Japan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
China has so far not acted in an aggressive manner toward shipping in the South China Sea, but the very potential of action creates a clear threat to the economies of Japan and South Korea.
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images
The following commentary is from Kevin Klowden, chief global strategist of Milken Institute.
News coverage of the weekend’s Group of Seven meetings focused on Ukraine, but China’s rising global presence was the other big topic on the G7 agenda. For two of East Asia’s biggest economies, in particular, the implications of that rise are critically important.
China wants to be the great military and political power of East Asia. Nowhere is that more evident than in President Xi Jinping’s “nine-dash” declaration, through which Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all the South China Sea. And of all the countries with cause to be concerned about that claim, perhaps none have more on the line than Japan and South Korea.
Most of the world is focused on the resource and military implications of Chinese claims to the islands in the region, and Beijing’s development of what is becoming the world’s largest navy. For Japan and South Korea, the threat to their supply chains and energy imports is a far more real and present issue.
In particular, Japan and South Korea are concerned about Chinese declarations which invoke not only the right to inspect cargo, but also the ability to restrict traffic. Neither Japan nor South Korea has any political interest in the ownership of the Spratly Islands, or in China replacing the United States as a dominant naval power. However, they have a strong economic stake in moving their energy imports and manufacturing components without fear of restriction. Even in a non-wartime situation, China has taken the position that the South China Sea is a controlled territory rather than open international waters under Chinese guardianship.
China has so far not acted in an aggressive manner toward shipping in the sea, but the very potential of action creates a clear threat to the economies of Japan and South Korea. China wouldn’t even have to directly stop vessels — it could merely electronically track specific cargo, or carry out inspections or diversions. Such actions would raise the specter of unpredictability and significantly rising costs.
For Japan and South Korea, the role taken by the United States in the post-World War II period was far less disruptive, not only because of their alliance but, more importantly, because the United States acted as a guarantor of free trade and protected movement through the corridor.
Linking the two countries to trading partners in Southeast Asia, India, and beyond is going to increase rather than decrease in importance.
Kevin Klowden
Milken Institute
Few people outside Japan or South Korea focus on or understand just how significant the South China Sea is when it comes to regional and even global energy supplies. Significantly, the sea is estimated to carry 30% of the world’s crude oil, supplying China and providing a vital lifeline for the energy-dependent economies of South Korea and Japan.
For Japan, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent nuclear accident at Fukushima only exacerbated that dependence. The resulting curtailment of Japan’s nuclear program has left the country dependent on energy imports, with as much as 98% of Japanese oil coming from the Middle East.
In many ways, South Korea is even more dependent on energy imports than Japan, making oil and natural gas imports especially significant.
The South China Sea is important in more than just energy. It also serves as a key passageway for Japan and South Korea’s global supply chains. Estimates suggest that the sea carries between 20% and 33% of global trade; for Japan, that figure reaches as much as 40%.
As global supply chains regionalize, the role of the South China Sea in the Japanese and South Korean economies will only grow. Linking the two countries to trading partners in Southeast Asia, India, and beyond is going to increase rather than decrease in importance.
Japan and South Korea have been able to rely on the stability of the South China Sea as a conduit for driving their economic growth, even as the global political situation has changed over the decades. Significant shifts, including the Vietnam War and the end of the Cold War, haven’t stopped trade in the sea from growing more and more important.
As the United States balances commitments in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, the three strongest economies of East Asia — China included — all have a vested interest in ensuring the stability of trade, supply chains and energy flows.
For South Korea and Japan, trade remains stable in the South China Sea for now. But with China increasingly looking to assert itself and change the status quo in its favor, it’s essential that both countries ask themselves: How much are they willing and able to concede to China in the region before it becomes untenable? And are they prepared with alternatives that will allow them to compete economically?
Knowing the answers to those questions and being prepared for a more Chinese-dominant future in the South China Sea is important for all three countries — even if the status quo holds for now.
Environment
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.
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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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 the 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.
1. More miles means more savings
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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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Honda’s electric SUV is on a roll. The Prologue was the third best-selling EV in the US in August, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Even with the federal EV tax credit now expired, Honda is still offering nearly $17,000 off the Prologue.
Honda Prologue registrations surge with huge incentives
As the $7,500 credit expired at the end of September, automakers rolled out steep discounts, many topping five figures with combined incentives.
The Honda Prologue has been one of the most discounted EVs over the past year or so. Last month, buyers could score up to over $20,000 in combined savings, including a $7,500 credit, $9,500 in financing bonuses, trade-in offers, and 0% interest for six years.
According to the latest registration data from S&P Global Mobility (via Automotive News), the incentives helped propel the Honda Prologue to become the third most popular EV in August.
A total of 138,457 EVs were registered in the US in August, up 24% from a year ago. Honda Prologue registrations surged 81% to 9,005 vehicles, the data showed.
Honda’s electric SUV had more registrations than the Chevy Equinox EV in August, and it’s based on the same GM Ultium platform. However, the Equinox is still outselling the Prologue through September.
Since some automakers don’t report monthly or US sales numbers, the S&P Global Mobility data offers a snapshot of sales performance.
The Prologue was yet again one of the most discounted models, with incentives of $12,704 in August, according to Motor Intelligence. Last August, Prologue incentives were just $5,813. Honda’s gas-powered CR-V had just $2,016 in incentives in August.
Although the $7,500 credit expired on September 30, Honda is still offering generous incentives for Prologue buyers and lessees.
The 2025 Honda Prologue is available with up to $16,550 in lease cash in most states. The offer includes $5,000 in lease bonus cash, $8,250 in Honda lease cash, and a $3,3300 loyalty or conquest bonus. Honda is offering the deal until November 11. Or, you can opt for 0% APR financing for up to 60 months.
2025 Honda Prologue trim |
Starting Price* | EPA Range (miles) |
| EX (FWD) | $47,400 | 308 |
| EX (AWD) | $50,400 | 294 |
| Touring (FWD) | $51.700 | 308 |
| Touring (AWD) | $54,700 | 294 |
| Elite (AWD) | $57,900 | 283 |
Although the Acura ZDX will not return for a 2026 model year, Honda is planning to launch the 2026 Prologue. We have yet to learn prices, but we could see it priced slightly lower due to the loss of the $7,500 EV credit.
Hyundai announced earlier this month it’s reducing 2026 IONIQ 5 prices by up to nearly $10,000 on some trims. The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 now starts at under $35,000. Hyundai is offering leases as low as $289 per month right now. Will Honda match it?
Want to see the Prologue in person? You can use our link to find Honda Prologue models near you (trusted affiliate link).
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