Latest news with #electricvehicles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The future of mining: how China is upgrading traditional industry with driverless EVs
In Inner Mongolia, a convoy of haul trucks rumbles across the dusty, jagged terrain of the Yimin open-pit coal mine. It is a familiar scene in this part of northern China, home to some of the country's biggest mineral deposits, but a closer look reveals a futuristic twist to this age-old trade: the vehicles operate without drivers. Yimin is one of the five largest open-cast coal mines in China. During peak season, it used to require about 300 trucks, operated by around 1,200 drivers working shifts around the clock, to transport coal to processing sites, and soil, sand and rocks to dumping grounds. But managers said the mine faced a shortage of drivers. Dangerous driving conditions led to high attrition rates, compounded by declining interest among younger generations in pursuing this profession. 'Truck drivers face exhausting workloads that often lead to health issues,' said Yimin mine director Shu Yinqiu. The solution came earlier this year with a fleet of 100 photovoltaic-battery-powered, self-driving trucks. They represent the world's largest deployment of autonomous electric mining trucks, highlighting China's resolve to upgrade its traditional industries with advanced technologies, as the nation grapples with a shrinking labour force and an ageing population. 02:27 China rolls out world's largest fleet of driverless mining trucks powered by Huawei tech China rolls out world's largest fleet of driverless mining trucks powered by Huawei tech As part of China's push to digitally transform its coal industry – the largest in the world – Yimin was among the first to develop 'intelligent coal mines'. The initiative stemmed from guidance issued in 2020 by several central government agencies, including various ministries and the National Development and Reform Commission, which outlined the construction of intelligent mines and identified autonomous driving as a strategic goal.
Wall Street Journal
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
France, Yes Even France, Rethinks Low-Emissions Zones
Europeans love climate policies in theory, but they're discovering that in practice they're also , well, impractical. The latest example comes from France, where lawmakers across the political spectrum voted this week to remove constraints on urban driving. France wants 66% of new car sales to be electric by 2030, a target that can only be reached if Paris takes the wheel. This year the government expanded its low-emission-zones scheme to restrict older gas-powered vehicles from driving in any city with more than 150,000 residents. Violators face hefty fines.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Mystery as iconic carmaker ‘immediately halts ALL sales of EV in UK until further notice'
AN ICONIC carmaker has dramatically halted all sales of one of its electric vehicles in the UK. The company mysteriously told its retailers to stop selling a specific batch of the electric sports car. 3 Several main Porsche dealers have been asked to remove a selection of electric Taycan models from sale, according to Car Dealer. It follows a request from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) which manages motor recalls in the UK. The problem relates to a previous recall issued in November by the DVSA which said it could pose a fire risk. According to the DSVA, the reason for that recall was: "A short circuit within the battery modules during the vehicle's service life cannot be ruled out under certain circumstances which could lead to thermal events and later to a fire in the vehicle." A new Porsche software that will detect the problem and display a warning to the vehicle owner if it occurs is due later next month. Porsche GB said in a statement: "Enhanced battery monitoring software is anticipated to become available for first generation Taycan models towards the end of June. "With its imminent arrival, we've advised our retail partners not to sell a small, specific batch of first generation Taycan models until the software update is live." The carmaker has been contacted for comment. One Porsche dealer said: "Unfortunately Porsche and the DVSA haven't put a definitive timeframe on approved Taycans so at the minute we're now having to remove all Taycans from sale for the foreseeable future. "Porsche head office have sent out a bulletin to say we need to remove them from sale and not deliver any until further notice." A number of Taycans were still up for sale on the official Porsche used website as of this morning. It is understood that the bulletin sent out to dealers was only sent yesterday. A handful of Taycan models are thought to be affected by the issue in question, but it's not known how many outside of official dealers could be impacted too. Inside Taycan Turbo GT Porsche that can hit 200mph as SunSport's Isabelle Barker is taken for a spin by Formula E safety car driver Both Porsche GB and the DVSA have previously issued 12 safety recalls on various Taycan models. This includes recalls to replace brake hoses, address problem with welding and suspension components and replacing cell blocks in the high voltage battery. DVSA issues recalls when potential safety defects could inflict serious injury or harm to drivers, passengers, or other road users. They investigate when a manufacturer identifies a defect and they can initiate a recall to fix the issue, usually at no cost to the owner. Just last November, Porsche recalled 1,000 high end luxury cars over the risk of the wheels falling off while driving. It issued a notice on three of its most popular models including the iconic 911. Owners were urged to "stop driving immediately".
Globe and Mail
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Tariffs turn Porsche's headwinds into a ‘violent storm'
This year was already shaping up to be a tough one for Porsche. Chinese customers were losing interest in the luxury sports car, its bet on electric vehicles was failing with drivers long enamored by the rumble of its combustion engines and its stock price hovered near record lows. Then President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on all cars imported to the United States starting in April. Last week, he doubled down on that, threatening a 50 per cent tariff for all products from the European Union, sending Porsche's shares tumbling further and EU leaders and auto executives scrambling to make a deal. All of Europe's leading carmakers have been hit by the tariff turbulence when they are already facing increasing competition from Chinese automakers. But unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, Porsche manufactures its vehicles exclusively in Germany, leaving it more vulnerable to the combined threat of advancements from China's rivals and tariff increases in the United States. 'The Pope of GT cars': Andreas Preuninger keeps Porsche 911 GT3s in high demand 'It is literally a perfect storm,' said Harald Hendrikse, a managing director covering the European auto sector at Citi Research. 'You have a triple threat, which is China, an EV strategy that was wrong — despite being lauded at the time — and then Trump's tariffs, which nobody had guessed would be as severe as they are.' That has led Porsche to scale back its forecast for the year, by about 2-billion euros ($3.1-billion). Its profit margin range is also expected to drop, to 6.5 to 8.5 per cent, from 10 to 12 per cent. 'Our market in China has literally collapsed,' Porsche's chief executive officer, Oliver Blume, told shareholders at the company's annual conference May 21. 'U.S. import tariffs are weighing on our business.' 'We already faced massive headwinds last year — now we are experiencing a violent storm,' Blume said. Porsche's sales in China have been declining steadily, down to some 56,800 vehicles last year, from a peak of 95,600 in 2021, as Chinese customers turn to local brands with technology that has surpassed offerings from European auto manufacturers. Weaker demand in China and declining sales of its electric models have pushed Porsche's shares down to nearly half of their value from their debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2022. Even before the U.S. tariffs were put in place, Blume had announced plans to lower overhead costs, moving to consolidate production at two factories, instead of four. The company has also begun eliminating 3,900 jobs over the coming years, largely through attrition and the expiration of short-term contracts. Demand for electric cars in Europe and the United States slumped after countries around the world, including Germany, slashed EV subsidies, prompting Porsche to scale back its goal of having 80 per cent electric vehicles in its lineup by 2030. Starting this year, the company is bringing back models with combustion engines and expanding its offering of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Porsche is also abandoning its planned investments in battery technology. Blume, along with his counterparts at BMW and Mercedes, has been involved in the talks with Brussels and Washington as part of Europe's overall efforts to reach a trade agreement. They have repeatedly stated that their goal is to see duties dropped on all vehicles crossing the Atlantic. The Confederation of European Business, a lobbying group in Brussels that represents firms across the bloc, said that EU leaders had reached out for data about companies' most recent investments in the United States, as part of preparations for trade meetings with officials in Washington. German companies invest three times as much in the United States as Americans do in Germany. But many have recently grown wary of doing so, citing the chaos caused by Trump's trade policies. During Trump's first term in office, the German car companies were able to fend off his threat of tariffs by stressing the importance of their contributions to the U.S. economy. BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen employ about 48,000 people in their U.S. factories, and German automotive suppliers provide an additional 90,000 jobs. Despite Trump's desire to shift production to the United States, Porsche has indicated that it has no intention of moving, citing its relatively low number of vehicles produced annually. But Porsche is majority owned by the Volkswagen Group, which includes nine other brands such as Lamborghini, Audi and Volkswagen. Volkswagen has a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and its Scout brand is also investing $2-billion to build a factory in South Carolina. Analysts have reported that Audi is exploring the idea of shifting production of some models to the United States as a result of the tariffs, although the company has declined to confirm the decision. That move could be part of any prospective deal that German automakers are hoping to reach with the Trump administration. Porsche shares many parts and platforms with Audi. If Audi opened a factory in the United States, that could pave the way for Porsche to follow, should the company eventually decide that production in North America made sense. For now, Porsche continues to see its future firmly linked to its reputation of being 'Made in Germany.' That label has taken a hit from the growing competition from Asian companies in recent years, but Germany and its leading products, including Porsche vehicles, still rank consistently among the world's best-known brands. 'There are a lot of examples of German brands that are household names,' said Cristobal Pohle Vazquez, an associate director at Brand Finance, a consulting company that studies name recognition worldwide. 'I think Porsche is a prime example.' That reputation, built up since the company's founding in 1931, and its loyal base of customers help give Porsche the pricing power to help ride out the storm, Hendrikse said. Like its parent company, Porsche has proved over time that it is able to make the changes necessary to take on new technologies and respond to crises. 'These companies have been around for 100 years for a reason — because they do adapt and they will adapt,' he said.
The National
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- The National
Rebuilding Lebanon after Israel's war: The vast costs and vexing political challenges
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
