they did not have a dense network of chargers. They collect in Bloomberg that the country has filled gas stations and rest areas with plugs at a devilish rate. Growth is sustained at over 50% each year and there have already been more than 21 million chargers distributed throughout the country. Photo | Geely In Xataka | This image of a Tesla pulling a trailer hides a secret: an entire house in a ridiculous spaceeither (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news China is already experiencing a fever for ultra-technological electric caravans and the reason is simple: they are better than combustion ones was originally published in Xataka by Alberto de la Torre .

Spain seems to have solved the problem of aid for the purchase of electric cars. It only took seven years of chaos

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The aid to buy an electric car is chaos. They should stop being so soon. Very soon, in fact. Or, at least, that is the (umpteenth) promise that the Government has made in this regard. He announced it in the Council of Ministers, confirming that the presentation of the bases to receive the Auto+ Plan is just around the corner. This is what we know. What has been announced. He Auto+ Plan It should be up and running in the next few days or, at the latest, a few weeks. That is what has been announced in the press conference of the Council of Ministers where the first details have been given of how aid for the purchase of new completely electric vehicles should be unblocked. In the statement before the media, however, no more details have been clarified than those that were offered in February 2026 when the project was already late compared to the promises. That is to say: the aid will take into account the cost of the vehicle, its place of manufacture and the origin of its batteries. What did we know? Last February, The Government confirmed that aid for the purchase of electric cars They will be delivered as follows: Category Maximum aid amount Vehicle type Percentage received based on price Manufacturing Tourism (M1) 4,500 euros Electric: 50% of the aid (2,250 euros) Plug-in and electric hybrid with extended autonomy: 25% of the aid (1,125 euros) Maximum of 45,000 euros before taxes: Up to 35,000 euros: 25% of the maximum aid amount (1,125 euros) Between 35,001 and 45,000 euros: 15% of the maximum amount of aid (675 euros) Vehicles whose assembly and final completion prior to marketing has been carried out in an EU industrial facility will be allocated: 15% of the maximum aid amount (675 euros) Additionally, if a part of the battery manufacturing process (at least must include the assembly of the battery packs): additional 10% of the maximum aid amount (450 euros euros) Vehicle (N1) 5,000 euros Electric: 50% of the aid (2,500 euros) Plug-in and electric hybrid with extended autonomy: 25% of the aid (1,250 euros) No maximum limit: All vehicles receive 25% of the maximum aid amount (1,250 euros) Vehicles whose assembly and final completion prior to marketing has been carried out in an EU industrial facility will be allocated: 15% of the maximum aid amount (750 euros) Additionally, if a part of the battery manufacturing process (at least it must include the assembly of the battery packs): additional 10% of the maximum aid amount (500 euros) Moped (L3e, L4e and L5e) 1,100 euros Electric: 50% of the aid (550 euros) Plug-in and electric hybrid with extended autonomy: 25% of the aid (275 euros) Maximum of 10,000 euros before taxes: All vehicles receive 25% of the maximum aid amount (275 euros) Vehicles whose assembly and final completion prior to marketing has been carried out in an EU industrial facility will be allocated: 15% of the maximum aid amount (165 euros) Additionally, if a part of the battery manufacturing process (at least it must include the assembly of the battery packs): additional 10% of the maximum aid amount (110 euros) Quadricycle (L6e and L7e) 1,500 euros Electric: 50% of the aid (750 euros) Plug-in and electric hybrid with extended autonomy: 25% of the aid (375 euros) No maximum limit: All vehicles receive 25% of the maximum aid amount (375 euros) Vehicles whose assembly and final completion prior to marketing has been carried out in an EU industrial facility will be allocated: 15% of the maximum aid amount (225 euros) Additionally, if a part of the battery manufacturing process (at least it must include the assembly of the battery packs): additional 10% of the maximum aid amount (150 euros) In 2025 it has already been promised that these aids would be direct at the time of purchase. That is, the customer would leave the dealership without the obligation to advance the aid and waiting to receive the money in their bank account. The claim is recurring since 2019 when the first MOVES Plan was approved but that promise disappeared with the extension of the MOVES III Plan and it was said that it would be active with the application of the Auto + Plan. The deadline for this Auto+ Plan to come into force was January 1, 2026. However, weeks before it began to work, The dealers already indicated that they were not willing to advance the aid. Not, at least, if they had no guarantee of receiving the money within a reasonable period of time. So, who is going to provide the aid? It is something that is yet to be confirmed and that we will not know for sure until the aid bases are officially published, which should happen in the coming days. In Xataka we have contacted Ganvam (National Association of Vehicle, Repair and Spare Parts Sellers) who claim to have no confirmation of how this aid will be delivered. From Faconauto (Federation of Automotive Dealer Associations) yes, they have assured us that the aid can be obtained at the time of purchase but that the more specific details will arrive when the bases are presented. A loan that was a matter of faith. The intention, therefore, is that the customer can finally leave the dealership being very clear about the price of the car. The concessionaires’ employers assure us that there is no signed commitment of the time that the State will have to deliver said aid and that this is something that we will only know when the bases for the aid are published. Until now, manufacturers have been advancing help with an interest-free loan for 12 or 18 months (depending on the brand) in the hope that the client would receive the money before the bank received the payment of that fee, which can reach up to 4,500 euros. That is to say, it could be the case that the client ran out the deadline … Read more

In China, taking a taxi is already cheaper than using your own vehicle for one reason: electric cars

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China is experiencing a peculiar situation: on its streets, it is now cheaper to get around by taxi than by private car. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Transport collected by the Reuters agency, lTaxi trips grew by 6% since the outbreak of the Hormuz crisisa phenomenon that coincides with the increase in fuel prices and the enormous electrification of urban fleets. This percentage translates into more than 3,050 million taxi trips in the month of May alone, demonstrating that the international geopolitical situation has a great impact on people’s daily lives. The context. The war in Iran and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz have caused Chinese crude oil purchases to reach historic lows. Last June, oil imports had a collapse of 41.3% year-on-yearwhich placed them at their lowest level in a decade since October 2016, with only 29.27 million tons (about 7.12 million barrels per day). Added to this is also the low production that the national refineries are having due to a fairly low internal demand. All of this has created the perfect cocktail to generate a shortage situation that has skyrocketed prices, among other things, of gasoline. The secret is in the electrical. This is where the taxi comes into play. Although fuel prices rise every day, the rates for this type of transport in China are becoming cheaper. This is because, as Reuters indicates, almost half of the country’s taxi fleet is electric (a condition that in cities covers almost 100% of the car supply) and, therefore, is not as dependent on volatile oil prices, making it an effective shield from China. in front of shock of Hormuz. But not only that. In recent times, the increasingly easier access to an electric vehicle and the slowdown of the Asian country’s economy has pushed many Chinese citizens to take the leap to be independent professionals and look for work in the mobility sector as drivers with their own car. According to Reuters, companies like DiDi, the main Chinese MaaS application, have grown thanks to this phenomenon. In this case, the company has incorporated more than 2 millions of hybrid or electric vehicles in the last year, which represents a total of more than 8 million fossil fuel-free models in its fleet. Thus, there is more supply and more competition and the rates, consequently, are much cheaper. The user wins. This new trend has already flooded the Asian country’s social networks and, in addition to the lower rates and savings on gasoline, many Chinese citizens point out the comfort of the trip and the ease of not having to look for parking as other benefits of opting for a taxi, as expressed by Yang, owner of a gasoline car, to Reuters. However, not everything is risk-free, since these economics professions in demand -such as those of a professional driver, riders and couriers – are in high demand and could end up saturating the market. A change forever? Since the crisis, it is no secret that the world is getting used to living with a 9% less oil which previously passed through Hormuz. Like many other countries, China is now seeking to be less vulnerable to international volatility and rely less on fossil fuels.. It does so in a very clear commitment to leading decarbonization by dominating the global production of solar panels, batteries and, of course, electric vehicles. The big question is whether this change responds solely to the rise in oil prices or whether it will end up consolidating a change in habits in the mentality of Chinese citizens even when the energy market stabilizes again. Cover image | Teresa Wang In Xataka | China has so many electric cars running on its streets that it is going to use them to generate energy for homes

the factories of robots, electric cars and AI

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China is one of those destinations that I have marked on my vacation wish list: I hope to see the red pandas, the Xi’an Warriors and the Great Wall. Yes, I have been there twice already, but they were work trips where although I could see the spectacular night skyline of Shanghai, the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong or temples in Shenzhen, where I was most was in brand headquarters and their factories. Be careful, I don’t regret anything: they were wonderful trips where I discovered that China technologically lives in the future. Because China has an immense historical legacy, but a future and an industrial fabric that, quite simply, leaves you speechless. Highly recommended. Well, what for me were work trips have now become a tourist destination. And be careful, it is not a new phenomenon: technology has always aroused curiosity, but until now the most techie people had their mecca in Silicon Valley. Shenzhen, resort city. The GloPen tour operator offers 8-day tour packages through Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu to see first-hand companies, technologies and people in the world of AI and autonomous driving. Among the organizers is BYD. Tech Buzz China has “crash dives” for investors, executives and founders with direct access to AI labs, electric vehicle factories and robotics startups. China Study Tour has of seven-day programs that combine AI, electric vehicles, robotics, healthcare and sustainability for corporate and academic groups, with access to BYD, Huawei or DJI. The price range starts at $3,000 for travel not included, but if you are looking for something more affordable, on Viator there are boring options and one that is amazing: “Shenzhen Tech Tour: Explore the Future”a bilingual tour from 80 euros that includes a drone food delivery demonstration, a robotaxi ride, and visits to stores selling AI glasses. Why is it important. Because this sociological phenomenon shows something: the perception of who leads global technology is shifting from the United States to China. For a more specialized profile like an investor, the trip makes all the sense in the world: reading a PDF is not the same as being there on the ground and seeing it yourself. On a larger scale, these trips are helping to shape new economic alliances: giants like India or old Europe are updating their industrial strategies and these trips to see it in situ constitute a great reinforcement. An example: the trips of the president of Spain to China, where he visited the Xiaomi headquarters. Context. That China is where it is is anything but a coincidence: it has been directing its industrial policy towards robotics, electric vehicles and ICT as priority sectors for years with subsidies, goals and specific commitments, as an example of its ‘Made in China 2025‘. The result has been a brutal boost to the industry, the development and manufacturing of complex high-tech products. What is visited today on tours is the result of that strategy that has been maturing for a decade. Furthermore, China and the United States are immersed in a technological war with vetoes and tariffs. When standard channels of collaboration and communication are closed, showing up on the spot becomes one of the best ways to not be blinded to what is happening on the other side. And China is making it easy, both through these private and institutional initiatives: in 2025 it opened its doors to almost 50 countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Russia, which can access China without the need for a visa. In detail. Technological tourism is aligned with China’s interest in getting closer to the world, because the Asian giant is truly unknown to the outside world and obviously these types of tours are a magnificent sales and image showcase, an authentic soft skill that sweeps social networks. And since a picture is worth a thousand words (which in this case is not even painted), YouTuber iShowSpeed ​​will ride a flying car in Shenzhen or the German Chancellor Merz saw robots doing kung-fu It makes fantastic advertising. Someone sees the technology that is being made in China on social networks, becomes curious and that leads them to book a tour. A virtuous circle. Yes, but. We continue with the obvious: in a tourist package sponsored by manufacturers you will see only what they want you to see, just like those dream Google officesand they can perfectly be showcases designed to impress that do not have to represent the entire Chinese industry: one thing is the showroom and another is reality. On a five-day trip to Shenzhen you can see the tip of the industry’s iceberg in cutting-edge factories, but not the working conditions or its environmental policy. Although that is not something exclusive to China: on a visit to Meta in San Francisco or Stellantis in Zaragoza they are not going to tell you that either. In Xataka | China stripped Japan of its tourists in hopes of causing an economic hole. Nothing could be further from reality In Xataka | Young tourists from China have begun to visit random places en masse. There is an explanation: Xiaohongshu Cover | Jose Garcia and Joel Danielson

Volkswagen delays plans to manufacture batteries in Sagunto. It is very bad news for your cheap electric cars

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Volkswagen battery production in Sagunto (Valencia) is delayed. He does it because the works are not progressing in the stipulated times but the problem is greater. And the company proposed this factory as essential to have its plans for electric cars manufactured in Spain at full capacity. a delay. This is what they assure in The Confidential who, exclusively, assure that the plans to produce battery cells at Volkswagen’s Valencian factory in Sagunto are delayed, at least, “a few months.” In Xataka We have tried to contact Volkswagen but, as of this writing, we have not received a response to our questions. According to the media, the information has been provided by “sources close” to the company and “unofficial sources linked to the universe of contractors do not rule out that the delay hides more serious changes in the project.” What is the delay? Volkswagen had a calendar which was to have the manufacturing of the first pre-series units of battery cells ready in September 2026. The objective is that, with these tests, mass manufacturing would arrive during the first quarter of 2027. However, they point out in The Confidentialit will not be until December when the tests will begin, so the final production of the cells could be postponed until almost half of next year. The delay, of course, would be due to problems during the construction of the factory but not to cuts in the project. Despite everything, it comes at a bad time. A (small) breath. What they assure from the media is that the project is not in danger, neither due to investments nor due to size. And Volkswagen is in the midst of a restructuring process, with up to 100,000 layoffs hanging over European plants and the possibility of closure of some of them. The Spanish project, however, is one of the most important that the company has in the short term. The investment, adding all the phases, is expected to reach 3,000 million euros and right now 1,500 people are working there in the construction phase. For the production of pre-series cells It is expected to employ 500 people. The Spanish hub. The biggest problem for Volkswagen with the delay of these plans is that the final production to feed the Barcelona and Navarra plants is irremediably delayed. In them, the company will produce the smallest models with up to four cars that will cost 25,000 euros. In Spain alone, Volkswagen will invest 10,000 million euros. Of them, 3,000 million will go to the Sagunto plant, as we have mentioned, and the same amount is dedicated to the renovation of Martorell. The Navarra plant will be renovated with an investment of 1,000 million euros and the remaining 3,000 million will be invested in auxiliary component companies. At a very bad time. Although no work is free of delays, delaying the production of batteries is a real problem for the company. And the German company has enormous hopes placed on these cars to continue gaining share in the electric car market and, finally, to take advantage of this technology as they expected. Besides, the delivery of Perte VEC aid It is also conditioned to comply with the planned schedule. But above all because each car sold is a break in its emissions quota. In 2027 average emissions will be reviewed that the company has put on the street with each car sold. Going over 93.6 gr/km of CO2 will be an automatic fine and now In 2025 the company expected billion-dollar sanctions. Selling as many affordable cars as possible next year is essential to reduce the expected penalty. Photo | Volkswagen In Xataka | Europe has its hope in the 25,000 euro electric car and Volkswagen already knows who will manufacture it: Spain

Electric car sales in Europe, on a revealing map with a devastating peninsula. Spoiler: it is not the Ibérica

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If tomorrow your car breaks down and you have to buy a new one, the million dollar question is: Would it be a combustion car, a hybrid or an electric car? Obviously, there is also another respectable alternative that makes a lot of sense in the face of a future full of uncertainty and skyrocketing prices: bet on second hand (however, the question remains the same). Saying goodbye to old combustion and welcoming electricity (in any form) is a complex issue where factors such as tax policies, infrastructure and income come into play. The transition to electric has been here for a long time, but it is not advancing in the same way throughout the continent. The map you see below these lines represents the percentage of new electric car registrations in Europe in 2025which includes pure electric and plug-in. Another important consideration: it only collects new cars, not the existing fleet, that is another much more modest story where electric cars currently represent only around 5%. Its creation is the work of The World in Maps, an informative project specialized in cartographies and infographics. To prepare it, use the report Global EV Outlook 2026 from the International Energy Agency (IEA), published in 2026, that is, the world reference report on electric mobility. Electric cars (EV and PHEV) registered in 2025. AIE On the old continent, sales of electric cars (EV + PHEV) increased by 30% last year, above the global trend, which grew by 20% to exceed 20 million units. That is to say, if in the world one in four cars is electric, in Europe it is almost one in three. In fact, Europe has surpassed China as the fastest growing electric car market, with notable increases in Germany, Spain and Italy. But the colorful map suggests a very heterogeneous panorama on the continent and part of the blame lies with state policies: public support for electric vehicles, in the form of direct subsidies, tax incentives and tariff exemptions, has been progressively decreasing in the last decade as sales have increased, although Denmark, Norway and Turkey continue to have the most favorable scenarios due to their strong tax exemptions. A Europe at two speeds Electric Europe is made up of the Nordic countries and the Netherlands, where the highest quotas are concentrated: Norway (97%), Denmark (71%), Sweden (61%) and Iceland (62%). The recipe for success is a high per capita income, strong taxation on fossil fuels, historic exemptions for electricity and a highly developed charging network. Norway takes the cake, where fully electric cars reached a record share of 96% of all car sales in 2025, although from 2026 the tax advantages have been cut. The Europe of fuel comes from the east, with Russia (2%), Bosnia (5%), Romania and Bulgaria (6%) as markets where the electric car has barely penetrated, conditioned by lower purchasing power, scarce charging infrastructure and absence of relevant tax incentives. In fact, Croatia, Greece and much of the Balkans move in similar figures, between 5% and 15%. This ancient Europe lives under the restraint of increasingly strict EU regulations. These data matter because road transport is one of the major sources of emissions of carbon dioxide in Europe and the speed of electrification attacks it directly, stepping on the accelerator towards achieving the EU’s climate objectives. But it also has industrial implications: the automotive sector, a true historical bastion on the continent, is adapting and planning based on demand. The jump to electric also has its economic and geopolitical reading where one country leads the way: China. In Xataka | Europe’s passenger car industry, in a revealing map that makes it clear who is the real “engine” of the EU In Xataka | All the car plants in Europe (including the few battery-electric ones), on a map Cover | The World in maps

electric cars that are mobile batteries

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I’m going to tell you a little anecdote about what moves behind some texts. For a time, it became fashionable among car brands to put a coffee maker in presentations to show us the advantages of technology. V2L or Vehicle to Loadin English. Most of the cars electric and some plug-in hybrids They already have it. It is the possibility of using the electric car battery as an energy store to charge our devices. To demonstrate this in the presentations, we have seen everything as we said: coffee makers, electric bicycles, lighting systems with small bulbs to decorate some spaces… Honestly, it’s usually something I mentioned in passing in the texts because I didn’t see much use in it. Who makes a capsule coffee on the road or in the middle of the field? Who prefers to eat up the range of their car to recharge the battery of their electric bicycle instead of carrying it already charged from home? But in China they are showing that the system has much more interest than we can think. In fact, we ourselves have been able to see it, still in a limited way, during the general blackout last year. Now, floods in the Asian country are showing us how useful it is. Your cell phone always ready in an emergency situation Last April 2025, when Spain’s general network was off, a lucky few were able to eat hot, keep the refrigerator cool, and keep their mobile phone ready. They were the owners of electric cars. Some of them then saw that this function that the commercial had sold them and to which they had not paid much attention, finally, served something really useful. Luckily, our discomfort lasted only a few hours but it made clear to us some added advantages of having an electric car. But when your country has filled the streets with this type of vehicle and you suffer real problems, the electric car can become a saving rolling battery. In the Guangxi region have suffered historic rains by the action of a typhoon called Mesaak. Many have been left completely stranded in the middle of the water. We have seen how the drones used for food delivery They helped those who fled from the water in the upper part of their homes. Or even those who have used their “floating” cars to rescue those affected. To the point that since BYD they have had to remember that these cars cannot be used as emergency services. But in addition to these uses, having a multitude of NEV cars (as China calls the category that includes plug-in hybrids and electric cars) has proven to be a perfect opportunity for dozens of people to keep in touch with their families and the emergency services. Media like Southern Metropolis Daily either Shanghai Daily They have published some images on Weibo that show how people crowd next to cars because a single vehicle can charge dozens of mobile phones or portable batteries. This is possible because cars that have V2L technology can charge external devices using alternating current. In this case, what they have done is remove the socket from the vehicle and plug it into a multiple-input power strip to increase the number of phones that can be charged. The result is rolling batteries that keep the phones of dozens of people in a risk situation active. Of course, as explained in CarNewsChinait is important to be clear that this is not the most recommended practice and that multiplying the energy output by connecting power strips together can cause damage to them and, therefore, to the devices. The most striking thing is that, in the cars we see in Europe, bidirectional charging is usually limited to about 3.6 kW in many cases. However, in the CNC They point out that this is a rarity in China and is only available on lower-end cars. On the contrary, most cars have much higher charging capacities when they have to power other devices and even mention a Geely pick-up called Riddara RD6 which is capable of charging up to a power of 36 kW because it can carry a drone on its back. Photo | Southern Metropolis Daily and 老兵陈大叔 In Xataka | I have tried the BYD circuit in China: an underwater YangWang, a 29 meter dune and a car that turns by itself

China’s best-selling car has just headed to Europe. It has several arguments beyond being electric

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Europe has already begun to fill in one of the boxes that was most difficult to resolve in the electric car: that of small, urban and somewhat more rational models. There are proposals like the Renault 5 electriche Citroën ë-C3 or the Dacia Springeach with its own recipe to bring electric mobility closer to more everyday use. He wants to enter that fight now Geely with the E2but with an unusual cover letter. It does not come as a proposal without a commercial route, but as the European name for a car that in China has already shown that it can sell a lot. Geely Auto Europe already shows it on its website as a model that “will arrive soon” and presents it as a compact electric hatchback for everyday use. It is a relevant confirmation, but still incomplete: the brand has not detailed in which countries it will be sold, when exactly its marketing will begin, what versions will arrive or what price it will have in the European Union. The Chinese bestseller that wants to make a place in Europe An important fact is not in a European promise, but in what the car has already done in China. Geely assures that the Xingyuan, which is how it is known in its original market, was in 2025 the best-selling model in the country in all segments, with 465,775 units. That nuance is relevant because we are not talking about a residual category, but rather about a pure electric car that came to lead the Chinese market as a whole. As additional context, the brand also positions it as the world sales leader within the A/B segments, that is, between small and utility cars. The name change is not a rarity for this model, but rather a fairly common practice in the automotive industry: manufacturers selling cars on the same basis, or practically identical ones, with different names depending on the market. In this case, the Xingyuan retains its Chinese identity at home, but when going abroad It moves under the names EX2 and E2. In the European Union, the brand is already using E2, while the United Kingdom appears associated with EX2 and its own calendar. Geely’s European page already makes it clear where it wants to sell the E2. The brand presents it as a compact electric hatchback for everyday use, with a speech based on three ideas: dynamism, space and safety. It also ensures that the chassis is tuned specifically for European roads, a phrase designed to answer a common question with Chinese cars that arrive on the continent: how they will behave outside their original market. In the absence of the definitive record for this market, Geely’s Chinese website It allows us to define the starting car quite well. The Xingyuan measures 4.14 meters long and has a 2.65 meter wheelbase, figures that clearly place it in the urban territory, but not in that of microcars. The brand also talks about a frunk of 70 liters and a trunk of 375 to 1,320 liters, depending on load configuration. For Europe, the reference available on CarNewsChina points to a 39.4 kWh battery, an 85 kW/rear motor 114 HP and 317 km WLTPalthough final specifications for the EU will be known closer to launch. The temptation would be to look at the Chinese price, convert it to euros and draw a quick conclusion. It is advisable not to do so. In its domestic market, Geely places the Xingyuan between 64,800 and 94,800 yuan, about 8,350-12,200 euros at the exchange rate, but that figure belongs to China and responds to very different industrial and commercial conditions. For Europe it only serves as a clue of origin: the car is born as an affordable proposal, although its real price here will depend on the final version, import costs, homologation, logistics and Geely’s strategy. And here appears the closest unknown: Spain. We have entered the Spanish Geely website and, for now, the E2 is not among the brand’s visible models; what appears are the Starray EM-i and the Geely E5. That doesn’t mean the E2 isn’t coming, just that Geely hasn’t added it to its local showcase yet. If it finally lands in this market, furthermore, it would not be another SUV within the range, but rather an entry into a different terrain: that of the urban and compact electric car. The arguments are on the table, but the decisive part is still missing. We know that it comes from a model that has worked massively in China, that Geely already shows it on its European page and that its format fits into an increasingly competitive category. We do not yet know how much it will cost, what versions will arrive, if Spain will be among the first markets or how it will respond to already known rivals. That is why the most prudent reading is not that he is going to repeat his Chinese success, but that he arrives with sufficient reasons for us to look at him closely. Images | Geely In Xataka | Anti-electrics lose an argument about car batteries: a study confirms that they are more durable than previously believed

Mercedes believed that the new electric motor in its AMG GT was “barely feasible.” Now it aims to be the future of all electric vehicles

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A few days ago, Mercedes finally announced the start of serial production of your axial flux motor at the historic Berlin-Marienfelde plant. This has serious implications for the future of electric cars, as the technology that powers this engine promises to redefine what a high-performance electric vehicle can do. That is why under these lines we are going to tell you all the details. What exactly happened. On June 9, Mercedes confirmed the start of serial production of this new engine in Berlin-Marienfelde, the historic factory founded in 1902 that has now been converted into the center par excellence for the brand’s high-performance electric motors. The first production model to debut is the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Door Coupea car that has also been left in the background in the conversations of recent weeks due to Ferrari and its first electric, Luce. However, this new vehicle will be the very first host of Mercedes’ new axial flow engine, which enters large-scale industrial manufacturing in a 30,000 square meter plant, three pavilions and seven production lines. Why is this engine different?. The vast majority of current electric cars use radial flux motors. In these, the magnetic field goes from the center outward, like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. In an axial flux motor, this field runs parallel to the axis of rotation, which allows the internal components (rotor, stator, etc.) to be coupled in flat layers facing each other, something like a sandwich. This arrangement makes the engine much more compact and lighter for the power it is capable of generating. Where does this technology come from?. The story begins in 2009, when engineers from the University of Oxford They founded the British company YASA with the aim of developing axial flux electric motors. Before arriving at Mercedes, YASA already supplied its engines to manufacturers such as Ferrari, Koenigsegg and Lamborghini. In 2021, Mercedes acquired the company seeing the potential these engines could have in their future AMG models. From there, the challenge was to transfer this technology from the laboratory to the mass production chain, something that, according to the company itself“for a long time it was considered barely feasible due to its complexity.” Figures. In its development phase, YASA presented an engine weighing just 13.1 kilos capable of generating 550 kW, which is equivalent to 738 HP, with a power density of about 42 kW per kilogram. It is no small feat, since if we compare these figures to those of the best radial engines, it practically doubles them. In more recent iterations, that same concept, weighing only 12.7 kilos, reached 750 kW of peak power, close to 1,000 HP. What comes out of those production lines. The AMG GT 4 Door Coupé mounts three axial flux motors grouped in modules called High Performance Electric Drive Units, which integrate motor and reducer in the same housing. One is on the front axle, less than 9 centimeters wide, and two on the rear axle, just 8 centimeters wide. Despite these dimensions, in its most powerful version (the AMG GT 63) the set adds 1,169 HP and 2,000 Nm of torque, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds and a maximum speed of 300 km/h with the specific high-performance package. The challenge of manufacturing it. Making this engine in series has required processes that did not exist before. And just as account Mercedes in its official publication, of the 98 stages that make up manufacturing, 65 are used for the first time within the Mercedes group and 35 are completely unprecedented worldwide, generating more than 30 patent applications. According to the brand, one of the most technically demanding steps is what the factory calls “the wedding”, the moment in which the stator is placed between the two magnetic rotors. The magnetic forces are equivalent to about 900 kilos, and the margin of error allowed is less than a tenth of a millimeter. To do this, a control algorithm sends adjustments in the last 0.5 seconds of the process to ensure alignment. Mbeyond the AMG GT. The axial flux engine has not arrived in Berlin just to power an electric supercar. From Autoblog they point out that, given its compact and modular design, the technology is easy to adapt to different platforms. The usual industry logic also applies here, as when production volumes increase, costs fall. So there is hope that these types of engines will end up reaching more accessible models in the future. We will have to wait to find out if it really ends up being like this. For now, ArenaEV point to the CLA as a possible future candidate. It should be noted that Mercedes is not the only one working on axial flux engines, but it is the first to bring them to mass production in a series vehicle. Manufacturers such as Ferrari, BMW, Koenigsegg or Alpine are already investigating this technology. After all, electric cars are heavy by nature, so a lighter and more compact engine helps offset that burden without sacrificing performance. Tim Woolmer, CEO and founder of YASA, affirms that this technology “will change the game in the high-performance automotive sector.” We’ll see if it ends up being that way. Cover image | Mercedes-Benz In Xataka | Michael Leiters, CEO of Porsche: “We rushed with the Taycan, a 911 will never be an electric car”

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