Author: Kavish

Pune, 9th April 2025 Valeo, a global leader in automotive components for internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric vehicles (EVs), has increased its capital expenditure plans by investing in the development of a 3-in-1 combo unit that includes an on-board charger, DC-DC converter, and power distribution unit for electric vehicles. This initiative seeks to provide a more competitive offering for Indian automakers. According to company representatives, the newly opened facility will produce the highly integrated 3-in-1 combo unit. They emphasized that the manufacturing site in Pune is part of Valeo’s strategy to improve cutting-edge production capabilities, demonstrating the company’s commitment…

– Two Democratic U.S. senators demanded information from Microsoft and Google about their cloud computing partnerships with artificial intelligence companies, expressing concern the arrangements could stifle competition in the cutting-edge industry. U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrats on the Senate banking and finance committees, respectively, asked Google for details about its partnership with AI startup Anthropic and Microsoft about its tie-up with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, according to the letters. “We are concerned that corporate partnerships within the AI sector discourage competition, circumvent our antitrust laws, and result in fewer choices and higher…

Vivo X200s will be announced in China on April 21, alongside the Vivo X200 Ultra. Vivo is actively teasing the handset on Chinese social media platforms, offering a detailed look at its design and colour options. Alongside, a Chinese tipster has suggested the key specifications of the phone days ahead of the formal reveal. The flagship smartphone is tipped to come with a triple rear camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel main camera and could pack a 6,200mAh battery. The Vivo X200s is confirmed to run on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+ chipset.Latest teasers by Vivo reveal that Vivo X200s will be available in black,…

Automakers are tired, boss. The last three months have felt like a year for them as tariff uncertainty, backtracking and political chest-beating contests taking center stage. The automotive industry is over it and, at the minimum, wants predictability. Welcome back to Critical Materials, your daily roundup for all things electric and tech in the automotive space. Today, automakers are asking politicians to just chill out already. Plus, Musk dukes it out with Trump’s top trade adviser over tariffs and Nissan reverses course on slowing of U.S. production. Let’s jump in. 30%: Automakers Just Want Politicians To Chill Out Already Photo by: InsideEVs…

By Alexandra Ulmer, Marisa Taylor, Jeffrey Dastin and Alexandra Alper -Trump administration officials have told some U.S. government employees that Elon Musk’s DOGE team of technologists is using artificial intelligence to surveil at least one federal agency’s communications for hostility to President Donald Trump and his agenda, said two people with knowledge of the matter. While much of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency remains shrouded in secrecy, the surveillance would mark an extraordinary use of technology to identify expressions of perceived disloyalty in a workforce already upended by widespread firings and severe cost cutting.  The DOGE team is also using…

Infinix Note 50s 5G+ will launch in India on April 18, the company recently confirmed in a press release. The company also teased the colour options of the handset. It will be offered in vegan leather as well as metallic finishes, where the former is said to come with a scent tech feature. Now, a Flipkart microsite of the handset confirms the availability details of the phone. It is teased to offer a slim design. The smartphone is expected to join the Infinix Note 50X 5G variant, which was unveiled in the country in March.Infinix Note 50s 5G+ India Launch: All We KnowThe Infinix Note…

Americans are increasingly purchasing cars with electrically assisted internal combustion engines. Toyota sold over one million electrified cars last year. Honda’s electrified vehicles accounted for a quarter of its 1.3 million sales. Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Tucson hybrids are increasingly popular, too. The powertrains underpinning these cars deliver astonishing fuel economy in the real world. But under the hood, not all hybrids are identical. Even though they accomplish the same task—improving efficiency and reducing the load on the engine—automakers have adopted different approaches. Five different types of hybrids exist: mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, parallel hybrids, series hybrids (also known as range…

A covert team of technologists led by Elon Musk, operating under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is allegedly deploying artificial intelligence to monitor internal communications across at least one federal agency for perceived disloyalty to US President Donald Trump, according to individuals familiar with the matter reported Reuters.The report said that the sources with direct knowledge revealed that staff at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been warned that AI systems may be scrutinising emails and virtual chats for language deemed hostile to Trump or Musk. DOGE’s actions, according to insiders, form part of a broader mission to slash…

Alcatel, the French consumer technology brand, has partnered with Flipkart as it prepares to return to India’s mobile phone market after a seven-year hiatus. Operated independently by TCL Communication, Alcatel will sell its smartphones, which are made locally, via the e-commerce platform and its quick commerce arm. The brand, operated under trademark licensing from Nokia, is planning to establish a pan-India service network to offer customer support. It will is expected to unveil premium handsets with French design in the country soon.Alcatel to Set Up Nationwide Service NetworkThrough a press release on Tuesday, Alcatel announced its retail partnership with Flipkart.…

New cars are ridiculously expensive. New electric cars, even more so. Could a new American EV startup change that equation? According to a scoop from TechCrunch’s Sean O’Kane, that’s the goal of Slate Auto. It’s a new automaker that could go out of “stealth mode” soon with an electric pickup truck aiming for an enticing price tag of around $25,000.  Launching an entirely new car company is no easy endeavor, but Slate reportedly has at least one very deep-pocketed investor: Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos.  “Slate, which took root in another Bezos-connected company called Re:Build Manufacturing, has been…