#germany sale car

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Can Volkswagen survive? | DW Business

Volkswagen faces mounting pressure as it battles declining sales and profitability in China’s fiercely competitive electric vehicle (EV) market. As the European market also faces challenges with incoming tariffs, Volkswagen’s long-term strategy will be crucial to its survival. DW Business speaks with Beatrix Keim of the Center Automotive Research to find out more.

P.S. Good question! With current mindset in Germany!? Most likely not! The last time the Germans could save VW was 2017, but instead of innovation, they chose to play political games and spread the propaganda of the Russians and other oil traders (and it's not just VW's problem, Stellantis - in exactly the same situation, and only because of their own fault. Even back then in 2017, it was known exactly what car manufacturers had to do to survive... but they didn't do it...)...If VW survives until 2030, it will be a significantly smaller company... The West failed again...

In addition since 2016/2017, the Western mass media space diligently hid the fact that traditional car manufacturers have a growing problem - backwardness in the field of electric car production technologies. Instead of informing the readers about technological innovations in the electric car industry, the Western media threw dirt at Tesla and the new growing car manufacturers in China... then when the problem can no longer be hidden, everyone "surprised" asks the question: "How to save a legacy automaker like VW?"

[head-post]

Tesla to halt German plant on Red Sea conflict

Electric car manufacturer Tesla is temporarily suspending production at its plant near Berlin from 29 January to 11 February due to delays in parts deliveries due to attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The automaker, whose chief executive is Elon Musk, said the suspension could result in between 5,000 and 7,000 cars not being assembled.

The disruption to an important shipping route in the Mediterranean, forcing companies to use an alternative and much longer route around the southern tip of Africa, is starting to affect global trade, which fell 1.3 per cent at the end of 2023. Tesla, the second-biggest seller of electric cars, said:

“The armed conflicts in the Red Sea and the associated shifts in transport routes between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope are also having an impact on production in Grünheide. The considerably longer transportation times are creating a gap in supply chains.”

Read more HERE

[locrianking]

I just wanted to back up what you were saying about how bad li-ion battery's are for the environment! Also that the US helped a coup in Bolivia under Trump so that they could privatize a public lithium mine there, EV are not all they are cracked up to be 🙄

i feel like the toxicity of li-ion batteries in EVs gets swept under the rug so much! groundwater leaching is such a dangerous thing and i swear nobody brings it up in the EV conversation ://

also, the sheer volume of political corruption/human rights violations involved in their creation is ridiculous. like the coup in bolivia, child labor in cobalt mining, literally everything about the thacker pass lithium mine… it’s a shitshow.

the synthetic fuel that porsche is working on isn’t perfect, but i’ll take that as a solution long before EVs. i mean, shit, formula 1 already said that they’re gonna switch to e-fuel in a few years, so i’ll take that as a sign that the research is going well, aha

anyways yeah EVs suck, US imperialism and intervention is corrupt and always serves corporate interests before human rights, and e-fuel is a thousand times more promising than EVs are. also thanks for backing me up anon!

[soul-controller]

Influencing The Influencer III

As Tom made his way out of the bedroom and towards the front door of his hotel room, the magically-gifted man couldn’t help but take a moment to check himself out of the mirror one last time. It had been over a month since his bar hookup, which had originally been meant to be his last hurrah as Chris Nelson before Tom moved onto a new body the next day. Unfortunately for Tom though, the man he had planned to possess had to cancel at the last minute, so he was left for the next few weeks trying his best to find a replacement body to take over. 

While there were certainly countless men in North America that Tom could have taken over, the time he had spent trying to find a replacement body had caused him to begin expanding his scope until it became an international endeavor. Although this only added more potential men for him to become to his list, Tom soon found himself quickly narrowing down his selection until there was only one man left: Max Biechl. 

Given the fact that there would be no reason behind their meeting since Max had a career as a German real estate agent, Tom found himself trying his best to formulate a plan that would allow them to meet. Despite Chris’ popularity as a content creator, the man wasn’t obscenely rich since Tom was still forced to continue Chris’ night job as a security guard at a bar. But after pulling a few strings and dipping into the man’s savings, Tom purchased a one-way flight to Germany and secured a meeting with Max under the guise of wanting a European home for him to visit whenever he was free. Obviously Tom had no intention of purchasing a house from the man, but Max was completely clueless as to the real reason behind their meeting. 

So as he exited his hotel room and made his way out to the busy streets of Cologne, Tom quickly hailed a taxi and gave the address to the location where he was going to meet Max. Given the fact that he wanted to keep his attempt at purchasing a house realistic, he opted to pick the cheapest residence that Max had for sale. Upon arriving at the residence and exiting the cab though, Tom could understand why the house was the cheapest place as the house was fairly rundown in terms of the exterior and looked incredibly small in comparison to the other houses that lined the block. 

But once Tom took note of the front door opening, the man continued his performance as an interested buyer while watching Max and a well-dressed female step out. Eager to meet such a hunky and well-dressed man, Tom quickly extended a hand towards Max and smiled as the man nodded and shook it back. “It’s a lovely house huh?” Tom said with a slight chuckle, awaiting for Max’s response but coming up empty-handed. 

Turning his attention towards the woman, she kindly informed Tom that Max isn’t well-versed in English and she was asked to tag along to be the translator between them. As such, she quickly dominated the conversation with Tom as she allowed Max to lead the way and translate what he said to Tom. Throughout the entire tour, Tom found himself less interested in the house and more focused on the deep Germanic tone coming out of his mouth. To the American, nothing seemed hotter than a hot stud speaking a foreign language, so he was understandably annoyed as the woman’s voice continued to overpower it while explaining what he was saying. Given his annoyance, he wanted nothing more for her to disappear so he could finally possess the hunky and oblivious realtor. 

Luckily, Tom found his wish coming to fruition sooner than he expected as the tour finished and the woman asked the man about whether she needed to get the purchasing paperwork from her car to finalize the deal. Realizing that this was the opening he was looking for, Tom enthusiastically replied  “I’ll take it!” before smiled at both individuals. 

“Excuse me for a moment then, I’ll be right back,” the woman said with her accented voice, turning on her heels and quickly pacing out of the residence. With a prime opportunity for possessing the man emerging with the woman now out of the way, Tom couldn’t resist smiling slyly as he slowly shifted orientation towards Max. Watching as the German man had his back turned towards him while doing something on his cell phone, Tom quietly slinked up closer like a predator preparing to pounce on their prey. With his grin widening to extreme levels, the man closed his eyes and dived straight into the man’s back. 

“Scheiße!” the man cried out, frantically tensing up and arching his back while trying to resist the intense pressure that was permeating through his back. But despite how frantically he flailed his arms behind him to try and stop whatever was happening, Tom’s skill at possession meant he was unstoppable against the German man’s feeble attempts. Given the fact that the woman would surely be coming back soon along with Max’s continued grunts and loud cursing, Tom found himself no longer delaying the inevitable and finally pushing the entirety of his bulkier body into the smaller German man before being consumed by total darkness. 

While inside Max’s body, there was an intense feeling of discomfort and extreme tightness that Tom picked up. Given their clear size difference and Chris’ own bulkier build, the possession of such a lankier man was the source of clear discomfort for Tom. But as time went on, this feeling slowly melted away as if his bulky frame was being stripped of its innate musculature for the time being to be a better fit for his new host. As that tightness finally faded from existence, a sudden sensation of tranquility and comfort pulsated through Tom as the process completed and he found himself in complete control of a brand new body. 

Opening up his eyes, Tom instinctively looked down and chuckled as he saw the man’s snazzy suit covering up his taut and buff body along with the pair of outstretched light white hands. Tom’s enjoyment of the racial change element was on full display, his eyes fully focused in on those hands as they traveled up his clothed torso to feel the muscle underneath. Not surprisingly, the factors of his possession and racial change were quick to elicit a physical response through the man’s new cock, which became rock hard in a blink of an eye and strained against the form-fitting dress pants that made no attempt to cover that bulge. 

Both overly joyous and turned on by his new form, Tom couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer and thus decided to verbalize his own enjoyment. But as he tried his best to talk about how hot this experience was and how eager he was to become Max Biechl, his eyes widened as foreign words escaped his lips. “Verdammt, das ist so heiß! Daran könnte ich mich sicherlich gewöhnen,” the man said instead, causing his eyes to widen and mouth to go agape at the revelation of his new primary language. While it was certainly understandable looking back why he would have gained the man’s natural desire to speak in German, there was a slight moment of panic at the man due to the disconnect between his mind and mouth. His mind allowed him to properly think in English, but no matter how hard he tried to verbalize it, German was the only thing that could come out. Hell, Tom even struggled to say his real name, hearing his now-accented voice falter over the simple first and last name! 

As the sudden noise of heels clacking against the wooden floors of the residence, the new Max Biechl shifted his attention towards the source. With the assistant returning with a bunch of papers and manila folders in hand, she wasted no time cutting right to the point. “Where did the American go?” she asked, Tom smirking to himself as he grew relieved by the fact that he could comprehend the woman’s German speaking with his mind immediately translating them to English for him. 

Upon fixing one of his lower buttons and adjusting the suit jacket he was now wearing, Tom took a moment to formulate a quick plan to explain the sudden disappearance of Chris Nelson. “Oh, he had to go back to his hotel. Some sort of emergency, I guess,” Tom offered up, trying his best to still hide his awkwardness about being a native German speaker for the time being. It was still quite an erotic aspect of the possession, but Tom couldn’t help but wish that he’d adapt to the language shift as soon as possible! 

After her trip to go get all of the paperwork, the assistant was understandably furious about the man leaving before she could have returned to secure the deal. In fact, as the two of them made their way out of the property, locked it up, and returned to Max’s car, the woman was still going on her rant about “ignorant Americans” and talking about how she warned him about taking the meeting with “Chris”. But as he entered the car and prepared to drive off, Tom found himself instantly transfixed by his own reflection in the rear view mirror to the point where her words faded away into nothingness. As such, the man was quick to pull out the cell phone tucked into the pocket of his dress pants and take a few celebratory selfies to upload to his social media later before driving off and returning to the real estate office. 

Upon making his way back to his new workplace, Tom’s hopes of getting an easy day were quickly dashed as Max’s secretary gave him a slew of notes from people that needed to be handled as soon as possible. So as he made his way to Max’s desk, Tom found himself tapping into the man’s memories and personality sooner than expected as he began to handle the overeager or frustrated clients. Throughout the next few hours, Tom easily slipped into the role of Max Biechl and began to understand why he was one of the top realtors in the country; he had a natural confidence that meshed well with a cool and collected personality to make him instantly desirable by anyone. 

Seamlessly juggling phone calls between clients and inspection agencies or renovators, Tom was growing quite turned on despite the rather mundane work. So when the time for his lunch break arrived, Tom found himself eager to handle his sexual appetite rather than the hunger in his stomach. Using his desk chair to roll away from his desk, Tom made his way out of the room and towards his restroom with an obvious swagger in his step. Given how many people said hello to him and complimented his designer suit, Tom found himself having more and more reason behind this natural cockiness. 

Once he reached the men’s restroom, Tom quickly pulled open the door and closed it before twisting the lock to provide no interruptions. Making his way towards the long mirror that ran along the wall of sinks, the man licked his lips and smirked to himself as he began to give himself his own private show. Slowly undoing each button of his suit jacket, the man’s cock began to throb as he pulled off his suit jacket to reveal the physique that filled out his dress shirt quite nicely. Using his hands to traverse across the luxury fabric, pre-cum began to leak into the man’s underwear as he gripped and squeezed the man’s firm biceps and cupped his modest pecs. 

With his hands continuing to move down his torso, the man shivered in pure pleasure as he felt the ridges of his washboard abs until he reached the waistband of his pants. Unable to resist, he untucked his dress shirt and quickly undid his belt before tossing it aside. Gripping onto the top button of the pants, he once again put on a show by teasing himself and slowly undoing it before pulling down the zipper. As he tugged the pants down after getting stuck around his rather perky ass, Tom audibly gasped as he took in the rock-hard bulge jutting out against his tight athletic underwear. In all honesty, he had expected Max to be on the smaller side given his smaller size, but based on what he was seeing, he was even bigger than Chris in the manhood department! 

Now with a clear sight of his throbbing manhood, Tom’s striptease began to hasten as he grew eager to get to the main event. So upon quickly unbuttoning and pulling off the black dress shirt, Tom only momentarily took in the sight of his tattooed physique before pulling down his underwear and getting to work. Taking a moment to quickly spit into his hand, Tom lubed up his cock and began to passionately stroke it while staring into the mirror. Turning to his side while continued to jerk himself off, Tom reveled in the sight of his new buff white body. 

With one hand still furiously stroking himself, the man made his non-dominant hand move towards his rear end and grip onto those perky ass cheeks reflected back at him. Curious about why the man had such a perky ass, a quick search through Max’s own memories provided the information that the man had experimented between men off and on for a few years. With this revelation, it left Tom eager to revive that aspect of Max’s personality while he was in control. Clearly based on how well-built he was in both the cock and ass department, he had amazing potential as a versatile gay man. With these thoughts continuing to run through his head, this was the final trigger that caused Tom to reach climax and coat both the sink and mirror with several thick streams of cum. 

After quickly cleaning up his mess and beginning to put his clothes back on, Tom took a moment to pull his underwear and pants back on. Staring down at his torso, he couldn’t resist pulling out his phone and once again documenting the moment with a sea of selfies. While he was certainly unsure of how long he’d want to remain a hardworking (yet hunky) realtor, Tom was relieved to know that the plane ticket and other various expenses had been worth it. Although there were certainly potential issues he would experience in terms of adapting to living in Germany, Tom was relieved that he at least had Max’s memories and personality that he could pull from. So after pulling his clothes back on and adjusting his suit jacket once more, Tom gave a wink to the mirror before heading back out to his office to finish his shift.

Like what you read? Please consider signing up for my Patreon to read more stories and support my work.  

[catacombbee]

welcome home (i missed you dearly)

tyden tattoo shop au; crossposted on ao3:

INSPIRED BY A POST @the-killies MADE

just mentioning beforehand they are older in this bc they are adults bc tyler has a tattoo shop BUT the way tylers thinking abt aiden isnt meant to be sexy hes just thinking aiden is very very pretty boy okay this isnt supposed to be horny okay pls dont make it horny 🔫

sometimes theres just the desperation to touch someone to feel someone to be near someone. so im totally projecting

also i dont know exactly how tattoo shops work if anything is inaccurate SHHHH dangles gay in front of you to distract. does the distraction dance

It had been two years since Tyler had seen Aiden.

Sure, they kept in touch. The group chat was more alive than ever even after they all graduated. Life drew them in their own different directions, but they'd always be friends.

And yet it had been two years since all six of them met up in the same place. They had gotten together to celebrate most of their respective college graduations. Taylor had been working at a mechanic shop for over a year at this point, and her boss loved her friends so much that he ordered pizzas for them to celebrate. Of course they ended up back in the graveyard, sitting together in that bus as they ate and laughed and fell asleep on each other.

Tyler had made friends in art school that filled the gap that was left when he didn't see his five best friends every day. No, they'd never replace the others, but he felt less alone. By the time he graduated, he and two of his new friends really wanted to open their own tattoo shop together.

Taylor pointed out that the building beside her shop had been empty for sale for years. Tyler thought it was pretty funny that even into his career he couldn't get away from his sister. It was great, by all means. He got a discount on car maintenance, and they got a discount on their tattoos. It also meant he got the honors of giving Taylor her first tattoo himself. TH + AB inside a heart was pretty sappy, but he didn't tell her that when he did it. He was happy she was happy.

And he was happy. He was thriving. Ever since he gave up baseball, accepting that it wasn't making him happy like it used to, and let himself embrace his creativity, he felt so much more comfortable in himself. Who knew that art scholarships were a thing?? Why had no one told him??

But now he was living on his own and making enough money to not only support himself but pay for his mom's therapy. She was doing better, too; Taylor hadn't moved out when Tyler did, opting to stay living at home to take care of her. Now all three of them were moving uphill. Tyler was happy, he was secure, the tattoo shop was busier than ever. Everything was great.

And then Aiden Clark walked through the door.

Tyler wouldn't say he was disappointed to see him. No, far from it. In fact, he was far happier to see the blond than he would let himself admit. While most of the group was in college, Aiden had taken his parents money and gone who the hell knows where. Italy, France, Germany, Japan, other countries that Tyler couldn't remember, he saw it all. Along the way, he'd posted almost every bit of his journey online for people to live vicariously through him. At least, that's what Ashlyn called it. People loved watching him not only traverse beautiful landscapes, but also explore other cultures and share stories from people he'd met.

That meant that, as Aiden built an online following large enough to support himself without his parents' help (which in hindsight was probably his goal), Tyler got to watch through a screen as he did all sorts of impressive or death defying feats. Because of course he did. He's Aiden.

It's one thing to watch someone in full scuba gear get locked in a shark tank. It's another to watch him set up a camera and jump off of a cliff into water shirtless.

There were a lot of videos where he ended up shirtless, actually. A byproduct of his love for being in the water. Surfing, swimming, snorkeling- why did so many of those words start with an S anyway? Aiden did it all. And he did half of it wearing nothing from the waist up.

Seeing Aiden shirtless made Tyler's heart flutter every time-

"Tyler!" Aiden broke him from his thoughts. Fortunately. Instead of thinking about how nice he looked in his videos, Tyler could focus on how nice he looked standing right in front of him.

"Aiden," he responded, the second half of the name coming out like a bark as Aiden slammed into him with a bear hug. "It's so great to see you!" He said, squeezing Tyler not tightly enough to take his breath away as much as he did. "How have you been?"

He had been absolutely horrible before he saw Aiden. What the hell was he doing that would dare compare to this man wrapping himself around Tyler like he was never as overjoyed as he was now seeing him again?

"I've been great."

Aiden let go and stepped back. Unfortunately. He grinned up at Tyler, who was still proudly taller. "You look great. I mean, I saw you in some of the pictures posted on your place's Insta, but you look even better in person, yknow? Your tattoos are so cool woah-"

Tyler was much too distracted by the sound of his heart thudding in his ears to pay much mind to Aiden poking and prodding at his arms excitedly. He was blabbering something about how he couldn't wait to have a tattoo of his own- wait, what?

Shaking himself back to reality, Tyler pulled his arm back. It was the only way he'd focus: without Aiden's hands on his skin. "Are you here to get a tattoo?" He'd thought Aiden was just visiting. Why wouldn't he just visit? Ben came by to visit and didn't get a tattoo. Logan came by to visit and didn't get a tattoo. Ashlyn-

"Yeah! I already know kind what I want, too." Of course he did. "Oh, is it okay if I record some of it?" Of course it was. "I don't know if you follow my channel that much, I just wanted to show them the process." Of course. "Plus! I can say HEY here's this cool place! So if you're in the area and you want a tattoo, come see my buddy Tyler!" Of course.

And he wanted Tyler to give him the tattoo. And he wanted it on his back. Wings. Of course. Of course Aiden wanted a large tattoo on his back. Of course Aiden wanted Tyler to sit for hours and look down at his naked torso and have to focus on not screwing up the ink just because his client is pretty. He had tattooed pretty men before! This did NOT have to be any different.

But they weren't Aiden.

Aiden came with some reference photos. He and Tyler came up with a design Aiden liked. It wasn't that elaborate, but it was still going to be time consuming. Unfortunately.

Aiden was lying on his stomach, humming contentedly to himself as he scrolled through his phone, his arm dangling off of the table. Beside him stood Tyler, who was focusing so hard on his art.

Frankly, this was the longest he'd ever seen Aiden sit still. Even when he was asleep, he was such a wiggle worm. Sure, he remembered Taylor said once that she saw Aiden sleep completely still once, but he didn't want to think about that night.

On second thought, maybe that would be better. Maybe if he thought about the night Aiden died he wouldn't think about all the perfectly toned muscle that was right there. How many nights had he laid awake in bed, only his phone lighting the room, watching those videos of Aiden and imagining how it'd feel to wrap his arms around him? How many nights had he rolled over, his arms snug tightly around the middle of a pillow, so that when he closed his eyes he could imagine it was Aiden's waist instead?

How much longer could he deny that he wanted more than anything to be close to him?

After what felt like a year or maybe two minutes, they were halfway done. He'd told Aiden upfront that he'd need to come back again to finish it, which was fine. He had an opening the next day. Aiden was too eager to return. His smile was burned in Tyler's vision much like spots swimming in one's eyes after looking at a bright light.

Taylor came over to see him after work. Tyler was busy scrolling through his phone and definitely not thinking about a certain blond. "Aiden stopped by to say hi today."

"Mhm."

"He showed me his half-finished tattoo."

"Mm."

"You need to tell him you love him."

"Mhm."

Taylor punched him in the arm. Ow. She was fucking strong. "Tyler, c'mon." He finally made himself look up at her from where he was sitting. "We all knew it years ago, and here you are still acting like you don't care."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Don't care what, that he's back? Of course I care that he's back, he's my friend."

She looked at him unamused. "You sure don't look at each other like you're friends," Taylor argued.

Well, what the hell did she know?

Tyler grumbled to himself the entire drive home. He sulked about it as he sat down to watch tv. He moped as he laid in bed, trying to sleep. He dreamed about it, Aiden's laugh echoing throughout his subconscious. He grumbled yet again as he trudged into into work the next day.

Aiden was back late that afternoon.

Surely he must have noticed the way Tyler was avoiding eye contact. The way he practically mumbled in response to Aiden trying to spark a conversation. The way his hand shook as it pressed against his back for the first time that day.

"Don't fuck up my tattoo, halfwit," Aiden grumbled playfully, turning his head to try and look up at Tyler.

He just smiled in response. "It's been a while since you called me that."

Aiden shrugged, earning a scolding from Tyler who was about to put the needle back to his skin. "Well, it's been a while since we've seen each other. I missed you."

Tyler's hands paused. Only for a second.

"I missed you too," he admitted. He really, really had. Far more than he would admit. He missed that manically brilliant grin, knowing something mischievous was soon to follow. He missed the way he laughed, the way he always knew what to say to get on everyone's last nerve, the way he masterfully turned the attention onto himself to distract from whatever was going on around them.

He missed how close they were when they saw each other every day; it gave him more chances to get close to Aiden.

"Why wings?" He blurted out, desperate to change the mental subject to something that did not include wishing he could wrap his arms around Aiden and ask him never to leave again, or worse, to beg him to let Tyler come too.

Aiden hummed, wiggling, despite however many times Tyler had told him off. He was either really lucky that he never made Tyler mess up or he was really good at moving only when he couldn't mess Tyler up. It was impossible to tell.

But of course, he stilled when Tyler leaned back in to continue his work. "Wings are a symbol of freedom, right?" He said, leaving it at that.

Tyler could feel the smile through his words, but he knew there were layers to this sort of symbolism. Freedom from the phantom dimension. Freedom from his parents, to whatever extent it hurt. Freedom from this little town. Freedom to explore the world to his heart's content.

Aiden wanted the world, and Tyler wanted to be his world. But he knew he'd never be enough to satisfy such a deep-rooted wanderlust.

Maybe Aiden was more like his parents than he'd like to admit. They, too, could never stay in one place for too long. They stayed in the house Aiden was living in through high school just long enough for him to leave the house, and then they were gone again. Ashlyn liked to tease that she preferred her new neighbors because they kept to themselves.

How deeply rooted was the Clarks' need to stay on the move? In fleeing the country to both satisfy his own desires and to escape association with his parents, how much was Aiden solidifying how alike they really were? How much did it bother him, or did it at all?

Tyler wondered so many things, and voiced none of them.

But perhaps he wasted too much time thinking and didn't spend enough of it actually talking. The tattoo was finally finished. It was late afternoon, and Tyler had no other appointments that day. Aiden was paying. He was leaving. He was about to leave, and Tyler was about to not see him again for another two years.

Tyler couldn't let that happen.

"Hey," he said suddenly, as Aiden was digging his wallet out of his pocket. "How much longer are you going to be in town?" Because if you aren't busy, we can meet up. Because if you're still here, we can go out somewhere together. Because if you're not leaving, I still have time.

Aiden shrugged. "I was gonna stay for a few more days originally, but my hotel didn't have any vacancy past tonight. I'm gonna sleep in my car and head out tomorrow morning."

Tyler's heart dropped into his stomach. Aiden was leaving tomorrow. Aiden was going to walk out that door and be gone and Tyler wouldn't know how long it would be until he saw him on the same side of the screen again.

That's why he blurted out: "Stay at my place."

Both men stared at each other, dumbfounded, neither really expecting Tyler to suggest such a thing. Aiden's eyes were wide, his tanned cheeks ever so slightly rosy. Tyler wondered if he was imagining it.

"Okay," Aiden said, his grin impossibly wider.

That's how Tyler ended up driving home with Aiden reclining in his passenger side seat. Did he insist that Aiden could just follow him home in his own car? Yes. Did Aiden somehow convince him to just let him throw all his stuff in his backseat and hitch a ride and leave his car parked outside the tattoo shop? Yes. Unfortunately.

The radio was on low; nothing that interesting was playing. Tyler could hear his own voice randomly stopping and starting from Aiden's phone. Sometimes while he was still working on the tattoo, Aiden would hold his phone up, video already rolling, saying "cheese!" and earning a glare from Tyler. Probably for the "I got a tattoo" video. A few times he even got Tyler to stop and take a quick shot of the progress, which was preferable as it kept Aiden from moving as much.

Why did Tyler suggest this. Why did Tyler suggest this. Tyler lived in a one bedroom home, all by himself, and the couch was probably fine but not comfortable enough to SLEEP on WHY did Tyler suggest this. Why did Tyler bring Aiden home. Why was Tyler helping Aiden bring his things inside and showing him around the place.

"So you live by yourself now?" Aiden asked cheerfully as he helped himself to a formerly unopened bag of chips. "That's cool. I thought you and Taylor would've still been living together but this is also cool. I guess since you work next door you need time apart, right? I wish I was still this close to Ben. He doesn't like moving around a lot, I'm happy he found a place he's comfortable." Aiden never stopped talking, and Tyler didn't want to stop him.

"Taylor's still living with Mom," Tyler said, shrugging. "We aren't really living apart cus we needed more space, I just..." How could he put into words that he couldn't stand the vacant look in his mother's eyes anymore? Even as she was doing better, how could he admit he couldn't handle the aching emptiness of that old home?

But Aiden nodded even despite the lack of an explanation, and Tyler understood that it wasn't actually needed.

That was another thing he loved-

That was another thing he enjoyed about Aiden. For all the nonstop chatter that came from him, he was actually a remarkable listener. Sometimes Tyler really struggled to put things into words, but Aiden didn't need him to. He was good at reading between the lines, and Tyler was grateful for that.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Aiden's stomach rumbling so loudly he wondered if he'd eaten at all that day. It was so stupid, he couldn't help but laugh.

The deer-in-headlights wide-eyed look on Aiden's face made Tyler laugh even harder. "I'm just going to cook some spaghetti. Think you can wait that long? And stop with the chips, you need real food."

Aiden threw the clip from the chips at Tyler; he caught it. "Shut up, I forgot lunch."

"That's not my fault," he shot back, gesturing at him with the box of spaghetti noodles. The now open box of spaghetti noodles. A small clump of uncooked noodles flew out, falling at Aiden's feet. "But that was!" He responded, picking them up and taking a bite of one. Tyler cringed.

Aiden was quiet as Tyler started cooking. Fortunately. He did chime in when Tyler was putting the pasta in the pot, shrieking until he agreed to not snap the spaghetti. Because what was he, a fucking barbarian? No, only heathens snap their spaghetti. Tyler was eager to point out to Aiden that he did the same until he visited Italy.

"It's a JOKE!" Aiden insisted through a mouthful of pasta, since Tyler had yet to drop the matter even now that they were eating. "It's a silly thing like, 'oh no! My Nonna is rolling over in her grave because you're breaking your pasta!' I don't think people actually care that much."

Tyler raised an eyebrow at him as he noisily slurped up yet another mouthful of spaghetti. He snickered, wiping his mouth. At least he had the decency to use a napkin. "Well, I like it long. It's more fun. So I guess I care."

Never again would Tyler Hernandez break pasta. At least not when he was cooking for Aiden.

Dinner wasn't very eventful, unless you counted the fact that Tyler was sitting across from Aiden Clark and talking to him and having dinner with him alone sitting in his house for the entire night. But no, no big deal. Just two guys being friends, hanging out. Two bros sitting at a table, five feet apart-

Aiden was right next to Tyler, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a quick side hug. "Thanks for dinner!" Tyler just stared at him, because oh, now he's very close and smiling down at him. And now he was walking away with his and Tyler's plates in hand. "I'll clean up since you cooked."

That brought Tyler back to reality. "You're my guest, you don't need to do that. And don't thank me for feeding you, that's literally the bare minimum."

He was ignored; the clinking of plates being washed began as the tap came on in the kitchen sink. Tyler just sighed and allowed it. If Aiden insisted on cleaning dinner up, Tyler could busy himself with finding something for them to do afterwards, at least. After all, it wasn't that late at night; they needed something to do.

There was a dusty box of video game cases. Tyler hadn't played Mario Kart in ages.

That turned out to be the best idea he'd had all day. He could barely begin suggesting the idea to Aiden before the controller was snatched from his hands and a certain blond planted himself on the sofa, staring intensely at the screen, waiting for Tyler to start the game.

There were too many characters to pick from; Tyler always tried a different one every time. This time he picked Rosalina, earning a curious glance from Aiden. On the complete other side of the character selection spectrum, Aiden IMMEDIATELY beelined for Waluigi. His entire cart was built and ready before Tyler even decided which character he wanted.

It'd been a long time since they played together, but Tyler knew how Aiden played. Normally selecting the Mii character to play as someone like Sans, but settling for Waluigi because he knew Tyler wouldn't have his weird characters saved. All speed, not great handling. As for Tyler, he preferred putting more into acceleration than speed. What's the use in being fast if it takes you too long to speed up when you crash into shit?

And his performance proved him right. Or it proved that Aiden's Mario Kart skills were rusty and he had circled right back to noob status. Tyler won time and time again, all his time playing with Taylor when she came over for sleepovers paying off.

He let Aiden end on a high note, though. There was no way he was going to go easy on him, of course; he figured Aiden must've finally got the hang of the game again when he won the last round. "YES!" He yelled, pointing a finger right in Tyler's face. "I finally got you!"

Tyler let him have it, considering how miserably he did in the very first races. "Alright, you got me."

Aiden giggled. He giggled. And he smiled right at Tyler. Unfortunately.

"It's late," Tyler said, looking away. They'd been playing for a couple of hours at this point. It felt like they'd just sat down. "I'm not letting you stay up all night before driving for hours."

Confusion growing on his face, Aiden watched as Tyler set up a pillow and blanket on the couch. "Am I sleeping out here?"

"No, of course not. You're sleeping in my room." Did Aiden really expect to be left on the couch??

Aiden just grinned at him. "You don't have to sleep on the sofa, Ty."

It was hard to ignore the way his heart fluttered. This man was going to be the death of him. He just had to survive one more night. Surely. "I'm sure as hell not making you sleep on the sofa. Especially with a healing tattoo, you need to rest on something comfortable, dude."

But Tyler had misunderstood exactly what Aiden was getting at. "Tyler, I don't care if we share the bed, yknow."

Oh. Tyler hoped that the way his face burned wasn't visible. He never would have expected Aiden to suggest such a thing. Why would Aiden suggest such a thing? Why wouldn't Aiden suggest such a thing, actually? Why did it matter? It shouldn't matter. They were friends. Friends could share a bed. Surely.

That's how Tyler found himself laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, as Aiden scrolled on his phone to his right. He had tucked a pillow securely under his chest to prop himself up, whatever app he was using casting a soft glow on his face. Tyler couldn't help but look a few times. Just a few.

This was all made worse by the fact that Aiden was laying there on his stomach shirtless. It took Tyler dragging him back to the bathroom after they both showered and forcing him to sit down for him to remember that, yes, his tattoo needed proper attention of its own. And now there he was, lying on his stomach so as to not irritate his back, and his phone was lighting up the sleepy grin on his face. Unfortunately.

"Go to sleep," Tyler grumbled, as if the light was bothering him. It wasn't the light itself keeping him up, though. How could he sleep with this man lying a foot away from him?

Aiden grumbled back, putting his phone on the nightstand. "You don't have enough pillows. I need, like... three."

"What the fuck do you need three pillows for." Tyler only had two! The only person that slept over was Taylor, and she brought a sleeping bag and pillows for herself; she, too, didn't want Tyler giving up his bed just for her.

The response was punctuated by a scoff, as if Aiden was offended that Tyler wouldn't know why Aiden needed three damn pillows. "I need something under my stomach and my head to be comfortable on my stomach."

Then he should have brought his own. "You can't have my pillow."

"Can I just lay on you instead?"

Once again, Aiden said something that left Tyler stunned and defenseless. The room went silent as he couldn't come up with an answer that didn't sound as desperate or excited as the thought made him feel inside.

Aiden took his silence for rejection. "I was, joking, uh-"

"Yes. Uh, yeah you can. If you want to."

Silence again. This time much less uncomfortable. Slowly, tentatively, Aiden shifted closer. Placed an arm on Tyler's other side, holding himself up. Lowered himself to settle against Tyler's chest, tucking into his shoulder.

They both let out a long breath as they fell into place together. It was as if whatever anxious walls they'd put up crumbled and vanished as their bodies moved on their own, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to be closer. Aiden's leg looped under Tyler's. Tyler's arms settled around Aiden, Aiden's latched together under Tyler's back.

Aiden's head tilted back, his gaze meeting Tyler's. They were close, too close. Unfortunately.

Or maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Aiden was searching his face, a calm smile adorning his face. Tyler stared right back, unable to stop himself from glancing at that pretty smile, wondering what it'd feel like pressed against his own lips.

Aiden noticed; he smiled a little brighter. It suited him, that natural smile. That smile for Tyler. How could he deny any longer his own feelings when Aiden was smiling like that? Smiling like that just for him? How could he deny his own feelings when it was so clear suddenly that Aiden felt the same?

"Aiden?" He said softly, eyes unable to focus on just Aiden's eyes or just Aiden's lips, bouncing between the two. He just hummed in response, staring back with a level of focus that was surprising for him.

"I- I want to kiss you," Tyler blurted out.

Aiden giggled, his eyes nearly closing as laughter took over his body. Tyler's face burned, and he scowled even despite knowing that he was just being teased. "Aiden."

"Can I tell you a secret?" He responded, managing to cease his snickering. Tyler just stared, waiting.

Aiden leaned close, suddenly serious. Tyler couldn't keep up with the mad facade for much longer, given that he could feel Aiden's breath on his face. This was the closest they'd ever been, at least that Tyler could remember. He'd lean in and end his suffering if he weren't waiting on Aiden to go on with what he wanted to say.

"I lied about the hotel," Aiden whispered, "so you'd invite me over."

Then Aiden kissed him. And Tyler was too blissfully reduced to mush to even get mad at the realization that this entire situation only happened because Aiden was banking on Tyler suggesting he stay over instead of sleeping in his car.

Now Aiden was gripping Tyler's shirt like he'd disappear if he opened his eyes, Tyler was running his hand through Aiden's hair and pulling him ever closer, and neither of them wanted it to end. Finally, finally, Aiden was his.

Who cared what would happen tomorrow, or a week from now? Who cared what they'd do when Aiden had to leave again? Tyler was firmly rooted at home, and Aiden was endlessly roaming without a constant one. But that was tomorrow's problem.

Tonight Aiden was his. And he wasn't letting go.

[bighermie]

European Consumers Reject Electric Vehicles - Sales in Germany Collapse by 70% - Manufacturers Warn Against EU’s Insane Petrol Car Ban in 2035 | The Gateway Pundit | by Paul Serran

[scfrozenover]

It's here, the most wonderful time of year! Curl up with hot chocolate and a warm blanket and these fics! Make sure you leave creators some love!

❄️ Day 1 Reveals ❄️

Unexpected Places

[David/Patrick, M, 11,012 words]

The last thing David expected, or wanted, was for a phone call from his sister to interrupt his viewing of 'The Holiday' and drag him out into the Canadian mountains after her car breaks down. Add to that the worsening snowstorm as he travels further north and Alexis accepting a complete stranger's invitation to wait in his cabin until David can get to her and the day has taken a very different and highly unwelcome turn than the one he was anticipating.

But then he meets the stranger, and perhaps he can forgive Alexis this one. After all, he's seen the film before but Patrick is new.

*❄️*

David Rose and the Gingerbeard Man

[David/Patrick, M, 5,300 words]

David Rose has exceedingly low expectations of the Elmdale Christmas Street Party. After visiting the Kristkindlemarkts of Austria, Germany and Northern France, revelling in artisan wares and unique delicacies, he doubts anything can live up to the festive romance he experienced in his twenties.

Best Budd, Stevie, refuses to let David wallow through his second Christmas in Schitt's Creek.

Lured by the smell of baked goods and a smattering of tasteful stalls, David meets a gingerbeard man who makes him feel gooey inside. But David doesn't like gingerbread....orr gingerbeards. Does he?

*❄️*

Late Fees and Future Dreams

[Patrick & Johnny, G, 2,600 words]

While helping out at the church’s rummage sale, Patrick meets a well dressed man with horrible taste in gifts.

*❄️*

[podfic] Odd Man Rush

[David/Patrick, M, 31:56]

After the game, David intercepted Patrick on Patrick’s way back to the locker room. Stevie snapped photos as Patrick pulled David into a kiss. He held onto his stick in one hand, the wood precariously close to knocking David in the head, and the other pulled David into him by the ass, the glove lost in the blue and white of the jersey David was wearing, the name “BREWER” stamped loud and proud on his back.

Or, David is a hockey BF.

Odd Man Rush: An attacking move where the defense is outnumbered by the opposing team.

*❄️*

CREATORS: If your works were released today, please don’t forget to update your posting date!

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Ford Capri II 2000 GT, 1974. The second generation Capri introduced a hatchback and also Ford “Pinto” TL20 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine. Ford made the new car more suited to everyday driving with a larger and more versatile cabin. Initially the Capri II was built at both Halewood in England and Cologne but falling sales meant that in 1976 all production was moved to Germany

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

VW idles electric car factory, fires staff - says not enough demand for EV's

P.S. The VW ID.3 is the biggest disappointment in EV world since the failed Nissan Leaf upgrade: At first, VW limited the ability of customers to buy this car, then it turned out to have a whole bunch of software problems and VW forced a very long waiting time for the product on customers, and then they dramatically raised the prices ..., and now these conceited fools wonder why buyers are very reluctant to buy their electric cars...! Yes, I also canceled ID.3 (Cupra Born) purchase, and, yes, it won't be hard for you to guess that my next new car will definitely not be a VW group product...

Since Tesla still doesn't produce a compact crossover or hatchback, BYD and MG don't have dealers or service centers in my country, the most promising candidate for a new electric car next year is the VOLVO EX30...

[frodothefair]

I'm not an activist by any means, but one of my hobbies is going around Craigslist and reporting people who have "German WWII memorabilia" for sale.

Too much time has passed, and I think particularly in the US people don't realize just how frightening Nazism was. But I have two sets of grandparents who lived through that sh-t and tell/told firsthand stories. WWII visited too much grief on too many people. Germany's entire foreign policy for decades has been "we're sorry," and rightfully so.

I even had qualms about buying a German car, knowing what I know about the role of some of today's well-known car manufacturers in WWII, and some people want to have this memorabilia in their homes? I'm also willing to bet that it's not out of dislike that they have it -- or want to have it.

[counting-hrt-in-posts]

How many hrt's are in this Wikipedia page?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicle

Thanks for the ask, but lovingly I aint doing.... all that...

This is an 8500 word article of very big words and I am a human being, not a machine. That being said, I'm not outright denying this ask, but I'm not going to do 8500 words of tedious, painstaking work. This is a fun blog and my commitment to the bit is not worth weeks of work. Thanks for understanding <3

The first section, or summary of the article, has 60 counts of HRT

Plug-in electric vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical energy within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, to power an electric motor and help propelling the wheels. PEV is a subset of electric vehicles, and includes all-electric/battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).[5][6][7] Sales of the first series production plug-in electric vehicles began in December 2008 with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM, and then with the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in July 2009, but global retail sales only gained traction after the introduction of the mass production all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in December 2010.

HRT 11

Plug-in electric cars have several benefits compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. All-electric vehicles have lower operating and maintenance costs, and produce little or no air pollution when under all-electric mode, thus (depending on the electricity source) reducing societal dependence on fossil fuels and significantly decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, but recharging takes longer time than refueling and is heavily reliant on sufficient charging infrastructures to remain operationally practical. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are a good in-between option that provides most of electric cars' benefits when they are operating in electric mode, though typically having shorter all-electric ranges, but have the auxiliary option of driving as a conventional hybrid vehicle when the battery is low, using its internal combustion engine (usually a gasoline engine) to alleviate the range anxiety that accompanies current electric cars.

HRT 16

Cumulative global sales of highway-legal plug-in electric passenger cars and light utility vehicles achieved the 1 million unit mark in September 2015,[8] 5 million in December 2018.[9] and the 10 million unit milestone in 2020.[10] Despite the rapid growth experienced, however, the stock of plug-in electric cars represented just 1% of all passengers vehicles on the world's roads by the end of 2020, of which pure electrics constituted two thirds.[11]

HRT 7

As of December 2023, the Tesla Model Y ranked as the world's top selling highway-capable plug-in electric car in history.[1] The Tesla Model 3 was the first electric car to achieve global sales of more than 1,000,000 units.[12][13] The BYD Song DM SUV series is the world's all-time best selling plug-in hybrid, with global sales over 1,050,000 units through December 2023.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

HRT 11

As of December 2021, China had the world's largest stock of highway legal plug-in electric passenger cars with 7.84 million units, representing 46% of the world's stock of plug-in cars.[20] Europe ranked next with about 5.6 million light-duty plug-in cars and vans at the end of 2021, accounting for around 32% of the global stock.[21][22][23] The U.S. cumulative sales totaled about 2.32 million plug-in cars through December 2021.[24] As of July 2021, Germany is the leading European country with cumulative sales of 1 million plug-in vehicles on the road,[25] and also has led the continent plug-in sales since 2019.[22][26] Norway has the highest market penetration per capita in the world,[27] and also achieved in 2021 the world's largest annual plug-in market share ever registered, 86.2% of new car sales.[28]

HRT 15

[thoughtlessarse]

The engines rev, the guitars thrum and a gruff narrator lays out why the vehicle occupying the driveway is more than just a machine. “A truck is a tool,” he says, “but a Ram – a Ram is life.” So begins an advert for the Ram 1500, a pickup truck slightly bigger than the Panzer I tanks of Nazi Germany and almost as heavy. It is growing in popularity in Europe, with the number of Rams arriving on the continent up 20% in 2023 from the year before, according to registration data from the European Environment Agency. Road safety and environmental campaigners in the UK and Europe are aghast as the latest, most extreme cases of North American car bloat – giant pickup trucks – are increasingly crossing the Atlantic. “Europe should ban the Ram,” said Dudley Curtis from the European Transport Safety Council. “This type of vehicle is excessively heavy, tall and powerful, making it lethal in collisions with normal-sized vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.” For now, the giant vehicles fall foul of EU environmental rules but can be imported through a back-door channel known as an individual vehicle approval (IVA) that subjects them to less scrutiny. Nearly 5,000 Dodge Rams were brought to Europe last year, and about 60% of IVA approvals in the EU, Norway and Iceland are for the Ram – whose manufacturer, Stellantis, did not respond to requests for comment. Other large pickup trucks, such as the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, are also arriving but in smaller numbers. On Tuesday, the Guardian revealed that one of Europe’s first Tesla Cybertrucks may have been registered incorrectly through the same route.

continue reading

[georgegraphys]

@grbambi63's theory really made me peek into Daimler's 2018, 2019, and 2023 annual report to see the difference between Zetsche's management to Kallenius' management.

Zetsche's objective:

Kallenius had a similar objective on that too but I won't include it for today because we're not talking about the similarity but... the one thing Kallenius had that Zetsche didn't.

2019 & 2023's Kallenius-term annual report objectives:

Lower cost base. Reduction of (...) costs.

This isn't just some move that Kallenius added just because he loved saving some pennies but it might be due to the chaos that happens in his first year as a CEO. I am going to highlight two major events here.

1) Diesel Emission Scandal

In the beginning of 2018 (Zetsche's term), Daimler was accused of having shit devices on their control software for their US products but they denied this allegations. Then it was reported that the US authorities were investigating them for diesel emission cheating scandals.

In June 2019, Daimler had to recall 60,000 Mercedes diesel powered cars in Germany, the model affected is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 SUV produced between 2012 and 2015, the car is fitted with software aimed at distorting emissions tests. And during the same year, Daimler was fined 870 million euros in Germany for "negligent violation of supervisory duties" in relation to not fully complying with emissions regulations. In 2020, they had to pay $2.2B in settlement.

The scandal got serious actually as "The Daimler boss is also putting the german federal government in trouble. It has its back against the wall internationally because of the fraud committed by its flagship industry. US President Donald Trump has targeted Daimler in the trade dispute and threatened that he no longer wants to see Mercedes cars on Fifth Avenue in New York" source

This crisis ironically started at Zetsche's management but the peak of the case was handled during Kallenius' early stage of leadership 💀💀💀 (I FELT BAD FOR HIM NGL LMAOOO)

2) COVID 19

Do you think Kallenius' trials decrease after his first year? No. COVID-19 happens. They still profit as they are THEE Mercedes but sales were slow at one point. Kallenius and other executives had to take pay cuts due to COVID and even before, COVID he also had to struggle with Daimler's stocks dropping drastically while having to deal with the lawsuit and satisfying the investors. He also said this: (source)

Looking at how they have interesting differences as CEO. Kallenius is definitely all about cost efficient and maybe this was due to the crisis he felt in 2021 and as a preparation for Daimler's future ventures in focusing more about EQs

Update: Yeah this confirms that he had a pretty rough start to his management year in 2019 due to diesel scandal (source)

And bold of you to think that Zetsche retired from Mercedes with a bang. No he didn't. (source)

AND THE BEEF THICKENS as some board member reportedly are against his rise to be the chairman of the supervisory board (source)

Just a personal thought from me, but what if the reason Kallenius was pissed at LH in 2021 is caused by all these financial wrecks Mercedes are in during these years? They were hit again and again. To add that, Kallenius is very adamant on his cost efficient and cost reduction objectives after these hardships. And at that time, just after 2020, LH demands a raise. A raise from a company who is literally in the trenches fighting for a surplus and good result from all the legal battles they're in and COVID that caused the board members and employees to get paid cuts. Maybe this was what pissed Kallenius off? Because at that time, Mercedes wasn't doing so well and suddenly, LH asked for pay raise to a guy who is very set and clear about saving every pennies 😭😭 That must've pissed the hell out of him. I'm not saying Lewis is wrong but kinda 💀💀 to think that the butterfly effect from that moment of their contract negotiation in 2021 to what is happening rn in 2024 💀💀.

If that is true then Zetsche is the catalyst for the butterfly effect happening rn:

Zetsche diesel scandal>Him retiring>Kallenius' rise to position>Mercedes financial flopification due to dieselgate and covid>LH demanding more salary>Cost efficient and suffering Kallenius, with his hands full on Zetsche's mess, getting pissed at LH>LH and Mercedes fallout>Kallenius using George as a piece in the contract negotiation>Toto Wolff power decrease in Kallenius' era>George to Mercedes>Another contract negotiation problems>Ambassadorial promise getting yeetus deletus-ed>LH pissed>Ferrari move early>George steps forward as team leader

If this is real. If the butterfly effect is real, then it's crazy.

[beardedmrbean]

Big taxes will be imposed on imports of electric vehicles from China to the EU after the majority of member states backed the plans.

The move to introduce tariffs aims to protect the European car industry from being undermined by what EU politicians believe are unfair Chinese-state subsidies on its own cars.

Tariffs on electric cars made in China are set to rise from 10% to up to 45% for the next five years, but there have been concerns such a move could raise electric vehicle (EV) prices for buyers.

The decision, which split EU member states such as France and Germany, risks sparking a trade war between Brussels and Beijing, which has condemned the tariffs as protectionist.

China has been counting on high-tech products to help revive its flagging economy and the EU is the largest overseas market for the country's electric car industry.

Its domestic car industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades and its brands, such as BYD, have begun moving into international markets, prompting fears from the likes of the EU that its own companies will be unable to compete with the cheaper prices.

The EU imposed import tariffs of varying levels on different Chinese manufacturers in the summer, but Friday's vote was to decide if they were implemented for the next five years.

The charges were calculated based on estimates of how much Chinese state aid each manufacturer has received following an EU investigation. The European Commission set individual duties on three major Chinese EV brands - SAIC, BYD and Geely.

EU members were divided on tariffs. Germany, whose car manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on exports to China, was against them. Many EU members abstained in the vote.

German carmakers have been vocal in opposition. Volkswagen says tariffs are "the wrong approach".

However, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland were reported to have backed the import taxes. The tariffs proposal could only have been blocked if a qualified majority of 15 members voted against it.

Germany's top industry association, BDI, called on the European Union and China to continue trade talks over tariffs to avoid an "escalating trade conflict".

The European Commission, which held the vote, said the EU and China would "work hard to explore an alternative solution" to the import taxes to address what it called "injurious subsidisation" of Chinese electric vehicles.

China's Commerce Ministry called the decision to impose tariffs "unfair" and "unreasonable", but added the issue could be resolved through negotiations.

The dispute has raised fears among industry groups outside the car sector that they could face retaliatory tariffs from China.

A trade body for the French cognac industry said the French authorities "have abandoned us".

"We do not understand why our sector is being sacrificed in this way."

It said a negotiated solution needed to be found that would "prevent our products from facing a surtax that could exclude them from the Chinese market".

'Serious concerns' over UK sales

Figures show that in August this year, EU registrations of battery-electric cars fell by 43.9% from a year earlier.

In the UK, demand for new electric vehicles hit a new record in September, but orders were mostly driven by commercial deals and by big manufacturer discounts, according to the industry trade body.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said firms had "serious concerns as the market is not growing quickly enough to meet mandated targets".

The industry has warned that drivers need better incentives to buy electric to help manufacturers ahead of the planned ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Under the Conservative government the deadline for this ban was pushed back to 2035 from 2030, but Labour has pledged to bring it back to 2030.

Car makers are required to meet electric vehicle sales targets. Under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, at least 22% of vehicles sold this year must be zero-emission, with the target expected to hit 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Manufacturers that fail to hit quotas could be fined £15,000 per car.

The bosses of several car companies, including BMW, Ford and Nissan, wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Friday saying the industry was likely to miss these targets.

They said economic factors such as higher energy and material costs and interest rates had meant electric cars remained "stubbornly more expensive and consumers are wary of investing". The average cost to buy an electric car in the UK is around £48,000.

They said a "lack of confidence" in the UK’s charging infrastructure was another barrier to encourage people to switch to electric.

[royaletiquette]

continued from [x] | @distopea

It isn't like Hibiko is exactly gentle towards Gabriele, but he also never quite needed it. Neither of them cared to let their guard down often, so maybe it should have been expected for him to not read her tone correctly. She felt dismissed. A small reach for comfort was instead outright rejected. But he didn't answer the question! Did he not care about… hell, any details at all? It was all black and white apparently: who he needed to protect from harm was all there was to it. Which may have been just fine back home, but whatever he was pretending to protect her family from in Germany was not the same here.

Did he assume it was a ploy, like she was testing him for something? It frustrated her to think of Gabriele not taking her concern seriously. Or worse yet, did he understand perfectly what Hibiko was asking, and instead of allowing any words of comfort, was forcing her back a distance? Like what, having an affair was all fun and games, but heaven forbid she reach out for a fucking hug?

The queen leaned back in her seat, still taken off guard by the answer when Gabriele had already moved on.

She wanted to argue against the clothes but wasn't able to quite find the words in time. Taking a couple of clips out her hair, she threw a sweater over the top of her dress to dress it down, and adjusted the hat to better fit her head. She felt ridiculous, but held her tongue as the pout on her face did most of the complaining, getting out of the car.

Being greeted as they entered the store, the employees' Japanese had an easy job of snapping her out of her sulking. The queen was smacked with nostalgia almost instantly, nervous butterflies in her stomach trying to tell her that she'll be okay. If she was out of harms way before, she might have even believed them. Pretending to not know where to go for as long as possible, she's thankful Gabriele is unable to read any signage to point her in the right direction any faster than wandering around would be.

Once in the beauty section, Hibiko was able to focus more, grabbing a couple different shades of red from different brands, and comparing the undertones to what was left on her nails. Looking between them, wanting to go with what she already had, but perhaps something more neutral was better?

Glancing to Gabriele, she was able to catch him in a brief moment of weakness, distracted by the perfume and cologne glasses next to them. Following his eyes, "You can go pick one out if you'd like." A bored tone, happy to steal a few minutes away from his looming presence if he would allow it.

But it wasn't enough. The more that embarrassing moment of attempted open vulnerability played in her head, the more the sight of him got under her skin. She could practically hear him breathing, counting the minutes it took Hibiko to decide. Her disdain for him at that moment took over her anxiety, and decided to do what she knew best: act out.

Being over chatty with the sales person as she went to cash out, she hoped Gabriele being unable to understand them would stun him enough to not interrupt. There was some stuttering on her part, but the conversation flowed naturally. Of course, until Hibiko was paying and was suddenly caught off guard by a simple question: "Where are you from?"

At first, she was caught in a lie she hadn't even told yet. Germany was an obviously incorrect answer, but would it be so horrible to answer here? Then just as quickly, she realized what actually prompted the question: she had an accent. Not only was Hibiko's Japanese a bit out of practice, but she forgot there was this posh dialect to how she spoke that always gave her away when younger. A curse of growing up so far upper class, left over from the days when that distinction was more favorable. How obvious was it now a days, she wondered? Did she sink back into it easily, or was just enough to throw the cashier off in confusion?

The realization stunned her enough to not answer. Instead, she pretended to not hear the question properly, prompting the employee to repeat themselves while Hibiko bought time to think of an excuse. Continuing with the purchase, she spouted out some bullshit with a laugh, deciding to take it as a compliment to her pronunciation. Gesturing to Gabriele with another giggle, Hibiko forced herself out the conversation and grabbed her things.

The smile kept a forced tug on her lips until they left the store, only then allowing her face to fall completely with the immediate repercussions. Prefering to not admit so willingly, Hibiko continued to the car, choosing the front seat this time, as if keeping up appearances still meant anything.

[diabolus1exmachina]

Porsche 911Carrera RS 2.7 Touring

The distinctive “ducktail” rear spoiler of Porsche’s Carrera RS has defined one of the most sought-after sports cars to emerge from the fabled Stuttgart marque. The model was born out of Porsche’s burning desire to enter the FIA’s newly launched racing series for production cars, filling the void left after the retirement of the Le Mans-winning Type 917 prototype racer of late-1960s and early-1970s fame. Not only would another successful racing programme continue Porsche’s presence in competition, company bosses hoped it would also boost sales of its road-going stock, too.

Using the 911 S Coupé as a starting point, Porsche’s competition department developed two homologated versions of the Carrera RS. The Sport model, also known as the “Lightweight” (option M471), was intended for competition use and would be largely stripped of its interior. The Touring version (M472) offered some of the Lightweight’s features but was more civilised for spirited yet comfortable road use.

Of the 1,580 Carrera RSs to leave Zuffenhausen, 1,308—including chassis “1446”, the car offered here— were built to the popular “M472” Touring specification. The Porsche is documented to have been delivered new to Germany in June 1973. It left the factory in Grand Prix White (with Red Lettering) over a Black Leatherette interior, the same colour configuration it wears today.