Monday, October 6, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

A dismal year for German electric cars

Published 7 February 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The German electric car market is said to be largely saturated.
2 minute read

2024 is not expected to be a good year for the German electric car market, with major manufacturers announcing production cuts.

– The top end of the EV market is almost saturated, and there is little to offer in the lower €25,000 segment, explains automotive consultant Jan Burgard.

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has become unpopular, accused of being far too cautious in the electric car market and not making a serious effort to challenge Tesla and other major players in the industry.

Zipse hasn’t been uncritical about the future of electric cars – instead, he has warned that demand will decline in Germany and has publicly advocated focusing on internal combustion vehicles, hybrids and hydrogen-powered cars, reports Swedish business newspaper Dagens PS. Now it seems he is about to be proved right.

Jan Burgard, head of the automotive consulting group Beryll, points out that demand for electric vehicles is declining in Germany and that 2024 looks bleak in this regard.

– The top end of the EV market is almost saturated, and there is little to offer in the lower €25,000 segment, he explains.

Unrealistic target

Selling electric cars is difficult, and sales are expected to fall by as much as 14% in 2024 – partly due to the withdrawal of government subsidies. This would be the first time since 2016 that electric car sales have fallen.

As recently as October 2022, the federal government announced that it would invest 6.3 million to have one million charging stations in the country by 2030 – but last fall there were just over 100,000.

To meet the target, construction will have to be at least three times faster than today, and Zipse argues that it is simply unrealistic to expect to have charging stations in every small community in the near future. He also points out that it is much more difficult to find charging stations in other European countries than in Germany.

The German goal of having 15 million electric cars on the country’s roads by 2030 is unrealistic, Burgard says – and as of November 2023, only 2% of all passenger cars were electric.

In addition to BMW’s already “cautious” stance on electric cars, Audi has announced that it is cutting back on its electric car business, and automaker Volkswagen has made the same announcement.

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Bitcoin reaches new record – surpasses $125,000 in value

Alternative economic systems

Published yesterday 13:21
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

The world’s leading cryptocurrency continues its rise and hit a new all-time high on Sunday, driven by dollar weakness and strong inflows to bitcoin ETFs.

Bitcoin rose to $125,689 on Sunday, once again reaching new record levels. The previous record was set in mid-August when the cryptocurrency reached $124,480.

The rise comes after eight straight days of gains, supported by positive developments in US stock markets and increasing investments in bitcoin ETFs – exchange-traded funds that allow investors to gain exposure to bitcoin without having to buy and store the cryptocurrency themselves. Meanwhile, the US dollar has weakened against most major currencies, partly due to uncertainty surrounding a possible US government shutdown.

Joshua Lim, analyst at crypto broker Falcon X, sees a clear connection:

With many assets at record levels, it’s not surprising that bitcoin is benefiting from dollar weakness.

Since the beginning of the year, bitcoin has risen over 30 percent, benefiting from more crypto-friendly policies under President Donald Trump’s administration and increased institutional interest in digital assets.

Gold prices at record levels

Published 29 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Experts worry about the soaring price of gold.
1 minute read

During the summer and fall of this year, gold prices have risen by over 40 percent, leading to trading near $3,800 per ounce. The sharp increase has raised concerns among economists and investors.

One of the primary factors behind the price increase is US President Donald Trump’s policy, which aims to reduce America’s national debt. As part of this strategy, Trump hopes to weaken the dollar, making gold more attractive as a safe haven asset.

A weaker dollar makes gold cheaper for investors in other currencies, further driving up demand. Currently, one US dollar costs approximately €0.85, which represents a notable depreciation in just a few months.

Several major banks have raised their forecasts for gold prices. Goldman Sachs predicts that prices could rise to over $4,000 per ounce within a year, provided that central banks continue buying gold and investors increase their gold positions.

Despite the positive development, there are also warnings. Experts point out that gold prices can become volatile and that a sudden interest rate hike or improved global economic stability could lead to a rapid price decline.

Investors are therefore advised to be cautious and not put all their assets in gold.

The rapid price increase in gold reflects a world in economic uncertainty, where pressure on US finances and its currency policy could have far-reaching consequences worldwide.

China plans fully AI-controlled economy by 2035

The modern China

Published 26 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
By 2035, AI is planned to have "completely reworked Chinese society" and implemented a new phase of economic and social production.
2 minute read

The Chinese government has presented an ambitious ten-year plan where artificial intelligence will permeate all sectors of society by 2035 and become the “main engine for economic growth”.

China’s State Council has published a comprehensive plan aimed at making the country the world’s first fully AI-driven economy within eleven years. According to the government document presented at the end of August, artificial intelligence will have transformed Chinese society by 2035 and become the foundation for what is described as “a new phase of development in intelligent economy and intelligent society”.

The plan, which spans ten years, encompasses six central societal sectors that will be permeated by AI technology by 2027. These include science and technology, citizen welfare, industrial development, consumer goods, governance, and international relations.

The goal: 90 percent usage by 2030

According to the timeline, AI technology should reach a 90 percent usage rate by 2030 and practically become a new type of infrastructure. At this point, the technology is expected to have developed into a “significant growth engine for China’s economy”.

The strategy resembles the country’s previous “internet plus” initiative, which successfully integrated the internet as a central component in the Chinese economy.

By 2035, AI should according to the plan have “completely reworked Chinese society” and implemented a new phase of economic and social production. This is an ambitious goal with significant consequences, not only for the People’s Republic but for the entire world.

International cooperation in focus

The State Council emphasizes that AI should be treated as an “international public good that benefits humanity”. The plan highlights the importance of developing open source AI, supporting developing countries in building their own technology sectors, and the UN’s role as a leader in AI regulation.

Although China’s AI industry is growing rapidly, as exemplified by the open AI platform DeepSeek’s successes earlier this year, Chinese models still lag several months behind their American counterparts in terms of average performance. This is largely due to restrictions and barriers that Western countries have imposed.

However, the gap is steadily narrowing. At the end of 2023, American AI models performed better than Chinese ones in 13 percent of general reasoning tests. By the same time in 2024, this figure had dropped to 8.1 percent. In certain AI applications, China is already a world leader and has invested heavily in offering its services at low prices and in many cases completely free as open source.

The State Council’s ten-year plan aims to further reduce the lead by strengthening key areas such as fundamental model performance, security measures, data access, and energy management.

Whether Beijing can deliver on its massive goals with the help of sometimes unreliable technology remains to be seen. However, if other nationally coordinated plans are any indication, the country may face a comprehensive transformation.

Chinese EVs outsell Tesla

Published 26 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
From unchallenged market leader to pressured giant – Tesla faces intensifying competition from China.
1 minute read

Chinese electric vehicle company BYD has increased its sales in Europe by over 200 percent. Meanwhile, Tesla’s electric vehicle sales in Europe decreased compared to last year.

For the eighth consecutive month, sales are declining for Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla in Europe, according to industry organization ACEA. In July, Tesla sold a total of 8,220 electric vehicles, which is 36 percent less than the same month last year.

Meanwhile, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, sold 9,130 electric vehicles in July, representing an increase of 201 percent compared to July last year.

Looking at this year’s figures, Tesla has lost 43 percent in the European market, while BYD has increased by 244 percent.

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