Quincy Malesovaswww.news.com.au The discovery of radio waves, the telephone and – of course – the internet have fueled the modern world’s ease of connection, knowledge and accessibility. Now cars are undergoing a similar evolution. While cars have only been around a relatively short amount of time, they’ve seen a great transformation in their lifetime – particularly within the last decade. We may not be at the point where self-driving cars are roaming the streets, but that future is not far off. “The market has become very vibrant and is growing day by day,” says Dr Saeed Asadi Bagloee, a research fellow at Melbourne University’s Department of Transport Engineering. Even now, there are vehicles out there that are equipped with technologies that sound like they’re straight out of a science fiction novel. The 2021 Haval Jolion is one of them. Featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that lets you stream all…

www.afr.com The Morrison government has taken a major step towards curing Australians of electric vehicle “range anxiety” by funding the rollout of more than 400 public fast-charging stations around the country. Targeting all capital cities as well as rural and regional areas, the network of charging stations – which will all run on clean energy – will be built and operated by five companies: Evie Networks, Ampol, Engie, Chargefox and Electric Highways Tasmania. More charging stations are needed if the national electric car fleet is to expand.  According to Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor the chargers represent a seven-fold increase in available power points, and will each be capable of charging at least two vehicles simultaneously at 50 kilowatts or above. “The government is focused on ensuring Australians can drive their preferred choice of vehicle, be that petrol, diesel, hydrogen or electric powered,” Mr Taylor said. The announcement…

Inside Retail; 26/07/21 Chinese coffee chain M Stand has secured US$77.3 million during its Series B round of financing, aiming to reach 100 retail stores by the end of this year.  Led by Qicheng Capital and Black Ant Capital, the second round of investment received by M Stand this year is joined by two existing shareholders, CMC Capital and Challenger Capital. The post-investment valuation was estimated at about US$617 million.  The funds raised will be used for recruitment, development of supply chains and digital operations.  Founded in 2017 in Shanghai by a young entrepreneur named Ge Dong, M Stand is known for its coffee served in fresh coconuts or edible cups made from oatmeal cookies. The brand’s store design draws young Chinese customers with its trendy minimalist concept.  Positioning itself as ‘China’s Starbucks that serves the young generation’, M Stand completed its first round of investment earlier this year, raising…