ReportWire

Tag: transportation technology

  • Kenya unveils tax breaks for EV parts and charging stations

    NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya plans to roll out new tax incentives to speed up adoption of electric vehicles, betting that lower costs for vehicle parts and charging stations will attract investors and accelerate a shift away from fossil fuels.

    Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the measures are part of a newly launched National Electric Mobility Policy, which now aligns the transport sector with Kenya’s climate commitments.

    “Electric mobility is crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing reliance on imported fossil fuels, and fostering economic growth through local manufacturing and job creation,” Chirchir said.

    Kenya has in recent years introduced targeted incentives, including a zero value added tax on electric buses, bicycles, motorcycles and lithium-ion batteries, and lower excise duties on selected EVs. The new incentives include exemptions for value-added taxes and excise duties beginning in July. The stamp tax for charging stations will be reduced in 2027.

    The government has a target for 3,000 EVs for its ministries by the end of next year.

    Kenya has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 32% by 2030 under the Paris Agreement treaty on climate change, with electric mobility identified as vital since transport is a major contributor to carbon emissions.

    The market is growing quickly, with the number of registered EVs rising to 24,754 in 2025 from 796 in 2022, largely driven by increased use of electric motorcycles, buses and fleet vehicles in urban areas.

    Sales of electric vehicles, including motorcycles, buses and private cars, are forecast to match those of gas and diesel-fueled vehicles by 2042, marking a structural shift in Kenya’s transport system.

    “We have now laid the foundation for a cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable transport system that fully aligns with our climate commitments,” said Mohammed Daghar, principal secretary for transport. “With transport a major contributor to emissions, accelerating electric mobility is essential to achieving our target.”

    Electric mobility policies in most African countries are still evolving, with interest growing in use of electrics for public and private transport. Rwanda and Egypt have introduced a mix of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to encourage use of EVs. Companies involved in EV manufacturing and assembly also benefit from corporate income tax relief and tax holidays.

    Still, for many countries the focus is on electric buses and two-wheelers. Policies include tax exemptions on EV imports and investments in charging infrastructure, and pilot projects for electric public transport.

    The transition carries risks. Kenya relies heavily on fuel taxes to fund road maintenance and other transport-related services. The policy estimates that as electrics displace gas and diesel engines, there will be a $693 million shortfall in fuel tax collections by 2043, up from a $16.9 million gap in 2025.

    Chirchir said the government is studying alternatives, including road-use charges and possible electricity-based levies linked to charging stations to offset the decline.

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    Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Tesla annual profit plunges to lowest level since pandemic

    NEW YORK — Tesla’s annual profit plunged to its lowest level since the pandemic five years ago as it ceded the title of the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker to a Chinese rival and boycotts hammered sales.

    The EV company run by Elon Musk reported Wednesday that net income last year dropped 46% to $3.8 billion. It was the second year in a row with a steep drop in profit. The decline came despite the introduction of cheaper models and Musk’s promise to remain laser-focused on the company after a foray into U.S politics.

    Still, Tesla investors have kept the faith in Musk. The stock is up 9% in the past year.

    Musk has been urging investors to focus less on car sales and more on what he considers a bright new future of robotaxis ferrying millions around in cars without drivers, or even steering wheels, and robots watering plants and taking care of elderly parents. Investors and analysts expect to hear more from Musk on those plans in a conference call later Wednesday.

    For the fourth quarter of last year, Tesla’s net income dropped 61% to $840 million, or 24 cents. Excluding one-time charges, net income totaled 50 cents per share, compared to analysts forecast of 45 cents.

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  • Deadly wreck is the first blight on Spain’s leading high-speed rail service

    BARCELONA, Spain — The deadly train wreck in southern Spain has cast a pall over one of the nation’s symbols of success.

    The collision Sunday killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more, according to officials as of Monday night.

    Here’s a look at the history of a rail network that became a crown jewel of contemporary Spain, by the numbers.

    The number of years since Spain inaugurated its first high-speed AVE, which means “bird” in Spanish.

    Both before and after that milestone, successive Spanish governments devoted tax revenues and European Union development aid to its high-speed rail network that quickly caught up and surpassed high-speed pioneers Japan and France.

    The first high-speed train to speed across Spain preceded the opening of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona by two months.

    Both marked high points in Spain’s recent history after it emerged from the economic doldrums and cultural and political isolation of the 20th-century dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco.

    How many kilometers, equal to 2,400 miles, of high-speed rail that Spain has laid over the last three-plus decades for its 49 million residents.

    Only China — with 45,000 kilometers (28,000 miles) for its 1.4 billion people — has more high-speed track, according to the International Union of Railways.

    Spain’s commitment to high-speed rail, which the railway union defines as rails for trains going 250 kph (155 mph), has helped Spain shed its reputation of often being behind the industrial curve compared to other leading economies.

    Spain’s train builders have been able to capitalize on its domestic expansion. A Spanish consortium built Saudi Arabia’s high-speed line connecting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina that opened service in 2018.

    The approximate number of hours a train trip took between Madrid and Barcelona before and after the 2008 adoption of high-speed rail.

    On an old, slow train, the 600-kilometer (385-mile) journey between Spain’s biggest cities used to take around seven hours, meaning many business travelers opted to take a plane.

    Now that trip can be done in 2.5 hours, and Spain announced plans in November to modernize the Madrid-Barcelona line to allow trains to reach 350 kph (218 mph), matching the fastest Chinese trains. That would bring the transit time down to less than 2 hours.

    The AVE has helped unite a country whose main population centers other than Madrid are located on its coasts, separated by some of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe.

    Every region and provincial capital has pushed hard for its own high-speed line. Some critics say the administrations may have spent too much on questionable lines to the detriment of investing in local commuter lines, which suffer many more delays than the high-speed rail does.

    Missing out on an AVE line and stop has become synonymous with economic decline for a provincial city.

    The move away from air travel to rail also remains a key plank of Spain’s green energy and electrification plan to fight climate change.

    The number of deadly accidents involving a high-speed train in Spain’s history. One official described Sunday’s collision as transforming a train into a “mass of twisted metal.”

    Spanish officials say they are still at a loss to understand what went wrong Sunday night when one high-speed train jumped the track and collided with another fast train going the other direction.

    Álvaro Fernández, the president of public train company Renfe, told Spanish public radio station RNE that both trains were traveling well under the speed limit and “human error could be ruled out.”

    One of the two trains was operated by Renfe and another by a private company.

    Spain’s worst train accident this century occurred in 2013, when 80 people died after a train derailed in the country’s northwest. An investigation concluded the train was traveling 179 kph (111 mph) on a stretch with an 80 kph (50 mph) speed limit when it left the tracks. That stretch of track was not high speed.

    The number of operators with high-speed trains in Spain.

    Only in 2022 did Spain open its rail network to private companies to compete against Renfe.

    The first company to get into the private high-speed market was Iryo, which is Italian-owned. It was followed by the French company Ouigo.

    It was an Iryo train that first derailed on Sunday, knocking the Renfe train off its track. Iryo has said it is working with officials to determine the causes of the accident.

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  • Ford recalls more than 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles due to roll-away risk

    Ford is recalling more than 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. because of a parking function problem that could lead to them rolling away.

    The Detroit automaker said that the recall includes certain 2022-2026 F-150 Lightning BEV, 2024-2026 Mustang Mach-E, and 2025-2026 Maverick vehicles. At issue is the integrated park module, which may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park.

    Ford said that it will implement a park module software update for free.

    Vehicle owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for additional information.

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  • FACT FOCUS: Trump said weaker gas mileage rules will mean cheaper cars. Experts say don’t bet on it

    DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump this week announced plans to weaken rules for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, set under former President Joe Biden.

    The Trump administration said the rules, known formally as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards, are why new vehicles are too expensive, and that cutting them will drive down costs and make driving safer for Americans.

    The new standards would drop the industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles to roughly 34.5 mpg (55.5 kpg) in the 2031 model year, down from the goal of about 50.4 mpg (81.1 kpg) that year under the Biden-era rule.

    Here are the facts.

    Affordability

    TRUMP: EV-friendly policies “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse.”

    THE FACTS: It’s true that gas mileage standards have played a role in rising vehicle prices in recent years, but experts say plenty of other factors have contributed, and some much more.

    Pandemic-era inventory shortages, supply chain challenges, tariffs and other trade dynamics, and even automakers’ growing investments in their businesses have also sent prices soaring. Average prices have also skewed higher as automakers have leaned into the costly big pickups and SUVs that many American consumers love.

    President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

    The average transaction price of a new vehicle hit $49,105 in October, according to car shopping guide Edmunds.

    A Consumer Reports analysis of vehicles for model years 2003 to 2021 — a period in which average fuel economy improved 30% — found no significant increase in inflation-adjusted vehicle prices caused by the requirements. At the same time, it found an average of $7,000 in lifetime fuel savings per vehicle for 2021 model year vehicles compared with 2003. That analysis, done primarily before the coronavirus pandemic, attributed much of the average sticker price increase to the shift toward bigger and more expensive vehicles.

    Cutting the fuel economy standards is unlikely to provide any fast relief on sticker prices, said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ head of insights. And while looser standards may eventually mean lower car prices, their lower efficiency means that those savings could be eaten up by higher fuel costs, she said.

    Ending the gas car?

    TRUMP: Biden’s policies were “a quest to end the gasoline-powered car.”

    THE FACTS: The Biden administration did enact several policies to increase electric vehicle adoption, including setting a target for half of new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2030.

    The Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act included tax incentives that gave car buyers up to $7,500 off the price of an EV and dedicated billions of dollars to nationwide charging — funding that Trump tried to stop. The Biden administration increased fuel economy requirements and set stricter tailpipe emissions limits.

    While those moves sought to help build the EV market, there was no requirement that automakers sell EVs or consumers buy them. And gasoline cars still make up the vast majority of the U.S. market.

    EV charging

    TRUMP: “We had to have an electric car within a very short period of time, even though there was no way of charging them.”

    THE FACTS: While many potential EV buyers still worry about charging them, the availability of public charging has significantly improved in recent years.

    Biden-era funding and private investment have increased charging across the nation. There are now more than 232,000 individual Level 2 and fast charging ports in the U.S. As of this year, enough fast charging ports have been installed to average one for every mile (1.6 kilometers) of National Highway System roads in the U.S., according to an AP analysis of data from the Department of Energy.

    However, those fast charging stations aren’t evenly dispersed. Many are concentrated in the far West and the Northeast, where sales of EVs are highest.

    Experts note that most EV charging can be done at home.

    Safety

    TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SEAN DUFFY: The reduced requirements will make drivers “safer on the roads because of all the great new technology we have that save lives.”

    THE FACTS: Newer vehicles — gas and electric — are full of advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping, collision warnings and more.

    Duffy suggested that consumers will be more likely to buy new vehicles if they are more affordable — meaning fewer old cars on the streets without the safety technology. This assumes vehicle prices will actually go down with eased requirements, which experts say might not be the case. Besides, high tech adds to a vehicle’s cost.

    “If Americans purchased more new vehicles equipped with the latest safety technologies, we would expect overall on-road safety to improve,” Edmunds’ Caldwell said. “However, it’s unclear whether easing fuel-economy standards will meaningfully increase new-vehicle sales.”

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent automotive research nonprofit, also says electric or hybrid vehicles are as safe as or safer than gasoline-powered cars.

    Another part of safety is public health. Efficiency requirements put into place to address the 1970s oil crisis were also a way to reduce pollution that is harmful to humans and the environment.

    “This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans,” said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign. “This dangerous proposal adds to the long list of ways the Trump administration is dismantling our clean air and public health protections.”

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    Associated Press data journalist M.K. Wildeman contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

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    Follow Alexa St. John on X: @alexa_stjohn and reach her at [email protected]. Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Takeoff of China’s flying taxis hits turbulence

    HONG KONG (AP) — An unmanned, oval-shaped craft from flying taxi maker EHang hovers, whirring noisily like a mini-helicopter over a riverside innovation zone on the outskirts of the southern Chinese business hub of Guangzhou, part of a trial of a mini-flying taxi that once might have been found only in sci-fi films.

    In nearby Shenzhen, food-delivery drones already are part of daily life and a novelty attraction for tourists, even if such services cost more. In the waterfront park surrounded by high-rises, Polish tourist Karolina Trzciańska and her friends ordered bubble tea and lemon tea by phone, just to give it a try. Their drinks arrived via a drone buzzing through the drizzle about 30 minutes later.

    “This is the first time I’m seeing something like this, so it was super fun to see the food being delivered by the drone,” she said.

    Such businesses are growing quickly with support from the government, though the take off of the so-called “low-altitude economy” faces obstacles such as strict airspace controls and battery limitations.

    Activities in airspace below 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) accounted for business turnover worth 506 billion yuan ($70 billion) in 2023, about 0.4% of China’s economy. By 2035, it’s expected to hit 3.5 trillion yuan (about $490 billion), said Zhang Xiaolan, a researcher at the State Information Center, a think tank affiliated with China’s main planning agency.

    Flying cars are in the making

    Guangdong province, home to drone giant DJI with an estimated 70% of the global commercial drone market, leads in development of the low-altitude economy, followed by wealthy eastern coastal provinces Jiangsu and Zhejiang, near Shanghai, according to a report by a research unit of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, and other institutions.

    Other big players in Guangdong include EHang, logistics company SF Express’s drone arm Phoenix Wings, and automaker XPENG’s flying car unit ARIDGE.

    In October, Guangdong announced it plans to speed up construction of flight service stations and platforms to facilitate airspace operations and will support locally issued discount vouchers for low-altitude tourism.

    Its technology and financial hub Shenzhen has launched a 15-million-yuan ($2.1 million) award for companies that earn certifications required for passenger eVTOLs, short for “electric vertical take-off and landing” vehicles that lift off the ground like helicopters, among other incentives.

    China’s Civil Aviation Administration has granted certificates allowing EHang to offer commercial passenger services with its pilotless eVTOL, a low-altitude aircraft that can reach speeds of 130 kph (81 mph) with a maximum range of 30 kilometers (19 miles).

    EHang hasn’t launched commercial routes, but its vice president, He Tianxing, says it aims to start with aerial sightseeing services. The company has been building takeoff and landing sites in 20 Chinese cities over the past two years. He expects aircraft of various companies will be flying multiple routes, possibly after five years.

    He envisions eventual citywide networks using the rooftops of malls, schools and parks as terminals.

    “It can’t just be a research product, nor an engineer’s toy,” he said.

    Accidents, battery limitations and airspace controls

    The biggest challenge for developing eVTOL aircraft is maintaining longer flights and overcoming battery capacity limitations, said Guo Liming, co-founder of Shenzhen-based Skyevtol, whose single-seat manned eVTOL aircraft, priced at around $100,000, can only fly 20 to 30 minutes before it must be charged.

    It also has not all been smooth skies.

    In September, two XPENG’s eVTOL aircraft collided after a rehearsal for an exhibition and one of them caught fire while landing. The company said no one was hurt, but another expo canceled flying demonstrations a week later.

    Undeterred, XPENG has continued to showcase its flying cars, including a six-wheeled ground vehicle with a detachable eVTOL aircraft. Having invested over $600 million, the company said it has more than 7,000 global orders for its “Land Aircraft Carrier” and has begun preparing for mass production.

    A trial run of sightseeing flights in Dunhuang, a key ancient Silk Road destination famous for its Buddhist caves and dunes, is planned for next July.

    It’s unclear how quickly such aircraft might begin carrying paid passengers regularly. Some companies elsewhere have burned through their funding before reaching the commercial launch stage. In Germany, air taxi makers Lilium and Volocopter filed for bankruptcy, though the latter was later bought by Diamond Aircraft Group, a subsidiary of a Chinese firm.

    After years of commercialization, drone applications are not that widespread in China.

    Even though the country leads in drone technology and manufacturing, policy constraints including limited airspace access, may mean overseas markets are more promising, said Frank Zhou, managing director at GBA Low Altitude Technology Co., which provides technological software to clients.

    “Perhaps for some Southeast Asian countries, if I introduce these applications to them, their demand could explode,” he said.

    Less than one-third of China’s low-altitude airspace was accessible for general aviation use in 2023 and there were problems with uneven distribution and a lack of internet connectivity, Zhang, the State Information Center researcher, said in a report. The number of registered general aviation aerodromes in China, excluding private airports, was just about a tenth of those in the U.S., she said.

    Officials are easing their grip, but there’s turbulence ahead

    Chinese policymakers are gradually working to close the gap. The military generally commands use of most Chinese airspace but has pledged to simplify approval procedures and shorten review times in Shenzhen and five other provinces.

    Proposed revisions of the civil aviation law include a chapter on development and promotion of civilian activities, addressing low-altitude airspace allocation and supervision.

    It’s still early days, said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking.

    He expects progress toward commercialization to materialize around 2030, with passenger-carrying eVTOLs for tourism or industrial purposes starting before flying taxi services. Some of the aerial products could become key exports, he said.

    China is a latecomer to the industry but now leads in developing small drones and low-altitude airspace investments, said Chen Wen-hua, director at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research Centre for Low Altitude Economy.

    One advantage is the ruling Communist Party’s ability to mobilize regulators, industry players and universities to work toward the same goal, he said. But development of the technologies involved and safety concerns and public acceptance will determine how quickly different applications of drones and low-flying vehicles are adopted.

    The future for the low altitude economy is bright, Chen said, “however, the road leading to that bright future might be treacherous.”

    ____

    Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.

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  • Takeoff of China’s flying taxis hits turbulence

    HONG KONG — An unmanned, oval-shaped craft from flying taxi maker EHang hovers, whirring noisily like a mini-helicopter over a riverside innovation zone on the outskirts of the southern Chinese business hub of Guangzhou, part of a trial of a mini-flying taxi that once might have been found only in sci-fi films.

    In nearby Shenzhen, food-delivery drones already are part of daily life and a novelty attraction for tourists, even if such services cost more. In the waterfront park surrounded by high-rises, Polish tourist Karolina Trzciańska and her friends ordered bubble tea and lemon tea by phone, just to give it a try. Their drinks arrived via a drone buzzing through the drizzle about 30 minutes later.

    “This is the first time I’m seeing something like this, so it was super fun to see the food being delivered by the drone,” she said.

    Such businesses are growing quickly with support from the government, though the take off of the so-called “low-altitude economy” faces obstacles such as strict airspace controls and battery limitations.

    Activities in airspace below 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) accounted for business turnover worth 506 billion yuan ($70 billion) in 2023, about 0.4% of China’s economy. By 2035, it’s expected to hit 3.5 trillion yuan (about $490 billion), said Zhang Xiaolan, a researcher at the State Information Center, a think tank affiliated with China’s main planning agency.

    Guangdong province, home to drone giant DJI with an estimated 70% of the global commercial drone market, leads in development of the low-altitude economy, followed by wealthy eastern coastal provinces Jiangsu and Zhejiang, near Shanghai, according to a report by a research unit of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, and other institutions.

    Other big players in Guangdong include EHang, logistics company SF Express’s drone arm Phoenix Wings, and automaker XPENG’s flying car unit ARIDGE.

    In October, Guangdong announced it plans to speed up construction of flight service stations and platforms to facilitate airspace operations and will support locally issued discount vouchers for low-altitude tourism.

    Its technology and financial hub Shenzhen has launched a 15-million-yuan ($2.1 million) award for companies that earn certifications required for passenger eVTOLs, short for “electric vertical take-off and landing” vehicles that lift off the ground like helicopters, among other incentives.

    China’s Civil Aviation Administration has granted certificates allowing EHang to offer commercial passenger services with its pilotless eVTOL, a low-altitude aircraft that can reach speeds of 130 kph (81 mph) with a maximum range of 30 kilometers (19 miles).

    EHang hasn’t launched commercial routes, but its vice president, He Tianxing, says it aims to start with aerial sightseeing services. The company has been building takeoff and landing sites in 20 Chinese cities over the past two years. He expects aircraft of various companies will be flying multiple routes, possibly after five years.

    He envisions eventual citywide networks using the rooftops of malls, schools and parks as terminals.

    “It can’t just be a research product, nor an engineer’s toy,” he said.

    The biggest challenge for developing eVTOL aircraft is maintaining longer flights and overcoming battery capacity limitations, said Guo Liming, co-founder of Shenzhen-based Skyevtol, whose single-seat manned eVTOL aircraft, priced at around $100,000, can only fly 20 to 30 minutes before it must be charged.

    It also has not all been smooth skies.

    In September, two XPENG’s eVTOL aircraft collided after a rehearsal for an exhibition and one of them caught fire while landing. The company said no one was hurt, but another expo canceled flying demonstrations a week later.

    Undeterred, XPENG has continued to showcase its flying cars, including a six-wheeled ground vehicle with a detachable eVTOL aircraft. Having invested over $600 million, the company said it has more than 7,000 global orders for its “Land Aircraft Carrier” and has begun preparing for mass production.

    A trial run of sightseeing flights in Dunhuang, a key ancient Silk Road destination famous for its Buddhist caves and dunes, is planned for next July.

    It’s unclear how quickly such aircraft might begin carrying paid passengers regularly. Some companies elsewhere have burned through their funding before reaching the commercial launch stage. In Germany, air taxi makers Lilium and Volocopter filed for bankruptcy, though the latter was later bought by Diamond Aircraft Group, a subsidiary of a Chinese firm.

    After years of commercialization, drone applications are not that widespread in China.

    Even though the country leads in drone technology and manufacturing, policy constraints including limited airspace access, may mean overseas markets are more promising, said Frank Zhou, managing director at GBA Low Altitude Technology Co., which provides technological software to clients.

    “Perhaps for some Southeast Asian countries, if I introduce these applications to them, their demand could explode,” he said.

    Less than one-third of China’s low-altitude airspace was accessible for general aviation use in 2023 and there were problems with uneven distribution and a lack of internet connectivity, Zhang, the State Information Center researcher, said in a report. The number of registered general aviation aerodromes in China, excluding private airports, was just about a tenth of those in the U.S., she said.

    Chinese policymakers are gradually working to close the gap. The military generally commands use of most Chinese airspace but has pledged to simplify approval procedures and shorten review times in Shenzhen and five other provinces.

    Proposed revisions of the civil aviation law include a chapter on development and promotion of civilian activities, addressing low-altitude airspace allocation and supervision.

    It’s still early days, said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking.

    He expects progress toward commercialization to materialize around 2030, with passenger-carrying eVTOLs for tourism or industrial purposes starting before flying taxi services. Some of the aerial products could become key exports, he said.

    China is a latecomer to the industry but now leads in developing small drones and low-altitude airspace investments, said Chen Wen-hua, director at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research Centre for Low Altitude Economy.

    One advantage is the ruling Communist Party’s ability to mobilize regulators, industry players and universities to work toward the same goal, he said. But development of the technologies involved and safety concerns and public acceptance will determine how quickly different applications of drones and low-flying vehicles are adopted.

    The future for the low altitude economy is bright, Chen said, “however, the road leading to that bright future might be treacherous.”

    ____

    Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.

    Source link

  • Takeoff of China’s flying taxis hits turbulence

    HONG KONG — An unmanned, oval-shaped craft from flying taxi maker EHang hovers, whirring noisily like a mini-helicopter over a riverside innovation zone on the outskirts of the southern Chinese business hub of Guangzhou, part of a trial of a mini-flying taxi that once might have been found only in sci-fi films.

    In nearby Shenzhen, food-delivery drones already are part of daily life and a novelty attraction for tourists, even if such services cost more. In the waterfront park surrounded by high-rises, Polish tourist Karolina Trzciańska and her friends ordered bubble tea and lemon tea by phone, just to give it a try. Their drinks arrived via a drone buzzing through the drizzle about 30 minutes later.

    “This is the first time I’m seeing something like this, so it was super fun to see the food being delivered by the drone,” she said.

    Such businesses are growing quickly with support from the government, though the take off of the so-called “low-altitude economy” faces obstacles such as strict airspace controls and battery limitations.

    Activities in airspace below 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) accounted for business turnover worth 506 billion yuan ($70 billion) in 2023, about 0.4% of China’s economy. By 2035, it’s expected to hit 3.5 trillion yuan (about $490 billion), said Zhang Xiaolan, a researcher at the State Information Center, a think tank affiliated with China’s main planning agency.

    Guangdong province, home to drone giant DJI with an estimated 70% of the global commercial drone market, leads in development of the low-altitude economy, followed by wealthy eastern coastal provinces Jiangsu and Zhejiang, near Shanghai, according to a report by a research unit of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, and other institutions.

    Other big players in Guangdong include EHang, logistics company SF Express’s drone arm Phoenix Wings, and automaker XPENG’s flying car unit ARIDGE.

    In October, Guangdong announced it plans to speed up construction of flight service stations and platforms to facilitate airspace operations and will support locally issued discount vouchers for low-altitude tourism.

    Its technology and financial hub Shenzhen has launched a 15-million-yuan ($2.1 million) award for companies that earn certifications required for passenger eVTOLs, short for “electric vertical take-off and landing” vehicles that lift off the ground like helicopters, among other incentives.

    China’s Civil Aviation Administration has granted certificates allowing EHang to offer commercial passenger services with its pilotless eVTOL, a low-altitude aircraft that can reach speeds of 130 kph (81 mph) with a maximum range of 30 kilometers (19 miles).

    EHang hasn’t launched commercial routes, but its vice president, He Tianxing, says it aims to start with aerial sightseeing services. The company has been building takeoff and landing sites in 20 Chinese cities over the past two years. He expects aircraft of various companies will be flying multiple routes, possibly after five years.

    He envisions eventual citywide networks using the rooftops of malls, schools and parks as terminals.

    “It can’t just be a research product, nor an engineer’s toy,” he said.

    The biggest challenge for developing eVTOL aircraft is maintaining longer flights and overcoming battery capacity limitations, said Guo Liming, co-founder of Shenzhen-based Skyevtol, whose single-seat manned eVTOL aircraft, priced at around $100,000, can only fly 20 to 30 minutes before it must be charged.

    It also has not all been smooth skies.

    In September, two XPENG’s eVTOL aircraft collided after a rehearsal for an exhibition and one of them caught fire while landing. The company said no one was hurt, but another expo canceled flying demonstrations a week later.

    Undeterred, XPENG has continued to showcase its flying cars, including a six-wheeled ground vehicle with a detachable eVTOL aircraft. Having invested over $600 million, the company said it has more than 7,000 global orders for its “Land Aircraft Carrier” and has begun preparing for mass production.

    A trial run of sightseeing flights in Dunhuang, a key ancient Silk Road destination famous for its Buddhist caves and dunes, is planned for next July.

    It’s unclear how quickly such aircraft might begin carrying paid passengers regularly. Some companies elsewhere have burned through their funding before reaching the commercial launch stage. In Germany, air taxi makers Lilium and Volocopter filed for bankruptcy, though the latter was later bought by Diamond Aircraft Group, a subsidiary of a Chinese firm.

    After years of commercialization, drone applications are not that widespread in China.

    Even though the country leads in drone technology and manufacturing, policy constraints including limited airspace access, may mean overseas markets are more promising, said Frank Zhou, managing director at GBA Low Altitude Technology Co., which provides technological software to clients.

    “Perhaps for some Southeast Asian countries, if I introduce these applications to them, their demand could explode,” he said.

    Less than one-third of China’s low-altitude airspace was accessible for general aviation use in 2023 and there were problems with uneven distribution and a lack of internet connectivity, Zhang, the State Information Center researcher, said in a report. The number of registered general aviation aerodromes in China, excluding private airports, was just about a tenth of those in the U.S., she said.

    Chinese policymakers are gradually working to close the gap. The military generally commands use of most Chinese airspace but has pledged to simplify approval procedures and shorten review times in Shenzhen and five other provinces.

    Proposed revisions of the civil aviation law include a chapter on development and promotion of civilian activities, addressing low-altitude airspace allocation and supervision.

    It’s still early days, said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking.

    He expects progress toward commercialization to materialize around 2030, with passenger-carrying eVTOLs for tourism or industrial purposes starting before flying taxi services. Some of the aerial products could become key exports, he said.

    China is a latecomer to the industry but now leads in developing small drones and low-altitude airspace investments, said Chen Wen-hua, director at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Research Centre for Low Altitude Economy.

    One advantage is the ruling Communist Party’s ability to mobilize regulators, industry players and universities to work toward the same goal, he said. But development of the technologies involved and safety concerns and public acceptance will determine how quickly different applications of drones and low-flying vehicles are adopted.

    The future for the low altitude economy is bright, Chen said, “however, the road leading to that bright future might be treacherous.”

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    Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.

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  • Dubai Air Show opens as local airlines likely seek more jets, defense remains a worry

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The biennial Dubai Air Show opened Monday as hometown airlines Emirates and FlyDubai likely look to increase their fleets off record earnings and unending demand for flights through this East-West travel hub.

    The air show will also see renewed interest in flying taxis, something the sheikhdom long has promised and now hopes to deliver on next year. Military sales as well remain a focus, with Russia again taking part despite facing Western sanctions over its grinding, yearslong war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Israeli firms won’t be attending over lingering anger from the devastating Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

    Emirates, the state-owned flagship airline of Dubai, earned annual profits of $5.2 billion in the last fiscal year and passenger numbers remain record-breaking at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel. The airline made a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft at the 2023 edition of the air show, which takes place at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

    FlyDubai, the lower-cost sister to Emirates, also has seen record-breaking earnings, and likely wants to expand its fleet of single-aisle aircraft. The airline currently flies 95 Boeing 737 variants, with Airbus wanting to break into the carrier’s fleet. FlyDubai ordered $11 billion worth of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at the last air show, which when delivered will be the airline’s first wide-body aircraft.

    Al Maktoum airport itself is on the agenda for Dubai’s government. It plans a $35 billion project to expand to five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, to be completed within the next decade. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport. Those additional slots coming online will help Emirates and FlyDubai grow their network, and require more aircraft to fly those routes.

    Meanwhile, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporter, plans to display its aircraft and weapons systems at a massive pavilion at the air show. The UAE has maintained economic ties and flights to Moscow despite the war on Ukraine.

    Rosoboronexport said in a statement it planned to showcase a full-scale Pantzir-SMD-E surface-to-air missile system as well. Air defense systems have taken on a new importance in the Mideast after Qatar came under attack by both Israel and Iran this year. Iran also saw its systems devastated by Israel in a 12-day war between the countries in June.

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  • Nation’s largest fleet of police Cybertrucks to patrol Las Vegas

    LAS VEGAS — The nation’s largest police fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks is set to begin patrolling the streets of Las Vegas in November thanks to a donation from a U.S. tech billionaire, raising concerns about the blurring of lines between public and private interests.

    “Welcome to the future of policing,” Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a recent press conference, surrounded by the Cybertrucks while drones hovered overhead and a police helicopter circled above him.

    The fleet of 10 black-and-white Cybertrucks of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with flashing lights and sirens are wrapped with the police department’s logo. About 400 officers have been trained to operate the trucks that will use public charging stations.

    The all-electric vehicles are equipped with shotguns, shields and ladders and additional battery capacity to better handle the demands of a police department, McMahill said.

    The donation has raised concerns from government oversight experts about private donors’ influence on public departments and the boost to the Tesla brand. The department is the latest U.S. city to turn to Tesla models even as Elon Musk ’s electric vehicle company has faced blowback because of his work earlier in the year to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal government.

    McMahill noted the trucks will help keep officers safer because they are bulletproof, while Metro’s other squad cars are not. Each Cybertruck is valued at somewhere between $80,000 and $115,000 and will be used to respond to calls like barricades and shootings in addition to regular patrols.

    The Cybertrucks also offer unique benefits such as a shorter turn radius, he said.

    “They look a little bit different than the patrol cars that we have out there, but they represent something far bigger than just a police car,” the sheriff said. “They represent innovation. They represent sustainability, and they represent our continued commitment to serve this community with the best tools that we have available, safely, efficiently and responsibly.”

    The fleet comes amid a roller coaster year for Tesla that has dealt with multiple recalls.

    In March, U.S. safety regulators recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall, which covered more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. Tesla offered to replace the panels free of charge in notification letters sent out in May.

    In late October, Tesla announced another recall of more than 63,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. because the front lights are too bright, which may cause a distraction to other drivers and increase the risk of a collision.

    Las Vegas officer Robert Wicks with the department’s public information office said all of Tesla’s recalls will have been dealt with before the Cybertrucks patrol the streets. The March recall regarding panel issues was handled before the department received the trucks, he said.

    Federal regulators also have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s self-driving feature after dozens of incidents in which the cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries.

    The Cybertrucks modified for the Las Vegas police fleet do not have any kind of self-driving feature.

    Laura Martin, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund, said the imposing trucks with their sharp angles “seems like they’re designed for intimidation and not safety.”

    “It just seems like Cybertrucks arriving on the streets of Clark County shows that Sheriff McMahill is prioritizing corporate giveaways and police militarization over real community needs,” she said.

    The donation comes after President Donald Trump earlier this year shopped for a new Tesla on the White House driveway and said he hoped his purchase would help the company as it struggled with sagging sales and declining stock prices.

    Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said now the Las Vegas fleet of another Tesla model “to patrol our communities really draws the next parallel there.”

    Haseebullah also is worried about the Cybertrucks’ surveillance abilities that the public may not be unaware of, and that the fleet might give Tesla access to police data.

    Following the explosion of a Cybertruck outside of Trump’s Las Vegas tower earlier this year, Tesla was able to provide detailed data of the driver inside, including the driver’s movements leading up to the explosion.

    Ed Obayashi, a special prosecutor in California and an expert on national and state police practices, said private donations to law enforcement is not uncommon nor illegal unless a local or state law prohibits it.

    In this case, the donation is a physical piece of equipment, and the money can’t be diverted to something else, Obayashi said. That said, he doesn’t think the trucks provide the department with a specific advantage.

    “There’s not going to be really any distinct or noticeable advantage or benefits, so to speak, other than the fact that it’s a free vehicle and it saves the taxpayers money to replace equipment,” Obayashi said.

    The Las Vegas fleet was a donation totaling about $2.7 million from Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the Silicon Valley venture capital firm known as Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, and his wife, Felicia Horowitz.

    The couple, who live in Las Vegas, have made multiple donations to the department, including between $8 million to $9 million for Project Blue Sky, the department’s implementation of drones throughout the valley. They’ve also donated funds to buy emergency call technology and license plate readers — products from companies in which Andreessen Horowitz invests.

    Ben Horowitz, who has donated to political campaigns for both Democrats and Republicans, was among the investors who backed Elon Musk’s bid to take over Twitter, now known as X.

    His venture capitalist firm also hosted McMahill and Metro Chief of Staff Mike Gennaro on a podcast in November 2024.

    Ben and Felicia Horowitz could not be reached for comment, however in a 2024 blog post, Ben Horowitz described their interest in donating to the department, stressing the importance of public safety and the difficulties public sectors have in budgeting for technology.

    McMahill said the couple wanted to make sure that Las Vegas didn’t “become California when it comes to crime.”

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  • Fast chargers are expanding quickly, but American EV drivers still fear running out of juice

    KENT, Conn. (AP) — For most Americans, there’s less reason than ever to worry about finding chargers to fuel up an electric vehicle. But charging worries remain a top hesitation for potential buyers, second only to sticker shock.

    Those concerns linger even as fast chargers multiply. More than 12,000 have been added within a mile of U.S. highways and interstates just this year, an Associated Press analysis of data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows. That’s about a fifth of quick-charging ports now in operation.

    Yet a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago finds about 4 in 10 of U.S. adults still point to range and charging time as “major” reasons they wouldn’t buy an EV. That’s significant considering only about 2 in 10 Americans say they would be “extremely” or “very” likely to make a new or used electric vehicle their next car purchase.

    That’s a perception Daphne Dixon, leader of a nonprofit that advocates for clean transportation, has been trying to fight. She has taken a coast-to-coast road trip in an EV each year since 2022. Always sporting hot pink and waving a bubblegum checkered race flag to match, Dixon posts snapshots of the charging experience along her 3,000-mile (4,828-kilometer) route, hoping to “bust” Americans’ anxiety about range and charging.

    Dixon said she has repeatedly found that “range anxiety is stuck in people’s heads,” even though the gap in price between gas and electric cars is closing and more chargers are being installed.

    “A lot of people still fear that there’s not enough chargers, but what they’re not seeing is that chargers are being put in every single day,” she said.

    Daphne Dixon stands next to her electric vehicle near a Level 2 EV charger, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Fast chargers expand, but worries remain

    Traveling on Interstate 80, the longest American interstate, a driver will encounter few stretches that are more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from a fast charger, all the way from New York City to Des Moines. Out West, coverage is spottier. But the miles on I-80 covered by fast chargers has increased by 44% since 2021, the AP analysis found.

    Drivers would have a similar experience on other major roads. Nearly 70% of the combined length of the 10 longest interstates is within 10 miles of a fast charger — up from about half just five years ago.

    Installing fast chargers is considered critical to supporting EV adoption because they can refill a fully electric vehicle in 20 minutes to an hour. Compare that to home chargers, which often take four to 10 hours.

    Daphne Dixon shows a map she uses to identify where chargers are located for her electric vehicle Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Ridgefield, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Daphne Dixon shows a map she uses to identify where chargers are located for her electric vehicle Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Ridgefield, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Daphne Dixon grabs part of a charger for her electric vehicle with a Level 2 EV charger, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Daphne Dixon grabs part of a charger for her electric vehicle with a Level 2 EV charger, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    In Dixon’s home state of Connecticut, drivers still fret about charging. In the fall, Dixon takes a shorter trip along Route 7, a scenic drive full of river bends and antiques barns. Fast chargers are scarce along the route, as they still are in many rural parts of the U.S.

    The only plug in Kent, a town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Norwalk, is an aging machine at town hall that’s long been defunct, said Lynn Mellis Worthington, chair of the town’s sustainability team.

    Connecticut’s state government plans to use $1.3 million in federal funds to install eight fast-charging plugs at two stations in New Milford, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) down Route 7 from Kent. The Trump administration sought to cancel those federal funds earlier this year, before reinstating them in August after multiple states sued over the halt of the $5 billion program. Congress had approved the funds in 2021 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

    Lynn Mellis Worthington poses for a portrait with her hybrid vehicle Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Kent, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Lynn Mellis Worthington poses for a portrait with her hybrid vehicle Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Kent, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Mellis Worthington and her husband considered an EV when they replaced their 15-year-old Pontiac Vibe this year. She said prices for cars with enough range to make her husband feel comfortable with his commute were still too high. So despite her high hopes of going full electric, they went with a hybrid instead.

    “Our next car will definitely be an EV,” she said.

    Vehicle price still top barrier for buyers

    While many are concerned about charging, price is still the reason U.S. adults most commonly gave when asked why they would not buy one, the AP-NORC/EPIC poll shows. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults said the high cost is “not a reason” for holding off on an EV purchase.

    Electric vehicles held about 8% of the U.S. market share in 2024, up from 1.9% five years prior, according to data from Atlas Public Policy.

    In the long run, owning an EV may be cheaper due to lower maintenance costs and the lower price of electricity compared to fuel in many places, said Daniel Wilkins, a policy analyst at Atlas Public Policy.

    Still, “everyday Americans are focused more on the sticker price upfront,” he said.

    A sign points to a municipal lot with a Level 2 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in North Canaan, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    A sign points to a municipal lot with a Level 2 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in North Canaan, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Daphne Dixon's electric vehicle is plugged into a Level 2 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    Daphne Dixon’s electric vehicle is plugged into a Level 2 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    And with federal incentives expiring at the end of September, the final bill for many prospective buyers has effectively increased by $7,500 for a new EV.

    Electric vehicle advocates are quick to point out the average U.S. resident drives no more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per day, according to AAA, well within the range modern EVs offer. Most electric vehicle owners, like Bloomfield resident Jim Warner and his wife, do the majority of their charging at home.

    Warner has one EV and one plug-in hybrid vehicle. He’s taken the EV, a Chevy Bolt with a roughly 250-mile (402 kilometer) range per charge, on a 400-mile (643-kilometer) trip to Maine twice since he bought it in 2022.

    “The first trip, I turned the heat off. I made sure I drove 65,” Warner said. “The second time I just drove normally and had no problem.”

    People sit in their electric vehicles while using a Level 3 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Ridgefield, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

    People sit in their electric vehicles while using a Level 3 EV charger Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Ridgefield, Conn. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

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    AP polling reporter Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.

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    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • US opens Tesla probe after more crashes involving its so-called full self-driving technology

    Federal auto safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which the electric vehicle maker’s cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometim…

    WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal auto safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which its vehicles ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and injuring people.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing dated Tuesday that it has 58 incident reports of Tesla vehicles violating traffic safety laws while operating in full self-driving mode. In reports to regulators, many of the Tesla drivers said the cars gave them no warning about the unexpected behavior.

    The probe covers 2,882,566 vehicles, essentially all Teslas equipped with full self-driving technology, or FSD, of which there are two types. Level 2 driver-assistance software, or “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” requires drivers to pay full attention to the road. The company is still testing a version that does not require driver intervention, something that the automaker’s owner and CEO Elon Musk has been promising to roll out for years.

    The new investigation follows a host of other probes into the FSD feature on Teslas, which has been blamed for several injuries and deaths. Tesla has repeatedly said the system cannot drive itself and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

    Tesla is also under investigation by NHTSA for a “summon” technology that allows drivers to tell their cars to drive to their location to pick them up, a feature that has reportedly led to some fender benders in parking lots. A probe into driver-assistance features in 2.4 million Teslas was opened last year after several crashes in fog and other low-visibility conditions, including one in which a pedestrian was killed.

    Another investigation was launched by NHTSA in August looking into why Tesla apparently has not been reporting crashes promptly to the agency as required by its rules.

    Musk is under pressure to show that the latest advances in its driver-assistance features have not only fixed such glitches but have made them so good drivers don’t even need to look out the window anymore. He recently promised to put hundreds of thousands of such self-driving Tesla cars and Tesla robotaxis on roads by the end of the next year.

    Tesla shares fell 1.4% Thursday.

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  • Ferrari reveals features of first fully electric vehicle

    MILAN — MILAN (AP) — Italian luxury sports carmaker Ferrari raised its 2025 guidance on Thursday, despite global 15% tariffs on foreign car imports to the United States, as the company unveiled the new powertrain and chassis of its first fully electric production vehicle.

    Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna declined to give target production numbers or a price for the Ferrari Elettrica, which will be delivered beginning late next year, with the design to be revealed in the spring.

    Under the carmaker’s new five-year plan, 40% of the product lineup will be the brand’s core internal combustion engines, 40% will be hybrid and 20% will be electric by 2030, with an average of four new launches a year in the period. The new business plan calls for more models with lower volumes of each.

    The fully electric vehicle Ferrari Elettrica represents a new segment that Vigna said would bring new buyers to Ferrari. It builds on 15 years of electrification research at Ferrari, starting with Formula 1 technology that was first incorporated into the limited edition La Ferrari hybrid supercar that debuted in 2013.

    To maintain the sports car feel and emotions integral to the Ferrari experience, the Elettrica will capture powertrain vibration through accelerometers on the rear axle that will be amplified to create a sports car roar. Drivers also can select five power levels using steering panels to create the sensation of continuous acceleration.

    Ferrari also is manufacturing most critical components internally, including the battery system and software. The chassis and body shell will be made out of 75% recycled aluminum, saving 6.7 tons of carbon dioxide per vehicle.

    In raising its forecast, Ferrari said that revenues this year would top 7.1 billion euros ($8.2 billion), up from more than 7 billion euros in the previous guideline. Ferrari also targets earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, of 2.7 billion euros with a margin of more than 38.3%.

    Presenting its five-year plan, the Formula 1 racing team and sports carmaker that has expanded into luxury goods is projecting net revenues of 9 billion euros by 2030 with and EBITDA of at least 3.6 billion euros on 40% margins.

    Chief Financial Officer Antonio Picca Piccon said that the confirmation of 15% tariffs on European car imports to the U.S. removed “an important element of uncertainty.” The targets were raised based on solid business performance and increased revenues from the sports car business.

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  • Ferrari reveals features of first fully electric vehicle

    MILAN — MILAN (AP) — Italian luxury sports carmaker Ferrari raised its 2025 guidance on Thursday, despite global 15% tariffs on foreign car imports to the United States, as the company unveiled the new powertrain and chassis of its first fully electric production vehicle.

    Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna declined to give target production numbers or a price for the Ferrari Elettrica, which will be delivered beginning late next year, with the design to be revealed in the spring.

    Under the carmaker’s new five-year plan, 40% of the product lineup will be the brand’s core internal combustion engines, 40% will be hybrid and 20% will be electric by 2030, with an average of four new launches a year in the period. The new business plan calls for more models with lower volumes of each.

    The fully electric vehicle Ferrari Elettrica represents a new segment that Vigna said would bring new buyers to Ferrari. It builds on 15 years of electrification research at Ferrari, starting with Formula 1 technology that was first incorporated into the limited edition La Ferrari hybrid supercar that debuted in 2013.

    To maintain the sports car feel and emotions integral to the Ferrari experience, the Elettrica will capture powertrain vibration through accelerometers on the rear axle that will be amplified to create a sports car roar. Drivers also can select five power levels using steering panels to create the sensation of continuous acceleration.

    Ferrari also is manufacturing most critical components internally, including the battery system and software. The chassis and body shell will be made out of 75% recycled aluminum, saving 6.7 tons of carbon dioxide per vehicle.

    In raising its forecast, Ferrari said that revenues this year would top 7.1 billion euros ($8.2 billion), up from more than 7 billion euros in the previous guideline. Ferrari also targets earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, of 2.7 billion euros with a margin of more than 38.3%.

    Presenting its five-year plan, the Formula 1 racing team and sports carmaker that has expanded into luxury goods is projecting net revenues of 9 billion euros by 2030 with and EBITDA of at least 3.6 billion euros on 40% margins.

    Chief Financial Officer Antonio Picca Piccon said that the confirmation of 15% tariffs on European car imports to the U.S. removed “an important element of uncertainty.” The targets were raised based on solid business performance and increased revenues from the sports car business.

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  • California police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn, but they can’t ticket

    SAN FRANCISCO — Police in Northern California were understandably perplexed when they pulled over a Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn, only to find no driver behind the wheel and therefore, no one to ticket.

    The San Bruno Police Department wrote in now viral weekend social media posts that officers were conducting a DUI operation early Saturday morning when a self-driving Waymo made the illegal turn in front of them.

    Officers stopped the vehicle, but declined to write a ticket as their “citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’.”

    “That’s right … no driver, no hands, no clue,” read the post, which was accompanied by photos of an officer peering into the car.

    Officers contacted Waymo to report what they called a “glitch,” and in the post, they said they hope reprogramming will deter more illegal moves.

    The department’s Facebook post has generated more than 500 comments, with many people outraged that police didn’t ticket the company. People also wanted to know how police got the car to pull over.

    But San Bruno Sgt. Scott Smithmatungol said they can only ticket a human driver or operator for a moving violation, unlike parking tickets that can be left with the vehicle.

    A new state law that kicks in next year will allow police to report moving violations to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is figuring out the specifics, including potential penalties, the Los Angeles Times reports.

    Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina told the LA Times that the company’s autonomous driving system is closely monitored by regulators. “We are looking into this situation and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience,” Ilina said.

    Waymos currently operate in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco and in areas south of the city, including the suburb of San Bruno.

    “It blew up a lot bigger than we thought,” Smithmatungol said of the viral post to The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We’re not a large agency like San Francisco.”

    San Bruno has about 40,000 residents and a sworn police force of 50 officers, he said.

    Waymo is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

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  • Japanese automaker Nissan is developing self-driving technology

    TOKYO — Japanese automaker Nissan is developing new self-driving technology as it works to turn around its struggling auto business.

    In a recent demonstration of the technology, set to be available in 2027, a Nissan Ariya sedan outfitted with 11 cameras, five radars and a next-generation sensor called LiDAR maneuvered its way through downtown Tokyo, braking for red lights as well as pedestrians and other cars at intersections.

    Previous Nissan self-driving technology was designed for freeway driving, where the lanes are clearly marked and easier to decipher. The new technology is designed for congested, unpredictable city streets.

    It’s an already-crowded field. The self-driving car market is estimated to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to market researcher IndustryARC, riding on the back of advances in AI, sensor technologies and data processing capabilities.

    Japan’s top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., has a partnership deal with Waymo, another self-driving technology developed by Google. Waymo has also arrived in Japan, in partnership with a cab company, but it’s still in the testing stage.

    Other automakers are also working on autonomous driving technology, including Honda Motor Co., General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, as well as companies outside the auto industry like Amazon and its subsidiary Zoox.

    Nissan’s push comes at a time when the overall Japanese auto market is facing serious challenges because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Nissan especially is struggling. It has slashed jobs and appointed a new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, to attempt a turnaround. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric cars and Infiniti luxury brand posted losses for the April-June period, following a fiscal year of red ink.

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    Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

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  • It’s ‘do or die’ for electric vehicle maker Rivian as it breaks ground on a $5B plant

    ATLANTA — It seems like a terrible time to build an electric vehicle plant in the United States, but Rivian Automotive leaders say they’re confident as the company starts long-delayed work on a $5 billion facility in Georgia.

    The money-losing California-based company breaks ground Tuesday east of Atlanta despite President Donald Trump’s successful push to roll back electric vehicle tax credits. Starting Sept. 30, buyers will no longer qualify for savings of up to $7,500 per car.

    Rivian Chief Policy Officer Alan Hoffman said the company believes it can sell electric vehicles not for environmental or tax incentive reasons, but because they’re superior.

    “We did not build this company based upon federal tax incentives,” Hoffman said. “And we’re going to prove that we’re going to be successful in the future.”

    The Georgia plant, first announced in 2021, is Rivian’s key to reaching profitability. Now the company makes the high-end R1T pickup truck and the R1S sport utility vehicle in Normal, Illinois, as well as delivery vans for Amazon and others. Its truck prices start at $71,000.

    The Illinois plant will begin making smaller R2 SUVs next year, with prices starting at $45,000. An expanded Illinois plant will be able to assemble 215,000 vehicles yearly. But if the R2 is a hit, and if Rivian successfully produces an even smaller R3, it will need more capacity. The company has said the Georgia operation will be able to make 200,000 vehicles yearly starting in 2028. It plans another 200,000 in capacity in phase two, volume that would spread fixed costs over many more vehicles.

    The projections would be a big leap from the 40,000 to 46,000 vehicles Rivian expects to deliver this year, down from 52,000 last year. The company says it’s limiting production now in part to launch 2026 models.

    “For Rivian, it’s do-or-die time,” said Alex Oyler, North American director of auto research firm SBD Automotive. “We saw with Tesla that the key to profitability is scale, and you can’t scale if your cheapest vehicle is $70,000. So they need that plant online to achieve a level of scale of R2 and ultimately R3.”

    Sales growth is slowing for electric vehicles in the United States, rising only 1.5% in 2025’s first half, according to Cox Automotive.

    Tesla accounted for almost 45% of U.S. electric vehicle sales in that period, according to Cox. But the giant is losing market share as others gain: General Motors’ slice of American EV sales has climbed to 13%. By comparison, Rivian had a 3% share in the first half of the year, behind Tesla and six traditional automakers.

    But excluding Tesla, Rivian is the most successful of the startup automakers.

    The company initially tapped a largely unfilled niche: demand for electric pickups and SUVs. But the competition now includes Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the electric Chevrolet Silverado.

    After an initial public offering in 2021, Rivian shares have fallen by more than 80%, while automaker shares overall have outpaced the broader stock market. Rivian lost $1.66 billion in 2025’s first half.

    At the same time, some automakers’ ardor for electric vehicles is cooling. Stellantis last week canceled Ram’s electric truck program. Ford has delayed production at a new Tennessee plant. And General Motors abandoned plans to build electric vehicles at a suburban Detroit plant.

    “With all the competition out there in this market and the slowing growth of EVs, it does not play in Rivian’s favor,” said Sam Fiorani, a vice president at AutoForecast Solutions. “However, there still is an EV market out there.”

    Georgia has pledged $1.5 billion of incentives to Rivian in exchange for 7,500 company jobs paying at least $56,000 a year on average. Rivian can’t benefit from most incentives unless it meets employment goals, but the state is already spending $175 million to buy and grade land and improve roads.

    Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has said he wants to make Georgia “the electric mobility capital of America,” acknowledges Rivian faces bumps, but says he remains confident the company can fulfill its promises.

    While Tesla has thousands of employees in California and Texas, some new electric vehicle plants have sputtered. Two separate EV makers that hoped to assemble vehicles in a former GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio, went bankrupt. Georgia’s Hyundai complex near Savannah is faring better, with production underway. However, a battery plant there has been delayed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arresting 475 people on site, including more than 300 South Koreans.

    Rivian was supposed to be making trucks by now at the 2,000-acre (800-hectare) site near Social Circle, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Atlanta. As the company burned through cash in 2024, it paused construction. But German automaker Volkswagen agreed to invest $5.8 billion in Rivian in exchange for software and electrical technology. And then-President Joe Biden’s administration in November agreed to loan Rivian $6.6 billion to build the Georgia plant.

    Despite the Trump administration’s hostility toward EVs, Hoffman said Rivian hopes the U.S. Department of Energy will distribute the loan money, arguing it will boost domestic manufacturing.

    Rivian also faces opposition from some residents who say the plant is an inappropriate neighbor to farms and will pollute the groundwater.

    “I planned on dying and retiring on the front porch and the biggest project in Georgia has to go next door to me, of all places in the country?” asked Eddie Clay, who lives less than a mile away. He says his well water turned mud-choked after excavation at the Rivian site.

    There are other challenges for Rivian, including tariffs costing $2,000 per vehicle, the Trump administration ending a tax-credit program that will cost the company $140 million in revenue this year, and long-term threats from low-priced, cutting-edge Chinese EVs. But Hoffman says Rivian is “in this for the long haul.”

    “We think that we can compete with anyone out there and that once given the opportunity, we’re going to excel,” he said.

    ___

    St. John reported from Detroit.

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  • Oregon could join Hawaii in mandating pay-per-mile fees for EV owners as gas tax projections fall

    Oregon could become the second U.S. state to require electric vehicle owners to enroll in a pay-per-mile program as lawmakers begin a special session Friday to fill a $300 million transportation budget hole that threatens basic services like snowplowing and road repairs.

    Legislators failed earlier this year to approve a transportation funding package. Hundreds of state workers’ jobs are in limbo, and the proposal for a road usage charge for EV drivers was left on the table.

    Hawaii in 2023 was the first state to create a mandatory road usage charge program to make up for projected decreases in fuel tax revenue due to the growing number of electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient cars. Many other states have studied the concept, and Oregon, Utah and Virginia have voluntary programs.

    The concept has promise as a long-term funding solution, experts say. Others worry about privacy concerns and discouraging people from buying EVs, which can help reduce transportation emissions.

    “This is a pretty major change,” said Liz Farmer, an analyst for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ state fiscal policy team, noting “the challenge in enacting something that’s dramatically different for most drivers.”

    Oregon’s transportation department says the budget shortfall stems from inflation, projected declines in gas tax revenue and other spending limits. Over the summer, it sent layoff notices to nearly 500 workers and announced plans to close a dozen road maintenance stations.

    Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek paused those moves and called the special session to find a solution. Republican lawmakers say the department mismanaging its money is a main issue.

    Kotek’s proposal includes an EV road usage charge that is equivalent to 5% of the state’s gas tax. It also includes raising the gas tax by 6 cents to 46 cents per gallon, among other fee increases.

    The usage charge would phase in starting in 2027 for certain EVs and expand to include hybrids in 2028. Should the gas tax increase be approved, EV drivers either would pay about 2.3 cents per mile, or choose an annual flat fee of $340. Drivers in the program wouldn’t have to pay supplemental registration fees.

    Drivers would have several options for reporting mileage to private contractors, including a smartphone app or the vehicle’s telematics technology, said Scott Boardman, policy adviser for the transportation department who works on the state’s decade-old voluntary road usage charge program.

    As of May, there were over 84,000 EVs registered in Oregon, about 2% of the state’s total vehicles, he said.

    Under Hawaii’s program, which began phasing in last month, EV drivers can pay $8 per 1,000 miles driven, capped at $50, or an annual fee of $50.

    In 2028, all EV drivers will be required to enroll in the pay-per-mile program, with odometers read at annual inspections. By 2033, the program is expected to expand to all light-duty vehicles.

    In past surveys commissioned by Oregon’s transportation department, respondents cited privacy, GPS devices and data security as concerns about road usage charges.

    Oregon’s voluntary program has sought to respond to such concerns by deleting mileage data 30 days after a payment is received, Boardman said. While plug-in GPS devices are an option in the program, transportation officials anticipate moving away from them because they’re more expensive and can be removed, he added.

    Still, not everyone has embraced a road usage charge. Arizona voters will decide next year whether to ban state and local governments from implementing a tax or fee based on miles traveled after the measure was referred to the ballot by the Republican-majority Legislature.

    Many people don’t realize that “both your vehicle and your cellphone capture immense amounts of data about your personal driving habits already,” said Brett Morgan, Oregon transportation policy director for the nonprofit Climate Solutions.

    Morgan added that road usage charges exceeding what drivers of internal combustion engines would pay in gas taxes could dissuade people from buying electric and hybrid cars. Already, federal tax incentives for EVs are set to expire under the tax and spending cut bill recently passed by the GOP-controlled Congress.

    “We are definitely supportive of a road usage charge that has EVs paying their fair share, but they should not be paying extra or a penalty,” Morgan said.

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  • Oregon could join Hawaii in mandating pay-per-mile fees for EV owners

    Oregon could become the second U.S. state to require electric vehicle owners to enroll in a pay-per-mile program as lawmakers begin a special session Friday to fill a $300 million transportation budget hole that threatens basic services like snowplowing and road repairs.

    Legislators failed earlier this year to approve a transportation funding package. Hundreds of state workers’ jobs are in limbo, and the proposal for a road usage charge for EV drivers was left on the table.

    Hawaii in 2023 was the first state to create a mandatory road usage charge program to make up for projected decreases in fuel tax revenue due to the growing number of electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient cars. Many other states have studied the concept, and Oregon, Utah and Virginia have voluntary programs.

    The concept has promise as a long-term funding solution, experts say. Others worry about privacy concerns and discouraging people from buying EVs, which can help reduce transportation emissions.

    “This is a pretty major change,” said Liz Farmer, an analyst for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ state fiscal policy team, noting “the challenge in enacting something that’s dramatically different for most drivers.”

    Oregon’s transportation department says the budget shortfall stems from inflation, projected declines in gas tax revenue and other spending limits. Over the summer, it sent layoff notices to nearly 500 workers and announced plans to close a dozen road maintenance stations.

    Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek paused those moves and called the special session to find a solution. Republican lawmakers say the department mismanaging its money is a main issue.

    Kotek’s proposal includes an EV road usage charge that is equivalent to 5% of the state’s gas tax. It also includes raising the gas tax by 6 cents to 46 cents per gallon, among other fee increases.

    The usage charge would phase in starting in 2027 for certain EVs and expand to include hybrids in 2028. Should the gas tax increase be approved, EV drivers either would pay about 2.3 cents per mile, or choose an annual flat fee of $340. Drivers in the program wouldn’t have to pay supplemental registration fees.

    Drivers would have several options for reporting mileage to private contractors, including a smartphone app or the vehicle’s telematics technology, said Scott Boardman, policy adviser for the transportation department who works on the state’s decade-old voluntary road usage charge program.

    As of May, there were over 84,000 EVs registered in Oregon, about 2% of the state’s total vehicles, he said.

    Under Hawaii’s program, which began phasing in last month, EV drivers can pay $8 per 1,000 miles driven, capped at $50, or an annual fee of $50.

    In 2028, all EV drivers will be required to enroll in the pay-per-mile program, with odometers read at annual inspections. By 2033, the program is expected to expand to all light-duty vehicles.

    In past surveys commissioned by Oregon’s transportation department, respondents cited privacy, GPS devices and data security as concerns about road usage charges.

    Oregon’s voluntary program has sought to respond to such concerns by deleting mileage data 30 days after a payment is received, Boardman said. While plug-in GPS devices are an option in the program, transportation officials anticipate moving away from them because they’re more expensive and can be removed, he added.

    Still, not everyone has embraced a road usage charge. Arizona voters will decide next year whether to ban state and local governments from implementing a tax or fee based on miles traveled after the measure was referred to the ballot by the Republican-majority Legislature.

    Many people don’t realize that “both your vehicle and your cellphone capture immense amounts of data about your personal driving habits already,” said Brett Morgan, Oregon transportation policy director for the nonprofit Climate Solutions.

    Morgan added that road usage charges exceeding what drivers of internal combustion engines would pay in gas taxes could dissuade people from buying electric and hybrid cars. Already, federal tax incentives for EVs are set to expire under the tax and spending cut bill recently passed by the GOP-controlled Congress.

    “We are definitely supportive of a road usage charge that has EVs paying their fair share, but they should not be paying extra or a penalty,” Morgan said.

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  • Japan plans automated cargo transport system to relieve shortage of drivers and cut emissions

    TOKYO (AP) — Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a “conveyor belt road” by the government, to make up for a shortage of truck drivers.

    The amount of funding for the project is not yet set. But it’s seen as one key way to help the country cope with soaring deliveries.

    A computer graphics video made by the government shows big, wheeled boxes moving along a three-lane corridor, also called an “auto flow road,” in the middle of a big highway. A trial system is due to start test runs in 2027 or early 2028, aiming for full operations by the mid-2030s.

    “We need to be innovative with the way we approach roads,” said Yuri Endo, a senior deputy director overseeing the effort at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

    Apart from making up for a shrinking labor force and the need to reduce workloads for drivers, the system also will help cut carbon emissions, she said.

    “The key concept of the auto flow-road is to create dedicated spaces within the road network for logistics, utilizing a 24-hour automated and unmanned transportation system,” Endo said.

    The plan may sound like a solution that would only work in relatively low-crime, densely populated societies like Japan, not sprawling nations like the U.S. But similar ideas are being considered in Switzerland and Great Britain. The plan in Switzerland involves an underground pathway, while the one being planned in London will be a fully automated system running on low-cost linear motors.

    In Japan, loading will be automated, using forklifts, and coordinated with airports, railways and ports.

    The boxes measure 180 centimeters in height, or nearly six feet, and are 110 centimeters, or 3.6 feet, by 110 centimeters in width and length, about the size of a big closet.

    The system, which is also intended for business deliveries, may be expanded to other routes if all goes well. Human drivers may still have to do last-mile deliveries to people’s doors, although driverless technology may be used in the future.

    Japan’s shortage of truck drivers is worsening due to laws that took effect earlier this year that limit the amount of overtime drivers can log. That’s seen as necessary to avoid overwork and accidents and to make the jobs tolerable, but in Japanese logistics, government and transportation circles, it’s known as the “2024 problem.”

    Under current conditions, Japan’s overall transport capacity will plunge by 34% by 2030, according to government estimates. The domestic transport capacity stands at about 4.3 billion metric tons, almost all, or more than 91%, by trucks, according to the Japan Trucking Association.

    That’s a fraction of what’s moving in a massive country like the U.S. About 5.2 trillion ton-miles of freight are transported in the United States each year, and that’s projected to reach more than 8 trillion ton-miles of freight by 2050. A ton-mile measures the amount of freight shipped and how far it’s moved, with the standard unit being one ton being moved one mile.

    Demand for deliveries from online shopping surged during the pandemic, with users jumping from about 40% of Japanese households to more than 60%, according to government data, even as the overall population keeps declining as the birth rate falls.

    As is true in most places, truck drivers have tough jobs requiring them to be on the road for days at a time, work that most jobseekers find unappealing.

    In recent years, annual fatalities from delivery trucks crashing on roads have hovered at about 1,000 deaths. That’s improved from nearly 2,000 deaths in 2010, but the Trucking Association, which groups some 400 trucking businesses and organizations in the nation, would like to make deliveries even safer.

    The association is also urging consumers to hold back on delivery orders or at least bundle their orders. Some industry experts are urging businesses to limit free delivery offers.

    Trucks carry about 90% of Japan’s cargo, and about 60% of Japan’s fresh produce, like fruits and vegetables, come from distant places requiring trucking, according to Yuji Yano, a professor at the Ryutsu Keizai University, which is funded? by deliveries giant Nippon Express Co., now called NX Holdings, and focuses on economics and liberal arts studies, including trucking problems.

    “That means the 2024 problem isn’t just a transportation problem but really a people’s problem,” Yano said.

    ___

    Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama

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