Beethoven’s Music Increases EV Range

The logo of Kia Motors is seen on a wheel of its Carnival car at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida, India, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo
The logo of Kia Motors is seen on a wheel of its Carnival car at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida, India, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo
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Beethoven’s Music Increases EV Range

The logo of Kia Motors is seen on a wheel of its Carnival car at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida, India, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo
The logo of Kia Motors is seen on a wheel of its Carnival car at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida, India, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo

Listening to a Beethoven symphony instead of dance music, or hip-hop while on the move could possibly increase the range of your electric car and improve its energy efficiency, according to tests recently carried out on behalf of one manufacturer.

South Korean manufacturer Kia is backing this unusual claim with the results of trials in which various types of music were played on the sound system of a Kia EV6 electric, reported the German News Agency (dpa).

According to Kia’s trial, playing Beethoven's "Symphony No.9" inside an electric vehicle (EV) made it more efficient. By contrast, the Weeknd’s high-energy smash hit "Blinding Lights" had a negative effect on the battery.

Kia’s study was conducted by Dr. Duncan Williams, a lecturer at the British University of Salford’s School of Science, Engineering and Environment.

"What we found from only two days of testing was that music really can have a dramatic influence on the real-world driving range of an electric vehicle," said Williams.

Kia’s playlist consisted of Tycho (Awake), Adele (Hello), The Weeknd (Blinding Lights), Anna Meredith (Nautilus), Kanye West (Fade) and Beethoven's Symphony No.9. It seems those taking part drove up to four times more efficiently when listening to Beethoven than other songs.



English Version of Animated Chinese Hit 'Ne Zha 2' Heading to Theaters

FILE PHOTO: Michelle Yeoh poses during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Michelle Yeoh poses during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
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English Version of Animated Chinese Hit 'Ne Zha 2' Heading to Theaters

FILE PHOTO: Michelle Yeoh poses during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Michelle Yeoh poses during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

A24 and CMC Pictures are teaming up to bring an English-language version of the globally successful Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2" to theaters in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on August 22, the companies said on Wednesday.

The animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" overtook Pixar's "Inside Out 2" in February to become the highest-grossing animated film globally, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

"Ne Zha 2" amassed a total box office of 12.3 billion yuan ($1.71 billion) including pre-sales and overseas earnings, making it the eighth highest box office film worldwide, Reuters reported.

The English-language cast will include Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. No other voice actors have been announced so far.

"I'm honored to be part of Ne Zha 2, a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be," the Malaysian actor said in a statement.

The sequel film follows the first "Ne Zha" film from 2019 and is based on Chinese mythology.

The story follows Ne Zha, a rebellious young boy, who is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers.

He's faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity and must grow up to become the hero the world needs.

The film, which will be released in IMAX and 3D, was written and directed by filmmaker Yang Yu, who also developed the first movie. Over 99% of the mythological movie's box office income came from mainland China, starkly in contrast to Hollywood films, which typically rely on a more global distribution strategy.

"Ne Zha 2" is based on a 16th century Chinese novel "The Investiture of the Gods," depicting a hero boy with magic power who tried to defend Chentangguan, a fortress town.