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Afghanistan’s gross domestic product could see a contraction of up to 30% following the Taliban takeover, the IMF said in its latest regional economic report.

Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia department, said the country’s situation was deteriorating, even before Kabul fell.

“They were facing more than one shock — drought, Covid,” he told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble. “Therefore, what we foresee and fear is a sharp contraction.”

The report also noted that non-humanitarian aid has been halted, foreign assets mostly frozen and Afghan banks have been crippled by cash shortages after the Taliban returned to power.

“These shocks could cause a 20–30 percent output contraction, with falling imports, a depreciating Afghani, and accelerating inflation,” the report said. “The resulting drop in living standards threatens to push millions into poverty and could lead to a humanitarian crisis.”

TOPSHOT – A man carries shrubs on a wheelbarrow in Injil district of Herat Province, Afghanistan on October 18, 2021.
Hoshang Hashimi HASHIMI | AFP | Getty Images

Additionally, “the turmoil is fueling a surge in Afghan refugees” that could burden public resources in refugee-hosting countries, pressure the labor market and create social tensions, the IMF said, highlighting the need for assistance from the international community.

The G-20 last week pledged to help tackle the crisis in Afghanistan.

Azour said the IMF welcomes the international community’s scaled-up humanitarian aid, and said there should be a focus on education and health services.

Economic outlook

The International Monetary Fund also incrementally raised its outlook for the Middle East and North Africa region.

It expects real GDP to grow 4.1% in 2021 and 2022, up 0.1 percentage points and 0.4 percentage points respectively from its April projection.

In the Caucasus and Central Asia, real GDP is expected to grow 4.3% in 2021 and 4.1% in 2022.

But the recoveries remain “divergent” and will be shaped by several factors including Covid-19 vaccination rates and high oil prices, the IMF predicts.

“Not all countries are growing at the same speed, and issues are still looming on the horizon,” said Azour.

Affluent countries in the region have been able to speedily vaccinate their populations against Covid, while lower-income nations have faced “delayed and uneven” deliveries of vaccines.

Those that have higher vaccination rates will be more resilient to the emergence of new variants, the report said.

“We will not see good level of vaccination before mid 2022, which will also hurt the regional growth altogether,” Azour said.

He also said oil prices will benefit exporters but increase inflation, which will hurt low-income earners.

U.S. crude futures were up 0.7% at $83.02 per barrel, while Brent crude futures gained 0.56% to trade at $84.80 per barrel on Tuesday afternoon in Asia.

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Meet the Porsche Taycan Black Edition, now with more power and longer driving range

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Meet the Porsche Taycan Black Edition, now with more power and longer driving range

Porsche is rolling out three new Taycan Black Edition models. The 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition brings more than just a sporty new look. All three are equipped with Porsche’s Performance Battery Plus, delivering more power and a longer driving range.

Meet the 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition

With the new electric Macan stealing the show, Porsche is introducing new Taycan variants for the 2026 model year.

Porsche has already introduced significant upgrades for the 2025 model year, adding more driving range, faster charging, higher performance, and a sleek new design.

The new Black Edition variants will be available for the 2026 Porsche Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S models.

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Featuring its SportDesign package, the new models include high-gloss black exterior accents on the window trims and mirrors.

Other standard design elements include a rear light strip with an illuminated, blacked-out Porsche logo. Inside, the new variants include Porsche’s black interior accent package, storage package, and black brushed illuminated door sill guards.

Porsche-Taycan-Black-Edition
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition (Source: Porsche)

All three Black Edition models are equipped with the larger Performance Battery Plus, which is typically offered as an option.

With a gross energy capacity of 105 kWh, Porsche says the new variants offer a longer driving range and more power. The 2025 Taycan, with the Performance Battery Plus pack, offers an EPA-estimated range of 318 miles.

On the European WLTP scale, the 2025 Porsche Taycan with the Performance Plus battery is rated with up to 679 km (421 miles) range.

Porsche-Taycan-Black-Edition
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition (Source: Porsche)

The new Black Edition models are loaded with added features. Highlights include Lane Change Assist, Surround View, including Active Parking Assist, 21″ wheels with center caps featuring the full-color Porsche crest, and HD-Matrix Design LED headlights. There are even puddle light projectors that show the Porsche logo when the doors open.

Porsche-Taycan-Black-Edition
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition interior (Source: Porsche)

On the inside, the premium features continue. The Black Edition interior features 14-way comfort seats with a memory function, a Porsche crest on the headrests, and a BOSE Surround Sound System, including Dolby Atmos, to create an immersive sound experience.

You’ll also get Porsche Electric Sport Sound, a Storage package, and the Porsche crest stitched into the leather trim. To top it off, there’s an added “Black Edition” badge in the center console, exclusive to the new variants.

Although it’s called the Black Edition, you can choose from several different colors, such as Jet Black Metallic, Volcano Grey Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic, and Ice Grey Metallic, at no extra cost.

Porsche will reveal prices for the 2026 Taycan Black Edition models “in due course.” Deliveries in the US are expected to begin in Fall 2025.

What do you think of the new blacked-out Taycan variants? Do you dig it? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

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Aventon launches Aventure M, a mid-drive fat tire e-bike with auto-shifting

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Aventon launches Aventure M, a mid-drive fat tire e-bike with auto-shifting

Aventon is giving its popular fat tire e-bike a serious upgrade. The company just unveiled the Aventure M, a new mid-drive version of its best-selling Aventure model. With more torque, smarter shifting, and a boost in connectivity and control, Aventon says this is the “most advanced” bike it has ever produced.

The new Aventure M swaps out the rear hub motor for a 100 Nm mid-drive motor, offering more efficient power delivery and a more natural ride feel thanks to its double-sided torque sensor. And in case that 100 Nm doesn’t exactly place it for you, just know that we’re talking about more power (or more accurately, torque) than nearly any other e-bike in this class.

The Aventon A100 motor, which is rated at 750W and runs on a 36V system, takes full advantage of its Class 3 category with pedal assist speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h) and a throttle top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). The throttle is sold separately, probably as a nod to being even more compliant with California’s new stricter laws regarding Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes, which can’t have mounted throttles.

Aventon also gives riders the option to set the bike to Class 1 or 2 limits using the companion app. We’ve always been pretty impressed with Aventon’s app, as it’s quite easy to use and makes it simple to control those types of modifications to the bike.

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That app pairs with Aventon’s newly developed ACU (Aventon Control Unit), a custom IoT system that adds a wide range of smart features. Riders get GPS tracking, theft detection, geofencing, remote locking, and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. Aventon even built in a passcode-locked on-switch for added security, as well as a physical rear-wheel lock and alarm.

We’ve previously seen Aventon use that OTA update system to give its e-bike more power via a boost feature, so the company doesn’t appear shy about pushing out new features when they’re ready.

But it’s not just about motor placement and connectivity. The Aventure M introduces electronic shifting, powered by a 10-speed Shimano CUES drivetrain and paddle shifters. Riders can shift manually or let the system take over with Auto Shift, Aventon’s torque and cadence-sensing automatic shifting mode. A new Uphill Start Assist feature gives riders an extra torque boost when starting from a stop on steep grades –perfect for off-road adventures or fully loaded cargo rides.

As for range, Aventon claims up to 85 miles (137 km) from the removable 36V 20Ah (720 Wh) battery, which itself weighs around 8.7 lbs (3.9 kg). That figure is in the lowest power level, and real-world range will depend heavily on terrain and assist level, but riders can likely expect something in the 40–60 mile (65-100 km) ballpark under typical pedaling usage when enjoying moderately higher power levels, and a bit less if leaning hard into that optional throttle.

Rounding out the build are 4-inch wide fat tires, a suspension seatpost, and an 80 mm front suspension fork. The total weight of the bike is around 73 lbs (33 kg), which is actually surprisingly reasonable for a full-featured fat tire e-bike with a mid-drive, believe it or not. Hey, these are heavy bikes when you stuff all that power, range, and tech in there.

The price at launch is US $2,899, which places the Aventure M above the hub motor version of the company’s existing Aventure model but below some other mid-drive fat tire options on the market. Aventon is clearly positioning this as a higher-performance alternative that’s still (hopefully) accessible to the average rider. It’s available now online and through Aventon’s network of over 1,800 partner dealers across the U.S.

Electrek’s Take

It’s about time we saw a major direct-to-consumer brand bring a smart tech, mid-drive fat tire e-bike to market that doesn’t require taking out a second mortgage. The Aventure M feels like a natural progression for Aventon – taking what made the Aventure 2 so popular and layering on meaningful performance and tech upgrades. The mid-drive motor brings real climbing power and smoother pedal assist, and features like auto shifting and built-in GPS tracking give this bike some serious smart credentials.

Of course, at nearly $3,000, this isn’t exactly budget territory anymore. But considering the Aventure M includes high-end components, a full-fat-tire adventure build, and an impressive level of integration, it still looks like a solid value for someone who wants their e-bike to go above and beyond the basic level of componentry and features. If the real-world range holds up and the automatic shifting works smoothly, this could easily become a category leader for anyone wanting an all-terrain e-bike that feels as refined as it is rugged. Aventon of course didn’t reinvent the wheel here — they just made a smarter, better one. I look forward to getting on one soon for a review and letting you know what I think of the ride.

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China’s new self-driving electric scooter shows off performance

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China's new self-driving electric scooter shows off performance

Move over, ordinary scooters – there’s a new contender packed with features that seem to rival the latest in automotive tech. Omoway, a fresh face in the electric two-wheeler space founded by former Xpeng execs, has just unveiled the Omo X, a scooter full of premium tech features that blur the lines between e-scooter and self-driving EV.

At its recent launch in Jakarta, the Omo X didn’t just sit pretty center stage, it actually drove itself onto the stage using its “Halo Pilot” system, which apparently comes complete with adaptive cruise control, remote summon, self-parking, and even automatic reversing and self-balancing at low speeds. This is legit autonomous behavior previously reserved for cars, now shrunk down and smoothed out for a two-wheeler.

Under the hood – or rather, behind the sleek bodywork – Omoway’s Halo architecture delivers collision warning, emergency-brake assist, blind spot monitoring, and V2V communication.

The frame is modular, too. It can be reconfigured in step-through, straddle, or touring posture to suit casual riders, commuters, and motorcycle wannabes alike. That kind of flexibility isn’t just a marketing gimmick, but rather it looks purpose-built to capture diverse motorcycle-heavy markets like Indonesia, which counts over 120 million two-wheelers and is quickly transitioning to electric models, with sales surging nearly 400% in 2024, though adoption remains early-stage.

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We don’t have full specs or pricing yet, but early reports point to a launch in early 2026, with a projected price around €3,500 (roughly $3,800), positioning it above entry-level but below premium e-moto territory. That puts Omoway in a unique space: not asking riders to settle for barebones utility, but also not charging premium-badge luxury pricing either.

So what’s the trade-off?

On the plus side, the Omo X is the boldest statement we’ve seen from a fresh OEM in years. It’s tech-rich, head-turning, and seems built to evolve with software updates. The remote summon and AI-assisted features could genuinely simplify urban mobility, and tricks like automatically driving itself to a charging station sound legitimately useful.

But bleeding-edge autonomous tech like that also threatens to weigh it down, somewhat literally, but more so conceptually. Even “normal” modern electric scooters can face headwinds in production, and they aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel with self-driving or self-balancing. Omoway’s vision here will have to carry extra sensors, actuators, and redundant systems to support those smart functions. With added costs and complexity, will riders in developing markets pay a premium, carry extra maintenance risk, or worry about obsolescence? Much hinges on Omoway’s software support and local service networks.

Then there’s the question of necessity. Southeast Asian scooter culture prizes simplicity, affordability, and ruggedness – features not always associated with cutting-edge tech bundles. And in regions like North America or Europe, where EV scooter culture is small yet growing and infrastructure isn’t universal, adoption may hinge on support for charging, service, and safety standards.

Still, this is a bold move from a brand that isn’t afraid to think big will always be refreshing. With a seed round backed by Sequoia and ZhenFund, plus a team sourced from Xpeng and automotive-grade supply chains, Omoway clearly has both the ambition and capacity to scale. And while Indonesia may have been the launchpad, global markets aren’t off the table.

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