The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria.
Ramzi Boudina | Reuters
The United Arab Emirates does not intend to leave the influential OPEC oil alliance at this time, two senior officials with knowledge of the matter told CNBC, after a recent report signaled internal talks over such a departure.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to publicly discuss the topic. The UAE oil ministry and Adnoc, the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates, did not immediately respond to CNBC requests for comment.
On March 3, the Wall Street Journal reported that rising political disagreements between OPEC+ chair Saudi Arabia and the UAE have once more sparked questions over the latter’s future in the producers’ coalition.
Such a departure would remove the cooperation of the third-largest producer of the OPEC subgroup and hint at further disunity within the alliance after the recent exits of Ecuador and Qatar — at a time when oil prices remain trapped between limited global spare capacity and potential demand increases from a reopening China.
The Brent contract with May expiry was trading at $84.76 per barrel at 1 p.m. London time, down by $1.07 per barrel from the previous close price. The front-month Nymex WTI contract was at $78.72 per barrel, lower by 96 cents per barrel from the previous settlement price.
Abu Dhabi has historically been a staunch ally of Saudi Arabia in OPEC dynamics and, alongside Kuwait and Riyadh, shaped the informal Gulf trifecta that has occasionally stepped in to assist group policies with additional, voluntary production cuts. Beyond oil strategy, the close ties between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have started to show some strain, as the two countries have diverging aims in the conflict in Yemen and vie for foreign investment.
Oil divisions first emerged in the summer of 2021, a year into a spartan Saudi-led production strategy to drastically lower OPEC+ output in response to the Covid-19 demand shock for transport fuels. OPEC+ decisions require unanimous endorsement, and the UAE at the time exercised its veto to hold up a group meeting until it earned a concession that it — alongside Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq — should receive a higher production “baseline.” Baselines are the reference level that determine the starting point for a country’s pro-rata contribution to OPEC+ collective cuts or increases. The higher the baseline, the higher the level to which an OPEC+ member country may produce without violating its commitments.
Individual members’ bids to increase their OPEC+ quotas have largely died down in recent months, as underinvestment, sanctions, sabotage and infrastructural collapse saw the quotas of several countries surpass their production capacity. The UAE is one of a handful of OPEC+ members that has remaining spare capacity and is working to bolster it. Paris-based watchdog, the International Energy Agency, found that the Emirates’ most recently produced 3.23 million barrels per day in February, well below its country’s IEA-assessed sustainable capacity of 4.12 million barrels per day. Abu Dhabi is working to hike its spare capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2027.
The tense discussions of 2021 sparked questions of potential pressure that the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company could be exercising on the oil ministry to reduce oil cuts that rein in national revenues. Three sources indicated to CNBC that there is currently no friction between Adnoc and the ministry over the UAE’s ongoing participation in OPEC+. The two organizations are fully aligned, one of the sources said.
Striking a balance between the profit priorities of national oil companies and the OPEC+ loyalties of oil ministries often epitomizes the challenge that OPEC+ member countries face to choose between short and long-term gains. The coordination between the two entities is seamless in some countries: Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled Aramco typically awaits the conclusion of OPEC+ meetings before releasing its official formula prices to customers at the start of the month.
Adnoc is in a cycle of growing and diversifying the reach of its business. The company is expected to float 5% of its Adnoc Gas business in a highly anticipated public offering and begin trading on March 13. Adnoc is also looking to open a full-fledged Geneva office for its trading subsidiary on an uncertain timeline.
Taiwanese smart-scooter pioneer Gogoro is taking a step into more accessible territory with its newest model, the Ezzy. The company hopes to leverage its massive lead in battery-swapping technology while also bringing its smart scooters to a broader audience by lowering its price point.
Designed as a no-frills, budget-friendly ride that doesn’t skimp on modern conveniences, Ezzy is priced around NT$59,980 (around US $2,000). Once you add in the government subsidies from its native Taiwan, that price drops below NT$30,000 (around US $1,000). For Gogoro, this is the smartscooter distilled to its essential core: practical, connected, and ready for daily life.
The Ezzy looks like it is trying to build on Gogoro’s success with its 2024 Jego launch, the company’s previous forray into lower cost electric scooters. The Jego was a massive success and wound up resulting in around 40% of the company’s sales. Now the Ezzy looks to keep the good vibes rolling in a sleek, compact, and intuitive package.
The scooter features a rounded, minimalist body with a durable front panel and straightforward controls. Practicality is the guiding principle: a 68 cm (27 inch) long seat, spacious footwell, and a 28 liter (7.4 gallon) under-seat storage compartment, which the company says is large enough for two helmets – if they’re a 3/4 and a half helmet. Put it all together, and the features sound like they should make the Ezzy ideal for urban errands or weekend jaunts. Add in a built-in cupholder and flip-out footrests, and you’ve got a scooter designed to seamlessly slot into everyday routines with one or two riders aboard.
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The design is cute, but it’s under the panels where Gogoro usually tries to set itself apart. Ezzy is powered by a new hub motor capable of speeds up to 68 km/h (42 mph), high enough for city traffic while keeping maintenance low. The last time I was scootering around in Taipei, those speeds felt like plenty on the congested streets.
And while Gogoro’s scooters have long been impressive, the most important part of the company’s offerings isn’t even its rides, it’s how they’re powered. Ezzy integrates directly into Gogoro’s famed battery-swapping network, which includes thousands of swap stations around Taiwan.
Riders can skip charging downtime by swapping depleted packs at GoStation kiosks, which regularly see hundreds of thousands of battery swaps every day.
Electrek’s Take
In terms of performance, Ezzy strikes a balance. It’s not built for speed demons, but it likely won’t bog down in traffic either. It’s not overflowing with gadgets, yet includes thoughtful features that matter – cup holder, flip-out footrests, and room for two helmets. At around US $2,000 retail before subsidies, it’s clearly aimed at broadening access to smart two-wheeling in dense cities. And since the combustion engine scooters still dominate cities in most countries, making electric alternatives more affordable is a key part of displacing those heavy polluters.
This feels less like a normal launch and more like a strategic pivot for Gogoro. While the company’s premium Smartscooters – like the sports car-inspired Pulse or high-performance SuperSport – are impressive, they’re also spendy and niche. Ezzy, by contrast, looks like what Gogoro might want every city overpopulated by cars to embrace: a stylish, comfortable, and economical electric scooter that’s accessible to the masses.
It’s still early days and Gogoro hasn’t confirmed availability beyond Taiwan, but enthusiasm for affordable, swappable-battery electric scooters is growing. If Ezzy finds even moderate success in its initial market, it could pave the way for Gogoro to expand its smart ecosystem deeper into urban centers worldwide.
In short, Ezzy may not be a headline-grabbing performance machine, but that’s exactly the point. Sometimes progress happens not with fireworks, but with smart, thoughtful moves that make electric mobility more attainable for everyone. And that’s an evolution worth riding along with.
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The e-bike industry in the West has long been a tale of two territories. North Americans enjoy higher speeds and power limits for their electric bicycles while Europeans are held to much stricter (i.e. slower and lower) speed and power limits. However, things might change based on current discussions on rewriting European e-bike regulations.
New power levels are not totally without precedent, either. The UK briefly considered doubling its own e-bike power limit from 250 watts (approximately 1/3 horsepower) to 500 watts, though the move was ultimately abandoned.
But this time, the call for more power is coming from within the house – i.e., Germany. The Germans are the undisputed leaders and trend setters in the European e-bike market, accounting for around two million sales of e-bikes per year. Home to leading e-bike drive makers like Bosch, the country has yet another advantage when it comes to making – or regulating – waves in the industry.
And while there aren’t any pending law changes, the largest German trade organization ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), which is highly influential in achieving such changes, is now discussing what it believes could be pertinent updates to current EU electric bike regulations.
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Some of the new regulations involve creating rules maxing out power at levels such as 400% or 600% of the human pedaling input. But a key component of the proposed plan includes changing the present day power limit of e-bikes from 250W of continuous power at the motor to 750W of peak power at the drive wheel.
The difference includes some nuance, since continuous power is often considered more of a nominal figure, meaning nearly every e-bike motor in Europe wears a “250W” or less sticker despite often outputting a higher level of peak power. Even Bosch, which has to walk the tight and narrow as a leader in the European e-bike drive market, shared that its newest models of motors are capable of peak power ratings in the 600W level. That’s still far from the commonly 1,000W to 1,300W peak power seen in US e-bike motors, but offers a nice boost over an actual 250W motor.
Other new regulations up for discussion include proposals to limit fully-loaded cargo e-bike weights to either 250 kg (550 lb) for two-wheelers or 300 kg (660 lb) for e-bikes with more than two wheels. As road.cc explained, ZIV also noted that, “separate framework conditions and parameters must be defined for cargo bikes weighing more than 300 kg (see EN 17860-4:2025) as they differ significantly from EPACs and bicycles in their dynamics, design and operation.” Such heavy-duty cargo e-bikes, which often more closely resemble small delivery vans than large cargo bikes, are becoming more common in the industry and have raised concerns about cargo e-bike bloat, especially in dedicated cycling paths.
It’s too early to say whether European e-bike regulations will actually change, but the fact that key industry voices with the power to influence policy are openly advocating for it suggests that new rules for the European market are a real possibility.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
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To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
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