In the middle of 2019, London was sweltering through a heatwave. Temperature records tumbled. Frail, ill and elderly people died in their hundreds. In a city not built for heat, trains were brought to a halt. Railway lines threatened to buckle and sagging power lines caused spot fires along the tracks. Across the channel, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany also hit record temperatures. During the hottest week in late July, the then global chief executive of one of the world’s worst polluters was preparing to take the stage at a…
Tag: Electric vehicles
Carmakers may be using aluminium made by Uyghur forced labour, NGO investigation finds
Car manufacturers Toyota, Volkswagen, Tesla, General Motors and BYD may be using aluminium made by Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains and could do more to minimise that risk, Human Rights Watch says. An investigation conducted by HRW has alleged that while most automotive companies have strict human rights standards to audit their global supply chains, they may not be applying the same rigorous sourcing rules for their operations inside China. This includes joint venture companies inside China that make models for foreign brands for just the local market…
Australia politics live: no vote came from ‘grievance camp’, Labor MP says; trade minister to urge China to review wine tariffs
From 1h ago No vote came from ‘grievance camp’, Labor MP says Marion Scrymgour: With the failure of the referendum, we are stuck with a Constitution built on a deliberate plan for exclusion and discrimination by way of race, which still retains a race power rather than a mechanism for recognising the special relationship the commonwealth government must have with its First People as a result of the way this continent was colonised. That is something which we are all going to have to accept and do our best to…
Hopes launch of new electric car could spark price war in Australia
The launch of a new electric car this week in Queensland could start a price battle among other manufacturers and make the technology accessible to a wider audience. But market experts warn that Australia still needs better policies to ensure the competition takes hold and more consumer education about the ultimate price – and price savings – of the new vehicles. BYD’s latest launch, called the Dolphin, set for Thursday on the Gold Coast, triggered speculation after the company promised it would deliver “the most affordable, high-quality EV launched in…
China takes great leap forward in Australia’s car market with EVs leading the charge
China is rapidly becoming one of the largest sources of new cars for Australian buyers with Chinese carmakers’ increasing dominance of electric vehicle sales in their home market potentially accelerating the transition off fossil-fuel powered transport. In 2022, sales of Chinese-made vehicles in Australia totalled 122,845 units, a 61.1% increase on the previous year, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data. In December, imports from China were more than double a year earlier. The increase made China the fourth-largest import source, narrowing the gap with larger rivals. Cars sourced…