Lifeboat Foundation

Wired writer Mark Andrews tested three Chinese vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous functionality and found them superior to comparable American self-driving systems. The reasons, it seems, boil down to a single feature that American passenger cars have yet to implement: Lidar. From Wired:

On the flip side, Tesla and General Motors have been grabbing most of the recent headlines when it comes to self-driving cars in the hands of the public, and for all the wrong reasons—mass recalls, suspended licenses, spending cuts, and huge losses.

But in China, a number of companies are steadily—and far more successfully—moving toward a similar destination, but via a different route.

Waabi says its new model can anticipate how pedestrians, trucks, and bicyclists move using lidar data.

India will lower import taxes on certain electric vehicles for companies committing to invest at least $500 million and setting up a local manufacturing facility within three years, a policy shift that could potentially bolster Tesla’s plans to enter the South Asian market.

Companies must invest a minimum of $500 million in the country and will have three years to establish local manufacturing for EVs with at least 25% of components sourced domestically, according to a government press release on Friday. Firms meeting these requirements will be allowed to import 8,000 EVs a year at a reduced import duty of 15% on cars costing $35,000 and above. India currently levies a tax of 70% to 100% on imported cars depending on their value.

The policy change is likely going to pave the way for Tesla to enter India, as the Elon Musk-led company has been in talks with the government to lower import duties on its electric cars for years. The move also aligns with India’s goal to boost the adoption of EVs and reduce its dependence on oil imports, with the country setting a target of achieving 30% electric car sales by 2030.

A new research in battery technology now promises safer, longer-lasting energy storage. Thanks to a research team tackling a critical issue with solid-state batteries. The researchers have now developed a “bottom electrodeposition” method that changes the game for these next-generation power sources.

Today’s batteries say the ones in our smartphones or electric cars, mostly use liquid electrolytes for shuttling energy. However, these liquids are flammable, which obviously factors into safety concerns, even though they are minimal in today’s modern processes.

Wired writer Mark Andrews tested three Chinese vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous functionality and found them superior to comparable American self-driving systems. The reasons, it seems, boil down to a single feature that American passenger cars have yet to implement: Lidar. From Wired:

On the flip side, Tesla and General Motors have been grabbing most of the recent headlines when it comes to self-driving cars in the hands of the public, and for all the wrong reasons—mass recalls, suspended licenses, spending cuts, and huge losses.

But in China, a number of companies are steadily—and far more successfully—moving toward a similar destination, but via a different route.

For the first time, Volkswagen announced it aims to start producing its most affordable ID.1 electric car, starting at 20,000 euros ($21,700), in 2027. The $20K Volkswagen ID.1 will offer “affordable electric mobility for everyone,” VW brand leader Thomas Shafer said Thursday.

“The working title is ID.1 and the vehicle is planned for 2027,” Shafer confirmed during VW’s annual press conference Thursday.

Work on the ID.1 is already well underway. Shafer said, “We’re already in the middle of it, we know what the car should look like.” However, the biggest challenge will be deciding where to build it.

The battery charges in the time it takes to fill a car with gasoline.

BYD is launching another lower-priced electric model. The Chinese automaker introduced the new BYD e2 Honor Edition, starting under $13,000, in its latest move to steal market share from gas-powered cars.

After declaring a “liberation battle” earlier this year, BYD is launching an aggressive campaign aimed at taking market share from ICE vehicles.

BYD kicked off the campaign last month with the new Qin Plus EV, which starts at around $15,000 (109,800 yuan). The company claimed its new EV opened a “new era of electricity is lower than oil.”

Amazon.com’s self-driving car unit, Zoox, is seeking to stay abreast of rival Waymo by expanding its vehicles’ testing in California and Nevada to include a wider area, higher speeds and nighttime driving.