All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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New design of traffic lanes for drivers in Pennsylvania

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Braking traffic regulations and speeding are common in all parts of the world, often leading to accidents that can cause death. Many cities try to prevent this in different ways, and one city in Pennsylvania decided to draw zigzag lines to force drivers to drive slower.

This street is located in the suburbs and residents have welcomed this decision of the authorities, because they have already reported drivers for speeding. Grays Lane can be used as a shortcut between two major roads, and those who do not use it will drive up to 2.4 kilometers longer, depending on where they are traveling.

Although drivers currently ignore the lines and drive straight, this will soon change. The plan is to place plastic poles on the lines, which will force drivers to slow down and follow the line. By the way, the population of this small town is about 25,000.

These changes could reduce traffic on this street, and those who still decide to use it will definitely drive slower.

Source: CBS News

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Honda is replacing 30% of production workers at its Chinese plant with robots

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The development of artificial intelligence and the use of robots in the automotive industry is on the rise, and one of the manufacturers that has made a big step in replacing human labor with robots is Honda. The Japanese manufacturer announced that almost a third of the production workers at its plant in China will be laid off and their positions will be taken by robots.

In China, Honda produces the all-electric Ye P7, and the plant in China uses automated guided vehicles or AGVs to transport various components in its factory, including heavy batteries. The manufacturer is trying to reduce costs as much as possible, so the use of AI technology is of great importance to achieving this goal.

China is the largest market for electric cars, and their manufacturers are far ahead of all others, although most others. The Japanese manufacturer is one of them that is trying to keep up with the competition, and their model Ye P7, which is produced in China, is one of the company’s hopes.

The Ye P7 is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor with 272 hp and has rear-wheel drive. It is equipped with an 89.8 kWh battery that provides a range of 650 kilometers on a single charge. Customers can also choose a version with two electric motors with 476 hp and all-wheel drive, which thanks to the same battery has a range of 620 kilometers.

Source: Reuters

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Volkswagen ID.4 was Europe’s best selling EV in January

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Although 2024 was full of challenges and uncertainties in the automotive industry, car sales on the old continent grew by 0.8% (10.6 million), compared to 2023. However, the beginning of 2025 did not continue on that path. In January, 1.9% fewer cars (993,068 units) were registered.

If we look at individual brands, Volkswagen is the leader with 112,000 new vehicles sold (+17 percent compared to January 2024), which is an outstanding result because second-place Toyota sold only 69,966 units. It should also be noted that other brands, such as BMW with 59,859 vehicles sold or Skoda with 58,959 registrations, had a successful start to the year. Skoda could even overtake the Bavarian manufacturer by the end of 2025.

Volkswagen’s biggest assets were its ID models, such as the Volkswagen ID.4, which became the best-selling electric car in Europe with a growth of almost 200 percent, leaving behind the Tesla Model Y. As for other models, the Volkswagen ID.7 came in third with a growth of 657 percent, while the KIA EV3 finished in fourth place. Among small electric cars, the Dacia Spring achieved good results, which was seventh, and the new Renault 5 in eighth place.

The biggest loser was Tesla, with only 9,913 units sold, which is 45 percent less than in January 2024. This was mainly due to Elon Musk’s controversial statements and lower demand for the Model Y.

Source: Jato Dynamics