electric

Everything blew in favor of Xiaomi with its first electric car. Until his clients began to see the qualities of SU7

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A hood that does not work and some bumpers that deform with heat. More than a year after launching Your first electric carmonths after knowing all the details of Your most provisional version And, confirmed, a few days after it is revealed Your next electric SUVXiaomi is faced with his first major media crisis in his journey in the car market. Until now, the Chinese company had achieved surprise To everyone. The production of its first electric car I barely gave to meet all the demand. So much so that the producing plant where their cars come out has become A tourist attraction. When we were still rubbing our eyes, the Xiaomi Su7 Ultraan electric car of stratospheric benefits that exceeded those of the Porsche Taycan more powerful and that was sold at a price much lower than the German model. But the honeymoon is over. A few days ago Lei Jun, CEO of the company, said it was facing one of the toughest moments at the business level and personnel that he remembered. In recent weeks, news that have were just a grain of sand have been accumulating. Today they have a small mountain to save. A hood and some pieces that deform When Lei Jun referred to the fact that one of his worst weeks had passed at the head of Xiaomi, he referred, among other things, to the death of three people aboard his car. It is not entirely clear but it seems that the car caught fire after crashing when it carried the activated driving assistance system. Although a fatal accident is a crisis that all companies have to pass They put a car on the street or a Autonomous Driving Systemin China an investigation immediately began to know what had happened. Shortly after, the company itself began to capo the Xiaomi Su7 Ultra. Maybe for Avoid risksan update reduced by more than 600 hp the maximum power of Deportivo Electrico and it was warned that to unlock it, a test should be passed in a circuit. The complaints were so sound that the company reculled and unlocks the car again. Days later Xiaomi faced a new fire. Now he had more than 400 demands on the table because some of the first owners of the Xiaomi Su7 Ultra complained that the Specific hood of more than $ 5,000in reality, it was worthless. Despite promising that it served to get the heat from the front zone, its structure was useless before this task and requested the refund of the value of the car. From Xiaomi they have rejected this option and proposed to deliver to the buyers the original hood and those who kept it They would receive 20,000 credits In the brand store. However, many of them have refused to do so, claiming that the products have 60 days of withdrawal and that they want them to return the car’s money. In Carnewschina They explain that the question of deceptive advertising demand is being a thorny issue in China. Beijing regulators have already failed in favor of the company, noting that they have not incur It should be double because they were deceived. It is known that the company has stopped the deliveries of the sports electric car and that those who had a reserve made have been asked to contact the company. If not, the order would be suspended. Likewise, they have moved to those who reserve the car that the waiting times are no longer the same with what they had so far. Capós that deform and an alleged defamatory campaign In the middle of all this strip and loosen between consumers and company, in the last days images have been viralized that talk about the supposed poor quality with which Xiaomi cars are auctioned. With different images, some owners are pointing out that one of The car’s hood pieces are poorly tight and that, even, it can bulge as a result of heat. Accompanied by images that you can see in Carnewschinasome Xiaomi cars owners point out that this piece is misaligned with the lighthouse and that it can deform. The reasons to which it points are diverse, from a piece of worst quality than the rest of the car to a bad assembly or deformations due to extreme heat. At the moment, the company has confirmed that it will repair all the necessary interventions and has stressed that the Xiaomi Su7 Ultra is not affected because, according to the company, they use better quality pieces. In fact, the company has transferred to the owners the recommendation to stop the car in extreme climate situations and not take refuge under a tree in case of strong storms. In addition, they have a claim for these phenomena from the application itself. However, from Xiaomi they believe that the flood of news that has arrived in a few weeks is not accidental. The technological giant points out that he is suffering an attack towards his image to reduce the impact of the launch of the Xiaomi Yu7, an electric SUV that they will present on May 22. As reportedthere are 10,000 accounts in social networks that work with bots to defame the company through rumors or false information. Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, shared in his social networks the statement of the company’s legal team: “Internet is not a space without law. Xiaomi will decide legal measures to protect our legitimate rights against slander and malicious attacks.” Photo | Lei Jun on Twitter In Xataka | All cars depreciate immediately as soon as they leave the concessionaire. All but one: the Xiaomi Su7

Selling a second -hand electric car is a very bad idea. Unless your car is an xiaomi su7

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The second -hand electric car It is worth little money. Very little money really and much less than that of a combustion car. Something that makes sense if we take into account how technology progresses and the speed with which electric cars are outdated. This maelstrom in which the market lives has caused some rental companies to have lost a lot of money with the electric car. The case of Hertz and Tesla It is representative of how a brand can be a shelter value For a while and collapse in the second -hand market in a very short time if she herself decides to lower prices or competitors begin to launch important innovations. Xiaomi is living that moment Tesla. And, therefore, it is the company with the highest residual value in its vehicles. A value so high that it pales that of the rest of the manufacturers, including Europeans, and that has its reason for being in high demand and novelty. Xiaomi is living its moment Tesla The electric car market, although already giant in China, is still a relatively new market. That causes some distortions such as the one that Xiaomi is living or the one that Tesla herself has lived for years. To give some examples of the impact that some brands can have. Elon Musk’s company has gone so ahead of the competition that in Europe has come to have market quotas greater than 10% A few months ago, an extremely high figure considering that it competes with four cars and only two of them are available to the general public. That fever for getting a Tesla has left us curious photographs. So much that before a broken supplies chain, there would be who will pay a surcharity in front of a new car for getting a second -hand tesla in the semi -new market. Or that the tesla cybertruck was for months the car More than 100,000 euros best selling of the United States. But it has also shown us why these types of situations have occurred. The value of Tesla in the second -hand market fell when the supplies chain was balanced and the company itself began to Apply aggressive discounts to maintain its market share in the face of competitions. Also when The cybertruck bubble went unblog And the demand seemed satiated. They are two phenomena that explain why the Xiaomi Su7 is the Chinese electric car that loses the lower a year. In fact, according to the Chinese Chinese Automobile Association, retains 88.7% of its value after a year. It is a spectacular figure to which, among Western vehicles, only Tesla Model X (77.8%) and Model 3 (75.3%) can shade in China. With 71.2% value retention, the Tesla Model and sneaks among the 10 electric cars that retain the most value in China. Form, next to their brothers, the only Western electric cars that enter into this section. Behind Xiaomi, Li Auto occupies the second and third position with the M9 and the Mega. It is surprising that Not a single byd car between the list Of the electric cars that retain the most value a year but it makes sense if we serve the brands we find in the list. Xiaomi, Li Auto, Tesla and Smart (which sneaks as seventh) are brands considered premium in in the Asian country. But there is another component, any of those companies have a smaller production or offer than that of the Chinese giant byd. Who looks for a “affordable” tesla has two options and four in the total of its range. Li auto only has five options. Smart is growing its offer. Xiaomi has only one vehicle. To keep in mind what price difference exists with Western companies, Volkswagen, Ford and Kia lose half of their value in a single year. None of them retains more than 53% of the same past for a year. The European company that best yields Porsche (69%), followed by Mercedes (59%). Xiaomi fever has been so high that demand has surpassed supply. He has done it with the entire range, from its basic street versions to the most powerful and radical that added a volume of reserves in 10 minutes according to its entire annual production. That excessive demand prevents the car from falling on price in the second -hand market and that, in specific cases, shoots at the price. To this we must add that the Chinese market is turning with local companies. Li Auto and Xiaomi are seen as companies that offer the latest technology and that are A step ahead of the western ones to which they only see as combustion cars brands that Electrified versions put on the market. That need to feel something new or something different and more advanced in the electric car has led the country to create the label of “Smart Electric Car” Because users feel the need to differentiate between electric cars “for day to day” or that offer a connected experience but similar to the one we experience in the West and those that offer more advanced options such as a better quality semi -autonomous conduction. That unstoppable advance of the industry (more advanced cars in autonomous driving, recharges to ever views, battery changes in stations …) Slop the price of electricity in the second -hand market because they cause premature obsolescence and put obstacles to companies that cannot play at that rate. In that market, the best news is to be a young company, with a very reduced offer that has managed to create a very high expectation for a model. Photo | Xiaomi In Xataka | 400 kilometers loads in five minutes of ByD are as impressive as it is not very useful. At least they think of Mercedes

Iran, OPEC+ and electric vehicles

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Donald Trump has traveled to the Middle East to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran. If specified, the crude oil market fears an increase in supply in an already uncertain context. An increase in offer. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has reviewed Uploaded its world supply forecasts for this year, projecting an increase of 1.6 million barrels per day. This adjustment responds mainly to the increase in production by the members of the OPEC+, who have decided to dismantle their cuts in a more accelerated way. Respond to several factors. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia has The ability to increase Its production, while US producers face difficulties due to low prices. On the other hand, Russia has increased both its production and its exports, although its oil income has fallen to the lowest level since June 2023, According to Reuters. Do I go back? The possibility of a nuclear agreement could lift the sanctions on Iranian oil, allowing a significant increase in supply, According to Wall Street Journal. In addition, this expectation has dropped the Brent crude prices 3.31 % to $ 63.90 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is around 61 dollars per barrel, barrel, barrel, barrel, According to eldiario.es. A disruptive factor. In the midst of the debate, the International Energy Agency has put the focus in the sustained growth of sales of electric vehicles (VE). According to Wall Street JournalVE sales are growing at a dizzying pace and already represent a room of world car sales. This trend begins to feel in the oil sector and if this expansion continues, the demand for crude could be reduced by 5 million barrels per day (BPD) by 2030. The forecasts. IEA has estimated that the oil demand will reach 103.9 million barrels per day (BPD), but this growth will decrease in the coming months. On the offer, countries outside the OPEC+ such as Brazil, China and Canada have planned to increase their production by 1.3 million BPD this year. If this trend continues, the market can go into surplus situation. Changes in the global market. As explained by a combination of factors, it could push the downward prices: the possible return of the Iranian crude, the increase in the supply of the OPEC+ and the unstoppable boom of the electric vehicles. This added pressure generates uncertainty in an already volatile market. In the midst of this scenario, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia will play a crucial role in the coming months. Their strategic decisions could tip the balance between supply and demand, marking the direction of the global market in a context of economic slowdown. Image | Unspash Xataka | China’s energy paradox: an ‘electrostate’ that continues to feed on coal

It is not a production crisis, it is a crisis of priorities: the European electric labyrinth

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While the great powers of the world They are disputing strategic places for the extraction of essential minerals in technology, Like lithiumEurope is freeing a silent but equally criticism battle: electricity. The conflict. He Iberian Peninsula Blag and from Heathbrow Airport He has exposed the weaknesses of energy systems in Europe: Interconnection problems, lack of energy backup and deficiencies in networks. Although if it seemed little, energy expert Richard Milne for Financial Times He added that it is not a lack of capacity, but of how existing electricity is assigned. Exemplifying. Because to understand what the analyst refers to a good comparison. In his article, Richard Milne He explained that the Nordic countries – recognized by its high interconnection and Your ability to generate Large amounts of clean energy – are the perfect scenario to analyze how poorly equipped are European countries in a context where the demand for electricity continues to increase. On the one hand, the case of Norway where a data center for Tiktok has been prioritized in front of a strategic ammunition plant by virtue of the principle “first to arrive, first to be treated.” On the other hand, Sweden has supported steel projects to emerging battery companies for a national electricity supply share. After Northvolt’s bankruptcycritical voices have been raised that question whether to continue allocating large amounts of energy to green steel projects is sustainable. For its part, Greenland has abundant hydroelectric resources, but its leaders face a dilemma: to attract industries that generate employment or prioritize lower social impact projects, such as data centers? There are more cases. The situation is not exclusive to the Nordic countries. In Spain after the blackout, the difficulty of the “Energy Island” was evidenced, where The lack of interconnection It complicates the export of energy to other countries. In addition, the system lacks Storage infrastructure and Gridorming technology to stabilize the network. Instead, the situation in France is paradoxical. The production of renewables has grown so much that it has forced nuclear power plants To operate to the idle to avoid an excess of supply. This decision has caused Energy distribution problems. First to arrive, first to be treated. Richard Milne He has argued That the root of this European energy crisis is the result of uncoordinated climatic policies and a long -term lack of strategic vision. Instead of establishing clear priorities on which sectors they should receive electricity, governments have opted for a simplistic and disorderly approach. The answer from the Executive. The energy analyst has made special emphasis in which on the political level the answers have been disordered and uncoordinated. In the column he has detailed that while Norway has allocated its energy resources to the electrification of gas and oil plants, Sweden has opted for emerging battery companies. For its part, Greenland has discussed whether to prioritize high employment industries or projects with less social impact. However, until now there has been a concerted effort to establish a common strategic framework at European level that defines clear priorities over the use of green electricity. Forecasts. To avoid falling into a structural energy crisis, Europe needs strategic rethinking. Is it possible to establish a common criterion to decide which sectors should be prioritized? How can it be guaranteed that green energy really contributes to climatic objectives without compromising industrial development? As He has warned The energy analyst, Europe must initiate a serious and coordinated debate on the strategic uses of electricity, defining priorities based not only on economic criteria, but also on its environmental and social impact. Image | Pexels Xataka | China’s energy paradox: an ‘electrostate’ that continues to feed on coal

Volvo has equipped its electric SUV with a very potent lidar. So much that the risk of frying the camera of your mobile is real

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Volvo has among its ranks a SUV up to technology, the Ex90. Presented in 2023, it is the electrical alternative to the classic XC90, presuming systems such as the Autonomous Level 3 SAE driving or the equipment of a radar Lidar to detect elements of your environment. What perhaps they had not told you is that, precisely, the lidar sensors of greater capabilities are the archNiene of our usual partner: the smartphone. You can leave you the fried camera. Volvo warns him in his own Support page: Lidar light waves can damage external cameras. The technical explanation is brief, but the message is clear. “Do not point a camera directly when Lidar. Lidar, being a laser -based system, uses infrared light waves that can cause damage to certain camera devices. This can include smartphones or phones equipped with a camera.” Although it sounds like a warning, perhaps something alarming, there are already those who have shown in real time how a lidar can instantly disintegrate the pixels of a mobile sensor. They are not color. They are supposedly fried pixels after burning when aiming at a lidar. The lucky one. In Volvo’s subform in Reddit A video has been viralized in which it can be seen how, when recording the lidar of this electric car, the sensor pixels are gradually burned. Reddit is Reddit and no one can ensure the authenticity of the video, but if we understand the theory behind that a lidar can disintegrate a camera, all the pieces begin to fit perfectly. Your camera sensor. Smartphones use sensors that not only capture visible light (spectrum of 380 to 750 Nm), they are also especially sensitive to near infrared (750 to 1100 nm). In fact, they usually come equipped with an infrared cutting filter in charge of mitigating this light and preventing it from affecting the final result. These filters usually block most infrared light, but they are not perfect. An easy test to do at home is to aim with a TV command to the camera of your mobile. That purple flash that you see is proof that smartphones cameras let infrared light. Destroying pixels. The infrared light emitted by a command has barely power, is emitted in a standard frequency of between 850 and 950 nanometers. What happens to the Lidar del Volvo Ex90? That emits pulsed lasers of 1550 nma wavelength in the middle infrared. This is still invisible to the human eye, but it is a considerable power. If a lidar laser with enough power points directly to a CMOS sensor, it can end up saturating the pixels of it. In other words, it can cause permanent damage and load the pixels that have received their emission of light. A phenomenon studied. Although the Lidar del Volvo Ex90 has put this problem on the table, this is a problem that we have been dragging for more than 20 years. In 2004, studies such as “Lase-Induced Damage Thresholds in Cmos and CCD Sensors ” The destruction of both individual pixels and complete columns after being exposed to compact laser systems was shown. It was highlighted how in wavelengths between 800 and 1,600 Nm (just the latter is the one that caresses Volvo), the damage is irreversible and there is no possible physical defense for infrared protection filters. Lidar in the Volvo Ex90 Volvo is not the only one who warns. Smartphones are not the only devices in using CMOS sensors: the vast majority of consumption miral cameras use this technology. Any manual warnsbefore even starting to explain how the camera works, not directly notice with a laser to the sensor. “When you make Tomas backwards, keep the sun sufficiently far from the viewing angle. Always maintain intense light sources, such as sun, laser or artificial light sources, outside and far from the image area. The concentrated strong light could produce smoke or damage the image sensor or other internal components.” At the moment, Volvo is one of the few companies that, together with Luminar (the company behind its Lidar technology) has detailed the emission of laser pulses in this type of radars. It is expected, however, with the democratization of the Lidar (especially in future cars that will come from China), we have to get used to these power figures. Image | Volvo In Xataka | In the war cameras vs lidar, Tesla has a lot to learn from an unexpected product: the Chinese aspiring robot

Harley-Davidson wanted to move from thunderous noise to electric silence. The joke has cost him 20 million dollars

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20 million dollars. It is what It has cost Harley-Davidson The experiment of offering an electrical alternative to its classic custom motorcycles. Livewire, the brand that created by and to offer a different path to that of combustion motorcycles, has only managed to sell 33 motorcycles in the first quarter of 2025, 72% less compared to last year. A Lousimo Year Start. In the first quarter of 2025 Harley-Davidson sold 38,000 motorcycles. In the same period, he sold 33 Livewire. In the case of its electric motorcycle division it is a 72%drop, although 2024 was not a good year: they sold 117 Livewire compared to 57,000 Harley-Davidson. The company itself recounts in its account report that there is no demand for electric motorcycles, and that losses in this division amount to 20 million dollars. What Livewire offers. The world of motorcycles is passionate, even more so if it fits in the case of buying a Harley. They are faces, little efficient and with dynamic qualities at least debatable. Even so, they fall in love with thousands of users worldwide for their aesthetics, thunderous sound and quiet travel philosophy. It is not something they have managed to convey with Livewire. Although its slogan is that of “Electric motorcycles with soul”the reality is that the state of the electric motorcycle beyond the urban scooter, is gloomy. Models such as Alpeist S2 have a price of 19,148 and an official 194km autonomy in city, just over 100km on open road. Figures that make practically impossible to bet on one of these motorcycles to the minimum that we want to leave with them. Harley is not alone in this desert. Ego, one of the pioneers in electric motorcycles and the main protagonist of the Moto E category (the electric GP motorcycle), announced its bankruptcy in October 2024. Pioneer marks such as Zero, with barbarities such as SR/S (a motorcycle with 275km autonomy, recharges in an hour and a tip of 200 km/h), are sold in Spain for 23,790 euros. They are especially high prices compared to any of their combustion alternatives, practically double. The passionate element. The electrification in the car is inevitable: it is, for the most part, a utensil to move from point A of point B (a separate question is how much we want to spend on it and how fans we are of motor racing). But, on the road motorcycle, the thing changes. The only rational motorcycle is the scooter. Everything else is the result of passion for motorcycling, weekend routes and, on a great extent, sound. According to Anesdor data, as of April 2025, the electric motorcycle is 4% of the Spanish Total Spanish Park, completely starring scooters (both particularly and, mainly, rental fleets). The future of the motorcycle. Motorcycles, due to their low displacement, are usually much less polluting vehicles with respect to cars. It is something that will increase even more with the new regulations, Much stricter in noise and emissions. Associations such as Anesdor fight for a legal framework in which the motorcycle is protected and can function as a sustainable mobility alternative. The surcharge of electric motorcycles is especially notable, with products that double the price at their combustion alternatives even in the simplest models. If we add that, with current technology, The autonomy is around 100kmthis segment is especially difficult to open hollow. Image | Xataka In Xataka | The 11 cheapest and most autonomy electric motorcycles: the best quality-price options

The electric car has an average age of just 3.5 years and does not stop falling. It is very good news

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Changing car is usually a reason for joy in a house. Unless you are forced by the circumstances of an unexpected breakdown or before what has been expected, acquiring a new vehicle is usually exciting for the buyer. And it is because, on average, it occurs every long. Whenever it is not electric, of course. A study. The average age of electric vehicles is 3.5 years. That is what the latest available report states S&P global in which this dynamic is studied. The figure is inferior to that of past years and remains down. In 2022, the Middle Ages was 3.7 years and in 2023 of 3.6 years. The figure contrasts with that registered for diesel and gasoline cars. Following the reverse road, the Middle Ages of the American Mobile Park has been growing over the years until it is 12.6 years. Taking into account that the electric car barely represents 3.2 million vehicles of the 286 million units in operation in the country, its impact on the Middle Ages is negligible. And in Europe? In Europe there are no data segmented by technologies. Acea, employer of manufacturers in Europe, only refers to the average age of cars in the continent and by countries. Points out that in Spain, According to the latest studiesIt is 13.9 years. A figure higher than the European average. In the continent, the average is 12.5 years. A figure that is lower because in Germany and France, the two largest car markets in Europe, the decade is barely exceeded. They are also the markets where more electric cars are bought. Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland or Sweden, countries that are located in the European average or in the upper part in the purchase of electric cars, also have lower figures in the Middle Ages of the mobile park compared to the rest of Europe. On the contrary, Spain, Italy and all the rest of Europe have the most aged mobile park. Although the almost 14 Spanish years are far from the more than 17 years of Greece, we share with those countries that the market share in the purchase of electric cars is very low, just a third of the European average. Why is the electric car important? The impact of the electric car on the Middle Ages of the mobile park is evident, especially the smaller the market. It is shown that where cars are growing are more modern. This is because the Middle Ages of the electric, as seen in the United States and is presupposed in Europe, is very low. It has all the meaning of the world. If electric car sales continue to grow, the Middle Ages has to go down. In the study of S&P global It is pointed out that in 2024 there were 50% more electric cars in American streets than in 2022. If sales are stopped, on the contrary, the age of the mobile park will increase in line. In the United States, where the sample is more than 286 million cars the impact is very low. In Europe, on the contrary, the impact is more evident because we can segment through countries. It is estimated that there is 256 million cars in circulation in Europe But Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden and Belgium are the countries where there is a higher percentage of cars with less than two years. Removing the peculiarities of Luxembourg, coincide (again) with electric sales. Two good news. That the electric car continues to expand its customer base are good news for the fleet of vehicles at European level. Confirms that every view more customers are trusting technology and that adequate incentives There are more drivers willing to jump into the electric car. It also means greater security. This is independent of the new car sold. With European obligationsa new car is always going to be safer than one with more than a decade behind it. Although they were systems that have already been seen ten years ago, now all cars (regardless of the price) have to have systems such as rear camera, emergency braking or lane output alert. And a regulate. Although with good prospects. And is that S&P globalin its report in this regard in 2023, it indicated that 6.6% of the electric cars that were in operation a decade before had been sent to recycle. The figure is higher than that of vehicles with combustion motor (5.5%). This means that the electric car becomes obsolete before, which has all the logic. We are talking about a technology that advances very quickly and, above all, has been widely improved in the autonomy offered by the vehicle. It’s easy to think about Many vehicle fleets They have gone to better life as better options have been offered. In addition, it must be taken into account that the same has been seen in the second -hand market. The depreciation of electric cars It is much faster and more accused than those of combustion. If the company interested in selling it cannot place the car, the most logical thing is to send it to destroy if you need space and replace its fleet. More and more cars. To all of the above we must add that the average age of the cars is expected to remain in the coming years since the electric car seems to have an ally between the fleets. Countries like Belgium or Germany They have discovered that the company car is an especially attractive means to boost sales of this type of car. While a individual aspires to have a car for many years in property, unless you opt for a rentiercompanies often use this formula since it allows them to renew the fleet every three or four years. If we take into account that the electric car has grown a lot among rentals And companies of all kinds, we have years ahead where its Middle Ages remains very low. Photo | In Xataka | I’ve been trying electric cars for … Read more

In the middle of the cold war, the yoke had the honor of becoming “the worst car in history.” Threat with returning as electric

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It was manufactured for almost thirty years and those who remember it do so with that half smile that only brings you the nostalgia and paternalism of those who love a child knowing that his brother is much smarter. It will return in 2027 in electrical format and retain some of its hallmarks. Hopefully, for the good of all, that it does not retain all its hallmarks. We talk about the yoke, a car that became famous in the Soviet Yugoslavia and that will return to life in 2027 in purely electric format. At least That is what Serbian businessman Aleksandar Bjelić wants. Congratulations, has created the worst car in history Small, simple, affordable … Soviet. The yoke was one of those cars that went down in history on the other side of the steel curtain for its proposal to motorize the masses. Like the Riva Lada in Russia or the Trabant in the Berlin and Communist Germany, the Yugo was part of the history of Yugoslavia during the 80s. In fact the car survived the country itself as eThe yoke remained in production until 2008. His secret resided in the simple of the proposal. Fiat 128 shortened variant, the car was a small utility that was manufactured in Serbia. A three doors that set everything to sit the passengers on top of four wheels and in front of a steering wheel. Its origin must be sought in Kragujevac, Serbia. Over there, Zastava Automobili He assembled cars that exploded a Fiat license. That is, the same as I was doing Seat before Volkswagen passed. Among those licensed cars was the Fiat 128 that the company exploded in Yugoslavia with the novel name of Zastava 128. Jokes apart, the car was a success that added 1.5 million units sold by adding its different bodies between 1971 and 2008 when the car stopped selling. In the 80s, Zastava He decides that he has to offer a cheaper version and puts on the market the Zastava Yugo or Zastava Koral, a cut version derived from Fiat 127. The car is a success in Eastern Europe in part because of its iconic image. It has logic taking into account that the car looks like Volkswagen Golf. In fact, if we observe the first generations of both, it looks a lot at Volkswagen Golf. As much as to affirm that Giorgetto Giugiaro He should not have given the concept many turns when he was commissioned to look for a form to the yoke. Thus, with the firm of Giugiaro and the promise to put on the market a simple car the Zastava Yugo began to make a name. Under his hood he set up a simple Fiat engine of 908 cc and 45 hp. A power that gave the last name to the car when it was exported out of Serbia as a yoke 45. Later a slightly more powerful version of 1.1 liters and 55 hp would arrive. A 1.3 -liter and 65 hp option was even put on the market. As we see, it didn’t seem The car you would buy to travel large kilometers. In spite of everything, you have to understand the time and that, of course, neither Yugoslavia first nor Serbia later had to invite those kilometers. That was what Malcolm Bricklin should not have understood, the businessman who in 1985 wanted to introduce the yoke into the US market. Let’s review, a small, simplistic car and with a dwarf engine on a highway in the United States. It didn’t seem the best of ideas. And it wasn’t. “Cheap to buy. Terrible to drive”. With these words they define Hagerty from the United Kingdom to the healthy yoke that was sold in the United States as a Florida yoke. And that was a version above the aforementioned yoke 45. A car, the healthy one, which mounted a more powerful engine, in versions of 1.4 and 1.6 liters to get a better performance on the road. The lower version, that yoke 45 was sold in the United States with the name of Yugo GV. It was, by far, the cheapest car on the market. But the rolling quality was as bad that it was considered the worst car in the world. The criticisms were so bad that it quickly became a joke, it would have been a meme with wheels if at that time The word “meme” would have existed. Almost immediately, the car was made a hole in the hearts of the fans. In fact, you can find a book written by Jason Vuic entitled exactly like this: Yoke. Boom and fall of the worst car in history. The fascination was huge by a car that simply accounted for breakdowns due to pairs and offered poor results in security tests. So bad was the experience that was the car with the worst note of customer satisfaction in the prestigious JD Power in 1986. Precisely In JD Power they explain that in the Consumer Reports analysis it was specified that “the car dragged up to 100 km/h” and that in the best case the peak speed reached 86 mph (about 138 km/h). But those criticisms arrived after many buyers had already done with the car. A yoke giving everything Its price was so low that they sold more than 1,000 units on the first day. Then, the nightmare of the owners began. The spark plugs collapsed Because the United States gasoline was not adequate, the distribution strap had to be repaired at 30,000 miles (about 48,000 kilometers). Little by little, the ear mouth extended and the lawsuit plummeted. So plumme that according to the American portal they were sold with 2×1 offers despite its low price, with the idea of ​​the concessionaire to take them off as soon as possible. The performance was so bad that in 1992 the American subsidiary of the company broke. However, the car continued its performance in Serbia. The company came to 2008 When it … Read more

Toyota is very clear about how sports have to be and why they don’t believe in an electric one

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Is it possible to jump into the electric car when your CEO does not finish believing in it? This is what they should ask in Toyota’s bosom, with the company looking for the right strategy to be competitive in the electric car while their mandamás does not stop launching slogans that point to immobility. For a long time, the company has been launching contradictory messages on the future of the electric car. In 2021the Japanese company assured that would launch 30 electric models In the coming years. However, the arrival of TOYOTA BZ4X It has been marked by problems. First because it was a car too expensive for the autonomy offered. Then because The wheels could fall In an emergency braking. From then on, the statements of the company’s managers and ads seem to go in opposite directions. Aky Time will prove them and that the demand for electric will never exceed a third of sales Total worldwide. It is true that the company has redefined its plans and that will produce a third less of expected electric cars. But it has also presented a new generation of batteries and has confirmed that it will continue to pushing to jump into the electric car where regulations push them to it. That is: Europe. Among the last releaseswe will have a totally electric Toyota C-HR, a new lexus and a small Yaris Cross with the same technology. Be that as it is, the truth is that Hybrid has continued to give excellent results To the company. Their sales fired in the United States last year, remain very fortunate in Europe and in Japan it seems that they do not even consider the change to this technology. Toyota last year recorded the best numbers in its history. And in the middle of this strategy to continue increasing the offer of electric cars, a product that seems to divide the company: a sports car. “Noise and smell of gasoline” A few months ago, at the end of 2024, we knew that Toyota was developing a sports car completely electric. There was even talk that he could recover a mythical name for the company: MR2 or Celica. It would not be the first time that Toyota looked up at the past to look to her future. That they tell the Toyota supra. Since then, the Rumors They have been unleashed and as on so many other occasions the true sportsmanship of such a model has been questioned. Move the sensations of combustion engines to electric models is being a real headache and brands such as Mazda have also presented their doubts Given this possibility. The problem for Toyota is double. The company has spent many years being bored branded. Akio Toyoda, at the head of the company, wanted to completely turn this speech. To the point that we have seen almost unique cars in the market like the Toyota gr yaristhe Toyota Gr86 or the supra. And now, with an electric sports car on the way, we also know that the company looks for solutions to Continue offering combustion engines. To the point of trying Inject hydrogen. Toyoda seems to live its own crusade for saving this type of vehicles. “There will always be people in Toyota passionate about the development of electrical sports. But for me, as an expert pilot, my sports definition is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine.” The words are from Akio Toyoda in a recent interview of Automotive News. It has made clear one thing: they will not offer an electric sports car as long as it is not economically viable. And it won’t be until they get “affordable batteries”. The reason, for Toyoda, is that a competition electric car “is not exciting. Because you cannot turn the circuit around for more than an hour. The races in which I participate are mainly resistance, so with current electric vehicles, it will not be a car race. It is a cargo time race, battery change or something like that,” he stressed. When will we see a Toyota electric sports car? The group’s CEO seems to have cooled expectations. In the last Brussels Motor Show, our companions of Motorpasion They had the opportunity to talk to Hideaki Iida, prototype designer Toyota ft-sebut he already warned that the car was in a very early phase of development. However, in 2023 Toyota did talk about offering solid state batteries on the market that would yield 1,000 kilometers and went from 10 to 80% of autonomy in 10 minutes. This is what they called batteries High Performance and? They dated between 2027 and 2028 although they warned that they would put themselves in the street only in cars of very high benefits because they were very expensive to produce. Photo | Toyota In Xataka | Toyota is convinced that the electric car will not be the preferred option. Ensures that investing more money is “wasting it”

The Mercedes Class wanted to overcome the discomforts of the electric car. It is incompatible with a multitude of loaders

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A car with a brutal autonomy, designed for the client to forget the endemic evil of the electric car: look for a charger and wait for the necessary time to continue the march. A car designed by and to travel and to which, now, a problem as simple as it has been discovered: it does not charge most of the chargers. This is happening with the Mercedes Cla. The Mercedes Cla. A brutal autonomy. That was, without a doubt, the head that left us the presentation of the Mercedes Cla and that we lead to the first line of our article in Xataka. The Mercedes Berlina came to conquer the skeptics of the electric car promising up to 792 kilometers of approved WLTP autonomy. With its 85 kWh battery and a homologated WLTP consumption absolutely ridiculous of 12.2 to 12.5 kWh, autonomy varies between 792 kilometers of version 272 hp and 771 kilometers of the 354 hp version. With exquisite aerodynamics and a very low front surface, it aspires to large autonomies. The 800 volts. The German Berlina also had a powerful appeal. It is your first car with 800 volt structure. This tension allows you to load very high powers. With the appropriate charger (and now we will see the importance of adequate) can reach 320 kW of power. Thus, it goes from 10 to 80% autonomy in 22 minutes. That is, according to the estimated figures, more than 600 kilometers. The industry has long since It goes to 800 volt platforms. He Porsche Taycan and the Audi E-Tron GT They already presented them years ago but more and more companies get into the car because it allows very fast loads. Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis or Renault are betting on them because it will allow them to mount less large (and faces) batteries but, at the same time, generate very little discomfort In the client. What is expected in a premium brand like Mercedes is exactly what it offers (or should offer) the Mercedes Cla: large battery and express recharges. Who pays the money of a Premium car aspires to the best of the electric without the discomforts of the electric and the autonomy and load power of the Mercedes Claedes came to propose that (almost) we forgot the plugs. An unexpected setback. For the client, of course. The first tests have been enough Del Mercedes Clade to find an unexpected setback: the car cannot load in the stations with 400 volt plugs. How many are those? We do not know, beyond that there are many. There is no official count of them. And, until now, the charger is 800 volts or 400 volts had been indifferent to the user. In fact, the client cannot know it easily. What about cars that load at 800 volts? So far nothing. That is, if the car uses such a platform and the loader is 400 volts, he manages to load the car. If the car uses a 400 volt platform and the loader is 800 volts, it is the charger that does the best not to damage the battery. The Mercedes Claedes, however, does nothing. Simply, do not load. How do cars work? Cars with 800 volt platforms promise very high loads, above 200 kW. Right now, that loading power is almost exceptional and just a handful of loaders take advantage of powers greater than 200 kW or even 300 kW. However, it is estimated that with 800 volts 400 kW of power can be reached in the recharge with the appropriate plug. If the car uses this platform but the loader is 400 volts, there are two possibilities. The first is that the battery divides, something like simulating that has two 400 volt packages. When the charger reaches the 800 volts unifies them. Another less efficient option is to put a DC-DC converter that adapts the voltage but the load power will be limited to that of the DC-DC converter. Mercedes’s response. In Xataka We have contacted the company who have confirmed that, indeed, their cars can only take advantage of 800 volt chargers. Loaders that, as we say, there is no way of knowing for sure what are with a first search in the usual applications, such as electromaps. From the company it is ensured that “the proportion of speed charging stations of 800 V constantly increases. With the new Mercedes-Benz (MB.OS) operating system and navigation with Electric Intelligence, it is guaranteed that the driver is always aimed at a compatible loading station. The update of available and compatible load stations works practically in real time.” Despite this, they have not answered our question of whether Mercedes knows how many fast charging stations at 800 volts are available in Europe. So? Then it only remains to trust the company’s browser. That or Always search for more than 200 kW load stations since it is the maximum loading power that can be offered to 400 volts. If the offered power is superior, it will use the 800 volts and the Mercedes Class can load. Of course, these stations with such high powers are the most expensive when recharging. And along the way we leave most of the Tesla load points (the company is already installing with 800 volt structures) and a good part of the electricity in our country. Photo | Mercedes In Xataka | 400 kilometers loads in five minutes of ByD are as impressive as it is not very useful. At least they think of Mercedes

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