Czech automaker Skoda has unveiled a bicycle bell called DuoBell designed to alert pedestrians even if they are wearing noise-cancelling earphones. The bell produces two types of sound, including a tone tuned to 780 Hz, a frequency it said is harder to cancel. It also emits very fast, irregular sounds intended to outpace earphone processing. Skoda said tests in London found pedestrians could detect a bike from 22 metres away.

The global electric-vehicle market lost momentum in January 2026 as U.S. and Chinese tax incentives were reduced or ended, cutting plug-in registrations 6% from a year earlier to about 1.2 million, a report cited by Cleantechnica showed. Tesla’s Model Y remained the top-selling model with 53,074 units, down 7%, while Model 3 sales fell 47% to under 15,000. Growth remained strong in parts of Asia and some emerging markets as Chinese exporters expanded overseas.