Latest news with #auto
CNET
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CNET
I Don't Drive Anywhere Without This Car Battery Jump Starter, and It's 40% Off Right Now
I learned a lot about cars from my grandfather, who was an auto mechanic, but I never had to deal with car troubles on my own until I had to jump-start my car battery by myself. My beloved 2011 Toyota was making a weird sound when I turned the key, and it wouldn't start. Like any responsible young adult, I immediately FaceTimed my dad and played the sound for him. He determined in less than a minute that I'd need to jump-start my car to get it running. (Spoiler: He was right.) Ever since then, I've been sure to keep several key items in my car in case of an emergency, and one of those is a portable jump starter. The Powrun P-One is the jump starter I keep in my trunk, and I recommend it to absolutely everyone I know. Right now you can get it for just $60 at Amazon. That's 40% off the normal list price of $100. This 12-volt portable jump starter battery pack can start my car in seconds without another car or anyone else's help. Complete with mini jumper cables and instructions, it's practically idiot-proof. (I say this proudly as a car idiot who has used this pack several times to jump-start my car.) It's incredibly easy to use. You prepare your car like you would if you were jumping it from another car. Pop the hood, locate the battery and attach the jumper cables. Then, using the black connector attached to the jumper cables, you plug the jumper cables into the battery pack, matching up the blue plug to the corresponding port on the battery pack. Then, you flip the switch to turn the battery pack on, and a green light on the jumper cable connector will signal you have a good connection. All you have to do is retry starting your car, and that extra charge bank should give you the juice you need to get it running. This battery has enough juice to jump-start your car up to 25 times from a single charge and is compatible with 12-volt gasoline and diesel engines. Plus, it has an intelligent safety system (in the form of eight types of protection systems) to make sure you don't electrocute yourself. In addition to helping you get moving, this battery also comes with a flashlight, compass and ports you can use to charge your phone or other devices. It also has a display screen that shows your usage and remaining battery power. It's lightweight, compact and easy to store in your glove box or trunk. This is everything that comes with the battery jump starter. Amazon Why I recommend the Powrun P-One to everyone I don't like to tout any product as life-saving, but this one really could be. Luckily for me, my car battery died during daylight hours in a relatively safe place, but the situation easily could've been much worse. Aside from the convenience of not needing another car to get a jump start, this portable jump starter is as much a safety tool as it is a car tool. I feel much better driving around knowing I have it in my trunk, ready to go if needed. If you use the Powrun P-One only once, it'll probably provide relief that will justify its purchase. While you might not normally think of a jump starter as a gift, hear me out: It's actually a great gifting idea for the young adults in your life. This jump starter may not be the "coolest" gift, but it's practical, thoughtful and sets the recipient up for real-world adulting. Plus, if your giftee ever needs it, you can most definitely expect a thank you call or text afterward. For more ideas, check out our road trip checklist. And to see more deals like this, find our list of the best deals on portable jump starters going on now.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Fast lane
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. There's a race going on between the world's two largest auto makers, China and the United States, and the People's Republic is out in front. Host Carmel Crimmins talks innovation, protectionism, competition and who gets left behind with Reuters Greater China bureau chief Kevin Krolicki and global autos editor Brian Thevenot. Tortoise economies, and hot pot in cars to come. Read the special report on China's emerging dominance in the auto sector here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Sign up for the Reuters Auto File newsletter here For information on our privacy and data protection practices visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Listening China's price problem EV batteries China's 'Rotten-tail kids'
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
The Electric Vehicle Revolution Will Be Bifurcated
Thanks for reading Hyperdrive, Bloomberg's newsletter on the future of the auto world. We at BloombergNEF recently published the 2025 edition of our Electric Vehicle Outlook.
Reuters
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
China automakers' price war, overcapacity hurt finances
July 3 (Reuters) - China's auto sector is reeling from overcapacity and an extended price war, raising alarm among regulators and industry executives who warn the turmoil is undermining the sector's long-term viability. China's top leaders have pledged to step up regulation of aggressive price-cutting and support the orderly phasing out of outdated production capacity, state media reported earlier this month. LSEG data for 33 listed automakers headquartered in China show a broad deterioration in key financial metrics over the past six years, highlighting the impact of a brutal price war that began in 2023. Data showed that the average time carmakers took to pay their suppliers and other short-term creditors widened to 108 days in 2024 from 99 days in 2019. On June 1, new regulation kicked in, requiring large companies to settle payments within 60 days of receiving goods, engineering services or materials. Joerg Wuttke, Washington-based partner at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, said that European and German suppliers generally paid suppliers within 40 to 50 days. "That (new regulation) is going to enforce a more level playing field and basically stop these automakers from turning their suppliers into bankers," he said. Among major brands, top electric vehicle seller BYD ( opens new tab took an average of 127 days to pay suppliers and other short-term creditors in 2024, up from 81 days in 2019, the LSEG data showed. When asked about the data, BYD said its average payment period to suppliers that covered both accounts payable and notes payable dropped to 127 days by 2024 from 139 days in 2019. Geely Automobile's ( opens new tab payment period also rose to 193 days in 2024 from 139 days in 2019, according to LSEG data. Geely declined to comment. Bucking the trend, Great Wall Motor Co ( opens new tab shortened its payment cycle to 94 days in 2024 from 115 days in 2019. The company did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The sector's combined inventory levels more than doubled to 370 billion yuan ($51.55 billion) in 2024 from 2019, even as dealers complained of many firms dumping cars on them to meet high sales targets. Total debt among carmakers surged 56% to 959 billion yuan last year from 2019's level. The median debt-to-equity ratio climbed by 21 percentage points to 51.3%. The sector's median net profit margin fell to just 0.83% in 2024 from 2.7% in 2019. BYD, however, boosted its profit margin to 5.4% from 1.7% in 2019. The company, which makes cars and mobile phone components, attributed the improvement to a change in its business mix as the contribution of automotive-related revenue as a share of total revenue grew from 49.5% to 79.4% over the period. Nio Inc and Xpeng Inc , two of China's best-known EV brands, had among the longest payment periods among the 33 firms. The two companies stretched their payment periods to suppliers and other short-term creditors to 223 days and 237 days, respectively. Both companies continued to remain in the red, although both improved their negative margins sharply over the period. Nio said it would commit to paying suppliers within 60 days. Xpeng said its cash liquidity continued to improve and referred to comments its CEO He Xiaopeng made last Thursday at a media event that the company would also, like other firms, endeavour to meet a commitment to pay suppliers within 60 days as soon as possible. ($1 = 7.1769 Chinese yuan renminbi)
The Drive
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Bosch Is Discounting Car Maintenance Essentials and Pro Mechanic Tools on Amazon Prime Days
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Bosch is a quality German auto parts brand that makes some critical OEM items for high-end cars. It also has a huge aftermarket catalog of common replacement items, like wiper blades and brake pads, as well as specialty tools like slide hammers, air conditioning rechargers, and compression testers. Almost all of it is on sale during Amazon Prime Days this year. Wiper blades are annoyingly expensive if you grab them off the rack at an auto parts store. Save yourself some time and money and grab a set here for 15% off, then you'll be ready for replacement when your current ones dry out and crack (nothing lasts forever). Just make sure to double-check you're ordering the right ones for your car—Bosch has a big range of fitments on these. Amazon's Confirmed Fit compatibility-checking tool should have you covered there. The same goes for all the other vehicle-specific parts in this post. Bosch set of two wiper blades (28A & 16A) (11% off) Bosch set of two wiper blades (26A & 18A) (15% off) Bosch set of two wiper blades (26A & 20A) (18% off) Bosch set of two wiper blades (26OE & 22OE) (17% off) If you don't see yours here, follow any of those links to Amazon and you'll be able to select from an even longer list. Brake Pads—Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic (17% off) Batteries—Bosch Lithium Power Sport (Motorcycle, ATV, Snowmobile, Jet Ski) (21% off) Oil Filters—Bosch 3300 Premium (18% off) Spark Plugs—Bosch 9697 Double Iridium (22% off) HEPA Cabin Air Filters—6029C for Honda and Acura (28% off) HEPA Cabin Air Filters—6055C for Toyota and Lexus (36% off) HEPA Cabin Air Filters—6091C for GM (9% off) A compression tester is a great tool to have and learn how to use, whether you're a real mechanic or just like to buy cheap used cars. Running a compression test can be a quick and easy way to help you decide if a motor's worth buying. Bad compression could mean a bad head gasket or worse. Here are some more specialty mechanic tools you might like to get a deal on: Slide Hammer—OTC 4579 9-Way Puller Set (15% off) Front End Service Set—OTC 6295 for Pitman Arms, Ball Joints, and Tie Rods (56% off) Portable Refrigerant Recovery Machine—Robinair RG3, 115V, 60Hz (15% off) Refrigerant Electronic Charging/Recover Scale—Robinair TIF9010A Slimline (15% off) Our team's hard at work, testing tools, parts, and shop equipment. Let our trials and experience be your guide to mastering The Garage. Maintenance & Repair The Garage
