The village of Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy is the world’s first to receive a solar highway and is now undergoing a two-year test drive. The highway, just one kilometer long, features 2,800 meters of photovoltaic cells. The Colas construction company built the highway, which cost an estimated $5.2 billion. Ségolène Royal, France’s ecology minister, hopes to have one kilometer of solar roadways for every 1000 kilometers of roadway in the country.
Looking ahead to what Faurecia Chief Executive Patrick Koller calls the “cockpit of the future,” the French company has purchased a majority stake in Chinese in-car entertainment technology company Jiangxi Coagent Electronics for 1.45 billion renminbi ($126 million or 193 million euros). The move follows a number of deals with technology companies, including partnerships with French dronemaker Parrot and German auto parts company ZF Group.
Cycling fans took a deep dive into rider data at this year’s Tour de France held July 1 through July 23, thanks to technology supplied and managed by IT company Dimensional Data. The race’s 198 riders were equipped with multiple sensors including a GPS sensor, RF chip and a rechargeable battery. Thanks to the sensors, everyone from race organizers to fans and broadcasters could access comprehensive data on the riders throughout the race via the Tour de France mobile app.
After six years of sparring with the French tax authority, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, won a major victory when a judge found that the company was not accountable for 1.11 billion euros, or $1.27 billion, in taxes. While the ruling is expected to be appealed, the judgment is expected to have implications for other technology companies operating in France, including Apple and Amazon.
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