After a slow start, electric vehicles are gaining in popularity. London is now host to an electric car-sharing service, which proved successful in Paris.
Sales of electric vehicles have seen significant rises in the last year. Now Volkswagen has unveiled a battery-powered Porsche that is capable of travelling 500km on a single charge and then refuel in just 15 minutes.
In 2012, Indonesia produced more than one million motor vehicles for the first time. Its vehicle output rose 3.6 times during 2000–12. This was a large increase compared with global output growth of 1.4 times, while neighbouring Malaysia’s output only doubled. By 2014, Indonesian output reached nearly 1.3 million vehicles, with exports expected to be around 200,000. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has driven this impressive performance, but now Indonesia’s rising middle class is the main reason for optimism in the automotive industry.
Nine Japanese automotive suppliers, including Hitachi Automotive Systems and Mitsubishi Electric, will pay nearly $740 million in fines for conspiring to fix the prices of more than 30 different auto-parts sold to car manufacturers in the U.S., AFP reported on Thursday, with more than 25 million cars purchased by American consumers believed to have been affected by the illegal conduct.
Driverless cars are commonly featured in futuristic sci-fi films, but despite being prophesised for decades they have so far not looked close to becoming reality. However, all of this looks set to change with eight major global motoring players all working on driverless technologies.
Perhaps the most famous of these is Google’s solution, which has attracted international headlines as the company has completed 225,000 kilometres (140,000 miles) testing the technology in California without being responsible for any accidents.
The re-emergence of the electric car could play a significant role in the future of the global economy. Besides its obvious impact to the automobile industry, the rise of electric car can also influence several related industries and issues, including: the lithium industry, the energy industry and global environmental concerns.
Check out this infographic by Vroomvroomvroom, which explores the economics of the electric car and asks whether electric vehicles can actually change the world.
Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor has opened its first European plant in Bulgaria as it aims to boost sales of its Great Wall Hover SUV, and other select models, in the region.
In a partnership with Bulgaria’s Litex Motors, the factory in the northern village of Bahovitsa will initially produce 4,000 vehicles a year using China-imported kits, rising to 50,000 by 2013.
Great Wall’s president and chief executive Feng Yingwang said:
Japan’s fourth largest automobile maker, Mitsubishi Motors, has said that would sell its Netherlands plant in Born ‘for one euro’ provided all 1,500 workers keep their jobs.
The sale, which the company said would be completed by the end of 2012, would be the end of Mitsubishi’s manufacturing operations in Europe.
President Barack Obama’s old car is on sale. In mint condition, his Chrysler clocked just slightly above 20,000 miles in its three years of service and is commanding an asking price of 5,000 percent above its resale value. Just how much is it selling for?
If you’re interested in cars with a history, you might just be interested in the President’s old ride. No, we’re not talking about vintage cars. It’s a regular 2005 Chrysler 300C, maintained in pristine condition.
Is this a hoax? It seems not.
