Researchers from several prominent Chinese institutions have reportedly charged a lithium-ion battery to 60% capacity in roughly five minutes. While the feat may seem inconsequential, slow recharge times and range anxiety in electric vehicles have long been recognised as primary factors for consumers not transitioning to the greener alternative. A survey by automotive blog, EV…
China has contacted South African officials regarding the construction of a high-speed rail network and several other large projects, including 5G infrastructure. Large-scale investment into the country is expected to create thousands of jobs in the next three years, said Chinese ambassadors to South Africa. The ambitious rail project had been discussed between the two…
Chinese engineers and urban planners have decided to depart from traditional ‘grey infrastructure’ like dams, stormwater drains and catch basins that funnel excess water from our streets. Instead, Kongjian Yu, dean of Peking University’s College of Architecture, and his colleagues have decided to turn their cities into ‘sponges’. Yu has championed the radical idea for…
One of China’s largest automotive brands, BYD, has discontinued manufacturing vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE). The last petrol and diesel-powered motor vehicles had rolled off factory assembly lines in March, announced a recent statement released by the Shenzhen-based firm. Instead, BYD is directing most of its research and development towards greener power units like…
Scientists have developed what social media users have dubbed the ‘magnetic turd’ and they hope the medical field will one day employ to retrieve foreign objects from inside the body. The Chinese researchers responsible for the slimy creation say the brownish, slug-shaped substance, immediately compared to the 1997 sci-fi film Flubber, can reportedly make ‘C’…
The crew of China’s Shenzhou 13 mission is preparing to make a return voyage to earth from its lengthy off-planet excursion. When the record-setting trio does land safely back in Dongfeng, Inner Mongolia, in mid-April, they’d have spent more than six months in space. This smashes the relatively young Chinese space program’s previous record of…
After years of delays and pre-feasibility tests, Kenyan officials have selected two sites for the East African nation’s first nuclear energy production facilities. The project will be run in partnership with China’s National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Authority (NuPEA), scheduled to break ground at the end of the decade, will add…
Chinese automotive heavyweight BYD recently committed to running Baidu’s autonomous driving systems in its vehicles, with the partnership expected to boost profitability for both brands. Sources working closely with the companies told South China Morning Post (SCMP) that Baidu’s natively developed autonomous driving platform, Apollo Navigation Pilot (ANP), had been selected by the Warren Buffett-backed…
Local network operator, Rain, has collaborated with Oppo, one of China’s largest telecommunications companies to develop a new range of 5G routers for the South African market. The fifth-generation wireless system will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 chipset, one of the brand’s most powerful semiconductors. Oppo would continue to grow its product offering…
Lunar samples returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission have grabbed the attention of geologists and astronomers worldwide, starting a research frenzy as Chinese and international scientists alike clamour to have a peek at the alien rocks under a microscope. Scientists like Li Xian-Hua, who formerly dedicated their time and effort to materials of a more terrestrial…