Bold new (Amp)era: inside the new generation of range-extender engines
'We involve ourselves as much as we can in regulatory discussions. In China, to keep the status of a 'new-energy vehicle' [EVs and plug-in hybrids], you must not connect the internal combustion engine to the wheels.
The EU has not finally decided what to do with range-extenders, but I think they realise that this is an interesting opportunity to offer a product which is less dependent on rare materials and cell chemistry because you need a significantly smaller battery.
'They want to understand what the pros and cons are. The whole mobility community is ready for these discussions, because we need them. The past regulation of BEVs has shown that we cannot push things into the market against the customers' will.
The easier a solution is, the higher its chance of surviving a long time. And this is quite an easy solution. I personally expect that we will see it beyond the next five to 10 years. I think there will be plenty of applications which really excite people.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a minute ago
- The Sun
Sir Keir Starmer must show that he is on side of strivers over skivers to avoid further voter resentment
Play fair before it's too late, PM LABOUR'S successes have so far been few and far between. But they have succeeded in one thing — uniting huge numbers of voters in a feeling that the Government is presiding over a country rank with unfairness and double standards. Accusations of the UK becoming a two-tier society started after last summer's riots. This week has shown how that has now morphed into other areas of British life. Chief among the furies of voters is the ongoing incompetent handling of illegal migration. Far from delivering on a promise to smash the gangs and stop the boats, Labour has let in 50,000 illegal migrants in record time. Hard-working but hard-up families who despaired at the £5.7 million a day bill for asylum hotels, now watch in horror as young single men are moved into blocks of flats next door, rent-free. Meanwhile, Labour-run Birmingham council lavishes money on celebrations of Pakistan Independence Day and allows the unfurling of thousands of Palestinian emblems across the city — while insisting English St George flags must be torn down. From taxing small farmers, to driving pubs to closure, Government economic policy has also been woefully unfair. Rachel Reeves's National Insurance rise has cost tens of thousands of ordinary people their jobs and stamped out growth. Yet Labour's union paymasters are handed inflation-busting pay hikes. Families face more massive tax rises in the Autumn — on their hard-earned savings, their pensions and their kids' modest inheritances — to fill the Chancellor's £50billion black hole. Small boat crossings under Labour are on brink of hitting 50,000 - one illegal migrant every 11 mins since the election The diminishing number of people who DO still have a job now must pay more than ever to fund EIGHT MILLION on Universal Credit — where half are under no obligation to look for employment at all. There is no plan for tackling this ruinous waste of money and human potential since ministers caved in to their Left-wing backbenchers over welfare reform. This all adds up to a highly damaging impression that Labour is not treating voters equally. We are told Number Ten now recognises just how important 'fairness' is to the electorate. Good. Now Sir Keir Starmer must show that he really is on the side of the strivers over the skivers. Does our former human rights lawyer Prime Minister have the courage to rip up or radically reform the ECHR, the only way to stop the boats? Will he put money back in families' pockets, or keep relentlessly taxing them to fund projects beloved by the hard-Left of his party? Labour has already squandered public goodwill from its landslide victory. It can ill afford to allow voter resentment to fester further.
Reuters
31 minutes ago
- Reuters
Fitch maintains Romania's investment-grade credit rating despite budget strains
Aug 15 (Reuters) - Fitch maintained Romania's coveted investment-grade credit status on Friday, leaving its rating at "BBB-" with a "negative" outlook due to ongoing pressures on the country's finances. "Romania's 'BBB-' rating is supported by EU membership and related capital inflows that support income convergence and external finances," Fitch said. In May, centrist Nicusor Dan won the presidential election runoff, and the new coalition government has recently pushed through a series of tax hikes and spending measures to try and cut the European Union's largest budget deficit.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking Ikea flyer from 1985 shows VERY surprising prices... but not everything is what it seems
Swedish homewares giant Ikea is a household name and somehow, 40 years later after their first store opened in the U.S., some of their most popular furniture is even cheaper. A resurfaced flyer from 1985 has Allen-key enthusiasts agog at the price differences, with some of their most-loved furniture cheaper than what it was decades earlier. Shared to Reddit, the user showed four popular products and the price from the catalogue in comparison to what they are on the Ikea website in 2025. The first was the Billy bookcase - a staple in many houses all around the world. In 1985, the load-bearing piece piece retailed for $82, and now has decreased in price, selling for $69.99. The next piece was the simple Lack side table, selling for $25 in 1985. In 2025, the loved-item is retailing now for $9.99. A Klippan loveseat 40 years ago was a tad puffier, but a more streamlined model is now almost $100 cheaper, at $299. Lastly, the catalogue showed an armchair for $148, with the Poäng chair now only $69. The furniture giant pointed out their price cuts in an advertisement published in 2015, which celebrated 30 years of the store being in America and showed off their low prices. While the prices have risen in the last 10 years, they are still lower than the 1985 prices. Despite the cheaper prices, many users chimed in declaring the quality of the furniture is far worse in 2025. 'Surprised how everyone's complaining that IKEA furniture is made more cheaply now than it used to be,' commented one user. 'Like yeah, sure it is, but how many companies have made their product intentionally worse over the years while ALSO doubling or tripling the price? The fact that prices haven't changed much shows at least some integrity on their part.' 'I agree. And while IKEA doesn't make the most durable products on earth, they definitely still make better stuff than comparably-priced products you get at other stores (Amazon, Walmart, etc),' chimed in another. 'You can still get a decent, weighty dresser for $100 at IKEA, best alternative you'll find on Amazon is some super thin particle board with those dreadful fabric pseudo-drawers.' Others declared the Swedish furniture had stood the test of time. 'In general I think IKEA suffers from the reputation flat-pack furniture has that is caused by experiences with flat-pack made by literally any company other than IKEA,' one happy customer wrote. They continued: 'I've bought cheap non-IKEA flat-pack desks and cabinets and it's barely cheaper and so much worse. The parts don't fit together as well, the joints aren't as sturdy, and the instructions are inevitably so much harder to follow assembling it.' The showed four popular products and the price from the catalogue in comparison to what they are on the Ikea website in 2025 (pictured) In June, Ikea announced it was closing more of its smaller-format stores in both the UK and California, as the global retail shakeup continues to claim big names. Launched in 2023, the concept aimed to give customers a more tailored experience — with smaller showrooms where shoppers could meet with design specialists, place custom orders, and collect items. However, the company says the format no longer fits customer demand. The Swedish furniture giant confirmed it is shutting down three of its Plan & Order Points locations this month — two in the UK and one in the US. The Liverpool and Stockport stores closed last week, and the final US location in Long Beach is closing its doors forever in June. The first Ikea store opened in 1958 in Sweden, and expanded to the US in 1985. It has grown into a furniture empire and operates approximately 485 locations, 74 being in the US.
