Nigeria is pushing ahead with electric vehicle adoption despite facing one of the world's most persistent electricity challenges. Frequent blackouts, an unreliable power grid, and limited electricity access have raised questions about how EVs can succeed in Africa's most populous nation. Yet a growing number of Nigerians are embracing electric mobility, viewing it as a glimpse of the future despite the infrastructure hurdles. This report explores the opportunities, contradictions, and challenges behind Nigeria's emerging EV sector and what it reveals about the future of transportation in developing economies.

Blackout-Plagued Nigeria Bets On Electric Vehicles Despite Power Crisis

As technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the future of mobility is evolving rapidly, reflecting a shift towards sustainability and digital engagement.

AI And Electric Cars: A New Era?

Apple has abandoned its ambitions to produce an electric car, US media reported Tuesday, ending a struggling decade-long project.

The iPhone maker had dedicated nearly 2,000 employees to its secretive car development programme, Bloomberg reported, but faced an increasingly competitive electric vehicle (EV) sector.

The target of "Project Titan," beginning around 2014, was to develop a fully autonomous car, according to media reports.

The decision to shut down the car project was announced internally on Tuesday, Bloomberg and The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

WATCH |&nbsp;Apple cancels its autonomous electric car project

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Apple had reportedly invested billions of dollars in the project.

The tech giant did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

Apple has never publicly disclosed its EV plans, despite a steady drip of media leaks over the years.

In 2022, the specialist site The Information published a report detailing the problems faced by the project, including the departure of multiple executives due to a lack of support from the leadership.&nbsp;

Several US automakers have hit the brakes on EVs in recent months as demand has slowed. Self-driving carmakers Cruise and Waymo -- which is owned by Google parent Alphabet -- have also struggled to expand their products beyond San Francisco.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-warns-apple-users-of-major-cyber-attack-heres-list-of-devices-at-highest-risk-686112">India warns Apple users of major cyber attack. Here’s the list of devices at highest risk</a>

Elon Musk's Tesla, one of the EV industry's leaders, has also warned of slower growth in 2024.

In a post on X, Musk responded to news of Apple shutting down its car project with emojis showing a salute and a cigarette.

Apple will transfer many employees from the shuttered car division to generative artificial intelligence (AI) projects, Bloomberg reported.

"On one hand this is a modest disappointment, as the view within (Apple headquarters was)... with roughly 2,000 employees on this initiative that an Apple Car was still on the medium-term horizon," Wedbush's Dan Ives said in an analyst statement.&nbsp;

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-initiates-testing-phase-for-ask-ai-tool-comparable-to-chatgpt-693434">&nbsp;Apple initiates testing phase for 'Ask', AI tool comparable to ChatGPT</a>

But on the other hand, he said, "the laser focus within Apple is ramping up and executing a broad AI strategy within the Apple ecosystem, as it appears the vast majority of these engineers and developers will now focus their efforts on AI."

Generative AI -- popularised by the success of ChatGPT, from the Microsoft-backed OpenAI -- makes it possible to produce text, images, sound and other output simply by submitting a request in everyday language.&nbsp;

Around the world, major tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are rapidly pursuing the development and deployment of AI products.&nbsp;

But so far, Apple has had little to say on the subject beyond using AI in photo editing. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Apple has abandoned its ambitions to produce an electric car, US media reported Tuesday, ending a struggling decade-long project. The iPhone maker had dedicated nearly 2,000 employees to its secretive car development programme, Bloomberg reported, but faced an increasingly competitive electric vehicle (EV) sector.

Apple has abandoned its ambitions to produce an electric car, US media reported Tuesday, ending a struggling decade-long project. The iPhone maker had dedicated nearly 2,000 employees to its secretive car development programme, Bloomberg reported, but faced an increasingly competitive electric vehicle (EV) sector. The target of "Project Titan," beginning around 2014, was to develop a fully autonomous car, according to media reports. The decision to shut down the car project was announced internally on Tuesday, Bloomberg and The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources. WATCH | Apple cancels its autonomous electric car project Apple had reportedly invested billions of dollars in the project. The tech giant did not respond to AFP requests for comment. Apple has never publicly disclosed its EV plans, despite a steady drip of media leaks over the years. In 2022, the specialist site The Information published a report detailing the problems faced by the project, including the departure of multiple executives due to a lack of support from the leadership. Several US automakers have hit the brakes on EVs in recent months as demand has slowed. Self-driving carmakers Cruise and Waymo -- which is owned by Google parent Alphabet -- have also struggled to expand their products beyond San Francisco. Also Read | India warns Apple users of major cyber attack. Here’s the list of devices at highest risk Elon Musk's Tesla, one of the EV industry's leaders, has also warned of slower growth in 2024. In a post on X, Musk responded to news of Apple shutting down its car project with emojis showing a salute and a cigarette. Apple will transfer many employees from the shuttered car division to generative artificial intelligence (AI) projects, Bloomberg reported. "On one hand this is a modest disappointment, as the view within (Apple headquarters was)... with roughly 2,000 employees on this initiative that an Apple Car was still on the medium-term horizon," Wedbush's Dan Ives said in an analyst statement. Also Read | Apple initiates testing phase for 'Ask', AI tool comparable to ChatGPT But on the other hand, he said, "the laser focus within Apple is ramping up and executing a broad AI strategy within the Apple ecosystem, as it appears the vast majority of these engineers and developers will now focus their efforts on AI." Generative AI -- popularised by the success of ChatGPT, from the Microsoft-backed OpenAI -- makes it possible to produce text, images, sound and other output simply by submitting a request in everyday language. Around the world, major tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are rapidly pursuing the development and deployment of AI products. But so far, Apple has had little to say on the subject beyond using AI in photo editing. (With inputs from agencies)

Apple abandons ambitious electric car plan after a decade: Reports

Lawmakers in the UK have warned that Chinese electric cars imported to the country to reach net zero targets might enable Beijing&nbsp;to spy on citizens.&nbsp;

According to The Telegraph, the ministers are of the view that technology embedded in electric vehicles (EV) will allow the harvesting of&nbsp;information, including location data, audio recordings and video footage of the users.&nbsp;

“If it is manufactured in a country like China, how certain can you be that it won’t be a vehicle for collecting intel and data? If you have electric vehicles manufactured by countries who are already using technology to spy, why would they not do the same here?," reported The Telegraph citing a lawmaker.&nbsp;

“They are high-risk products. We know that China always thinks in very long terms. So if they were providing a product that could do more than just deliver the consumer’s desire to go from A to B, why would they not be doing it?”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-pushes-civilians-to-become-spies-621794">Gravitas: China pushes civilians to become spies</a>

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Earlier, a cross-party group of MPs warned that Britain was poised to cede control of the&nbsp;critical infrastructure&nbsp;of its car market to Beijing “with all the attendant security risks”.

“It will be used with all of the data that they collect, and that’s how it becomes incredibly valuable and quite dangerous," said another official.&nbsp;

<h2>China set to take advantage of laws&nbsp;</h2>

Currently, Germany is the biggest supplier of cars to the UK. However, with the car companies facing quotas for zero-emissions sales from next year ahead of a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, China is expected to take over the spot.&nbsp;

Reports state that if car manufacturers fail to hit the numbers, they will have to either pay fines or buy credits from companies that exceed those targets. However, the caveat is that&nbsp;Chinese electric car companies and Chinese-sourced Teslas will be the biggest beneficiaries of it.&nbsp;China is one of the biggest players in the EV market and currently has half of the world's EVs.

Lawmakers are of the view that government should take its previous stance when it&nbsp;banned Chinese firm Huawei from UK's 5G networks, due to security concerns.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"These are realistic risks. All we have to do is look at how government tied themselves up with things such as 5G."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Lawmakers in the UK have warned that Chinese electric cars imported to the country to reach net zero targets might enable Beijing to spy on citizens. According to The Telegraph, the ministers are of the view that technology embedded in electric vehicles (EV) will allow the harvesting of information, including location data, audio recordings and video footage of the users.

Lawmakers in the UK have warned that Chinese electric cars imported to the country to reach net zero targets might enable Beijing to spy on citizens. According to The Telegraph, the ministers are of the view that technology embedded in electric vehicles (EV) will allow the harvesting of information, including location data, audio recordings and video footage of the users. “If it is manufactured in a country like China, how certain can you be that it won’t be a vehicle for collecting intel and data? If you have electric vehicles manufactured by countries who are already using technology to spy, why would they not do the same here?," reported The Telegraph citing a lawmaker. “They are high-risk products. We know that China always thinks in very long terms. So if they were providing a product that could do more than just deliver the consumer’s desire to go from A to B, why would they not be doing it?” Gravitas: China pushes civilians to become spies × Earlier, a cross-party group of MPs warned that Britain was poised to cede control of the critical infrastructure of its car market to Beijing “with all the attendant security risks”. “It will be used with all of the data that they collect, and that’s how it becomes incredibly valuable and quite dangerous," said another official. China set to take advantage of laws Currently, Germany is the biggest supplier of cars to the UK. However, with the car companies facing quotas for zero-emissions sales from next year ahead of a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, China is expected to take over the spot. Reports state that if car manufacturers fail to hit the numbers, they will have to either pay fines or buy credits from companies that exceed those targets. However, the caveat is that Chinese electric car companies and Chinese-sourced Teslas will be the biggest beneficiaries of it. China is one of the biggest players in the EV market and currently has half of the world's EVs. Lawmakers are of the view that government should take its previous stance when it banned Chinese firm Huawei from UK's 5G networks, due to security concerns. "These are realistic risks. All we have to do is look at how government tied themselves up with things such as 5G." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

China will use its exported electric cars to 'spy' on Britain, fear UK lawmakers

Get ready for the electric revolution in India. In the latest, Tesla is tying India with ambitious plans to set up a cutting edge factory - the goal is to produce an all-new affordable electric vehicle priced at just $24,000.

India's EV-olution: Tesla's mega-surge into India, bold plans for $24k electric car | WORLD DNA

India is growing prominence as according to reports, Tesla has proposed to set up a factory to produce electric cars for local sale and export. This is not the first time that Tesla has tried to enter the Indian market but last year's discussion between Tesla and the Indian government hit a roadblock.

Tesla restarts India market talks, executives to visit India to diversify beyond China

Billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla has embarked on a strategy that has triggered a price war among the electric carmakers in the hyper-competitive Chinese market. The company has slashed prices of its cars, up to 50 per cent, that has forced other companies to take similar steps in order to stay competitive. Tesla's deep price cut even threatens to drive competitors out of the market.

Tesla's gameplan came into force last October. Tesla, a dominant player in the Chinese market, manufactures its cars at its factory in Shanghai. The initial price cut in October was followed by another round which made Tesla's locally manufactured cars 14 per cent cheaper than they were last year. In some cases, the cars were 50 per cent cheaper than their price in the US and Europe.

Tesla's aggressive pricing strategy forced other carmakers to reduce prices of their models. Both, local and global brands have got drawn into the price war. These include Xpeng, Nio Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz to name a few.&nbsp;

Mercedes Benz has offered a discount of up to 70,000 yuan (USD 10,000). Ford Motor Company has brought down the price of its Mach-E electric sport utility vehicle to 209,000 yuan. This makes it cheaper by about a third than it is in the US.

“Tesla created havoc for the rest of the market,” said Jochen Siebert, managing director of JSC Automotive, a consultancy with offices in Shanghai and Stuttgart. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Siebert was quoted by Bloomberg in its report over the situation.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
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Billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla has embarked on a strategy that has triggered a price war among the electric carmakers in the hyper-competitive Chinese market. The company has slashed prices of its cars, up to 50 per cent, that has forced other companies to take similar steps in order to stay competitive.

Billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla has embarked on a strategy that has triggered a price war among the electric carmakers in the hyper-competitive Chinese market. The company has slashed prices of its cars, up to 50 per cent, that has forced other companies to take similar steps in order to stay competitive. Tesla's deep price cut even threatens to drive competitors out of the market. Tesla's gameplan came into force last October. Tesla, a dominant player in the Chinese market, manufactures its cars at its factory in Shanghai. The initial price cut in October was followed by another round which made Tesla's locally manufactured cars 14 per cent cheaper than they were last year. In some cases, the cars were 50 per cent cheaper than their price in the US and Europe. Tesla's aggressive pricing strategy forced other carmakers to reduce prices of their models. Both, local and global brands have got drawn into the price war. These include Xpeng, Nio Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz to name a few. Mercedes Benz has offered a discount of up to 70,000 yuan (USD 10,000). Ford Motor Company has brought down the price of its Mach-E electric sport utility vehicle to 209,000 yuan. This makes it cheaper by about a third than it is in the US. “Tesla created havoc for the rest of the market,” said Jochen Siebert, managing director of JSC Automotive, a consultancy with offices in Shanghai and Stuttgart. Siebert was quoted by Bloomberg in its report over the situation. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Tesla’s 50 per cent price slash creates ‘havoc’ in Chinese electric car market: Report

The initiative taken by major companies to shift from Petrol based cars and manufacture electric cars but what if that shifting to battery-powered vehicles is still harming our environment. Watch this report to know more.

WION Climate Tracker: Lithium batteries reveal dark side of our electric fortune

Mercedes-Benz is likely to launch global branded high-power charging network starting in North America. The announcement was made at the the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Mercedes-Benz to launch high-power charging stations in North America

The Mercedes-Benz EQS is the S-Class of electric cars. AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ is its performance version with supercar-equivalent power and torque figures. The S-Class luxury and AMG tuned electric drivetrain together cost about INR 24.5 Million (ex-showroom) in India. But does it worth that much? Let's find out.

WION Pitstop | Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ review

The past year was sobering for investors who poured money into Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and rival electric vehicle startups that hoped to emulate Tesla CEO Elon Musk's success. Starting next year, a wave of new electric vehicles from pickup trucks to middle market SUVs and sedans will hit the world's major markets. Watch this report.

WION Climate Tracker: Electric vehicle production set to surge in 2023

Elon Musk owns companies that make electric cars, send people to space and, make tunnels. Now he owns Twitter as well. Is he taking on more than he can handle? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

WION Fineprint | Is Elon Musk biting off more than he can chew?

Another US state that has now finalized plans to end sales of gasoline-powered cars is California. The Air Resources board has voted to adopt sweeping regulations to require all new cars sold to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035.

California: All new cars to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035

Volkswagen's sportscar brand Porsche expects to produce as many units of its Macan model in the electric version as the original with combustion engine.

Porsche expects to make as many electric Macans as combustion versions

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for nickel just as the metal gains importance as an ingredient in electric car batteries, raising fears that high prices could slow the transition away from fossil fuels.

The price of nickel doubled in one day last week, prompting the London Metal Exchange to freeze trading and effectively bring the global nickel market to a standstill. After two years of supply-chain chaos caused by the pandemic, the episode provided more evidence of how geopolitical tensions are destroying trading relationships that companies once took for granted, forcing them to rethink where they get the parts and metals they use to make cars and many other products.

Automakers and other companies that need nickel, as well as other battery raw materials such as lithium or cobalt, have begun looking for ways to shield themselves against future shocks.

Volkswagen, for example, has begun to explore buying nickel directly from mining companies, Markus Duesmann, CEO of the carmaker’s Audi division, said in an interview Thursday. “Raw materials are going to be an issue for years to come,” he said.

The prospect of prolonged geopolitical tensions is likely to accelerate attempts by the United States and Europe to develop domestic supplies of commodities that often come from Russia. There are nickel deposits, for example, in Canada, Greenland and even Minnesota.

“Nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium, even copper — we already realized we need those metals for the green transition, for mitigating climate change,” said Bo Stensgaard, CEO of Bluejay Mining, which is working on extracting nickel from a site in western Greenland in a venture with KoBold Metals, whose backers include Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. “When you see the geopolitical developments with Ukraine and Russia, it’s even more obvious that there are supply risks with these metals.”

But establishing new mining operations is likely to take years, even decades, because of the time needed to acquire permits and financing. In the meantime, companies using nickel — a group that also includes steel-makers — will need to contend with higher prices, which will eventually be felt by consumers.

An average electric-car battery contains about 80 pounds of nickel. The surge in prices in March would more than double the cost of that nickel to $1,750 a car, according to estimates by trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Russia accounts for a relatively small proportion of world nickel production, and most of it is used to make stainless steel, not car batteries. But Russia plays an outsize role in nickel markets. Norilsk Nickel, also known as Nornickel, is the world’s largest nickel producer, with vast operations in Siberia. Its owner, Vladimir Potanin, is one of Russia’s wealthiest people. Norilsk is among a limited number of companies authorized to sell a specialized form of nickel on the London Metal Exchange, which handles all nickel trading.

Unlike other oligarchs, Potanin has not been a target of sanctions, and the United States and Europe have not tried to block nickel exports, a step that would hurt their economies as well as Russia’s. The prospect that Russian nickel could be cut off from world markets was enough to cause panic.

Analysts expect prices to come down from their recent peaks but remain much higher than they were a year ago. “The trend would be to come down to a level close to where we last left off,” around $25,000 a metric ton compared with the peak of $100,000 a ton, said Adrian Gardner, a principal analyst specializing in nickel at Wood Mackenzie, a research firm.

Nickel was on a tear even before the Russian invasion as hedge funds and other investors bet on rising demand for electric vehicles. The price topped $20,000 a ton this year after hovering between $10,000 and $15,000 a ton for much of the past five years. At the same time, less nickel was being produced because of the pandemic.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the price rose above $30,000 in a little over a week. Then came March 8. Word spread on the trading desks of brokerage firms and hedge funds in London that a company, which turned out to be the Tsingshan Holding Group of China, had made a huge bet that the price of nickel would drop. When the price rose, Tsingshan owed billions of dollars, a situation known on Wall Street as a short squeeze.

The price shot up to a little over $100,000 a ton, threatening the existence of many other companies that had bet wrong and prompting the London Metal Exchange to halt trading.

The exchange tried to restart trading in nickel twice this week with new price limits, but sudden drops caused trading to halt once again. “The market is broken,” said Keith Wildie, head of trading at London-based metals firm Romco.

There is no sign that nickel prices will lead to factory shutdowns in the way that shortages of components made in Ukraine brought assembly lines at Volkswagen, BMW and other carmakers to a standstill. It will take a few weeks for price increases to ripple through the system.

For now, automakers and other big nickel buyers such as steel-makers may be able to find alternative suppliers, use more recycled material or switch to battery designs that require less nickel.

“There is enough nickel,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said in an interview this week. But carmakers might have to pay more, he said, adding, “It’s not unlikely that we will have secondary effects from this conflict.”

The Ukraine conflict has underscored the urgency of moving away from fossil fuels, said Duesmann. Russian oil plays a much bigger role in the global economy than Russian nickel. “It would be too shortsighted to say, ‘Electromobility doesn’t work,’” he said.

Beyond the immediate disruption to supplies, automakers are concerned about a retreat from the open markets that have been so good for business. Katrin Kamin, a trade expert at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, noted that global commerce had held up remarkably well during the pandemic.

“Perhaps we should speak less of globalization being in crisis and more of international relations being at a low point,” Kamin said in an email.

But the Ukraine conflict, she added, “is a major blow to trade.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for nickel just as the metal gains importance as an ingredient in electric car batteries, raising fears that high prices could slow the transition away from fossil fuels.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for nickel just as the metal gains importance as an ingredient in electric car batteries, raising fears that high prices could slow the transition away from fossil fuels. The price of nickel doubled in one day last week, prompting the London Metal Exchange to freeze trading and effectively bring the global nickel market to a standstill. After two years of supply-chain chaos caused by the pandemic, the episode provided more evidence of how geopolitical tensions are destroying trading relationships that companies once took for granted, forcing them to rethink where they get the parts and metals they use to make cars and many other products. Automakers and other companies that need nickel, as well as other battery raw materials such as lithium or cobalt, have begun looking for ways to shield themselves against future shocks. Volkswagen, for example, has begun to explore buying nickel directly from mining companies, Markus Duesmann, CEO of the carmaker’s Audi division, said in an interview Thursday. “Raw materials are going to be an issue for years to come,” he said. The prospect of prolonged geopolitical tensions is likely to accelerate attempts by the United States and Europe to develop domestic supplies of commodities that often come from Russia. There are nickel deposits, for example, in Canada, Greenland and even Minnesota. “Nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium, even copper — we already realized we need those metals for the green transition, for mitigating climate change,” said Bo Stensgaard, CEO of Bluejay Mining, which is working on extracting nickel from a site in western Greenland in a venture with KoBold Metals, whose backers include Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. “When you see the geopolitical developments with Ukraine and Russia, it’s even more obvious that there are supply risks with these metals.” But establishing new mining operations is likely to take years, even decades, because of the time needed to acquire permits and financing. In the meantime, companies using nickel — a group that also includes steel-makers — will need to contend with higher prices, which will eventually be felt by consumers. An average electric-car battery contains about 80 pounds of nickel. The surge in prices in March would more than double the cost of that nickel to $1,750 a car, according to estimates by trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Russia accounts for a relatively small proportion of world nickel production, and most of it is used to make stainless steel, not car batteries. But Russia plays an outsize role in nickel markets. Norilsk Nickel, also known as Nornickel, is the world’s largest nickel producer, with vast operations in Siberia. Its owner, Vladimir Potanin, is one of Russia’s wealthiest people. Norilsk is among a limited number of companies authorized to sell a specialized form of nickel on the London Metal Exchange, which handles all nickel trading. Unlike other oligarchs, Potanin has not been a target of sanctions, and the United States and Europe have not tried to block nickel exports, a step that would hurt their economies as well as Russia’s. The prospect that Russian nickel could be cut off from world markets was enough to cause panic. Analysts expect prices to come down from their recent peaks but remain much higher than they were a year ago. “The trend would be to come down to a level close to where we last left off,” around $25,000 a metric ton compared with the peak of $100,000 a ton, said Adrian Gardner, a principal analyst specializing in nickel at Wood Mackenzie, a research firm. Nickel was on a tear even before the Russian invasion as hedge funds and other investors bet on rising demand for electric vehicles. The price topped $20,000 a ton this year after hovering between $10,000 and $15,000 a ton for much of the past five years. At the same time, less nickel was being produced because of the pandemic. After Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the price rose above $30,000 in a little over a week. Then came March 8. Word spread on the trading desks of brokerage firms and hedge funds in London that a company, which turned out to be the Tsingshan Holding Group of China, had made a huge bet that the price of nickel would drop. When the price rose, Tsingshan owed billions of dollars, a situation known on Wall Street as a short squeeze. The price shot up to a little over $100,000 a ton, threatening the existence of many other companies that had bet wrong and prompting the London Metal Exchange to halt trading. The exchange tried to restart trading in nickel twice this week with new price limits, but sudden drops caused trading to halt once again. “The market is broken,” said Keith Wildie, head of trading at London-based metals firm Romco. There is no sign that nickel prices will lead to factory shutdowns in the way that shortages of components made in Ukraine brought assembly lines at Volkswagen, BMW and other carmakers to a standstill. It will take a few weeks for price increases to ripple through the system. For now, automakers and other big nickel buyers such as steel-makers may be able to find alternative suppliers, use more recycled material or switch to battery designs that require less nickel. “There is enough nickel,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said in an interview this week. But carmakers might have to pay more, he said, adding, “It’s not unlikely that we will have secondary effects from this conflict.” The Ukraine conflict has underscored the urgency of moving away from fossil fuels, said Duesmann. Russian oil plays a much bigger role in the global economy than Russian nickel. “It would be too shortsighted to say, ‘Electromobility doesn’t work,’” he said. Beyond the immediate disruption to supplies, automakers are concerned about a retreat from the open markets that have been so good for business. Katrin Kamin, a trade expert at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, noted that global commerce had held up remarkably well during the pandemic. “Perhaps we should speak less of globalization being in crisis and more of international relations being at a low point,” Kamin said in an email. But the Ukraine conflict, she added, “is a major blow to trade.”

How the war in Ukraine could slow the sales of electric cars

Sales of cars powered solely by batteries surged in the United States, Europe and China last year, while deliveries of fossil fuel vehicles were stagnant. Demand for electric cars is so strong that manufacturers are requiring buyers to put down deposits months in advance. And some models are effectively sold out for the next two years.

Battery-powered cars are having a breakthrough moment and will enter the mainstream this year as automakers begin selling electric versions of one of Americans’ favourite vehicle types: pickup trucks. Their arrival represents the biggest upheaval in the auto industry since Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 and could have far-reaching consequences for factory workers, businesses and the environment. Tailpipe emissions are among the largest contributors to climate change.

While electric vehicles still account for a small slice of the market — nearly 9 per cent&nbsp;of the new cars sold last year worldwide were electric, up from 2.5% in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency — their rapid growth could make 2022 the year when the march of battery-powered cars became unstoppable, erasing any doubt that the internal combustion engine is lurching toward obsolescence.

The proliferation of electric cars will improve air quality and help slow global warming. The air in Southern California is already a bit cleaner thanks to the popularity of electric vehicles there. And the boom is a rare piece of good news for President Joe Biden, who has struggled to advance his climate agenda in Congress.

The auto industry is on track to invest half a trillion dollars in the next five years to make the transition to electric vehicles, Wedbush Securities, an investment firm, estimates. That money will be spent to refit and build factories, train workers, write software, upgrade dealerships and more. Companies are planning more than a dozen new electric car and battery factories just in the United States.

“It’s one of the biggest industrial transformations probably in the history of capitalism,” said Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “The investments are massive, and the mission is massive.”

But not everyone will benefit. Makers of mufflers, fuel injection systems and other parts could go out of business, leaving many workers jobless. Nearly 3 million Americans make, sell and service cars and auto parts, and industry experts say producing electric cars will require fewer workers because the cars have fewer components.

Over time, battery ingredients like lithium, nickel and cobalt could become more sought after than oil. Prices for these materials are already skyrocketing, which could limit sales in the short term by driving up the cost of electric cars.

The transition could also be limited by the lack of places to plug in electric cars, which has made the vehicles less appealing to people who drive long distances or apartment residents who can’t charge at home. There are fewer than 50,000 public charging stations in the United States. The infrastructure bill that Congress passed in November includes $7.5 billion for 500,000 new stations, although experts say even that number is too small.

And it could take time to see the climate benefits of electric cars: Replacing the 250 million existing fossil-fuel cars and light trucks could take decades unless governments provide larger incentives to car buyers. Cleaning up heavy trucks, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, could be even harder.

Still, the electric car boom is already reshaping the auto industry.

The biggest beneficiary — and the biggest threat to the established order — is Tesla. Led by Elon Musk, the company delivered nearly 1 million cars in 2021, a 90 per cent&nbsp;increase from 2020.

Tesla is still small compared with auto giants, but it commands the segment with the fastest growth. Wall Street values the company at about $1 trillion, more than 10 times as much as General Motors. That means Tesla, which is building factories in Texas and Germany, can easily expand.

“At the rate it’s growing now, it will be bigger than GM in five years,” said John Casesa, a former Ford executive who is now a senior managing director at Guggenheim Securities, at a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago forum in January.

Most analysts figured that electric vehicles wouldn’t take off until they became as inexpensive to buy as gasoline models — a milestone that is still a few years away for moderately priced cars that most people can afford.

But as extreme weather makes the catastrophic effects of climate change more tangible, and word gets around that electric cars are easy to maintain, cheap to refuel and fun to drive, affluent buyers are increasingly going electric.

Porsche’s Taycan, an electric sedan that starts at about $83,000, outsold the company’s signature 911 last year. Mercedes-Benz sold nearly 100,000 electric cars and vans in 2021, a 90% increase from the previous year.

Ford will soon start selling the Lightning, an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, which has topped US&nbsp;sales charts for decades. It initially planned to make 75,000 a year. But demand has been so strong that the company is racing to double production of the Lightning, which starts at $40,000 and runs up to more than $90,000. Ford stopped taking reservations after amassing 200,000 orders.

“We’re going to be able to sell every one we can build,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer.

A growing selection of electric pickups and sport utility vehicles is attracting buyers uninterested in Tesla’s minimalist cars, which are most popular in coastal cities and suburbs.

Take Eddie Berry, the owner of an auto-parts delivery business in Groveport, Ohio, near Columbus. He has long relied on pickup trucks for work and camping trips. He had little interest in electric vehicles until the Lightning. His roughly $75,000 truck will be delivered this spring.

“There’s so much about this truck that’s going to help me,” Berry said. The locking front trunk, where an engine normally sits, will give him a secure space to carry parts. He won’t spend $80 for fuel every few days.

And since the Lightning can be used as a power source, it will revolutionize his tailgate at Ohio State football games. “I’ll be able to set up my big-screen TV,” Berry said. “I can power the electric smoker I use for ribs and pork. I’m super excited. I’m going to be the guy everybody’s talking about.”

Sales of electric cars might have been even higher in 2021 but for production bottlenecks. Volkswagen sold about 17,000 ID.4 SUVs in the United States, but could have sold four times as many, Keogh said.

Mike Sullivan, owner of LAcarGUY, a dealership chain, sold out his ID.4s within weeks of their arrival. “When we have them it’s the bestselling model,” he said. Supply will increase this year when Volkswagen begins producing ID.4s in Chattanooga, Tennessee, rather than importing them from Germany.

At the upper end, electric vehicles are already competitive on price and could save buyers thousands on maintenance and gasoline. (Electric cars do not need oil changes, and electricity is generally cheaper per mile than gasoline.)

The Tesla Model 3 and Jaguar XF P250 sedans retail for around $46,000. But owning the Tesla for five years costs $16,000 less, according to calculations by Kelley Blue Book, a vehicle valuation company.

If Europe and China are any measure, sales of electric vehicles in the United States will continue to explode. In December, battery-powered cars outsold diesel cars in Europe for the first time. In 18 countries, including Britain, more than 20% of new cars were electric, according to Matthias Schmidt, an independent analyst in Berlin.

In 2015, more than half of Europe’s new cars ran on diesel, the result of tax policies that make diesel cheaper than gasoline. But government incentives for electric cars, and penalties for carmakers that don’t meet emissions targets, have changed the equation.

About 4% of new cars were electric last year in the United States, up from about 2 per cent&nbsp;in 2020.

The point of electric cars is to cut tailpipe emissions, a leading source of carbon dioxide and the pollutants that cause smog. In Southern California, electric cars have already had a small effect on air quality, leading to a 4 per cent&nbsp;reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions from passenger cars compared with what they would have been otherwise, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which includes Los Angeles.

Of course, battery-powered cars also have an environmental cost. But even taking into account the energy and raw materials they require, electric vehicles are much better for the climate than conventional cars, according to a Yale School of the Environment study.

Inevitably, a transition this momentous will cause dislocation. Most new battery and electric car factories planned by automakers are in Southern states like Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. Their gains could come at the expense of the Midwest, which would lose internal combustion production jobs.

That hasn’t happened yet, because gasoline vehicles still dominate sales. But as battery power takes market share, conventional models will benefit less from the cost savings that come from stamping out the same vehicle hundreds of thousands of times.

The next few years could be perilous for carmakers that have been slow to offer electric vehicles. Toyota, a pioneer in hybrid vehicles, will not offer a car powered solely by batteries until later this year. Ram does not plan to release a competitor to Ford’s Lightning until 2024.

Chinese companies like SAIC, which owns the British MG brand, are using the technological shift to enter Europe and other markets. Young companies like Lucid, Rivian and Nio aim to follow Tesla’s playbook.

Old-line carmakers face a stiff learning curve. GM recalled its Bolt electric hatchback last year because of the risk of battery fires.

The companies most endangered may be small machine shops in Michigan or Ontario that produce piston rings and other parts. At the moment, these businesses are busy because of pent-up demand for all vehicles, said Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“A lot of them kind of have blinders on and are not looking that far down the road,” Bailo said “That’s troubling.”

Sales of cars powered solely by batteries surged in the United States, Europe and China last year, while deliveries of fossil fuel vehicles were stagnant. Demand for electric cars is so strong that manufacturers are requiring buyers to put down deposits months in advance.

Sales of cars powered solely by batteries surged in the United States, Europe and China last year, while deliveries of fossil fuel vehicles were stagnant. Demand for electric cars is so strong that manufacturers are requiring buyers to put down deposits months in advance. And some models are effectively sold out for the next two years. Battery-powered cars are having a breakthrough moment and will enter the mainstream this year as automakers begin selling electric versions of one of Americans’ favourite vehicle types: pickup trucks. Their arrival represents the biggest upheaval in the auto industry since Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 and could have far-reaching consequences for factory workers, businesses and the environment. Tailpipe emissions are among the largest contributors to climate change. While electric vehicles still account for a small slice of the market — nearly 9 per cent of the new cars sold last year worldwide were electric, up from 2.5% in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency — their rapid growth could make 2022 the year when the march of battery-powered cars became unstoppable, erasing any doubt that the internal combustion engine is lurching toward obsolescence. The proliferation of electric cars will improve air quality and help slow global warming. The air in Southern California is already a bit cleaner thanks to the popularity of electric vehicles there. And the boom is a rare piece of good news for President Joe Biden, who has struggled to advance his climate agenda in Congress. The auto industry is on track to invest half a trillion dollars in the next five years to make the transition to electric vehicles, Wedbush Securities, an investment firm, estimates. That money will be spent to refit and build factories, train workers, write software, upgrade dealerships and more. Companies are planning more than a dozen new electric car and battery factories just in the United States. “It’s one of the biggest industrial transformations probably in the history of capitalism,” said Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “The investments are massive, and the mission is massive.” But not everyone will benefit. Makers of mufflers, fuel injection systems and other parts could go out of business, leaving many workers jobless. Nearly 3 million Americans make, sell and service cars and auto parts, and industry experts say producing electric cars will require fewer workers because the cars have fewer components. Over time, battery ingredients like lithium, nickel and cobalt could become more sought after than oil. Prices for these materials are already skyrocketing, which could limit sales in the short term by driving up the cost of electric cars. The transition could also be limited by the lack of places to plug in electric cars, which has made the vehicles less appealing to people who drive long distances or apartment residents who can’t charge at home. There are fewer than 50,000 public charging stations in the United States. The infrastructure bill that Congress passed in November includes $7.5 billion for 500,000 new stations, although experts say even that number is too small. And it could take time to see the climate benefits of electric cars: Replacing the 250 million existing fossil-fuel cars and light trucks could take decades unless governments provide larger incentives to car buyers. Cleaning up heavy trucks, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, could be even harder. Still, the electric car boom is already reshaping the auto industry. The biggest beneficiary — and the biggest threat to the established order — is Tesla. Led by Elon Musk, the company delivered nearly 1 million cars in 2021, a 90 per cent increase from 2020. Tesla is still small compared with auto giants, but it commands the segment with the fastest growth. Wall Street values the company at about $1 trillion, more than 10 times as much as General Motors. That means Tesla, which is building factories in Texas and Germany, can easily expand. “At the rate it’s growing now, it will be bigger than GM in five years,” said John Casesa, a former Ford executive who is now a senior managing director at Guggenheim Securities, at a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago forum in January. Most analysts figured that electric vehicles wouldn’t take off until they became as inexpensive to buy as gasoline models — a milestone that is still a few years away for moderately priced cars that most people can afford. But as extreme weather makes the catastrophic effects of climate change more tangible, and word gets around that electric cars are easy to maintain, cheap to refuel and fun to drive, affluent buyers are increasingly going electric. Porsche’s Taycan, an electric sedan that starts at about $83,000, outsold the company’s signature 911 last year. Mercedes-Benz sold nearly 100,000 electric cars and vans in 2021, a 90% increase from the previous year. Ford will soon start selling the Lightning, an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, which has topped US sales charts for decades. It initially planned to make 75,000 a year. But demand has been so strong that the company is racing to double production of the Lightning, which starts at $40,000 and runs up to more than $90,000. Ford stopped taking reservations after amassing 200,000 orders. “We’re going to be able to sell every one we can build,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer. A growing selection of electric pickups and sport utility vehicles is attracting buyers uninterested in Tesla’s minimalist cars, which are most popular in coastal cities and suburbs. Take Eddie Berry, the owner of an auto-parts delivery business in Groveport, Ohio, near Columbus. He has long relied on pickup trucks for work and camping trips. He had little interest in electric vehicles until the Lightning. His roughly $75,000 truck will be delivered this spring. “There’s so much about this truck that’s going to help me,” Berry said. The locking front trunk, where an engine normally sits, will give him a secure space to carry parts. He won’t spend $80 for fuel every few days. And since the Lightning can be used as a power source, it will revolutionize his tailgate at Ohio State football games. “I’ll be able to set up my big-screen TV,” Berry said. “I can power the electric smoker I use for ribs and pork. I’m super excited. I’m going to be the guy everybody’s talking about.” Sales of electric cars might have been even higher in 2021 but for production bottlenecks. Volkswagen sold about 17,000 ID.4 SUVs in the United States, but could have sold four times as many, Keogh said. Mike Sullivan, owner of LAcarGUY, a dealership chain, sold out his ID.4s within weeks of their arrival. “When we have them it’s the bestselling model,” he said. Supply will increase this year when Volkswagen begins producing ID.4s in Chattanooga, Tennessee, rather than importing them from Germany. At the upper end, electric vehicles are already competitive on price and could save buyers thousands on maintenance and gasoline. (Electric cars do not need oil changes, and electricity is generally cheaper per mile than gasoline.) The Tesla Model 3 and Jaguar XF P250 sedans retail for around $46,000. But owning the Tesla for five years costs $16,000 less, according to calculations by Kelley Blue Book, a vehicle valuation company. If Europe and China are any measure, sales of electric vehicles in the United States will continue to explode. In December, battery-powered cars outsold diesel cars in Europe for the first time. In 18 countries, including Britain, more than 20% of new cars were electric, according to Matthias Schmidt, an independent analyst in Berlin. In 2015, more than half of Europe’s new cars ran on diesel, the result of tax policies that make diesel cheaper than gasoline. But government incentives for electric cars, and penalties for carmakers that don’t meet emissions targets, have changed the equation. About 4% of new cars were electric last year in the United States, up from about 2 per cent in 2020. The point of electric cars is to cut tailpipe emissions, a leading source of carbon dioxide and the pollutants that cause smog. In Southern California, electric cars have already had a small effect on air quality, leading to a 4 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions from passenger cars compared with what they would have been otherwise, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which includes Los Angeles. Of course, battery-powered cars also have an environmental cost. But even taking into account the energy and raw materials they require, electric vehicles are much better for the climate than conventional cars, according to a Yale School of the Environment study. Inevitably, a transition this momentous will cause dislocation. Most new battery and electric car factories planned by automakers are in Southern states like Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. Their gains could come at the expense of the Midwest, which would lose internal combustion production jobs. That hasn’t happened yet, because gasoline vehicles still dominate sales. But as battery power takes market share, conventional models will benefit less from the cost savings that come from stamping out the same vehicle hundreds of thousands of times. The next few years could be perilous for carmakers that have been slow to offer electric vehicles. Toyota, a pioneer in hybrid vehicles, will not offer a car powered solely by batteries until later this year. Ram does not plan to release a competitor to Ford’s Lightning until 2024. Chinese companies like SAIC, which owns the British MG brand, are using the technological shift to enter Europe and other markets. Young companies like Lucid, Rivian and Nio aim to follow Tesla’s playbook. Old-line carmakers face a stiff learning curve. GM recalled its Bolt electric hatchback last year because of the risk of battery fires. The companies most endangered may be small machine shops in Michigan or Ontario that produce piston rings and other parts. At the moment, these businesses are busy because of pent-up demand for all vehicles, said Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “A lot of them kind of have blinders on and are not looking that far down the road,” Bailo said “That’s troubling.”

Why this could be a critical year for electric cars

The transition to electric vehicles will put around 73,000 jobs at risk in Italy, metal workers' unions and a lobby group said on Thursday, calling on the government to start discussions on measures to support the automotive industry.

Electric car transition puts over 70,000 jobs at risk in Italy

Nowadays, Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to be in high demand in India. The billionaire&nbsp;has been invited by some Indian states to come up with different kinds of units for its electric cars in their respective areas.

Till now, two states, namely, Maharashtra and Telangana, have made the offer. &nbsp;

On Sunday, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil asked Musk to set up manufacturing in the state for its products. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/is-covid-19-peaking-in-india-nation-logs-271202-new-cases-positivity-rate-at-1628-445138" hreflang="en">Is COVID-19 peaking in India? Nation logs 2,71,202 new cases, positivity rate at 16.28%</a>

In a tweet to Musk, Patil said, "Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in India. We will provide you all the necessary help to get you established in India. We invite you to establish your manufacturing plant in state." &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>, Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in India. We will provide you all the necessary help from Maharashtra for you to get established in India. We invite you to establish your manufacturing plant in Maharashtra. <a href="https://t.co/w8sSZTpUpb">https://t.co/w8sSZTpUpb</a>
— Jayant Patil- जयंत पाटील (@Jayant_R_Patil) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jayant_R_Patil/status/1482565319764099077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Earlier, Telangana Industry and Commerce Minister K T Rama Rao had also invited the CEO to come up with shop in his state. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hey Elon, I am the Industry &amp; Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India 
 
Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana 
 
Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives &amp; a top notch business destination in India <a href="https://t.co/hVpMZyjEIr">https://t.co/hVpMZyjEIr</a>
— KTR (@KTRTRS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KTRTRS/status/1482054155573534720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Rama Rao said on Twitter, "Hey Elon, I am the Industry and Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India. Will be happy to partner with Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana. Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives and a top-notch business destination in India." &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I invite <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>, Punjab Model will create Ludhiana as hub for Electric Vehicles &amp; Battery industry with time bound single window clearance for investment that brings new technology to Punjab, create green jobs, walking path of environment preservation &amp; sustainable development <a href="https://t.co/kXDMhcdVi6">https://t.co/kXDMhcdVi6</a>
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryontopp/status/1482652632111992833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Senior ministers from Punjab and West Bengal have also extended invitations to Musk.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Drop here, we in West Bengal have best infra &amp; our leader <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MamataOfficial</a> has got the vision. 
 
Bengal means Business … <a href="https://t.co/CXtx4Oq7y5">https://t.co/CXtx4Oq7y5</a>
— Md Ghulam Rabbani (রাব্বানী) (@GhulamRabbani_) <a href="https://twitter.com/GhulamRabbani_/status/1482263125831598083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The invites were triggered after the billionaire informed that the carmaker is facing numerous challenges for launching its car in India. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-promote-culture-of-start-ups-january-16-to-be-celebrated-as-national-start-up-day-says-pm-modi-445103" hreflang="en">To promote culture of start-ups, January 16 to be celebrated as 'National Start-up Day,' says PM Modi</a>

"Still working through a lot of challenges with the government," Musk had said on social microblogging site. &nbsp;

This came as a user had tweeted, "Yo @elonmusk any further update as to when Tesla will launch in India? They’re pretty awesome and deserve to be in every corner of the world!" &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Nowadays, Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to be in high demand in India. The billionaire has been invited by some Indian states to come up with different kinds of units for its electric cars in their respective areas.

Nowadays, Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to be in high demand in India. The billionaire has been invited by some Indian states to come up with different kinds of units for its electric cars in their respective areas. Till now, two states, namely, Maharashtra and Telangana, have made the offer. On Sunday, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil asked Musk to set up manufacturing in the state for its products. Also Read: Is COVID-19 peaking in India? Nation logs 2,71,202 new cases, positivity rate at 16.28% In a tweet to Musk, Patil said, "Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in India. We will provide you all the necessary help to get you established in India. We invite you to establish your manufacturing plant in state." .@elonmusk, Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in India. We will provide you all the necessary help from Maharashtra for you to get established in India. We invite you to establish your manufacturing plant in Maharashtra. https://t.co/w8sSZTpUpb — Jayant Patil- जयंत पाटील (@Jayant_R_Patil) January 16, 2022 × Earlier, Telangana Industry and Commerce Minister K T Rama Rao had also invited the CEO to come up with shop in his state. Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination in India https://t.co/hVpMZyjEIr — KTR (@KTRTRS) January 14, 2022 × Rama Rao said on Twitter, "Hey Elon, I am the Industry and Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India. Will be happy to partner with Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana. Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives and a top-notch business destination in India." I invite @elonmusk, Punjab Model will create Ludhiana as hub for Electric Vehicles & Battery industry with time bound single window clearance for investment that brings new technology to Punjab, create green jobs, walking path of environment preservation & sustainable development https://t.co/kXDMhcdVi6 — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 16, 2022 × Senior ministers from Punjab and West Bengal have also extended invitations to Musk. Drop here, we in West Bengal have best infra & our leader @MamataOfficial has got the vision. Bengal means Business … https://t.co/CXtx4Oq7y5 — Md Ghulam Rabbani (রাব্বানী) (@GhulamRabbani_) January 15, 2022 × The invites were triggered after the billionaire informed that the carmaker is facing numerous challenges for launching its car in India. Also Read: To promote culture of start-ups, January 16 to be celebrated as 'National Start-up Day,' says PM Modi "Still working through a lot of challenges with the government," Musk had said on social microblogging site. This came as a user had tweeted, "Yo @elonmusk any further update as to when Tesla will launch in India? They’re pretty awesome and deserve to be in every corner of the world!" (With inputs from agencies)

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