
-
Europe riled, but plans cool-headed response to Trump's tariffs
-
'Shenmue' voted most influential video game ever in UK poll
-
New coal capacity hit 20-year low in 2024: report
-
Revealed: Why monkeys are better at yodelling than humans
-
Key details on Trump's market-shaking tariffs
-
'A little tough love': Top quotes from Trump tariff talk
-
US business groups voice dismay at Trump's new tariffs
-
Grealish dedicates Man City goal to late brother
-
US tariffs take aim everywhere, including uninhabited islands
-
Trump sparks trade war with sweeping global tariffs
-
Israeli strikes hit Damascus, central Syria; monitor says 4 dead
-
Slot 'hates' offside rule that gave Liverpool win over Everton
-
US stocks end up, but volatility ahead after latest Trump tariffs
-
Barca oust Atletico to set up Clasico Copa del Rey final
-
Mourinho grabs Galatasaray coach's face after losing Istanbul derby
-
Grealish strikes early as Man City move up to fourth in Premier League
-
Reims edge out fourth-tier Cannes to set up PSG French Cup final
-
Liverpool beat Everton as title looms, Man City win without Haaland
-
Jota wins bad-tempered derby as Liverpool move 12 points clear
-
Inter and Milan level in derby Italian Cup semi
-
Stuttgart beat Leipzig to reach German Cup final
-
Trump unveils sweeping global tariffs
-
Italian director Nanni Moretti in hospital after heart attack: media
-
LIV Golf stars playing at Doral with Masters on their minds
-
Trump unveils sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs
-
Most deadly 2024 hurricane names retired from use: UN agency
-
Boeing chief reports progress to Senate panel after 'serious missteps'
-
Is Musk's political career descending to Earth?
-
On Mexico-US border, Trump's 'Liberation Day' brings fears for future
-
Starbucks faces new hot spill lawsuit weeks after $50mn ruling
-
Ally of Pope Francis elected France's top bishop
-
'Determined' Buttler leads Gujarat to IPL win over Bengaluru
-
US judge dismisses corruption case against New York mayor
-
Left-wing party pulls ahead in Greenland municipal elections
-
Blistering Buttler leads Gujarat to IPL win over Bengaluru
-
Tesla sales slump as pressure piles on Musk
-
Amazon makes last-minute bid for TikTok: report
-
Canada Conservative leader warns Trump could break future trade deal
-
British band Muse cancels planned Istanbul gig
-
'I'll be back' vows Haaland after injury blow
-
Trump to unveil 'Liberation Day' tariffs as world braces
-
New coach Edwards adamant England can win women's cricket World Cup
-
Military confrontation 'almost inevitable' if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM
-
US stocks advance ahead of looming Trump tariffs
-
Scramble for food aid in Myanmar city near quake epicentre
-
American Neilson Powless fools Visma to win Across Flanders
-
NATO chief says alliance with US 'there to stay'
-
Myanmar junta declares quake ceasefire as survivors plead for aid
-
American Neilson Powless fools Visma to win Around Flanders
-
Tesla first quarter sales sink amid anger over Musk politics

Cheap mini-EVs sparkle in China's smaller, poorer cities
Tiny electric cars weave through traffic in southern China, their cheap and cheerful designs bringing a touch of colour to the EV revolution in the country's overlooked cities.
China is the world's largest market for electric vehicles (EVs), with premium models by Tesla and homegrown giant BYD a common sight in the nation's affluent megacities.
But in a growing number of less-developed areas, the face of greener transport is the Wuling Hongguang Mini -- a dinky two-door runaround that sells for a fraction of the price.
China's most popular EV to date, it has sold more than 1.2 million units, often to consumers with lower incomes in provincial cities and smaller towns.
"This car is small and convenient, easy to park and charge, and it's cheap -- that's why I chose it," a driver surnamed Cao told AFP as she loaded shopping bags into her vehicle in Liuzhou, in the southern Guangxi region.
"(It is) mainly used for picking up the kids, grocery shopping and work commutes," the 47-year-old said.
Liuzhou, a city of around four million people, is more famous in China for misty mountains and pungent river-snail noodles than advanced technology.
But its locally made mini-EVs are proving a breakout success, and authorities have responded by providing charging stations, discounted parking spots and preferential policies for buyers.
Driver Tang Wenhui said he barely considered the environmental benefits when he and his family paid around 60,000 yuan ($8,300) -- the equivalent of a year's wages -- for a new Wuling a year ago.
"I just wanted something to get me around town... not necessarily to travel long distances," the 23-year-old programmer told AFP.
"As a fresh graduate, it's just made life a bit easier."
- 'Style accessory' -
According to company specifications, the latest Hongguang Mini is around three metres (9.8 feet) long and less than 1.5 metres wide, seats four people and contains a lithium battery that runs for up to 215 kilometres (134 miles) on a single charge.
Prices start at 41,800 yuan ($5,800), but older editions sell for around 30,000 yuan –- an eighth of what Tesla's flagship Model 3 costs.
Wuling is not the only player in the sector, with domestic automakers Dongfeng Motor, Chery and Geely all producing their own miniature EVs.
But Wuling has given itself some staying power by nurturing a devoted community of younger female fans calling themselves "Wuling girls".
The cars embrace cuteness with pastel-pink and lemon-yellow bodywork, with editions named after French pastries and Japanese gaming consoles.
And many buyers spend additional sums to personalise their motors with brightly coloured polka dots, racing stripes and anime cartoons.
Cao's ruby-red car is adorned with a large white decal in the shape of Mickey Mouse alongside smaller stickers of other cartoon characters.
"I feel it's cute," the Liuzhou resident told AFP as she recharged her car near the riverside, adding that her friends had done the same.
Tu Le, founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, said the affordability meant "many people in smaller cities tend to treat them less as a vehicle and more as a style accessory".
"That's why it's popular to purchase aftermarket products to decorate them and make them more unique," he said. "But they are still able to provide transportation to their buyers for their daily commute."
- Leading the charge -
China views new-energy vehicles as a critical emerging industry and has ramped up state support as it seeks to make its economy more self-sufficient and based on high-end manufacturing.
The sector is also an important component of Beijing's pledge to bring emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide to a peak by 2030 and reduce them to net zero by 2060.
The domestic industry hit an inflection point when homegrown giant BYD dethroned Elon Musk's Tesla as the world's top EV seller in the fourth quarter of last year.
But lower-end cars like the Hongguang Mini are "extremely important for the China market", said Tu of Sino Auto Insights.
Online, some prospective buyers voice concern that the cars may not be safe, pointing to their lightweight construction and the lack of airbags and other features in older models.
A lack of charging infrastructure in many smaller cities and long-running struggles by some automakers to make the cars profitable also cloud the sector's future.
Still, Tu said, the cars help to rein in a global trend towards bigger, gas-guzzling cars that make traffic and pollution worse.
And they "create options for those that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford their own transportation", he told AFP.
J.Williams--AMWN