As every year, the month of June marks the start of the hottest weeks, and vehicle air conditioning systems become indispensable elements when traveling by car, especially during the central hours of the day. Curiously, however, the air conditioning system is one of the great unknowns for most car owners in our country, as are the basic functionalities needed to optimize its performance.

Ebro presented this Monday morning its new production line at the Zona Franca plant. With the so-called M1, which has been operational since the beginning of the year, the company can triple its previous production: while the M0 – shorter and with fewer processes – allows manufacturing 6 cars per hour, the new line will be able to manufacture up to 20 vehicles in the same time. However, for now, its productivity will not be exploited at 100% and, as explained by the president of Ebro EV Motors, Rafael Ruiz, it will be expanded as demand increases. Specifically, currently, on the M1 – where models s400 and s700 are produced – only one shift is working, while on the M0 – where s800 and s900 are made – two shifts are working. If the new line were open 24 hours – which would be equivalent to three shifts – it would be capable of producing up to 130,000 vehicles per year.

A recent study of the dating app Ashley Madison placed three Catalan cities (Girona, Manresa, and Barcelona) as the most unfaithful in Spain. To this data, we must add the fact that Spain is one of the three most unfaithful countries in the world, accompanied by the United States and Brazil in the ranking of most unfaithful countries, and leading —with a certain distance— the European ranking, far ahead of Italy or Denmark.In an increasingly less monogamous context and open to discovering new personal experiences, car manufacturers have also realized that Spanish car buyers, and especially Catalans, no longer swear eternal love to a particular brand. Studies such as that of the consultancy JD Power reveal that a significant portion of buyers of certain luxury brands like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz do maintain a certain commitment and loyalty to the brand, and buy several models from the same manufacturer throughout their lives, but this feeling and emotional bond is practically nonexistent in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.Although it is not about making a treatise on sociology, it is enough to observe how the consumption habits of drivers in Catalonia have changed. While it is true that most of the population has a good memory of their parents' or grandparents' vehicles, and that there is a certain sense of pride regarding Seat (and now Cupra), the sentimental bond with a brand is not, by far, a decisive factor when buying a new car.In most European countries there is a buyer profile very linked to a specific brand. In France or Italy, for example, there are millions of people who always buy cars of a specific brand, such as Renault or Fiat, as they have a real emotional bond with the car manufacturer. This feeling or emotional bond explains the survival of brands like Vauxhall in the United Kingdom or the good sales figures for Opel in Germany, even though both brands are part of the Stellantis group, of Italian-American capital.An opportunity for the Chinese

When the major Chinese automotive groups have decided to take the step of manufacturing part of their vehicles in Europe, motivated by the European Union's tariff policy, they have looked for scenarios with a good communications network, efficient distribution, the existence of a network of experienced suppliers and qualified labor, but also an open market to buy different car brands without looking at their origin as long as the price and product fit well.The landing of the Chery group in Barcelona from the Zona Franca plant, where Ebro models are assembled and Omoda or Jaecoo models will soon be, is largely explained by the existence of a buyer profile that has no decisive emotional connection when changing cars, and who prioritizes the price and functionality of the car over the origin or roots of the manufacturer. In other words, the Chinese who have bet on Barcelona (and who want to bet on Almussafes, Zaragoza or other Spanish plants) do so, among other reasons, because of the real possibility of positioning their products without preconceptions or conditions regarding the origin of the vehicle, something that in France, the United Kingdom or Italy —countries with a strong sense of belonging and brand pride— does not seem possible at the moment.The profile of a Dacia Sandero buyer (the best-selling car in Spain in recent years) does not have a special interest or emotional attachment to Dacia. The Sandero buyer is looking for a reasonable car, at an affordable price and with features and possibilities that fit their needs, and it is precisely this buyer profile that has no problem buying a vehicle of Chinese origin (MG, Jaecoo, Omoda, Ebro...) as long as it has a competitive price and fits their daily needs.However, this automotive promiscuity can also become a double-edged sword. Not going any further, Catalans never felt a special affection for the Pulsar or the Patrol, to give two examples of models that Nissan manufactured for years and years in Barcelona before its departure and replacement by Ebro and the Chery group. In this regard, it is realistic to think that Catalan buyers will not feel any kind of sentimental attachment to products manufactured by Chery, despite Ebro's advertising efforts to strengthen its link and sense of belonging with local buyers, through the recovery of the Ebro trade name (or Santana in Andalusia) and by sponsoring events or even the Spanish national football team.The sustained relationship, key in the loyalty process

The major automotive manufacturers are aware of the particularity of the Spanish automotive market, and especially the Catalan one. The majority of Catalan buyers looking for a new vehicle do so from brands different from their current model, often motivated by after-sales service that has not generated synergies with their customers.That is why major European manufacturers, in a context of strong international competition, are looking for new systems to retain their customers, which involve a stable and sustained relationship with drivers through constant monitoring of buyers via the dealership network and official workshop inspections. This is because a good reputation in the interpersonal channel (the age-old word-of-mouth, you know) allows a brand to be commercially positioned in the collective imagination (like Toyota, for example) more than through communication campaigns in traditional media or through influencers on social networks.

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With the arrival of the summer months comes the payment reminderof the new Catalan tax on CO₂ emissions, a tax that will affect more than one and a half million drivers in the country and which for now only applies in Catalonia. This tax, which is expected to raise more than 145 million this fiscal year, is added to a long list of direct and indirect taxes that drivers have to face to use their vehicle, expenses that must be added to the significant capital investment in the purchase process and subsequent vehicle maintenance, which we will analyze individually below.

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The automotive industry is one of the main industries in our country. In recent years, however, the sector has undergone very significant changes, and has transformed. Electrification and the emergence of Chinese cars have revolutionized the vehicle market, and manufacturers are having to adapt at breakneck speed. We talk about it with Josep Maria Vall (Barcelona, 1947), president of the Cluster of the Automotive Industry of Catalonia (CIAC).

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The automotive world is changing faster and faster, and novelties cease to be so in too short a time. In fact, the commercial life of a passenger car is approximately ten years, with various aesthetic updates or restyling that allow cars to maintain a fresh, young, and modern image.The process of replacing models with newer and more modern generations has accelerated in recent years due to the arrival of electrification and digitalization of automobiles, causing models with combustion or semi-hybrid engines to be somewhat sidelined in dealerships in the face of the arrival of more modern, digital, and plug-in models. On the contrary, there are models with years of production that have become practically perfect machines, as they have become cars tested and perfected practically to the extreme, in which the possible incidents and teething problems that a car can have in the initial phase of its production have been improved.It is worth mentioning that modern cars pass all relevant certifications and approvals, but with the passage of years and kilometers, some potential endemic problems or weak points may arise: from a faulty cooling system to electronic folding mirror systems that do not work. Manufacturers, the first to be interested in maintaining the delicate balance between brand reputation and the cost of warranty replacements and repairs, introduce improvements in their cars' production processes to make them increasingly perfected and reliable machines.A more competitive price for a product with guarantees

Let's take the case of the Seat Ibiza or the Seat Arona. Both are cars with more than six years on the market, and while it is true that aesthetically they do not represent any striking novelty, the various aesthetic updates they have received and the deep knowledge of the models in their production process have made them almost perfect machines, without any hidden vice, manufacturing defect or problem to discover. The brand – in this case, Seat – knows that it must adjust the price of the product to the maximum to make it competitive in a market full of novelties, something that, thanks to fully amortized design and pre-production costs, it can afford with relative ease.If we go a little further, it is possible to find cars in an even more attractive situation for the buyer, thanks to run out cars or those in the process of being replaced by a new generation of the model or a completely new model. All manufacturers know that the value of their cars depreciates rapidly when they officially present their successor, as buyers quickly lose interest in the discontinued model in favor of the new model. It is precisely at this point, prior to the presentation of the new generation or model of a particular vehicle, that manufacturers offer end-of-production versions packed with equipment, well tested and proven by thousands of cars in circulation, at a very attractive price. Without going any further, this would be the case of the current Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, two aspirational cars at the end of their commercial life that offer prices significantly below their BMW or Porsche rivals with equivalent power, but with equal or even superior equipment.Evidently, this type of vehicle, at the end of its commercial life, also presents some drawbacks. The first is that these outgoing or end-of-production models do not have the latest generation gadgets and applications, and this can be a problem for the more technological buyer profiles. The other major drawback that these cars at the end of their commercial life suffer from is their design, with an image that is no longer innovative or groundbreaking, which can also be a drawback for buyers who are more sensitive to this aspect.However, cars at the end of their commercial life or run out are a good option for buyers looking for a well-equipped vehicle, at a competitive price, and with the certainty of being a consolidated and proven model, and who want to avoid the possible teething problems that the first units manufactured by any major automotive company have.

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The Audi Nuvolari is a truly surprising car. The first big surprise is that the Ingolstadt brand has chosen the name Nuvolari to christen the spiritual successor of the famous R8, and that is because Tazio Nuvolari was a great Italian driver from the early 20th century who earned his stripes (and worldwide fame) at the wheel of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo vehicles, with which he achieved the impossible victory at Nürburgring and humiliated the propaganda and paraphernalia of the Third Reich. Tazio Nuvolari signed some of the most brilliant pages in the history of Italian automobiles, and it wasn't until 1938, after the accidental death of the German ace Bernd Rosemeyer, that a temporarily retired Nuvolari agreed to sign for Auto Union, the predecessor of the current Audi.Perhaps the decision to name this hypercar or supercar after the brilliant Italian driver is a statement of intent that has a lot to do with the centuries-old rivalry between German and Italian manufacturers. Surely seeing the name Nuvolari associated with a model from Ingolstadt has not generated any sympathy in Maranello and Balocco, the headquarters of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo respectively.The most powerful Audi in history

The Nuvolari is a splendid machine, and only 499 limited units will be manufactured at a price yet to be determined (and which will be really high). To begin with, this is the first Audi to surpass the psychological barrier of 1,000 HP of power, and that is capable of exceeding 350 km/h top speed. Commercially, it is destined to be the spiritual successor of the Audi R8, albeit in an even more powerful, disruptive, and exclusive format.On a technological and mechanical level, the most relevant aspect of the Nuvolari is its hybrid setup, which combines a V8 (or eight-cylinder V-engine) combustion engine with 800 CV of power with three auxiliary electric motors (two on the front axle and one on the rear) each providing an additional 148 CV, powered by 7.3 kWh capacity batteries, to achieve a total combined power of 1,001 CV. In fact, this propulsion scheme is exactly the same as that used by the Lamborghini Temerario. Unlike the Lamborghini, however, the German model maintains a latest-generation Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which allows for individualized monitoring and control of each wheel based on the grip and traction needed at any given moment.

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The commercial name of a new car is one of the elements that an automotive manufacturer takes the most care in, analyzes, designs, and evaluates. It is not easy to find a word that is easy to remember, has an attractive sound, and can be pronounced in most languages of the world, let alone make this word associated with the collective imagination of buyers. However, in recent years, several manufacturers have named some of their models with at least curious and fun names that will surely make you smile.

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The Chinese group SAIC has chosen the Galician city of Ferrol to establish its first electric vehicle plant in Europe. Thus, the automotive company will land in Galicia with a factory of its MG brand for which an investment of up to 200 million euros is planned. As explained this Monday by the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, the factory will have facilities in the outer port of Ferrol and in the municipality of As Pontes. The plant is expected to be capable of producing 120,000 vehicles per year.

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The company Ebro EV Motors, owner of the Ebro brand, lost 16.33 million euros last year –the first full fiscal year manufacturing cars in the Zona Franca–, 31.5% less than in 2024, but its revenues soared to 357 million (+920%), driven by sales of its models, as the company, listed on the BME Growth (the Spanish stock market for SMEs), reported this Tuesday. Revenues multiplied by ten compared to 2024 and those associated with the automotive business amounted to 335 million euros.

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The announcement of the VAT reduction on fuels from 21% to 10% just over a week ago, decreed by the Spanish government, has not had the expected effects, according to the consumer association Facua. This extraordinary measure, intended to cushion the impact of rising crude oil prices due to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has made it possible to reduce the price of fuel (diesel and gasoline) and move it away from two euros per liter, but it has not had the desired real impact on the pockets of final consumers, according to Rubén Sánchez, spokesperson for Facua.The consumer association estimates that one in every four petrol stations took advantage of the entry into force of the decree that reduces the price of VAT on fuels to apply a hidden price increase, and criticizes the refusal of Pedro Sánchez's executive to set price caps on fuel or limit the final commercial margin of petrol stations on the final price.  

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The armed conflict in Iran and the marked instability in the Persian Gulf region have driven up the price of crude oil worldwide. Just as happened in 2022 with the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the price of Brent crude (the global benchmark for oil prices) has soared above $100 a barrel, and this trend doesn't appear likely to change in the short term.

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Just twenty years ago, coinciding with the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen presented the expensive concept or EcoRacer prototype, a type vehicle roadster –a convertible, rear-wheel drive, and with compact dimensions and weight—which the brand came very close to putting into production. In fact, it's not surprising that at that time mainstream brands were introducing small, sporty, convertible models. Opel manufactured a similar vehicle called the Speedster, Mazda the famous MX-5, and Seat dreamed of models like the Bolero or TangoBut what truly set the Volkswagen prototype apart was its engine, a rarity that would have made it a unicorn in the automotive world.

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Andorra is a unique case worldwide when it comes to vehicle sales. Most people are already used to seeing expensive, high-performance models with Andorran license plates, but the ranking of best-selling vehicles for 2025 crowns the Pyrenean country as a rare elderly In the automotive world, the Porsche 911 has established itself as the best-selling car of the year, while BMW and Mercedes lead the ranking of best-selling brands.

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The sixth generation of the RAV4 is here. Toyota has updated its flagship SUV, a model that has become the benchmark in the hybrid SUV segment worldwide, with conventional hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions and a stylish and powerful design.

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In 1976, Volkswagen could hardly have imagined the enormous commercial success that the first Golf GTI would achieve. This quintessential sporty and youthful compact car quickly earned an iconic reputation, becoming the benchmark in its segment. From the outset, the GTI (Gran Turismo Injection) designation was associated with fast, aspirational, fun, and highly regarded cars that other manufacturers tried to emulate with varying degrees of success. A Golf GTI is, quite simply, a production Golf that retains its front-wheel drive but incorporates more powerful engines and certain aesthetic details, such as the upholstery, front end, and wheel arches, that identify it as the brand's sporty and youthful variant.

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The Dacia Sandero was the best-selling car in Spain in 2025 and consolidates an unprecedented historical hegemony in our market, adding the thirteenth consecutive year leading the ranking of best-selling vehicles in the State.

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The strong sales figures for Chinese brands like MG, Omoda, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, and Lynk&Co in the Spanish market during 2025 are just the vanguard of the large-scale Chinese automotive rollout that the Asian giant has designed in southern Europe, with Barcelona and Catalonia as its spearhead.

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Daniel Knowles was born in the United Kingdom and now lives in Chicago, USA. In both countries, he says he is fed up with hearing radio alerts about a new "Carmageddon"The typical apocalyptic traffic jams on the return from vacation. That's where the idea for the title of his book came from." Carmageddon (Captain Swing), where this journalist, former correspondent of The Economist It analyzes the forces that have made the car the king of transportation in today's society and its implications, starting with air pollution. "We are approaching 2 billion cars worldwide, but the number is growing much faster than the population," it warns. Nearly 25% of the CO₂ emitted globally comes from transportation, and three-quarters of these emissions are from road transport. And this only considers the gases that warm the planet; cars also emit other gases and particles harmful to health, such as NO₂.₂ or PM2.5. "The switch to electric cars [which is now even being called into question with the reversal of European policies] isn't the solution, I think; it's only part of it," says Knowles via videoconference from Chicago. He explains that Europeans drive an average of 10,000 kilometers a year. In the United States, where public transportation is minimal and everything revolves around the car, it's nearly double: 19,000 kilometers on average. Knowles did the math, and converting all of this to electric cars would require "spending twice as much on electricity." There's no alternative; it's necessary to reduce car use.

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Families with three or more children are increasingly rare in Catalan society. According to figures from Idescat, only 5% of Catalan families (single-parent or two-parent) have three or more children, a trend that is steadily declining and shows no signs of slowing down, especially considering that this year Catalonia broke its record for lowest birth rate, with a rate of just 1.08 children per woman. This is not unique to Catalonia, as the Spanish and European trends are moving in the same direction as in Catalan society, with families overwhelmingly consisting of one or two children and the age of first-time motherhood rising.

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