UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
13 hours agoE-bike and e-scooter warning issued amid growing' black market
E-bike and e-scooter fires in the UK surged in 2025, raising safety concerns about products from online marketplaces.
Rad Power Bikes, a buzzy electric bike company that raised nearly $330 million in venture capital, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December. The company had struggled for months prior to its bankruptcy filing, and had warned employees it might have to shut down without new capital.
It's tempting to frame autonomous driving as a single leap. In public transport, adoption tends to be incremental - because the system is built for reliability, and new capabilities have to fit into daily operations without disrupting service. That is why a practical strategy is evolution, not revolution: introduce autonomy in a defined domain, learn safely in real operations, and expand capability step-by-step.
The robotaxi takeover - assuming they take over - will also be a real estate story. As Waymo, Uber, Tesla, and other competitors race to flood the streets with fully autonomous cars, robotaxi operators will need to find places to park, charge, and maintain their vehicles. Voltera, a charging infrastructure company based in Palo Alto that has partnered with Alphabet-backed Waymo, is buying up real estate now to prep for the AV boom.
It adapts in seconds without any tools to comfortably fit riders of varying heights thanks to its low-entry frame, quick-release seat post, and height-adjustable handlebar. It also takes up less space than an ordinary bike with its 20-inch wheels, folding pedals, and a handlebar that twists to create a slim, wall-hugging profile that goes flat inside a car or train.
Climbing onto the Honda Fastport eQuad is, quite literally, just like getting on a bicycle, except easier. With four wheels and broad diamond-plate running boards on either side, ingress and egress is as simple as swinging my leg over and stepping on and off the pedals, no kickstands involved. This makes sense, as the e-bike-based mini box-truck has been custom designed and constructed by the Japanese transportation company for the constant stop-and-go of urban e-commerce package delivery.