China tells automakers to pause investment in tariff-supporting countries

Published

12 months ago

October 30, 2024

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China has reportedly already told its major automakers to hold off investments in EU countries that supported Europe’s new EV tariffs, according to Reuters.

While China started a little slow in the EV game, its investments into EV manufacturing have now started to bear fruit, and the country’s manufacturers have rapidly caught up and now passed western automakers, particularly on price.

As a result, both Europe and the US have recently imposed large tariffs on Chinese EVs, fearing that Chinese cars will undercut domestic industry with lower manufacturing costs. Chinese EVs are already quite popular in Europe, though very few sell in the US.

While the EU tariff vote passed handily, the voting patterns among countries mostly reflected fear of retaliatory tariffs. As is often the case with tariffs, a country can’t simply impose a restriction without expecting any pushback.

This is why, for example, Germany voted against the final tariff despite abstaining for the initial vote. German automakers do a lot of high-margin business in China, and worried that China would no longer purchase their autos either because of retaliatory tariffs or consumer animosity towards foreign brands (which is already happening, well before these tariff talks).

And China specifically has been quite effective in the past at responding to tariffs with targeted retaliatory tariffs of its own. Indeed, they’re already investigating EU dairy and wine products as potential tariff targets.

So it’s no surprise that today, on the same day as EU’s new tariffs went into effect, a report from Reuters says that the Chinese government has told automakers to think carefully before investing in Europe, particularly in countries that voted in favor of or abstained from the EU’s tariff imposition.

Several Chinese automakers are already considering building factories in Europe in order to localize production and bypass tariffs, including BYD, Geely and XPeng. This is kind of the intended effect of tariffs – ensuring that foreign automakers will invest in local production and local jobs.

But China wants to ensure that that investment money goes to countries that didn’t vote in favor of tariffs. BYD for example is currently building a plant in Hungary, a country that voted against the tariffs.

Meanwhile, other countries that did vote for the tariffs have attempted to get Chinese firms to invest in building factories there, like France and Italy. But this new directive would make their path towards investment tougher, if Chinese firms follow the government’s guidance.

This is likely not the only action that China will take in response to EU’s tariffs, merely a preliminary one. But it does show China’s willingness to swiftly respond to countries imposition of trade restrictions.

Concurrently, discussions are ongoing between EU and China about a potential minimum pricing deal to avoid tariffs. The hope was for those to conclude before tariffs were imposed, but it seems that they will have to continue.

Electrek’s Take

As I’ve said many times before, tariffs on China are not the answer to winning the EV arms race. I think countries would be much better off incentivizing local production than disincentivizing overseas production, and all the messy secondary effects that come along with the latter.

Further, tariffs can often lead to a sense of complacency for domestic manufacturers, who encourage them so they can have time to ramp up, and then take that time to slow-roll their ramp so that they end up back where they started. We saw this in the 70s with Japan in steel and autos – and the emergency tariffs did not forestall 50 years of Japanese export dominance (they were only kicked dethroned as #1 auto exporter last year – by China).

So despite the entrance of China onto the international automaker stage, most of the last year has been characterized by automakers doing their damnedest to slow down EV adoption. They’re scaling back production plans despite increasing EV demand , they’re begging governments to allow them to pollute more, and they’re generally not indicating that they’ll use the “time” these tariff impositions have given them wisely.

If this continues, then all Europe will get for its tariffs are a delay of the inevitable. They might still get some factories, but those factories will be owned by foreign entities instead of local ones. And this will come along with a lot of pain for whichever industries China decides to target with retaliatory tariffs, and with less competition and more inflation for local consumers as auto prices are buoyed by these tariffs.

I know I keep repeating myself (for more than a decade now…), but the true answer to this would have been to take EVs seriously from the get-go, instead of all the waffling that Western automakers have done that has left them now behind. That should have started long ago, but as the famous (possibly Chinese) proverb says: “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is today.”

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Environment

This startup raised $8M to store clean energy under the sea

Published

1 hour ago

October 22, 2025

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This startup raised M to store clean energy under the sea

Ocean energy storage startup Sizable Energy just raised $8 million to bring its long-duration offshore pumped hydro system to market.

The round was led by Playground Global, with backing from Exa Ventures, Verve Ventures, Satgana, EDEN/IAG, and Unruly Capital. The funding will help Sizable move from successful wave basin testing at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) to full sea trials off the coast of Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Turning ocean depth into long-duration energy storage

Sizable Energy is reimagining pumped hydro storage for the sea. Instead of using freshwater and dams, the company’s system uses saturated sea-salt brine – about 20% denser than seawater – that moves between a floating reservoir and a deep-water reservoir. By harnessing gravity and ocean depth, it can store and release gigawatt-scale power without the land use or environmental impact of onshore hydro projects. Here’s a video explaining how it works:

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YASA just destroyed its own record for power density with its state-of-the-art axial flux motor

Published

4 hours ago

October 22, 2025

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YASA just destroyed its own record for power density with its state-of-the-art axial flux motor

Three months after declaring an unofficial world record achievement in power density for an electric motor, YASA’s latest axial flux prototype has shattered that previous benchmark. The axial flux motor specialist is touting another unofficial world record, achieved with an even lighter design.

If you haven’t heard of YASA, we recommend checking out this unique company, which is doing some extraordinary things with electric motors. Over the past 16 years, YASA has evolved in tandem with its technology, revisiting and refining traditional designs dating back to the 1820s by optimizing them with modern components and materials. The result is the axial flux motor – a genuinely viable alternative to conventional radial motors used in most EVs today.

YASA motors have been integrated in production vehicles like the Koenigsegg Regera and the Ferrari Stradale SF90 hybrid. In 2023, we saw the first implementation of YASA’s axial flux motors in a Mercedes vehiclee, the Vision One Eleven concept, after the German automaker acquired the company in 2021.

By late 2024, we saw Mercedes’ first integration of YASA’s axial flux motors into its AMG.EA architecture featuring 800V capabilities and support for dual and tri-motor systems. At the time, YASA said each of its axial flux motors offers four times more torque and double the power of nearly all current tech on the market.

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Over the summer, YASA proved the tremendous power of its axial flux motor during real-world trials, achieving an unofficial world record in power density. Now, just a few months later, YASA is touting a lighter motor that delivers significantly more power, declaring yet another unofficial world record.

YASA’s axial flux motors could be a game-changer

To understand the latest milestone recently achieved by YASA, you need to look at the data from its last record-setting trial, which included a 13.1 kg axial flux prototype. As we reported in July, that version was able to achieve a peak rating of 550 kW (738 hp), equating to a power density of 42 kW/kg.

An unofficial world record.

Most recently, however, YASA has been testing a lighter axial flux motor prototype, weighing in at 12.7kg, on a more powerful dynamometer. The latest trials delivered a 750 kW (1000+ hp) short-term peak rating, resulting in a power density of 59 kW/kg – a 40% increase from initial testing and another unofficial world record.

According to YASA CEO Joerg Miska, that’s also triple the performance density of the top radial flux motors currently available in the industry.

Peak power aside, YASA’s latest axial flux motor has the makings of something truly special. The company reported that it estimates the continuous power of its latest prototype to be “in the region of 350kW-400kW (469 hp-536 hp).”

That’s quite impressive when you consider the limited weight and size of such an electric motor and even more exciting when you think of the possibility of four of them (or even two) powering future EVs. YASA founder and CTO Tim Woolmer spoke to the achievement:

On behalf of the entire YASA team, I’m proud and excited to so quickly follow up on the already remarkable results of our initial testing with this incredible result. To achieve a 750 kW short-term peak rating and a density of 59 kW/kg is a major validation of our next-generation axial flux technology. It’s proof of what focused engineering innovation can achieve. And this isn’t a concept on a screen — it’s running, right now, on the dynos. We’ve built an electric motor that’s significantly more power-dense than anything before it – all with scalable materials and processes. This motor will bring game-changing technology to the high-performance automotive sector.

While these prototypes still have a way to go before reaching scaled production, this latest achievement offers real-life evidence that the technology works and could change the way OEMs approach powertrain design. YASA’s Chief of New Technology, Simon Odling, said it best:

The early results are extremely encouraging. The motor’s performance on the dyno has exceeded even our most optimistic simulations. As well as its incredible peak power and overall power density, we estimate this new motor will be able to deliver all-important continuous power in the region of 350kW-400kW. This is real hardware, in real life, delivering real data – and it’s performing beautifully.

YASA’s team of engineers is already deep into the validation process of this latest axial flux prototype motor, promising further details of its development in the near future.

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Environment

Here are 6 great reasons rural drivers SHOULD embrace EVs in 2026

Published

14 hours ago

October 21, 2025

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Here are 6 great reasons rural drivers SHOULD embrace EVs in 2026

5 Ways Rural Drivers Benefit from Electric Vehicles

America’s heartland is full of rural communities that are miles away from its major cities, both geographically and culturally – but that doesn’t mean these more sparsely populated regions can’t reap the benefits of electrification. In fact, EVs offer rural drivers even more benefits than they do to city-dwellers!

“An electric lifestyle would be a boon to our rural heartland,” wrote th e Union of Concerned Scientists’ Maria Cecilia Pinto de Moura. “Rural communities across the country have their own distinguishing characteristics, but certain shared characteristics such as driving distances, the type of vehicles driven, and socio-economics are factors which contribute to this larger potential to benefit from vehicle electrification.”

Pinto de Moura went on to outline five ways rural and country drivers could benefit from going electric – but that was in 2021, and a whole lot has changed in the nearly five years since.

As such, I thought it was high time we revisit some of the reasons EVs could be a great fit for rural lifestyles, see if we could uncover any new ones, and outline the reasons we think rural drivers should rush to embrace electric vehicles in the coming calendar year.

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1. More miles means more savings

David Blenkle's 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, used for his own car service, has surpassed more than 250,000 miles in three years, providing a real-world example of what's possible with high-milage electric vehicles. — David Blenkle’s 252,000 mile Mustang Mach-E; via Ford.

When you hear that line about, “the average American drives 30 to 40 miles a day,” remember that in towns like Wellington, Ohio, or Colfax, Washington, 30 miles is a grocery run. Each way. So when people trot out that old line about range anxiety, what rural drivers actually hear isn’t reassurance. It’s dismissal — a suggestion that they drive too far for an EV to work, when nothing could be further from the truth.

A recent study by Rural Climate Partnership found that rural drivers spend an average of 44% more on fuel than city dwellers, and that the top 3.6% of rural drivers — the “supermilers” who rack up the most miles — could save over $4,000 each year by switching to electric fuel.

2. Electric trucks have arrived

Here’s How Much The 2026 GMC Sierra EV Can Tow — Sierra AT4 EV towing a boat; via GM.

Country guys and gals love their pickups, and arguably the single biggest difference between the EV markets of 2021 and 2025 is the proliferation of electric trucks and SUVs ready to help haul, chore, camp, and tow.

Why not save your expensive horses from breathing in gas and diesel exhaust. Haul ’em with your quiet new EV, instead!

3. Home charging just works

Rivian-Tesla-Powerwall — R1S home charging; via Rivian.

With only about 45% of rural counties having access to DC fast charging, public charging still isn’t as visible as many first-time EV buyers might like, but it’s far better than it used to be — and improving fast. Still, that’s not the real EV advantage. Home charging is.

Unlike many apartment-dwelling urban drivers, most rural owners can charge right at home. More than 80% of rural households have a driveway or garage that are ideal for overnight Level 2 charging, and many already have a 240V outlet, keeping setup costs (if there even are any) to a minimum.

Plug in before bed, wake up to a full battery every morning, and do it for pennies on the dollar, especially with off-peak rates.

4. Lifesaving battery power

Ford-Lightning-V2H — F-150 Lightning plugged in; via Ford.

If disaster strikes and you lose power, many electric trucks have the ability to power your home and appliances with the energy stored in their massive batteries – either from the truck itself, or through a V2X home battery system. If you live in an area prone to extreme weather events, the ability to keep medication refrigerated can be a literal life-saver!

5. EVs are more affordable than ever

Ford E-Transit Van — E-transit electric van; via Ford.

It’s been a few years since a working class guy could reasonably expect to get a new pickup for less than $50,000. And, while much has been made of the “high cost of electric vehicles,” the truth is that thanks to killer lease deals, new tax incentives, and companies like Ford Pro and TRC that are willing to help you find even more funding to help pay for them, EVs can often be had for less than a comparable gas model.

As such, getting behind the wheel of an ultra-powerful, ultra smooth-running electric pickup truck from your favorite brand is easier than ever.

6. Energy independence and American jobs

Canoo-US-Army — GM Defense electric military vehicle; via GM.

At the risk of sounding like a paranoid red hat, rural Americans are proud Americans – just like rural Canadians are proud Canadians. Unfortunately, every gallon of gas burned in their pickups and SUVs came from oil drilled, refined, and traded on global markets — and that means supporting the oil business and economies of nations whose values don’t always align with, or maybe are even outright hostile to theirs.

Switching to an EV can help more of that money right here at home, especially as more and better battery recycling efforts come online and newer battery and anode/cathode chemistries are developed, reducing dependence on rare Earth metals, cobalt, and even lithium.

Even better, thanks to the rapid expansion and dramatically reduced costs of wind and solar power, you can power your EV with energy that is 100% Made in the USA, that doesn’t support foreign oil interests even indirectly, and which creates good-paying construction and maintenance jobs for local workers.

What am I missing?

Kia-EV6-GT-lease — EV6 GT burnout; via Kia.

There are obviously more reasons to go electric than these, from lower cost of ownership to saving the planet to absolutely killer burnouts that would make the one-tire-fire era IROC Camaros hang their 305s in shame – but I think those kind of fade into the background as being appealing to all, instead of being especially appealing to rural drivers.

That said, it’s been a long time since I was back in Ohio, so maybe I’ve forgotten what it’s like. You guys are smart, head on down to the comments and let me know what I missed!

Original content from Electrek.

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