China condemned the EU’s 20th sanctions package, which designated approximately 27 Chinese and Hong Kong entities for supplying dual-use goods to Russia’s military-industrial complex. Beijing retaliated within 24 hours by placing seven EU defence firms on its own export control list, framing the move as a Taiwan issue rather than acknowledging the Russia connection. The EU is caught in a structural contradiction: its sanctions policy requires restricting Chinese tech flows to Russia, but its defence buildup depends on Chinese rare earth magnets and critical minerals that Beijing can restrict in return.
China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a formal condemnation on Saturday after the European Union included approximately 27 Chinese and Hong Kong entities in its 20th sanctions package against Russia, the largest round of listings in two years. Beijing said the move “runs counter to the spirit of the consensus reached between Chinese and EU leaders, and seriously undermines mutual trust and the overall stability of bilateral relations,” and warned that China would “take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises” with “the EU side bearing all consequences.” Within 24 hours of the sanctions’ adoption on April 23, China placed seven EU entities on its own export control list, banning all dual-use exports to them. The retaliatory designations targeted defence firms in Belgium, Germany, and the Czech Republic, but Beijing framed the restrictions not as a response to the Russia sanctions but as punishment for “arms sales to or collusion with Taiwan,” a diplomatic sleight of hand that allows China to escalate without acknowledging the underlying dispute.
Advertisement
The package
The EU’s 20th sanctions package was adopted on April 23 after a two-month delay caused by vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia, which had linked their approval to the resumption of Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline. When flows resumed, both countries dropped their objections. The package adds 120 new individual and entity listings, targets 56 entities in Russia’s military and energy sectors, imposes transaction bans on 20 Russian banks and four third-country financial institutions involved in circumvention, lists 46 additional shadow fleet vessels for a total of 632, introduces new restrictions on cryptocurrency platforms and digital ruble transactions, and, for the first time, designates an entire jurisdiction, the Kyrgyz Republic, as a “systematic and persistent circumvention risk.” Alongside the sanctions, the EU adopted a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, announced that work on the 21st package had already begun.
The Chinese entities were sanctioned across two categories. Sixteen entities in third countries, including China, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, were designated under asset freezes for providing dual-use goods or weapons systems to the Russian military-industrial complex. Twenty-eight of 60 entities added to the enhanced export restrictions list are located in China and Hong Kong, facing tighter controls on dual-use technology exports. China Space Sanjiang Group, a state-owned enterprise, was sanctioned under the Belarus sanctions regime for the first time as co-founder of Volat-Sanjiang, which produces wheeled chassis for military equipment including multiple launch rocket systems. The escalation is clear: the 16th package in February 2025 hit 7 Chinese entities; the 17th added 5; the 18th added 2 financial institutions; the 19th targeted 12, including Chinese refineries buying Russian crude; and the 20th reaches 27. Each package goes further, and each response from Beijing grows sharper.
The trade
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Advertisement
China-Russia bilateral trade stabilised at $245 billion in 2024, more than double the 2020 level, before declining 6.9% in 2025 as financial sanctions complicated payment channels and Chinese banks grew cautious about secondary sanctions exposure. The decline did not extend to the goods that matter most to the sanctions debate. China exported $1.9 billion in “high priority” dual-use items to Russia in the first half of 2025 alone. Full-year dual-use shipments exceeded $4 billion in both 2024 and 2025. Manganese ore exports to Russia surged from 42 tonnes in 2023 to 47,000 tonnes in 2024 to 126,000 tonnes in the first half of 2025. Chinese turbojet engine exports to Russia in the first half of 2025 exceeded the combined total for 2023 and 2024 by 37%. Prices for export-controlled Chinese goods shipped to Russia rose by an average of 87% between 2021 and 2024, compared with 9% for the same goods shipped to other countries. The premium reflects the risk and the leverage: Chinese suppliers know the goods are scarce and charge accordingly.
The United States has been sanctioning Chinese firms for Russia support since 2024, earlier and more aggressively than the EU. In October 2024, the Treasury Department sanctioned two Chinese drone companies for producing long-range attack drones for the Russian Air Force, the first US designations of Chinese firms for directly manufacturing weapons for Russia. In 2025, more than 20 Chinese and Hong Kong companies were sanctioned for providing critical inputs to Russia’s defence industry. The Commerce Department blacklisted Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics for technology transfers. Congress introduced the STOP China and Russia Act to codify sanctions against mutual military support. The EU’s 20th package brings European policy closer to the American posture, which Beijing views as coordinated containment.Escalating chip export controls targeting China, including the MATCH Act advancing through Congress, reinforce Beijing’s narrative that Western technology restrictions are designed to suppress Chinese industrial capacity, not merely to enforce sanctions on Russia.
The retaliation
China’s response was immediate and calibrated. The seven EU entities placed on China’s export control list are all defence firms: FN Herstal and FN Browning in Belgium, HENSOLDT AG in Germany, and OMNIPOL, EXCALIBUR ARMY, SPACEKNOW, and VZLU AEROSPACE in the Czech Republic. All are banned from receiving any Chinese dual-use exports, and overseas organisations are prohibited from transferring China-origin dual-use items to them. The framing as a Taiwan matter rather than a Russia matter is diplomatically useful for Beijing because it avoids legitimising the premise that Chinese firms are materially supporting Russia’s war effort while still imposing costs on European industry.
The broader retaliation operates through China’s rare earth export controls. The EU imports 98% of its rare earth magnets from China. Licensing approvals for European firms have fallen below 25% in some sectors. Rare earth prices have spiked up to six times higher outside China than within it. European carmakers, semiconductor fabs, and defence companies have been forced to cut utilisation rates or temporarily shut production lines.Record defence tech investment across Europe, which saw nearly $1 billion flow into European defence startups in the first half of 2025 alone under the EU’s ReArm Europe plan, depends on the very rare earth supply chains that Beijing can restrict.Europe’s booming dual-use technology sector, exemplified by German drone makers reaching unicorn valuations on the strength of battlefield-tested products, relies on components that trace back through supply chains Beijing controls. The sanctions target China’s role in arming Russia. China’s retaliation targets Europe’s ability to arm itself.
Advertisement
The trap
The EU is caught in a structural contradiction. Its sanctions policy against Russia requires restricting Chinese entities that supply dual-use technology to the Russian military-industrial complex. Its defence policy requires rare earth magnets, critical minerals, and electronic components that China dominates. Its trade relationship with China, worth 759 billion euros in bilateral goods trade in 2025 with a 360 billion euro deficit in China’s favour, creates dependencies that limit the EU’s willingness to escalate.Ukraine’s emergence as a defence tech powerhouse, with an 800-fold increase in drone production since the invasion, demonstrates why cutting off Russian access to Chinese dual-use goods matters militarily. But every sanctions package that hits Chinese firms moves Beijing closer to a retaliatory threshold that could damage European industry more than it damages Russian supply chains.
The EU’s broader decoupling from China in sensitive technology areas, including blocking Chinese institutions from core Horizon Europe research grants in AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, and biotech, shows that the sanctions on Russia-linked Chinese firms are not isolated measures but part of a systematic rebalancing. The EU-China relationship has entered what European diplomats describe as a “do no harm” phase, which in practice means both sides are doing incremental harm while trying to avoid a rupture. The 20th sanctions package advanced that incremental process. The 21st, which Kallas has already announced, will advance it further. Beijing’s warning that the EU will “bear all consequences” is a statement about the trajectory, not the current moment. The consequences are cumulative. Each package adds designations. Each response adds export controls. Each round of retaliation narrows the space for the trade relationship that both sides publicly claim to value. The question is not whether the EU-China relationship can survive another sanctions package. It is how many packages it can absorb before the incremental damage becomes structural, and which side reaches that threshold first.
Of the five nominations for the 86th Peabody Awards, Apple TV scored two wins. “Pluribus” won in the entertainment category, while “Come See Me In the Good Light” won in the documentary category.
‘Pluribus’ brings home a Peabody award for Apple TV
Truecaller is one of the world’s most widely used caller identification platforms, with more than 500 million users. Now it’s entering a more challenging phase as growth slows in its largest market and competition intensifies across telecom networks and smartphone platforms.
Much of Truecaller’s growth has been driven by India, which accounts for over 350 million users, or about 70% of its global base. The volume of spam and unwanted calls has turned the app from a simple caller ID service into a more embedded layer of everyday communication.
As competition increases, Truecaller’s growth is starting to slow. Data shared with TechCrunch from Sensor Tower shows downloads from India fell 16% year-over-year in 2025, while global downloads declined 5%, marking a reversal after several years of growth. Separate data from Appfigures shows downloads peaked at 175 million in 2021, dropped sharply in 2022 and have since hovered around 120 million annually.
Advertisement
Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch
India remains Truecaller’s largest market, but its share of downloads has declined from over 70% at its peak to the mid-50s in recent years, pointing to a gradual shift in new user growth toward other markets.
Truecaller’s shift in growth dynamics is being closely watched by investors. The company’s shares have fallen about 78% since its 2021 IPO and are down around 37% so far this year, underscoring investor concerns about its growth outlook and business model. Chief Executive Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch that one of the key questions from investors has been around the impact of CNAP in India. He also acknowledged recent headwinds in parts of the business, without elaborating further.
Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company does not see CNAP as a disruption but as validation of the problem.
“Truecaller operates as a global platform with a much richer and dynamic intelligence layer — spanning spam detection, fraud prevention, business identity, and user context across calls and messages,” he said. “This allows us to go significantly beyond basic caller ID.”
Advertisement
Truecaller’s Community Suggestions show user-generated context about incoming callersImage Credits:Truecaller
Bharath Nagaraj, director of equity research at Cantor Fitzgerald, said CNAP could slow user growth but is unlikely to materially disrupt Truecaller’s core business in the near term. Instead, he pointed to pressure in the company’s advertising segment — driven in part by changes from Google — as the more immediate challenge.
“If you look at the earnings for the company, 65%–70% of it now comes from ad revenue. And that impacted recently,” Nagaraj told TechCrunch.
In its last earnings call (PDF), Truecaller said that it lost roughly one-third of ad traffic from its largest partner in August 2025 — a partner analysts on the call identified as Google. Jhunjhunwala attributed the drop to an unresolved “algorithm issue,” while CFO Odd Bolin said the partner still accounts for more than a third of total revenue. The company is now adding new partners and building its own ad exchange to reduce dependence on any single platform.
But even moving to an in-house ad exchange may not fully address the challenge. Advertising remains highly competitive, with brands able to spend across multiple digital platforms, said Nagaraj. “You can show your ads on Truecaller, but you can also show them on Facebook,” he said.
In-app revenue continues to grow
The pressure on advertising comes even as other parts of Truecaller’s business are on a different trajectory. Data from Appfigures shows that while downloads have plateaued in recent years, gross in-app revenue has risen sharply — from $600,000 in 2017 to $39.3 million in 2025. It has already reached $13.4 million this year as of April 20.
Advertisement
Monthly revenue generated by in-app purchases on Truecaller is now consistently above $2 million and still climbing, per Appfigures.
Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch
Truecaller’s presence on iOS has also grown from less than 5% of its total downloads in 2020–2021 to around 11–12% in recent years, per Appfigures, highlighting a shift toward higher-value markets. The company has stepped up efforts on Apple’s platform, including launching real-time caller ID for iPhone in early 2025 and rolling out feature updates to improve parity with its Android app.
Nonetheless, Apple recently expanded its call-screening capabilities, which could reduce the need for third-party apps among iPhone users.
Another key pillar of Truecaller’s monetization strategy is its enterprise offering, Truecaller for Business, which enables companies to verify their identities and communicate with customers via calls and messaging. The segment has been growing steadily, with revenue rising 39% in constant currency in 2025. Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company is expanding the platform globally by opening its chat services to partners and offering tools such as verified business caller ID to help enterprises verify identity and reach customers.
Alongside its enterprise push, Truecaller has also been expanding its consumer subscription business, which has over 4 million paid subscribers globally, as more users opt for features such as advanced spam protection, AI-based call screening, and an ad-free experience.
Advertisement
In the past, Truecaller has been criticized over how it builds and maintains its vast database of phone identities. An investigation by The Caravan raised questions about consent and data collection practices, particularly in India, where data protection laws have so far been less stringent. Truecaller has denied wrongdoing and maintains that it complies with applicable regulations, but the debate underlines the broader challenge of balancing utility, scale, and user privacy.
Despite all these challenges, Truecaller sees significant room for growth. The company is focused on addressing the rising complexity of communication, Jhunjhunwala said, as spam and scam calls become more sophisticated with advances in AI. Similarly, it plans to expand across all three revenue streams — advertising, enterprise services, and premium subscriptions — as it looks to sustain growth across markets. Whether that will be enough, however, may depend on how quickly it can adapt as caller identification shifts from standalone apps to the network, and to the phone itself.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Attendees at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show strolled inside the main hall and were greeted by BYD’s Denza Z series convertible, a four-seater with a soft top that neatly folds up into the rear deck. Much of the automobile, including body panels, seats, and structural components, is made of carbon fiber, which helps to reduce weight and improve handling. When things get really fast, a tiny air vent on the bonnet helps to increase airflow and give the car a little extra downforce.
This car’s design was penned by a team directed by Wolfgang Egger, Audi’s former head of styling, who has a keen sense of style. Smooth curves and exquisite features combine to make the car look attractive without going overboard. The doors are beautiful and long, with no handles visible, but the large wheels and brilliant brake calipers provide a good idea about the beast of a car hiding underneath. We noticed one car painted in a wonderful sheen blue-green that looked amazing in the hall.
Speed & Range: Experience exhilarating rides with the Ninebot S2’s impressive top speed of 11.2 mph and range of 21.7 miles.
Beginner-Friendly: Perfect for riders aged 16-50, the Segway S2 features a user-friendly learning mode, providing a smooth and gradual introduction.
Adjustable & Supportive: Enjoy a customized fit tailored to your needs, as the Segway S2 accommodates heights ranging from 4’3″ to 6’6″ and supports…
Under the hood, or rather, beneath the floor, is a trio of electric motors that work together to drive all four wheels using Denza’s E3 system. And what a power bump, with well over 1,000 horsepower. It can accelerate from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in less than two seconds flat! They used the DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension from the Yangwang U9 and added features such as predictive road scanning and full chassis control, allowing the car to corner like a dream even while the roof was down. The steering is also steer-by-wire, which keeps things feeling quite sharp and responsive.
Advertisement
The car is powered by BYD’s latest Blade Battery, which rests low on the floor and supports Flash Charging 2.0. That means a full charge can be achieved in as little as five minutes at the appropriate charging station. The same battery pack is used in a few different models, providing ample range while remaining smooth on the inside. They also have several advanced driving aids, all gathered under the Eye of the God suite, which supports in day-to-day tasks while also adding some extra safety measures for longer journeys.
The four seats inside the automobile are placed in a way that makes the back row feel functional rather than crowded. A large screen dominates the center of the dashboard, flanked by a digital instrument panel and a wireless charging station. The central console has a neat and easy button layout for climate control and drive mode. The materials seem high-quality while remaining nice and utilitarian, and the tri-color accents on the display model provide a wonderful touch of flair.
Denza plans to ship the convertible to Europe first this summer. Following that, it will make a complete global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. In case you’re wondering, the car will also perform some demonstration laps there. They’re still doing track testing at the Nürburgring, and they anticipate to have proper lap times shortly. Chinese buyers will have to wait till after the worldwide deployment is complete. The car will be available in three versions: normal, open top, and dedicated track edition.
In terms of price, it will be significantly less expensive than its competitors. Early estimates in China range between 400,000 and 500,000 yuan, or $59,000 to $73,000. That places the Denza Z in the same category as the Maserati GranCabrio, but with more power and faster charge, making it a really fantastic offer all around. Prices in Europe will be published closer to the time the automobile goes on sale. [Source]
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
See those circles in the grid of today’s Mini Crossword? All of them will contain the same letter, when you’re done. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
From a Whampoa minimart to Orchard Road: The rapid expansion of Hao Mart under Dr Tan Kim Yong
Once a materials specialist, Dr Tan Kim Yong opted for a completely different career path and opened convenience store Hao Mart in 2016.
Since then, however, the journey of Hao Mart has been a roller coaster ride, fuelled by expansion plans and legal troubles. We take a look back at the journey of Hao Mart founder Dr Tan Kim Yong.
May 26, 2005: As AIM expanded internationally, it became formally listed on the SGX Mainboard in 2005, with Dr Tan serving as Group Chairman and CEO and a substantial shareholder.
Advertisement
Hao Mart’s first minimart in Whampoa./ Image Credit: T T Teo, Saad Chinoy via Google Reviews
2016: In 2016, Dr Tan entered Singapore’s highly competitive grocery space, opening the first Hao Mart outlet in Whampoa. Established with the concept of a “super-mini-mart,” the outlet combines a convenience store concept with the product range of a supermarket.
May 2, 2017: AIM was delisted from SGX due to low trading liquidity, compliance costs, and other factors. Hao Corp—the parent company of Hao Mart—was listed as the offeror of the now-private entity.
2019: Hao Mart began accelerating its retail expansion into multiple formats. Amid the expansion, it filed its first financial statement for FY2019, with a loss of S$2.2 million.
Aug 8, 2019: Hao Megamart opened at The Grandstand. Spanning over 46,000 sq ft, it carried more than 70,000 products, including live seafood, a butchery, bakery, fresh produce, household goods, and branded electronics—positioning itself as a one-stop hypermart alternative to Giant and NTUC FairPrice.
Dec 20, 2019: Another retail format, “Eccellente by Hao Mart,” targeting a more premium, international grocery audience, was launched. Outlets opened in Marina Square, Westgate, and Kinex.
Advertisement
Nov 2021: Hao Mart hits its peak of 51 stores in Singapore. It also signed a 7.5-year lease with department store landlord OG for all five levels of the former OG Orchard Point building. The ambitious deal marked Hao Corp’s biggest expansion yet, bringing its grocery and F&B concept to the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt.
Mar 2023: Hao Mart reported a loss of S$23.2 million for FY2023, after turning profitable for the previous two financial years.
Aug 4, 2023: OG entered a facility agreement with Dr Tan personally, extending a S$66.2 million loan to fund Taste Orchard’s opening at the former Orchard Point. The loan is secured by a mortgage over Dr Tan’s Good Class Bungalow at Jervois Hill, one of Singapore’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. By this time, the project’s opening had already been delayed by around six months from its original planned commencement in Feb.
Taste Orchard was Hao Mart’s first foray into the Orchard Road belt./ Image Credit: orchardmalls.com
Feb 2024: Taste Orchard opens, featuring three floors occupied by Eccellente by Hao Mart, offering a live seafood station, a butchery & deli counter, and an FYI Live Kitchen. Tenants on other floors include Sushiro, BHC Chicken, Killiney Kopitiam, and Warabimochi Kamakura.
Jan – Nov 2024: According to OG’s lawsuit, Hao Mart failed to pay rent at Taste Orchard from Jan to Nov 2024. The supermarket also allegedly sublets parts of the premises to other tenants without obtaining OG’s prior approval, which OG later claims constitutes a breach of the 7.5-year lease.
Advertisement
Dec 2024: Hao Mart stores dwindled to 20, according to its website.
Jul 2025: The cracks start to appear publicly. at the prime location, and Hao Mart themselves scale down operations at the building. The basement supermarket was shuttered, with products moved elsewhere in the building.
Sept 2025: Landlord , demanding that tenants move out by the end of the year. The move comes just 18 months after Taste Orchard opened. No explanation is given for the lease termination.
Advertisement
Oct 2025: OG files a lawsuit against Hao Mart for S$6.6 million, including unpaid rent, taxes, and other charges. Hao Mart files a counterclaim, alleging that OG itself breached a separate oral agreement.
Dec 2025: Taste Orchard officially ceases operations, and the premises are returned to OG.
Jan 2026: Hao Mart, Dr Tan, and his wife sue OG for S$57.5 million in damages. They allege a conspiracy by OG to cause loss to Hao Mart by damaging or destroying their business. In the same period, Hao Mart reported a S$49.6 million loss for FY2025, with the financial statements filed belatedly in Jan 2026.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
I recently wrote about why I chose the Supernote Nomad over other e-ink tablets as my primary reading and writing device. However, while the Supernote handles most of my book reading, it cannot do everything.
Newsletters pile up, RSS feeds keep rolling, audiobooks need a home, and I need a place to buy ebooks. That means I still depend on a small stack of apps to keep my reading life from falling apart.
Here are the four apps I use every day to stay on top of my reading goals in 2026.
NetNewsWire: for keeping up with my favorite websites and blogs
If you are not using RSS feeds to follow your favorite websites, you are missing out. Instead of checking five or six sites every morning, or god forbid, creating a news-focused timeline on social media apps, an RSS reader pulls all the new articles into one place. I use NetNewsWire to accomplish this, and the best part is that it is completely free and open source.
Advertisement
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
It works across all my Apple devices, offers good features, and is fast. There are no ads, no algorithms deciding what I should read, and no social media nonsense. I can subscribe to the feeds I want, and NetNewsWire fetches the articles for me. That is it. I love how simple it is, and I genuinely look forward to opening it every morning with my coffee.
Readwise Reader: for saving articles and keeping my newsletters organized
If NetNewsWire is where I discover things to read, Readwise Reader is where I actually read them. It is a read-it-later app, but calling it that feels like calling the iPhone “a phone.” It does a lot more.
I save long articles I do not have time to read right away, and Readwise Reader keeps them neatly organized and waiting for me. What I love about this app is keyboard navigation, an easy way to highlight paragraphs, and its integration with Obsidian, my note-taking app.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
It ensures that everything I want to retain is automatically synced to my note-taking app, allowing me to easily take notes on them and flesh out the ideas.
I also love that Readwise Reader lets me pull newsletters directly into the app. So, instead of piling up in my email inbox and getting buried, they appear in my reader app where I can read them at my leisure.
When I am doing chores or traveling, I prefer to listen to audiobooks to keep on top of my reading goals. The app I have been using for almost half a decade to do this is BookPlayer.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
BookPlayer makes listening to those audiobooks genuinely enjoyable. The app is clean, the controls are simple, and it does not ask for a subscription. What more can you want from an app?
I read most of my books on the Supernote Nomad, but not everything is available as a PDF or ePub. A lot of the books I want to read are only available on the Kindle store, so the Kindle app is something I cannot avoid.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
If a book is available anywhere, it is probably on Kindle. Then there are Kindle-exclusive books that I cannot find anywhere else. As much as I want to truly own my e-books, there’s no denying that Kindle’s library is unbeatable, and I still use it to discover and read new books.
These are the four apps keeping my reading life organized in 2026. I am always on the lookout for something better, so if you have a reading app you swear by, don’t forget to share it with us. I would love to know what is working for you.
If the diesel engine in your vehicle suddenly decides not to play ball and loses power, or is restricted to a certain speed, then it’s possible that the engine has been derated. While this is undoubtedly inconvenient, this is actually a feature of modern diesel engines that’s designed to protect them.
Put simply, engine derating happens when engine sensors detect an issue with it. When this happens, the engine control unit initiates an intentional power drop. Importantly, this power reduction isn’t the failure, it’s a protective response designed to prevent damage or excess emissions. In short, although it probably doesn’t feel like it at the time, this system is there to help and can stop minor issues from becoming wallet-draining trips to the workshop.
The triggers for this can vary depending on the vehicle, but typically, it happens when engine sensors detect that it’s operating outside of its designed operating limits. High running temperatures are a common cause — excessive heat is never a good thing in engines. Modern engines can also derate in response to emission-related issues. The latter can be caused by blocked diesel particulate filters, or even faults with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve.
Advertisement
So, while the loss of performance might feel like something’s gone wrong, the reality is that the system is working exactly as intended. Let’s have a closer look at the double-edged sword that’s both inconvenient, but potentially engine-saving.
Advertisement
What engine derating feels like behind the wheel
Mr.Anuwat Rumrod/Shutterstock
When an engine has been derated, the most obvious symptom is a noticeable drop in performance, often accompanied by the driver simultaneously experiencing a severe sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. Acceleration might feel sluggish, with a muted throttle response, and engine revs and speed can also be restricted.
In some instances, the top speed can be restricted to as low as 5 mph. Essentially, this is a self-imposed limp mode that allows the vehicle to keep moving, but only enough to reach a safe location or a workshop. Depending on the particular engine and/or the severity of the issue, dashboard warning lights or messages may appear. Understanding what common dashboard warning lights mean can help you get an idea of what the underlying problem is.
This is important, as not all derating is equal. In some situations, the power reduction is intermittent and relatively mild. For instance, if the problem is temperature-related, then the restriction may be lifted when the temperature normalizes. Of course, if this is a persistent problem, then a trip to the mechanic is probably wise. Even if the engine appears fine, there are plenty of ways that cars can lose coolant without a leak.
What is important to understand when the engine’s power is derated is that although the vehicle may be driveable, it isn’t happy. The reduced performance is there to tell you that things aren’t well under the hood — and how you respond to it is important.
Advertisement
What to do and what not to do when your engine derates
Thx4Stock team/Shutterstock
A derated engine might not always be an immediate emergency. For instance, if a temperature-related derate occurs when the engine is operating under high loads and in high-ambient temperature situations, then it could be a one-off triggered by those operating conditions. This is especially true if the engine goes back to normal once the temperature normalizes.
However, if the problem is more persistent, or the vehicle has entered a restrictive limp mode, then this isn’t something that can be tucked away as next week’s problem. Continuing to drive the vehicle in these circumstances, especially over long distances, can turn a relatively minor issue into an expensive and sob-inducing one. Warning lights, repeated derating, any indications of low-oil pressure or persistent overheating should always be treated seriously.
It’s also worth noting that what a derate does to your vehicle’s performance today, might not be the case tomorrow. For instance, if the derate is linked to high-emissions from a vehicle, then the control system can add further restrictions until the underlying cause is addressed.
Advertisement
Ultimately, while it might not seem like it, an engine derating might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Frustrations aside, in most cases, this is the system stepping in to prevent a much more serious failure from developing.
In this week’s “Sunday Reboot,” a changing of the guard, the DOJ becomes a tattling schoolchild, and the expensive Apple Vision Pro saves Disney money.
John Ternus, the DOJ, and the Apple Vision Pro
Sunday Reboot is a weekly column covering some of the lighter stories within the Apple reality distortion field from the past seven days. All to get the next week underway with a good first step. This week, Apple Music users aren’t listening to AI-generated music that’s now flooding the service, Apple won’t benefit from the tariff refunds for months, and the company faces a $38 billion fine in India as part of an App Store antitrust investigation. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple just might make a big aesthetic splash with its debut foldable. A new leak has added more shape to Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone, and this time the focus is on thickness. Renders shared by South Korean tipster yeux1122 on Naver, reportedly sourced from an Apple casing supplier, show the device with a folded body thickness of about 9.23mm. That is slimmer than the roughly 9.6mm figure mentioned in earlier rumors.
The renders also point to a maximum thickness of about 13mm when the camera area is included. That would make the camera module a major part of the phone’s profile, even if the folded body remains surprisingly thin for a book-style foldable. The same leak also repeats earlier claims that Apple is preparing two color options, silver and black.
yeux1122 / Naver
Just how thin are we talking about here?
For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 8.9mm when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded. That would still make Samsung’s current foldable slightly thinner in its folded form, but the leaked figure would place the iPhone Fold surprisingly close to a well-established product.
Honor’s Magic V6 and the Oppo Find N6 also fall in the same slimness ballpark as their Samsung rival, and soon, Apple, as well. Samsung’s rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide has also been tipped at 9.8mm folded and 4.3mm unfolded, which would make Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone thinner, at least before accounting for the camera bump.
What else is on the table?
Foldable iPhoneMajinBuofficia
Reports around Apple’s foldable have pointed to a book-style design with a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner screen, giving it a tablet-like layout when opened. Another recent claim from Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested that Apple may include the Camera Control button despite the slim frame.
On the software front, it could borrow some multi-tasking tricks from iPadOS, but don’t expect any functional fireworks like Stage Manager appearing on the foldable. Pricing is still unconfirmed, but current reports have suggested a starting price above $2,000. Apple is reportedly targeting a September 2026 introduction for the iPhone Fold. Availability may be limited at first, and the device could ship later than the iPhone 18 Pro models.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login