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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — What payments itself as “the world’s longest, largest and oldest leisure bicycle touring occasion” was extra just like the world’s largest visitors jam Sunday as riders, packed collectively in a sinewy stream of brightly coloured jerseys and shorts, churned throughout the Loess Hills on the western fringe of Iowa.

It is referred to as RAGBRAI — the Register’s Annual Nice Bicycle Journey Throughout Iowa — and it promised to be larger than ever this yr, because the brainchild of two writers from The Des Moines Register celebrated its golden anniversary with a route much like its first.

That meant a begin in Sioux Metropolis, the place formidable riders ceremonially dipped their rear tires within the Missouri River, and a end for these with the legs and the temerity to final that lengthy seven days later in Davenport on the Mississippi River.

Alongside the way in which there’s loads of pie, greater than sufficient beer, and numerous spaghetti dinners served in church basements in tiny cities that dot the heartland.

Oh, and will probably be scorching. Temperatures throughout this yr’s 500-mile journey might hit triple digits.

Riders again up as they cross practice tracks on the way in which out of Sioux Metropolis. (AP)

There are riders on bikes that value the equal of a down cost on a home, others on hand-me-downs that announce their arrival with each creaking pedal stroke. The riders themselves come from all corners of the globe, together with one intrepid group from Australia, and characterize nearly each U.S. state.

“Collaborating in RAGBRAI is a rare expertise. It’s actually a supply of satisfaction for many people within the biking neighborhood, particularly in case you name wherever in Iowa house,” mentioned Lisa Carponelli, who together with enterprise associate Kim Hopkins used the journey in 2015 to assist launch their enterprise, Velorosa, which produces biking gear for ladies.

“You’ll meet numerous fascinating individuals in each city and alongside each stretch of pavement,” she mentioned. “Everyone seems to be collaborating in a terrific outside exercise, and also you’ll all the time have one thing to speak about: the climate, the hills — don’t suppose it’s solely flat right here — the surroundings, bike points, and the place to search out one of the best meals and the coldest beer in each city.”

So what precisely is the attract? Why has such a journey in Iowa, of all locations, turn into an occasion that cuts throughout generations?

Principally it boils right down to the individuals.

Two of them, to start out: John Karras, an avid bicycle owner and options author for The Des Moines Register, and Don Kaul, who wrote a column referred to as “Over The Espresso.” Karras thought it will be enjoyable for Kaul to jot down his column as he crossed the state, so the 2 acquired the help of their editors and set off that first yr — on August 26, 1973 — with about 300 individuals tagging alongside.

Detroit aerial artist Chelsea Stauffer performs on a tire swing with a beer in her hand on the journey’s Iowa Craft Beer cease. (AP)

“The early years had been nice as a result of they had been freewheeling, so to talk. It was new. It was enjoyable. It was distinctive,” mentioned Bob Molsberry, who watched that first journey undergo Iowa Metropolis as a school scholar and joined within the following yr.

He will probably be driving a part of RAGBRAI for the 30th time this yr along with his daughter and two grandchildren.

“Even Kaul and Karras had been stunned on the response,” Molsberry mentioned. “That they had a few hundred present up that first yr and did not have accommodations or something. Folks simply confirmed up. The second yr that they had a truck that carried our gear, however individuals had been simply form of on their very own. Then it grew up steadily because the bicycling craze caught on.”

The journey actually took off through the 1980s, when Greg LeMond put American biking on the map along with his three triumphs on the Tour de France, and the 1990s, when Lance Armstrong — a frequent RAGBRAI rider — was carrying the yellow jersey.

Among the quaintness of the journey has been misplaced, after all, as commercialism took root alongside the route. Among the devoted charters today carry gear from city to city, prepare dinner meals every evening and even arrange riders’ tents earlier than their arrival.

Riders dance in a foam sprayer in Washta, Iowa. (AP)

The appeal of the journey nonetheless exists, although.

It was evident within the man pulling his child in a wagon down the highway, and the teen doling out fruit snacks (two for a greenback) and granola bars to different weary riders. Or the riders that stopped simply outdoors Sioux Metropolis to assist a stranded rider helplessly holding his damaged chain. Or the myriad groups that proceed to tear the seats out of old-fashioned buses, paint them in usually garish colours, pack them stuffed with refreshments and set off down the highway for every week within the Iowa solar.

The appeal is clear in Victor Fassano, a retired sheetmetal employee from New York, who determined he needed to start out doing “epic adventures” at this stage of his life. He was on his option to the beginning when the transmission in his group’s automotive blew up. However slightly than stew over the crater it simply put of their wallets, the group’s first thought was: How do I get to Iowa now?

After some frantic hours, they managed to hire a pickup truck with a hitch for his or her bike racks and had been on their means.

“For me,” Fassano says, “as a child having a bicycle was freedom. I needed to get that feeling again as an grownup. I journey in teams, which is a lot enjoyable, and each now and again simply heading out by your self to clear my head is one of the best.”

There isn’t a heading out by your self this week.

There are 20,000 registered weeklong riders, and one other 9,000 which have secured day passes. However they’re joined by hundreds extra who crash the journey, which implies there may very well be greater than 50,000 on the highway some days this week.

Prepare for extra visitors jams.

Or simply go slowly and benefit from the journey.

___

Dave Skretta is a Kansas Metropolis, Missouri-based AP Sports activities Author who additionally has coated professional biking for the reason that 2012 Summer season Olympics. Skretta grew up in Decorah, Iowa, and has ridden RAGBRAI many instances, although this will probably be his first time placing in 80-mile days after which writing about it. He’s offering periodic updates from the highway. His whole mileage on Day 1: 75.

Cruise, the self-driving arm of Common Motors, has begun preliminary testing and knowledge assortment in Miami, the corporate stated in a tweet Wednesday.

“Section 1 is to familiarize our fleet with further, various street circumstances whereas gathering knowledge,” the corporate stated.

Cruise declined to offer any additional data, like what Section 2 entails and when it’ll start, what number of Cruise automobiles are at the moment in Miami and when the corporate plans to begin testing.

The information comes two months after Cruise expanded to Houston and Dallas, the place the AV firm has begun supervised testing and is on monitor to start driverless ride-hail service for members of the general public “quickly,” in line with a Cruise spokesperson. Supervised testing simply means there is a human security driver within the automobile. Cruise will swap to driverless testing earlier than opening up the service for riders.

Most of Cruise’s operations have been in its hometown of San Francisco, the place it competes head-to-head with Alphabet’s Waymo. The 2 firms are at the moment in allow limbo as they await California’s Public Utilities Fee to grant them each the best to cost for robotaxi companies all through the town 24/7. Regardless of help from the expertise and enterprise communities, Waymo and Cruise have run up towards opposition from residents and metropolis businesses, which can have precipitated the CPUC to delay hearings to approve their permits.

Cruise didn’t say whether or not it plans to launch its autonomous Chevrolet Bolts in Miami (though that may be powerful now that GM has discontinued the automobile) or if it will put its personal Cruise Origins on streets as an alternative. Cruise’s Origin is a purpose-built electrical AV, constructed with no steering wheel or pedals for a human driver. In October 2021, Cruise’s then-CEO Dan Ammann stated the corporate will launch “tens of hundreds” of Origins on public roads within the subsequent few years.

In March, Cruise’s present CEO Kyle Vogt stated the corporate would start testing its Origins on the streets in Austin throughout the coming weeks. Whereas human-operated prototypes of the Origin have been manually gathering knowledge used for AV notion system testing and validation, Cruise has not but begun driverless exams in Austin. A spokesperson informed TechCrunch Cruise would start these exams “quickly.”

Cruise is not the primary AV firm to make it to Miami. Final yr, Ford-backed Argo AI started testing a driverless service in Miami. The plan was to place the service on Lyft’s platform, however Argo has since shut down.

Associated video:

• Gross sales of EVs surpass gross sales of diesel fashions for the primary time in Europe, with battery-electrics holding a 15.1 p.c share of the market whereas diesels maintain 13.four p.c.
• Plug-in hybrids have seen beneficial properties and losses over time in numerous European international locations however maintain a 7.9 p.c market share on the continent general.
• The Tesla Mannequin Y (pictured above exterior Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg) has been Europe’s biggest-selling mannequin in any automobile class within the first six months of 2023.

Diesel vehicles have been fashionable in Europe for many years, the place gasoline costs have historically been reasonably excessive in comparison with many different areas. Discovering a small and cheap hatch in Europe that is not diesel has been a tall order for a while, and the identical went for giant sedans, particularly within the UK. Even the Volkswagen diesel disaster that affected plenty of manufacturers had scarcely tempered the automotive shopping for public’s urge for food for diesels in some particular person markets.

However for the primary time ever, gross sales of recent battery-electric fashions within the European Union have edged out these of diesel fashions, with June 2023 knowledge displaying 15.1 p.c market share for BEVs, based on knowledge revealed by Europe’s auto producer affiliation, ACEA. That is a acquire of 66.2 p.c in comparison with the identical month in 2022, when BEVs commanded 10.7 p.c of the market within the EU.

Nonetheless, the expansion for BEVs has not been achieved equally throughout all of the EU international locations, with the Netherlands seeing a 90.1 p.c acquire, with Germany and France in second and third locations with 64.four and 52.zero p.c beneficial properties, respectively.

Gasoline Energy Right down to a Third of the Market

General, gas-engined fashions in Europe nonetheless lead the pack with 36.three p.c market share, whereas hybrids are in second place with 24.three p.c of the market.

One other development price noting is that plug-in hybrids in some particular person EU markets have truly declined over the previous yr, by as a lot as 39.2 p.c in Germany. Elsewhere PHEVs have seen dramatic beneficial properties, similar to in Spain, the place their market share has grown by 51.7 p.c.

Diesel Bans

However is that this solely a mirrored image of battery-electric fashions’ reputation, or extra a consequence of the regulatory battle in opposition to diesels?

Previously few years plenty of massive cities in Europe have experimented with bans on diesel fashions, holding them out of metropolis facilities, forward of a union-wide goal for zero-emission automotive gross sales by 2035, adopted by the European Parliament earlier this yr. Additionally hindering demand for diesel was Volkswagen’s own crisis, now practically a decade outdated, that additionally affected manufacturers similar to Audi, Skoda, and SEAT.

Nonetheless, it is too early to utterly write off diesel fashions in Europe.

For one factor, regardless of an general decline diesels have truly gained traction in some stand-alone international locations similar to Romania, the place they noticed a 22.four p.c acquire final month, in addition to Germany. We would not doubt diesel’s ongoing reputation in plenty of smaller Jap European markets both, whether or not inside or exterior the EU.

In relation to battery-electric autos, one other curious dynamic price noting is that plenty of fashionable EVs aren’t even produced by European automakers. Tesla’s Model Y has been the general bestseller in any class within the first six months of 2023, simply dominating the BEV market, and plenty of China-made EVs are at the moment on sale as effectively. Neither development is one thing that many market analysts had seen coming just some years in the past.

SEOUL – Tesla CEO Elon Musk is able to reduce electrical automotive costs once more to drive gross sales if the economic system swoons, and a part of the reason being a bonanza from Biden administration tax credit. 

“It does make sense to sacrifice margins in favor of creating extra automobiles,” Musk stated on Wednesday, noting that Tesla was dealing with “turbulent instances.” 

Tesla shares fell practically 10% on Thursday as traders fearful that the automaker’s margins, which have been in regular retreat for the previous 12 months, face additional headwinds. 

However whether or not Tesla affords extra reductions or not, the tax credit for battery manufacturing give it a aggressive edge over rivals that make fewer batteries, Reuters’ evaluation of the corporate’s second-quarter outcomes exhibits. 

Tesla has slashed costs in america, China and different markets since late final 12 months. A Mannequin Y, now the world’s best-selling automobile, prices 20% much less within the U.S. than at Christmas 2022. Together with the $7,500 Biden tax credit score, the value is down 35%. 

Tesla’s dynamic discounting technique, mixed with the subsidies, helped enhance its second-quarter U.S. gross sales 35% from the year-ago interval, Cox Automotive knowledge confirmed. 

The battery tax credit within the Inflation Discount Act, which kicked on this 12 months, amounted to a subsidy of about $900 to $1,400 on each Tesla bought in america within the second quarter, in line with the Reuters evaluation primarily based on Tesla’s forecast and U.S. gross sales. 

Mixed with $600 per automobile Tesla collected from promoting regulatory offsets to different producers to fulfill emissions requirements, the U.S. authorities subsidies offset a lot of the $2,500 worth reduce within the quarter on the long-range model of the Mannequin Y. 

“Tesla’s manufacturing tax credit ought to assist to at the least partially offset a number of the worth cuts Tesla needed to implement to spur demand,” Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein stated in an interview. 

TESLA’S BONANZA 

Tesla is the largest beneficiary of battery manufacturing credit below the IRA, which affords incentives to U.S. producers. It produces batteries with provider Panasonic in Nevada and is rising output at its personal Texas plant. 

Consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates Tesla and Panasonic will acquire about $1.eight billion in manufacturing credit this 12 months, way over the $480 million it expects for Basic Motors and its battery provider, LG Vitality Resolution. 

Regardless of benefiting from the tax credit, Musk has criticized U.S. President Joe Biden and lots of of his insurance policies and known as for subsidies to be eradicated. 

Chief Monetary Officer Zach Kirkhorn stated Tesla expects to guide $150 million to $250 million in battery credit every quarter this 12 months, after accounting for its subsidy cut up with Panasonic. That might rise as Tesla ramps battery manufacturing. 

“The worth of credit this 12 months is not going to be gigantic, however I feel it might be gigantic. We expect it most likely might be very important sooner or later,” Musk stated throughout Tesla’s earnings convention name in January. 

Below the IRA, producers qualify for tax credit primarily based on the capability of a U.S.-made battery. For the Mannequin Y, a full payout would quantity to $3,375 per automobile earlier than the payout to Panasonic. 

Many analysts exclude the regulatory credit Tesla collects from different automakers, however embody the Biden manufacturing credit, when calculating its underlying revenue margin. 

Tesla’s quarterly automotive gross margin, excluding the regulatory credit, fell to 18.1% within the second quarter from 26% a 12 months earlier. 

Buick has launched its latest, most-affordable automobile. The 2024 Buick Envista slots under the Encore GX, begins under $25,000 and is a snug and quiet factor. It seems to be fairly good, too, I feel. You’ll be able to learn all about it in my first drive evaluate, and in case you have, you have in all probability been questioning, “Properly, what concerning the cupholders? Will my goofily massive water bottle match?”

Regardless of water being supplied on the drive, as you possibly can see from the disposable bottles within the background of those images, I went by way of a liter of weight loss plan cola from my Nalgene water bottle on the cross-town trek to the occasion, so it got here alongside for the drive with me.

Up entrance, we have got a pair of cupholders in a fore/aft orientation. They give the impression of being pretty typical in each manner, together with dimension, which does not bode nicely for the ‘gene. I may really feel the uninteresting disappointment as I lowered the bottle towards the cupholder.

Certainly, it would not match. 

At first look, the entrance door pocket seems to be prefer it may work. That little divider is worrisome, although.

Adshearlikins! So shut. As you possibly can see within the video additional under, after staunchly rejecting the Nalgene, a second try exhibits it’s going to slip in just a bit bit, however not sufficient to correctly maintain the factor. The entrance occupants, it seems, are out of choices.

However what concerning the folks within the again? There are not any cupholders on the again of the middle console, neither is there a middle armrest to fold down from the seat. Straight to the door pocket it’s.

The rear door pocket seems to be like a shortened model of those up entrance. Inauspicious, however we nonetheless should cross our fingers and verify it.

No surprises right here. Simply extra disappointment.

So whereas the rear passengers can get pleasure from a wholesome quantity of legroom, they can not get pleasure from a more-than-healthy quantity of water from their Nalgene until they maintain it or let it roll round on the ground.

I nonetheless favored the Envista, although. It is value a glance in order for you a price range automobile that does not really feel low cost.

Motorists wouldn’t be breaking the regulation in the event that they use hands-free kits or telephone holders when working the contact display screen of a smartphone to make or obtain telephone calls, The Star has reported.

The report cites Rule 17A of the Highway Site visitors Guidelines 1959 as saying that it’s an offence to make use of a cellphone whereas driving a automobile except it’s with a a hands-free equipment or telephone holder, and as such, it’s permissible to swipe and contact the display screen of a cellphone that’s mounted in a automobile with a holder.

Based on federal police visitors investigation and enforcement division (JSPT) director, commissioner Datuk Seri Mat Kasim Karim, the regulation is evident on the matter that no motorist ought to be holding a cellphone when a automobile is in movement and even when at a standstill throughout visitors jams or at visitors lights.

“Utilizing cellphones with no holder throughout such conditions would imply diverting their consideration away from the street. This could pose a hazard and inconvenience when a driver is required to renew driving when visitors begins shifting once more,” the JSPT director informed The Star.

Cases of by chance dropping a telephone on the automobile flooring and making an attempt to retrieve it whereas driving also can result in the driving force shedding management of their automobile, Mat Kasim added. Within the absence of a telephone holder or hands-free equipment, motorists might solely solely their telephones by stopping their autos in a parking zone, and reminded motorists that stopping in an emergency lane with no legitimate cause is an offence.

When requested if the usage of smartwatches whereas driving is allowed, Mat Kasim stated that is permitted as smartwatches aren’t thought-about hand-held units.

In 2020, the police introduced that utilizing a cellphone with out assistance from a holder or hands-free equipment whereas driving was now not only a compoundable offence, and as an alternative the offenders issued with summonses for the offence could be delivered to court docket, and will face a wonderful of as much as RM1,000 or imprisonment of as much as three months, and the penalties are doubled for repeat offenders.

There may be ample analysis that finds cellphone utilization whereas driving can result in accidents, stated Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) affiliate professor Regulation Teik Hu. “Drivers who’re partially targeted on the street has solely a 50% capability to identify oncoming hazards and a 50% capability to react to avert the hazard,” Regulation stated.

“This declines additional if a driver is texting along with his cellphone, even at low speeds. Motorcyclists, particularly ehailing riders who typically use their cellphones whereas using their machines, are at larger threat of an accident,” he added.

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A brand new wave is coming, says BYD, and the electrical car model has introduced that registrations of curiosity (ROI) have been opened forward of its Malaysian launch for the Dolphin, that will likely be happening on July 28. The ROIs are for take a look at drive slots for the weekend of June 28 to 30, which will likely be held on the forecourt of the 1 Utama Purchasing Centre within the outdated wing automotive park.

The BYD Dolphin seems set to be priced competitively in being among the many most reasonably priced EVs to return to market in Malaysia, and the B-segment-sized hatchback has gone on sale in Thailand from round 699,999 baht (RM92,750 eventually week’s price) for the Commonplace Vary variant, which packs a 44.9 kWh Blade battery to drive a front-mounted 94 PS/180 Nm motor. Thus, a sub-RM100okay price ticket appears possible.

This has a claimed vary of 410 km on the NEDC protocol, and helps as much as 7 kW AC charging or as much as 60 kW with DC quick charging. In markets the place it’s already on sale, the Prolonged Vary variant packs a bigger 60.48 kWh Blade battery that may be recharged at 7 kW AC or 80 kW DC, bringing a claimed vary of 490 km (NEDC). Each Commonplace Vary and Prolonged Vary variants have vehicle-to-load (V2L) energy provide performance.

The BYD Dolphin was previewed in Thailand in March on the 2023 Bangkok Worldwide Motor Present, following the compact EV’s preview in Malaysia when the model was launched on this nation in December 2022 alongside the Malaysian launch of the Atto three EV.

The touted Ocean Sequence line-up of fashions named after sea-dwelling creatures additionally places the Seal on discover, and that may be a fastback four-door mannequin that’s notably extra upmarket, given its oft-used description as a rival to the Tesla Mannequin three and the likes of the BMW i4, which arrived in Malaysia because the eDrive40 M Sport at RM390okay and because the extra highly effective M50 at RM431okay.

To recap, the BYD ocean-series line-up of fashions in Malaysia will start with the official arrival of the Dolphin, and registrations of curiosity for take a look at drive slots are open, right here.

GALLERY: BYD Dolphin EV on the 2023 Bangkok Worldwide Motor Present

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