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Is chauffeur uniformed when I hire car with driver Mumbai?

chauffeur uniformed when I hire car with driver Mumbai When you decide to hire car with driver Mumbai, one of the first things that might come to mind is the professionalism and presentation of the chauffeur. Many people wonder, is chauffeur uniformed when I hire car with driver Mumbai? The answer largely depends on the…

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An antidote to fat, heavy cars? Check out these lightweighting awards.

Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening. Less than a millimeter thick, the material absorbs up to 97 percent of sound, particularly the low frequencies that engineers want to keep out of the cockpit. Geely and Syensqo’s clever stator cooling…

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How Nissan leveraged its driver assist to cut traffic jams

Instead, CCM works by having a lead car, or “probe,” send information to following CCM-equipped cars, which are separated by non-CCM cars between them. The information from the probe car lets the following cars keep an appropriate distance from each other—between 30 and 60 seconds—and if there’s a slow down ahead, the following cars will…

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Parts shortage is the latest problem to hit General Motors production

General Motors will temporarily lay off workers at its Wentzville assembly plant in Missouri. According to a letter sent to employees by the head of the plant and the head of the local union, a shortage of parts is the culprit, and as a result, the factory will see “a temporary layoff from September 29–October…

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Small, affordable, efficient: A lot to like about the 2026 Nissan Leaf

The $34,230 SV+ loses the panoramic roof and the interior V2L outlets, and you’ll have to manually open and close the tailgate at the back. And the alloy wheels are an inch smaller, which increases the range to 288 miles (464 km). But it keeps the heated front seats and the twin 14.3-inch displays (one…

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Electric vehicle sales grew 25% worldwide but just 6% in North America

Here’s some good news for a Friday afternoon: For 2025 through August, global electric vehicle sales have grown by 25 percent compared to the same eight months in 2024, according to the analysts at Rho Motion. That amounts to 12.5 million EVs, although the data combines both battery EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs for the…

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Flush door handles are the car industry’s latest safety problem

China to the rescue? In fact, the styling feature might be on borrowed time. It seems that Chinese authorities have been concerned about retractable door handles for some time now and are reportedly close to banning them from 2027. Flush-fit door handles fail far more often during side impacts than regular handles, delaying egress or…

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F1 in Italy: Look what happens when the downforce comes off

That was enough to allow Piastri past. However, the team instructed the championship leader to slow down and relinquish the position to Norris. It was a team mistake, not a driver mistake, and McLaren is doing everything in its power to ensure the eventual champion gets there because of their driving and not some external…

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The Polestar 5 electric sedan makes its world debut

The quick passenger ride we got back then convinced me that the Polestar 5 was going to be a problem for Porsche’s Taycan, and a look at the powertrain specs confirms that. It’s an 800 V setup, powered by a 106 kWh (useable, 112 kWh gross) battery pack that can fast-charge from 10–80 percent in…

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Porsche’s insanely clever hybrid engine comes to the 911 Turbo S

Today, Porsche debuted a new 911 variant at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany. It’s the most powerful 911 to date, excluding some limited-run models, and may well be the quickest to 60 mph from a standing start, dispatching that dash in just 2.4 seconds. And it’s all thanks to one of the most…

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Porsche’s next Cayenne is fully electric—we drove the prototype

The original Cayenne saved Porsche. How will the fourth-generation model do? Porsche The original Cayenne saved Porsche. How will the fourth-generation model do? Porsche The development drive was a mix of on- and off-road. Porsche The development drive was a mix of on- and off-road. Porsche Few Cayennes will be put to the test like…

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BMW debuts 6th-generation EV powertrain in the all-electric iX3

BMW provided flights from Washington, DC, to Munich and accommodation so Ars could be briefed on the iX3. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. BMW has an all-electric replacement for its X3 crossover on the way. When it arrives in mid-2026, it will have the lowest carbon footprint of any BMW yet, thanks to…

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Honda combines Type-R handling with hybrid efficiency for 2026 Prelude

At the end of last year, we learned that Honda was bringing back the Prelude. Although Honda has varied the ingredients over the years, the recipe for the Prelude remains the same: a sleek coupe body and some cutting-edge technology under the skin, like four-wheel steering, as rhapsodized by the verbose but usually insightful motoring…

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Chinese EV buyers are cooling on Tesla and BYD

Meanwhile, BYD now accounts for 1.1 percent of all new cars sold in the European Union. There is one bright spot for Tesla, however—it sold 8,370 cars in Turkey in August, making it that country’s second-most popular automaker. Robots will save Tesla? But perhaps Tesla shareholders shouldn’t worry about cratering sales. On Monday night, Tesla…

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Audi design finds its minimalist groove again with Concept C

Fans of the TT rejoice—there’s a new Audi two-seater on the way. The German automaker just unveiled Concept C, a stylish and minimalist sports car that marks the start of a new styling philosophy and, hopefully, a return to the bold designs that brought it so much success. There are design cues and links back…

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Beyond technology? How Bentley is reacting to the 21st century.

Chinese manufacturers are embedding more digital bells and whistles that impact all segments of the market, and not just in China. “Just as in other segments, the Chinese OEMs are moving faster than anyone else on software, especially for infotainment, bringing big screens and digital assistants with homegrown software and lots of connectivity, but also…

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Tesla has a new master plan—it just doesn’t have any specifics

Tesla also disbanded the team building its “Dojo” supercomputer several weeks ago. Much touted by Musk in the past as the key to beating autonomous vehicle developers like Waymo (which has already deployed commercially in several cities), Tesla will no longer rely on this in-house resource and instead rely on external companies, according to Bloomberg….

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Slate Auto’s sub-$30,000 EV pickup is due next year—here’s the factory

WARSAW, INDIANA—The Blank Slate pickup scratches a particular itch for some, fulfilling the desire for an EV powertrain without all the bells and whistles associated with a modern vehicle. Gone is the infotainment screen, the lane-keeping assistance, and, for those concerned about surveillance, a modem. Instead, it’s an unpainted modular pickup and can be configured…

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Tesla denied having fatal crash data until a hacker found it

Tesla only acknowledged that it had received the data once the police took the Tesla’s damaged infotainment system and autopilot control unit to a Tesla technician to diagnose, but at that time the local collision snapshot was considered unrecoverable. That’s where the hacker, only identified as @greentheonly, his username on X, came in. Greentheonly told…

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Porsche adds digital keys, in-car gaming to 2026 Macan Electric

There’s also a trained parking feature, which lets you record up to five parking routines. Once the car recognizes it’s in a parking environment that it knows, it will offer to take over the job of putting your car away for you, although only with the driver in the car—this does not appear to be…

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As GM prepares to switch its EVs to NACS, it has some new adapters

The first adapter that GM released, which cost $225, allowed CCS1-equipped EVs to connect to a NACS charger. But now, GM will have a range of adapters so that any of its EV customers can charge anywhere, as long as they have the right dongle. For existing GM EVs with CCS1, there is a GM…

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2025 VW Jetta GLI: Save the manuals, but not like this

The Jetta’s digital dash. Jim Resnick The Jetta’s digital dash. Jim Resnick The ADAS can be configured graphically. Jim Resnick The ADAS can be configured graphically. Jim Resnick The Jetta’s digital dash. Jim Resnick The ADAS can be configured graphically. Jim Resnick VW equips this GLI with all-season Hankook Energy GT tires, sized 225/40R18. I…

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2025 Mazda MX-5 RF review: Buy the soft top; the hardtop sucks

As a former (NA) MX-5 owner myself, I was rather excited at the prospect of the RF. It sounded like all the MX-5 stuff I loved, but with less risk of someone slashing the hood, and maybe a more refined interior. The weather mostly sucked while we had the RF, so the roof stayed up…

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Study shows which vehicles pollute the least in every US county

Greenhouse gas reduction is no longer a priority for the US government, but if you’re looking for a new vehicle and want to buy something with the lowest life cycle carbon emissions, you’re best off looking for a compact with a small battery. That’s one of the findings from a group at the University of…

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At the top of the market, EV hypercars are a disappearing breed

Ford provided flights from Albany to San Francisco and accommodation so Ars could attend Monterey Car Week. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. Monterey Car Week is an annual celebration of automotive culture at the extremes: extreme performance, extreme rarity, and extreme value. Cars offering more than 1,000 hp (746 kW) are de rigueur,…

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Americans’ junk-filled garages are hurting EV adoption, study says

Creating garage space would increase the number of homes capable of EV charging from 31 million to more than 50 million. And when we include houses where the owner thinks it’s feasible to add wiring, that grows to more than 72 million homes. And that’s far more than Telemetry’s most optimistic estimate of US EV…

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Humans intervened every 9 minutes in AAA test of driver assists

As most people who have used adaptive cruise control in traffic can no doubt appreciate, the most common event that required intervention was a car ahead cutting into the driver’s lane. These occurred about once every 8.6 miles, or 24.4 minutes, with 90 percent requiring intervention by the driver. Inadequate lane centering was the next…

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Nissan announces 2026 Leaf pricing, starting at $29,990

The Leaf SV+ adds bigger wheels and a better infotainment system, and it can be fitted with an optional battery heater for those in cold climates. This trim will cost $34,230, which will make it almost $2,000 cheaper than the model-year 2025 Leaf SV+ despite the fact that the MY26 car has a range of…

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2025 Subaru WRX tS review: A scalpel-sharp chassis lets this car dance

The 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen returns, and while it packs all the obvious functionality, such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a decent native navigation system, it still suffers from terribly sluggish response times. The new digital gauge cluster offers multiple display options, including a driver-focused performance view with boost pressure, gear position, and torque…

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Here’s Acura’s next all-electric RSX crossover

“The Acura RSX has a sporty coupe style that expresses the performance that comes from excellent aerodynamics,” said Yasutake Tsuchida, Acura creative director and vice president of American Honda R&D. “Starting from this all-new RSX, we will redefine the Acura brand around timeless beauty and a high-tech feel that is essential for a performance and…

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Porsche’s best daily driver 911? The 2025 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid review.

The added displacement—0.6 L larger than the engine you’ll find in the regular 911—is to compensate for not being able to alter the fuel ratio. And for the first time in several decades, there’s now only a single turbocharger. Normally, a larger-capacity engine and a single big turbo should be a recipe for plenty of…

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Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept: Is this the solution or a sideshow?

An orange tint of smoke in the air always contributes to dramatic lighting for sunrise photos in Los Angeles. But this early in the fire season, the coloring serves as an inescapable reminder of greenhouse gas emissions and the mobility solutions that might reduce or at least slightly mitigate the future of radical weather crises….

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The case for commuting by motorcycle

What exactly constitutes “All the gear?” To start, you need a full-face helmet, ideally with a Snell or ECE safety rating. It doesn’t have to be expensive; there are plenty of great helmet companies out there making very safe lids in the sub-$250 range. Depending on where you live, a helmet may be legally required,…

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Polestar sets production car record for longest drive on a single charge

Wait, are you sure that’s a record? Booker, Clarke, and Parker drove an impressive distance on a single charge, but “longest EV drive on a single charge” is a slightly more nebulous thing. In this case, the Polestar 3 was entirely standard, on stock tires. But if you’re prepared to start tweaking stuff around, longer…

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Ford switches gears, will push smaller EVs over full-size pickup and van

The Ford Motor Company is adjusting its electric vehicle strategy. The automaker will prioritize smaller and more affordable EVs ahead of the replacement for the F-150 Lightning fullsize pickup truck and e-Transit van. The Lightning replacement, codenamed T3, should now appear later in 2027, with the van a year behind. Here in 2025, EV adoption…

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Rad Power’s Radster: A very non-radical commuter bike

Rad Power’s system uses large, orange arrows on the display to tell you when the directionals are on, and which direction is being signaled. It takes a little while to get used to shutting them off, since you do so by hitting the same switch that activated them—hitting the opposite switch simply activates the opposite…

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$30K Ford EV truck due in 2027 with much-simpler production process

Ford will debut a new midsize pickup truck in 2027 with a targeted price of $30,000, the automaker announced today. The as-yet unnamed pickup will be the first of a series of more affordable EVs from Ford, built using a newly designed flexible vehicle platform and US-made prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries. For the past…

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2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S: A different approach to a luxury sedan

REIDEN, Germany—There is a lot to be said for testing a car on the roads it was developed on. A Kei car, for example, makes more sense in downtown Tokyo than on one of Nashville’s arterial highways, surrounded by construction trucks. Likewise the German supersedans. For decades, an arms race has been conducted between rival…

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Trump’s trade and environment policies are a disaster for carmakers

All of that is now subject to new import tariffs, which drive up the cost of even domestically produced vehicles. Not even highly vertically integrated Tesla is immune. General Motors blamed Trump’s tariffs for costing it $1.1 billion in Q2 and as much as $5 billion by the end of the year. And while the…

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Rivian tells Ohio: Stop blocking us from selling cars to your citizens

Scout Motors, the new SUV brand from Volkswagen Group, has also raised some hackles with its plan to sell direct. VW and Audi dealers are suing the company, claiming they should have been offered the right to sell its cars since they also sell other brands from the giant automaker. (The dealers’ argument conveniently ignores…

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2025 Morgan Plus Four review: Apparently, they do still make them like this

Morgan motoring is best when exposed to the elements. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle In Sport+, the optional active sports exhaust system ($2,827.50) also helps to impart a slightly more serious soundtrack. This one manages a bit of drama as turbo whine and intake rush creep in through a complete lack of sound insulation. Plus,…

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BMW’s next EV is its most sustainable car yet—here’s why

Sadly, the US is unlikely to get the Econeer trim, which uses a seat fabric made entirely from recycled PET bottles (instead, we should be getting an eco vinyl option). Of course, you need to do more than just pick better materials, some of which have been recycled, if you want to seriously dent the…

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F1 in Hungary: Please stop saying Monaco without the walls

Leclerc stopped early for fresh tires and was followed by Piastri, both now committed to a two-stop race. Norris was back in fifth with little chance of winning at that point, and so he extended his first stint and would only change tires once. By the end of the race, his tires would be old…

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Tesla loses Autopilot wrongful death case in $329 million verdict

Tesla was found partially liable in a wrongful death lawsuit in a federal court in Miami today. It’s the first time that a jury has found against the car company in a wrongful death case involving its Autopilot driver assistance system—previous cases have been dismissed or settled. In 2019, George McGee was operating his Tesla…

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Lotus still knows how to make a driver’s car: The 2025 Emira V6, driven

The mid-engine sports car is an increasingly rare breed, but Lotus still carries the torch with its Emira, which is available with a choice of supercharged V6 or turbocharged inline-four cylinder engines. Between its steering, compact dimensions, standard manual transmission, and low mass, it’s a breath of fresh air, and it’s ready to capture the…

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Formula E cars keep getting faster and faster: What’s next for the sport?

In addition to being bigger and heavier, teams are also going to have high- and low-downforce configurations. Racing drivers will always want more grip, but the addition of aerodynamics to push cars down onto the track surface can fundamentally change the racing, and not always in a way that makes for an entertaining spectacle for…

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Tesla picks LGES, not CATL, for $4.3 billion storage battery deal

Tesla has a new battery cell supplier. Although the automaker is vertically integrated to a degree not seen in the automotive industry for decades, when it comes to battery cells it’s mostly dependent upon suppliers. Panasonic cells can be found in many Teslas, with the cheaper, sturdier lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells being supplied…

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2025 Polestar 3 drives sporty, looks sharp, can be a little annoying

Earlier this month, Ars took a look at Volvo’s latest electric vehicle. The EX90 proved to be a rather thoughtful Swedish take on the luxury SUV, albeit one that remains a rare sight on the road. But the EX90 is not the only recipe one can cook with the underlying ingredients. The ingredients in this…

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F1 in Belgium: The best racetrack in the world

Although the Mclaren is a faster car than either the Red Bull or Ferrari, at Spa its speed came in the corners, and the orange cars were unable to close on or pass their rivals on the straights. Teams and drivers faced a dilemma for Sunday’s race. They could either set their cars up for…

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The 2025 Audi RS 3 is a five-cylinder firecracker

First offered in a passenger car by Mercedes-Benz back in 1974, the five-cylinder engine has always been a bit of an automotive oddball. The unconventional configuration eventually gained a foothold in the 1980s with manufacturers who needed a transversely mounted motor that was narrower than a V6 but wanted something smoother and more powerful than…

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Going chain-free with the Priority Gemini gravel bike

In combining a belt drive with a gravel bike, Priority Bicycles has put a smart idea into action with the Priority Gemini Smart.Shift. The execution is mostly there, although the Gemini is perhaps best described as a fantastic commuter bike with a solid gravel upside—as long as the road isn’t too rough. The Priority Gemini…

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The electric Stark Varg EX is brutally fast but a little too unrefined

Ride time Take a look at the back wheel of your average electric motorcycle, a Zero or LiveWire or the like, and you’ll see a rubber belt connecting the electric motor to the rear wheel. This has the primary benefit of reducing noise while also virtually eliminating the need for maintenance. Chains are much louder…

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Here’s why there are so few new cars for under $30,000

Winners and losers However, averages conceal a lot, and not all cars are becoming more expensive. US-made vehicles got cheaper to the tune of $191 per car, and cars.com says that more and more consumers are searching for domestically made vehicles to save money. Imports from the UK have gotten the most expensive—increasing by an…

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Yet another bad three months as Tesla reports its Q2 2025 results

Tesla posted its financial results for the second quarter of 2025 this afternoon. The numbers show yet another bad three months for the automaker. As competition in the EV marketplace has exploded, Tesla has increasingly been left behind, with a small and aging model lineup, before we even contemplate how CEO Elon Musk has tarnished…

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Audi has a new midsize EV, and we’ve driven it: The 2025 A6 Sportback

Long straight roads glide underneath. Credit: Audi The car’s cabin layout and ergonomics are starting to feel familiar at this point—it shares much not only with the electric Q6 e-tron but also Audi’s new midsize combustion cars, the A5 and Q5. (We’ll leave for now the fact that a combustion A6, unrelated to today’s vehicle…

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2025 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante: A-M’s ultimate GT goes topless

It’s hard to blame them. Top up or down, the Vanquish’s aesthetic is one of eagerness and aggression, largely due to the F1-derived aero elements to cool the massive power unit as well as to balance out air from front to back. The rest is all Aston Martin-quality craftsmanship, shaping the Vanquish into a taut,…

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Tesla skepticism continues to grow, robotaxi demo fails to impress Austin

Tesla’s eroding popularity with Americans shows little sign of abating. Each month, the Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report surveys thousands of consumers to gauge attitudes on EV adoption, autonomous driving, and the automakers that are developing those technologies. Toyota, which only recently started selling enough EVs to be included in the survey, currently has the highest…

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Mercedes-AMG gives us a ride in its next high-performance EV

Perhaps that’s rightfully so, considering the concept GT XX makes over 1,200 hp (895 kW). Also, as it sits right now, you must be in the Sport+ setting to experience simulated shifting. When the engineer put it back into Comfort to pass through a village (and not get busted by the speed camera), the car…

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Experts lay into Tesla safety in federal autopilot trial

For example, she said Tesla “clearly recognized that mode confusion is an issue—this is where people, for example, think the car is in Autopilot and don’t understand that the Autopilot has disengaged,” she told the court. Cummings also referred to the deposition of Tesla autopilot firmware engineer Ajshay Phatak. Phatak’s deposition told the court that…

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Everything we learned from a week with Apple CarPlay Ultra

Running around Los Angeles, I never found a spot with zero reception (I run e-sims, both Verizon and AT&T simultaneously, for this very reason), but I did purposefully enter airplane mode. This time, Ultra stayed active, and regardless, Apple assured me that essential functions, including navigation, can pre-load offline data for planned route guidance. But…

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Feds tell automakers to forget about paying fuel economy fines

Automakers selling cars in the United States now have even less incentive to care about fuel economy. As Ars has noted before, the current administration and its Republican allies in Congress have been working hard to undermine federal regulations meant to make our vehicle fleet more efficient. Some measures have been aimed at decreasing adoption…

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2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA feels like a real car, not a science experiment

If you want more power, or more importantly, all-wheel drive, the 350 4Matic delivers. In the normal driving mode, acceleration is even more brisk, but it doesn’t snap your head back. Put the car into the Sport setting, and you get all the acceleration you could really want. Yes, there’ll be more powerful versions in…

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Stellantis abandons hydrogen fuel cell development

Hydrogen is also much less energy-dense by volume, and making the stuff is far from efficient, even when you use entirely renewable electricity. And of course, the vast majority of commercial hydrogen is not so-called blue hydrogen, which was made with renewables but is instead mostly produced via steam reformation from hydrocarbon stocks. That’s an…

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From the hospital to the car plant: What is GM doing with CT scanners?

“What we’re trying to do is use this tool to look at where the defects are, to change our processes so that when we build it, we don’t have to deal with the defects and then the ramp plan that comes with it,” Duby said. Destructive testing used to be the name of the game—slicing…

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BYD has caught up with Tesla in the global EV race. Here’s how.

“Tesla has partnered with Baidu [a Chinese search and AI group] but Baidu can’t disclose all the data points to Tesla,” Duo adds. “The real-world data is definitely more valuable.” Home field advantage While BYD might have home turf advantage when it comes to data collection and security, Wang’s late pivot to driverless functionality has…

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Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 N offers more sound, more shifts, more smiles

In addition to the new sound, the shape of the 6 N is obviously quite a bit different than that of the SUV-silhouette of the Ioniq 5. Being a sedan means having a trunk, and on that trunk is a mighty large wing with a dramatic curving profile to match the sculpted edges at the…

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Mazda reveals next-gen CX-5 details, including a hybrid, due in 2027

The new model goes on sale this year in Europe. Credit: Mazda More recently, Mazda borrowed the hybrid powertrain from Toyota’s RAV4 and dropped it into the CX-50—conveniently, both SUVs are built in the same shared factory in Huntsville, Alabama. (In exchange, Toyota gets access to Mazda’s Soul Red paint for the RAV4, which is…

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5 big EV takeaways from Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”

Plus, OBBB got rid of penalties for automakers who fail to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. These standards have ramped up over the last 50 years and forced auto companies to make their vehicles more gas-efficient. They pushed manufacturers to, for example, get into hybrids, and build some of the first modern electrics. Now,…

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Why Brembo uses endurance racing as a test bench for brake development

“Ultimately, the more cooling holes, the lower the temperature of the disc,” Miller said. “You have mechanical wear between the disc and the pad, and 350˚ Celsius and below you have a lot of dust, which physically wears the disc. At higher temperature ranges, the dust between the pad and the disc creates friction. That…

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Lamborghini follows successful racing Huracan with new Temerario GT3

Thanks to performance balancing, older GT3 cars like the Huracan are still competitive. But with the road car out of production, it was obvious that a racing version of its replacement was called for. “The Temerario GT3 has been designed with the end user in mind,” said Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr. “Everything has…

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Life after two-stroke: Rotax electrifies its bike and kart powertrains

Whether I was riding in the rain in Austria or the blazing heat of the Texas sun (115° F/46° C), Rotax’s focus on thermal management kept the two Can-Am bikes ready to deliver the expected power at any speed. It’s not only a tremendous feat of engineering, but on the road, it can mean the…

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2025 Volvo EX90: A low-key luxury electric SUV

You don’t get some of the same bells and whistles as in a German or Asian luxury car, but the seat massager beats any of them. And Volvo’s interior design is top-notch. Jonathan Gitlin You don’t get some of the same bells and whistles as in a German or Asian luxury car, but the seat…

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Nissan feels the effect of US-China trade war

Nissan’s future product portfolio is feeling the effects of some of Trump’s other policies. Working with congressional Republicans, the president has chosen to end federal tax incentives meant to encourage the adoption of clean energy vehicles like EVs. As a result, many new EVs will get $7,500 more expensive for most customers from October 1….

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Rivian’s new Quad-Motor R1T and R1S beat the competition in any conditions

Given that, I’d probably skip the Michelin tire setup. But with it equipped, the truck was impressive. Acceleration was truly eye-opening, as you’d expect, while the ability to seamlessly apply power to each wheel as needed resulted in a confidence-inspiring machine when the traffic cleared. Only the complete lack of steering feedback dampened the fun,…

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F1 in Britain: Terrible English summer weather equals entertaining race

The heat dome that oppressed much of Europe has broken. Not a drop of rain marred the 24 hour races at Le Mans, the Nürburgring, or Spa-Francorchamps, held unusually over consecutive weekends this June. Similarly, last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix took place under scorching skies that were baking the Tyrolean mountains. No such luck for…

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2025 VW ID Buzz review: If you want an electric minivan, this is it

Our test Buzz had one option: the two-tone paint job. Jonathan Gitlin Our test Buzz had one option: the two-tone paint job. Jonathan Gitlin Expect to attract plenty of attention in the Buzz. Jonathan Gitlin Expect to attract plenty of attention in the Buzz. Jonathan Gitlin Our test Buzz had one option: the two-tone paint…

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Tesla Q2 2025 sales dropped more than 13% year over year

Tesla sold 384,122 electric vehicles during the months of April, May, and June of this year. That’s a double-digit decline compared to the same three months of last year—itself no peach of a quarter for a car company with a stratospheric valuation based on the supposition of eternal sales growth. The automaker faces a number…

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From Le Mans to Driven—where does F1: The Movie rank?

McQueen might have been one of the world’s biggest movie stars at the time, but he mostly wanted to be a racing driver. He wasn’t bad at it, either—in 1970, he almost won the 12 hours of Sebring in a Porsche 908 despite having broken his foot in six places a couple of weeks earlier….

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GOP wants EV tax credit gone; it would be a disaster for Tesla

The Republican Party’s opposition to tax credits for electric vehicles has stepped up a notch. As its members in the US Senate add their input to the budget bill that came from their colleagues in the House of Representatives, among the changes they want to see is a faster eradication of the IRS clean vehicle…

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Apple’s push to take over the dashboard resisted by car makers

Of the original 14 brands listed by Apple, Jaguar Land Rover said it was still evaluating the system, while Ford and Nissan along with its Infiniti brand said they had no information to share about future application. According to a survey conducted by McKinsey in 2023, almost half the car buyers said they would not…

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Three axial flux motors and 850 kW fast charging? Meet the GT XX.

The pack in the GT XX concept has 3,000 cells, giving the pack an energy density of 300 Wh/kg. The company, in addition to claiming quick recharging and optimal on-track performance, states that the design should also improve overall battery longevity. An infographic showing an exploded view of the AMG electric drive unit. Credit: Mercedes-AMG…

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Tesla launches robotaxi service in Austin

Tesla’s robotaxi service, touted by Elon Musk as the future of his flagging electric-car maker, launched in the company’s home city of Austin, Texas, on Sunday with about 10 vehicles and a human safety driver on board amid regulatory scrutiny of its self-driving technology. Shares in Tesla have risen about 50 percent from this year’s…

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Everything we know about the 2026 Nissan Leaf

The first-generation Nissan Leaf was an incredible achievement for the company and for the industry. A mass-market EV that wasn’t priced out of reach was something the industry needed at the time. That’s important. Since then, things have stagnated. To say that the 2026 Leaf is the most important EV launch for Nissan since the…

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2025 Audi S5 and A5 first drive: Five-door is the new four-door

The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5. Jonathan Gitlin The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5. Jonathan Gitlin Yes, it’s the most expensive variant, but the inflation calculator tells me that it’s actually quite a lot cheaper than the one that was launched in 2018….

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How Tesla Takedown got its start

Musk offered no proof of his assertions; to a person, every protester who spoke to WIRED insisted that they are not being paid and are exactly what they appear to be: people who are angry at Elon Musk. They call their movement the “Tesla Takedown.” Before Musk got on the call to speak to investors,…

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The first Corvette hypercar? Chevrolet’s 1,250 hp ZR1X hybrid breaks cover.

The ZR1 engine already produces more than a thousand horsepower; now, it meets an uprated hybrid system from the E-Ray. Credit: Chevrolet To rein in that speed, a massive set of continuous-weave carbon-ceramic brake rotors from Alcon (option code J59) measure 16.5 inches (420 mm) in diameter, front and rear, clamped down by GM’s first-ever…

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Here’s Kia’s new small, affordable electric car: The 2026 EV4 sedan

The mesh headrests are a clever touch, as they’re both comfortable and lightweight. The controls built into the side of the passenger seat that let the driver change its position are a specialty of the automaker. There are also plenty of other conveniences, including wireless device charging, 100 W USB-C ports, and wireless Android Auto…

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F1 in Canada: Well, that crash was bound to happen

In fact, Red Bull is so concerned that other drivers might try to taunt Verstappen into misbehaving that it spoke to the officials about the matter. Then again, Russell needled the Red Bull team after qualifying by pointing out that he has “a few more points on [his]license to play with.” As it was, Red…

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The new version of Audi’s best-selling Q5 SUV arrives in the US

Audi provided flights from Washington, DC, to Denver and accommodation so Ars could drive the Q5 and SQ5, as well as two other models you can read about next week. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. ASPEN, Colo.—There’s a lot riding on Audi’s next Q5. The model has been Audi’s bread and butter here…

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Smart tires will report on the health of roads in new pilot program

Do you remember the Pirelli Cyber Tire? No, it’s not an angular nightmare clad in stainless steel. Rather, it’s a sensor-equipped tire that can inform the car it’s fitted to what’s happening, both with the tire itself and the road it’s passing over. The technology has slowly been making its way into the real world, starting with rarified stuff…

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All-wheel drive EVs at 210 mph? Formula E’s next car gets massive upgrade.

Power gets a massive increase, from the current 470 hp (350 kW) to 804 hp (600 kW). That’s not far shy of next year’s F1 machines, which will generate 1,006 hp (750 kW), but only when their hybrid batteries are fully charged—run out of electrons and the F1 car has to make do with just…

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Fair or fixed? Why Le Mans is all about “balance of performance” now.

“We had to think of something which will work independently, whether it’s hybrid power or internal combustion engine power. Should we think about fuel only? That will only be concerning, obviously, the internal combustion engine and not do the job for the hybrid system. So, power at the wheel is a nice and elegant solution,”…

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Mercedes’ next electric GLC rides great—we’ve driven the prototype

The Sport setting is good, with ride comfort controlled and comfortable while still being firm. If you’re bombing down a back road, I can see being entertained by the setting, though it’s no AMG sports car. It’s also not as firm as something like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. With good range, great fast charging,…

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Protesters summon, burn Waymo robotaxis in Los Angeles after ICE raids

The robotaxi company Waymo has suspended service in some parts of Los Angeles after some of its vehicles were summoned and then vandalized by protesters angry with ongoing raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Five of Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles were summoned downtown to the site of anti-ICE protests, at which point…

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2025 Acura ADX review: A crossover that balances budget with spirit

As you might imagine, a steady stream of cars to review comes and goes from my parking spot. Some weeks, they stand out, like the bright green Aston Martin, the murdered-out Bentley, or the VW ID. Buzz you can read about soon; these cars usually spark conversations with neighbors, particularly those who don’t know why…

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GOP intensifies war against EVs and efficient cars

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on record as supporting the repeal of the EV tax credit, as it would hurt his rivals more than Tesla. But yesterday, Musk decried the fact that the spending bill does not cut subsidies for oil and gas, just EVs and solar. No fines for you Yesterday in the Senate,…

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Tesla shows no sign of improvement in May sales data

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s big government adventure appears to be at an end. As promised in April, Musk has returned his attention to his car company, which is facing serious headwinds. In the first quarter of the year, Tesla sold tens of thousands fewer electric vehicles than it did the year before, despite a rise…

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F1 in Spain: Now that was a lapse in judgment

Russell was next, at turn 1, giving Verstappen what looked like a dose of his own medicine. The Red Bull was forced to use the escape road and maintained his position before being told by his team to give the place back. Already on the back foot, this was too much, he told his race…

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2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 first drive: Engineered for insane speed

Cooling for the ZR1 became an even higher priority, because the LT6 and LT7 employ extremely tight tolerances between the crankshaft and connecting rods, which mandates keeping the 5W-50 oil below 120° C (248° F) at all times. And the system simply works, as even on a hot and humid Texas day, I only noticed…

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Google Maps can’t explain why it falsely labeled German autobahns as closed

Ars contacted Google to see if the glitch’s cause has been uncovered. Engadget reported that the glitch only lasted a couple of hours. A Google spokesperson previously said Google was investigating available information to figure out what happened. Apparently, Google only learned of the glitch after users who braved the supposedly closed roads started reporting…

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Amazon and Stellantis abandon project to create a digital “SmartCockpit”

Automaker Stellantis and retail and web services behemoth Amazon have decided to put an end to a collaboration on new in-car software. The partnership dates back to 2022, part of a wide-ranging agreement that also saw Stellantis pick Amazon Web Services as its cloud platform for new vehicles and Amazon sign on as the first…

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F1 in Monaco: No one has ever gone faster than that

The principality of Monaco is perhaps the least suitable place on the Formula 1 calendar to hold a Grand Prix. A pirate cove turned tax haven nestled between France and Italy at the foot of the Alps-Maritimes, it has also been home to Grand Prix racing since 1929, predating the actual Formula 1 world championship…

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200 mph for 500 miles: How IndyCar drivers prepare for the big race

What to expect on Sunday? Kirkwood was bullish about his chances despite starting relatively deep in the field, qualifying in 23rd place. “We’ve been phenomenal in race trim and qualifying,” he said. “We had a bit of a head-scratcher if I’m being honest—I thought we would definitely be a top-six contender, if not a front…

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Gazelle Medeo T9 City e-bike review: A steady Dutch ride in lots of sizes

For starters, the bike is almost fully kitted out, with custom fenders and chainguard, a substantial rack, lights, an AXA “cafe” rear wheel lock, and even a bell that actually makes some noise. The two colors, “Thyme Green” and “Caramel Khaki,” are smart and non-gendered and fit the broad utility of the bike. It’s available…

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Tesla crushed in Europe as BYD outsells; BEV sales surge 28%

When you look at sales at the brand level, things get a little worse for the American automaker. Volkswagen sold more EVs than anyone else in Europe last month, increasing by 61 percent to 23,514 units. As for Tesla? It fell to 11th place, with just 7,165 sales in total, a 49 percent decrease year…

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Toyota debuts all-new RAV4 with hybrid and PHEV powertrains only

An all-new version of Toyota’s bestselling RAV4 crossover debuted last night. For generation six, Toyota North America is going all-electrified, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains on offer. And while the RAV4 isn’t quite a software-defined vehicle as we understand the term, it features an all-new software platform tying everything together. Toyota has grouped the…

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Brembo develops brakes with almost no brake dust and less wear

As electric vehicles reduce car exhaust as a source of particulate emissions, people are increasingly focusing on other vehicular sources of pollution that won’t go away with electrification. Tires are one of them, particularly as we grapple with overweight EVs with tire-shredding torque. And brakes are another—even an EV with regenerative braking will occasionally need…

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Removing the weakest link in electrified autonomous transport: Humans

“There are, surprisingly, a lot of trucks today that are standing still or running empty,” Green said. Part of this comes down to poor logistical planning, but a lot is due to the human factor. “With automated electric trucks, we can make the transportation system more sustainable, more efficient, more resilient, and absolutely more safe.”…

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2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 first drive: Efficient, for a big one

Only the $58,995 Ioniq 9 S is available with a rear-wheel drive powertrain. In this case, one with 215 hp (160 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) and a range of 325 miles (539 km) from the 110.3 kWh (gross) battery pack. All other trims feature twin motor all-wheel drive, but you give up little…

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F1 in Imola reminds us it’s about strategy as much as a fast car

Sunday brought smiles for the Red Bull and Ferrari teams. In the hands of Verstappen, the Red Bull was about as fast as the black-and-orange McLarens, and while second was the best Verstappen could do in qualifying, the gap to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was measured in the hundredths of a second. Verstappen’s initial start from…

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The 2025 VW Tiguan caters to US tastes at an affordable price

In the modern era, cars keep getting bigger and bigger between generations. Or at least, they’re certainly not getting smaller. That’s especially true in America, where bigger is always better and the vehicles in the current crop of “compact” crossovers are now nearly as large as full-size SUVs from a decade ago. Don’t ask about…

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Forgive me, Volvo, I was wrong: The 2025 V60 Cross Country review

Perhaps if I was more patient I’d have gotten closer to the EPA combined 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km), too—instead the best I could average was 23 mpg (10.2 L/100 km). One wonders how much lower it would be without the 48 V mild hybrid system. The fascia got an update a few years ago….

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Tesla changes lease policy, didn’t use old cars as robotaxis

Tesla has raised the ire of some of its customers, who are accusing the carmaker of misleading them. Until recently, it would not allow customers who leased its EVs to purchase them at the end of the lease. Instead, the leases stated that it “plan[s] to use those vehicles in the Tesla ride-hailing network.” Tesla…

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Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra is ready, but only in Aston Martins for now

It’s a few years later than we were promised, but an advanced new version of Apple CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay is Apple’s way of casting a phone’s video and audio to a car’s infotainment system, but with CarPlay Ultra it gets a big upgrade. Now, in addition to displaying compatible iPhone apps on the…

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GM’s LMR battery breakthrough means more range at a lower cost

Kelty also believes it just makes sense to localize production. He pointed out that when consumer electronics with batteries took off, the supply chain developed around the customers in Southeast Asia. The customers, in that case, are the electronics manufacturers. He said the same thing makes sense in the United States. There might be an…

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2025 Bentley Continental GT: Big power, big battery, big price

It has become common these days to disclose power and torque; in more genteel times, one was simply told that the car’s outputs were “sufficient.” Well, 771 hp (575 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) could definitely be described by that word, even with two and a half tons to move. The twin-turbo 4.0 L…

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Trump cuts tariff on UK cars; American carmakers not happy about it

But according to Automotive News Europe, car imports from the UK have increased by 39 percent since 2022, and it’s quite possible that those imports will exceed the new quota this year. Not everyone is as pleased as the UK car industry, however. The big three in Detroit—Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis—are upset that mostly…

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USPTO refuses Tesla Robotaxi trademark as “merely descriptive”

“We are an AI, robotics company,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last April. Despite the fact that the company’s revenues are overwhelmingly derived from selling new electric vehicles, such prosaic activities hold no luster for the boss. Instead, Tesla’s future, according to Musk, depends upon a (claimed) sub-$30,000 driverless two-seater, revealed to the world last October in…

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Ford raises prices on Mexican-made cars—but not the full tariff cost

Ford also told Ars that it will continue to offer employee pricing to all its customers until at least July 4, even on vehicles made after May 2. Ford published its Q1 2025 financial results earlier this week, reporting a net income of $471 million, a $900 million decrease compared to Q1 2024. In its…

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Everything you ever wanted to know about four-wheel steering

The second action of active 4WS is same-phase steering angle input to the rear wheels. Turn the wheel right, and the rear wheels also turn slightly to the right. However, that rear angle is even shallower than the opposite-phase angles in the above scenario. This improves higher-speed stability, like when a driver changes lanes or…

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Musk’s politics see Tesla sales collapse in Europe

Tesla is in deep trouble in Europe. The electric vehicle maker, which once dominated EV sales in the region, is facing sales declines of more than 50 percent in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK. Sales in Germany weren’t quite as bad—they fell by 46 percent in April, with slightly smaller decreases in…

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2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Turbo review: Italian charm that cuts both ways

They say that with age comes wisdom, so it should come as no surprise that on the eve of Alfa Romeo’s 115th anniversary, the company that originally made its name competing in endurance races like the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia with flame-spitting sportscars is currently looking to increase its market share with a sensible,…

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F1 in Miami: Like normal F1, but everyone wears pastels

After a brief reprieve, Formula 1’s teams were back at it this past weekend at the Miami Grand Prix. It was the first of three stops in the US and five in North America as F1 capitalizes on its current wave of popularity here. The sport evidently believes something is going right—it just announced a…

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NASCAR, IMSA, IndyCar, F1: GM’s motorsport boss explains why it goes racing

CONCORD, N.C.—We weren’t allowed cameras past the lobby of General Motors’ shiny new Charlotte Technical Center. It’s the automaker’s new motorsport hub in the heart of NASCAR country, but the 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) facility is for much more than just stock cars. There are cutting-edge driver-in-the-loop simulators, shaker rigs for punishing suspension, and even an…

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The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage: Achingly beautiful and thrilling to drive

The new infotainment human-machine interface was a little confusing at first; pairing my phone took about 10 minutes but worked out in the end, and wireless Apple CarPlay behaved itself throughout the week. When starting the car there was sometimes a lengthy wait for the infotainment to boot up, as if the hardware wasn’t quite…

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Republicans want to tax EV drivers $200/year in new transport bill

WASHINGTON, DC—The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will meet today to discuss its proposed budget legislation, and there’s a doozy in there for drivers of electric vehicles and hybrids. As part of the Republican Party’s ongoing war against science and the environment under President Trump, committee chairperson Sam Graves (R-Mo.) has included some new annual…

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The BYD Dolphin review: Here’s what we’re missing out on in America

Zero to 62 mph (0–100 km/h) takes 7.0 seconds, and the Dolphin tops out at 99 mph (160 km/h). DC fast charging is capped at 88 kW, or 65 kW for the smaller battery, which means it takes 29 minutes to get from 30 to 80 percent state of charge. The performance sounds rather hot…

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Trump backs down a bit on auto industry tariffs—but only a bit

President Donald Trump is set to ease up slightly on the automotive industry this week. After being warned that his trade war will result in hiked prices and fewer vehicles being built, government officials over the past two days have signaled that Trump will sign an executive order today that will mitigate some of the…

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2025 VW Golf R first drive: The R stands for “really good fun”

I remain perpetually wrong-footed by the Volkswagen Golf R, the more powerful all-wheel drive upgrade to the venerable VW Golf GTI. I always expect I’m in for a driving experience that is as measured and calm as it is fast. I don’t know why I continually underestimate the R—Ars has driven a few of them…

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“We’re in a race with China”—DOT eases autonomous car rules

For crashes where none of those conditions are satisfied, NHTSA has to be notified within 15 days if other conditions are met, including a property damage threshold, as well as if another vehicle was involved. NHTSA is also opening up exemptions for some federal motor vehicle safety standards for US-based manufacturers. “This exemption promotes innovative…

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A $20,000 electric truck with manual windows and no screens? Meet Slate Auto.

In one of the strangest launches we’ve seen in a while, Slate Auto, the reportedly Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle startup, unveiled its first EV, the Slate Truck. Notably, the vehicle is capable of a claimed 150 miles (241 km) of range at a starting price of less than $20,000, assuming federal clean vehicle tax credits…

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2025 VW Golf GTI: Buttons are back on the menu, smiles never went away

What’s new? The improvements for model year 2025 amount to new bumpers—shades of Mk2, anybody?—and an illuminated VW badge that would have made you the coolest Beastie Boy in 1986. There are also adaptive front fog lights that turn with the wheels, and VW’s improved 12.9-inch infotainment system has replaced the old 10.25-inch unit. The…

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Tesla’s Q1 results show the financial cost of Musk’s support for Trump

For Q1 2025, Tesla took in $595 million in regulatory credits. Net income amounted to just $409 million. None of this should be cause for concern, unlike the many times in the past that Tesla almost went out of business, Musk told investors on a call last night. “It’s been so many times. This is…

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Bicycle bling: All the accessories you’ll need for your new e-bike

Giro, Bell, Smith, POC, and Kask are all reputable brands with a wide range of shapes to fit bulbous and diminutive noggins alike. Additionally, helmets are not “buy it for life” items—manufacturers recommend replacing them every four to five years because the foam and glues degrade with sun exposure. So there’s a built-in upgrade cycle…

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2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS first drive: A big ride and handling upgrade

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Before letting us loose on the freshly laid tarmac of Ten Tenths Motor Club, Chevrolet was at pains to tell us that the new Blazer SS “is not a track car.” Sure, there’s a “competitive mode” to the suite of electronic settings and the fastest 0–60 mph time of any SS-badged…

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F1 in Saudi Arabia: Blind corners and walls at over 200 mph

That is far closer than F1 has ever been—many longtime fans can remember the days when the gap between first and second on the grid might be more than a second. And the reason is also why overtaking has become harder, despite aerodynamic rules meant to make passing easier. Over the years, F1’s technical rules…

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Cupra is all about affordable cars, funky styling, electrified performance

“So we are part of Volkswagen Group. We have factories all across the whole planet. We have Mexican factories. We have US factories. Even Volkswagen Group is ramping up additional factories in the United States. We have European factories,” Schuwirth said. The original plan was to import one model from Mexico and one model from…

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Tesla odometer uses “predictive algorithms” to void warranty, lawsuit claims

Tesla is facing a new scandal that once again sees the electric automaker accused of misleading customers. In the past, it has been caught making “misleading statements” about the safety of its electric vehicles, and more recently, an investigation by Reuters found Tesla EVs exaggerated their efficiency. Now, a lawsuit filed in California alleges that…

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What happened when Formula E visited an American oval track?

Time to go for it On lap 14, the actual race broke out as everyone started to push at their actual pace. From single-file slipstreaming to running three-wide in a pack, it still looked like Porsche’s day, until a three-car collision at the turn 11 chicane blocked the track, resulting in a red flag. When…

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F1 in Bahrain: I dare you to call that race boring

What a difference a week makes. This past weekend, Formula 1 went back to Bahrain, the site of this year’s preseason test, for round four of the 2025 season. Last week’s race in Japan sent many to sleep, but that was definitely not the case on Sunday. The overtaking was frenetic, the sparks didn’t set…

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The Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8 tears up the roads and conquers climbs

When a cyclist sees the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8 for the first time, the following thoughts run through their head, usually in this order: “What a beautiful bike.” “Damn, that looks really fast.” “The owner of this bike is extremely serious about cycling and has a very generous budget for fitness gear.”…

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Car safety experts at NHTSA, which regulates Tesla, axed by DOGE

The NHTSA has shown no signs of backing down, overseeing three new recalls of Tesla vehicles since Trump took office, most recently ordering 46,000 Cybertrucks to be checked after discovering an exterior panel was prone to falling off because of faulty glue. Of its eight active investigations into Tesla vehicles, five concern Musk’s claims about…

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The 2025 Mini Countryman SE: Whimsy doesn’t make up for annoying

It’s a look Ever since its 21st-century rebirth, Mini has brought a sense of whimsy to its designs, particularly the interior styling. Gone are most of the toggle switches (and the little safety protrusions that accompanied them) on the dashboard, with the exception of one for changing between drive, reverse, and neutral, plus another to…

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The Ars cargo e-bike buying guide for the bike-curious (or serious)

We’ve reviewed several bikes in this category, including the Trek Fetch+ 2, Integral Electrics Maven, and Cycrown CycWagen. Brands to look out for: Radwagon Tern Yuba Specialized, Trek Xtracycle Tricycles The Christiania Classic. Credit: Christiania Bikes America And then we have a bit of an outlier. The original delivery bike, trikes can use a front-load…

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Road deaths fell below 40,000 in 2024, the lowest since 2019

A rare spot of good news today: For the second year in a row, US roads got a little safer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published its early estimate of road deaths in 2024; 39,345 people lost their lives, which is a 3.8 percent decrease from the 40,901 deaths that occurred on US roads…

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97% of drivers want in-car payment system for tolls, parking, charging

Nearly everyone questioned as part of the research study would probably be OK with that, as long as it translated to a discount for using the in-car payment system; while this was a motivating factor, the time-savings and efficiency of frictionless in-car payments were the main draw. And a single platform that can pay for…

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F1 in Japan reminds us a great track might not make for a great race

Throughout the practice sessions, the orange and black McLarens had the measure of everyone else, with Mercedes’ George Russell looking quite quick, too. But Q3 is where it really counts, and Verstappen’s final lap was one of the all-time greats. Whether you like him or not, the Dutch driver is at a level no one…

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2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV LT review: This is one long pickup truck

At lower speeds, I found the Silverado EV a little more cumbersome. As noted, it’s a very long vehicle, and you need the more expensive RST version if you want rear-wheel steering, which turns the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speeds, in effect shrinking the 145.7-inch (3,700 mm) wheelbase. You would be…

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Employee pricing for all, tariffs on the sticker: OEMs react to tariffs

So VW wants to make it clear to customers why some of its products are about to get more expensive, which it estimates will begin around April 22 or 23. It will do that by adding a new line to the Monroney sticker, with a line for the import fee added alongside the destination charge,…

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2025 Audi RS e-tron GT: More range, more power, still drives like an Audi

New motors, new battery The front electric motor has revised electronics and a new pulse inverter, and the rear motor is a new version with a higher density of copper windings and an overall weight reduction of 22 lbs (10 kg). They’ve upped the amount of regenerative braking on offer, too—you can now harvest up…

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Tesla sales and production slumped heavily in Q1 2025

Tesla posted its production and sales numbers for the first quarter of 2025 this morning, and they continue the bad news streak for the electric automaker. Tesla produced 362,615 vehicles in total between January and the end of March, a 16.3 percent decrease from the same period in 2024. The drop in sales was a…

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Honda will sell off historic racing parts, including bits of Senna’s V10

Honda’s motorsport division must be doing some spring cleaning. Today, the Honda Racing Corporation announced that it’s getting into the memorabilia business, offering up parts and even whole vehicles for fans and collectors. And to kick things off, it’s going to auction some components from the RA100E V10 engines that powered the McLaren Honda MP4/5Bs…

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Trump on car tariffs: “I couldn’t care less if they raise prices”

However, those claims were directly contradicted by Trump this weekend. “No, I never said that. I couldn’t care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars,” Trump told an NBC interviewer. “The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a…

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The 2025 BMW M5 Touring review: Way more power, way too much weight

Basic functions like adjusting the fan speed of the air conditioning system require taking your attention off of the road to call up the comfort settings on the display, and if you dare to venture further down the rabbit hole to adjust something else, you’ll find an app drawer-style menu filled with ambiguously named icons…

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Gran Turismo 7 expands its use of AI/ML-trained NPCs with good effect

GT Sophy can now race at 19 tracks, up from the nine that were introduced in November 2023. The AI agent is an alternative to the regular, dumber AI in the game’s quick race mode, with easy, medium, and hard settings. But now, at those same tracks, you can also create custom races using GT…

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After 50 million miles, Waymos crash a lot less than human drivers

Using human crash data, Waymo estimated that human drivers on the same roads would get into 78 crashes serious enough to trigger an airbag. By comparison, Waymo’s driverless vehicles only got into 13 airbag crashes. That represents an 83 percent reduction in airbag crashes relative to typical human drivers. This is slightly worse than last September, when…

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Auto industry braces for chaos as Trump sets 25% tariff on all imports

Yesterday afternoon, once the markets were closed and could no longer react immediately, US President Donald Trump announced that starting on April 2, all imported automobiles and many imported car parts will now be subject to an extra 25 percent tariff. Despite Trump’s rhetoric during his election campaign and since taking office, tariffs are paid…

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Also, a Rivian EV spinoff, wants us to “move beyond cars”

There’s a new “exciting, small EV” on the way, to be launched early next year by Also, a spinoff of the electric vehicle maker Rivian. Details are light on exactly what that product will be, but don’t go expecting a $20,000 electric hatchback or the like—think more like an e-bike. Also will be into micromobility,…

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Red Bull makes up its mind: Liam’s out, Yuki’s in for Japan

That was before a mediocre time at Alpine and a disastrous stint at McLaren, and while Drive to Survive‘s producers would no doubt have loved the redemption story of Ricciardo returning to Red Bull, it wasn’t to be, as the speed just wasn’t there. The entire point of having the junior Racing Bull team is…

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How Polestar engineers EVs that can handle brutal winters

The power ratings of the three different Polestars wound up mattering less than how their varying drivetrains managed steering and throttle inputs, sensor measurements, and the resulting power delivery. The 3 seems to struggle most, with perhaps too many variables for the computer to confidently handle at pace—front and rear motors, rear torque biasing, more…

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Did Red Bull build an undriveable car? Questions from the Chinese Grand Prix.

Formula 1 spent this past weekend in Shanghai for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. There was a little something for everyone: entertaining racing on-track, different winners for the sprint and Grand Prix, some driver and team intrigue, rumors of a potential technical shake-up happening soon, and a bit of an argument that exposes the entertainment…

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The 2025 Cadillac Optiq: Sensibly sized and improves on the Equinox EV

On the rough roads of San Francisco, and then up to the headlands of Marin County, the Optiq first rode with more supple compliance, drowning out speed bumps and streetcar tracks with ease. Then, when the roads started winding, the adjustable drive modes let me switch up the character, as I set the steering to…

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Boeing will build the US Air Force’s next air superiority fighter

Today, it emerged that Boeing has won its bid to supply the United States Air Force with its next jet fighter. As with the last fighter aircraft design procurement in recent times, the Department of Defense was faced with a choice between awarding Boeing or Lockheed the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance program,…

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DOT must not give Tesla or other automakers a free pass, advocates say

On Wednesday, Sec. Duffy received a letter from Consumer Reports with similar concerns. “[DOT] agencies—staffed by expert public servants who are well equipped to carry out the Department’s education, research, standards, and enforcement activities—must be sufficiently resourced if they are to help drive the progress that American consumers rightly expect to see in the future,”…

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Racer with paraplegia successfully test drives Corvette with hand controls

Able-bodied co-driver Milner will use the Corvette GT3.R’s regular pedals when he drives, with the hand controls engaged when Wickens is in the car. The new hand controls are mounted to the steering wheel column, where otherwise you’d find a spacer between the column and multifunction steering wheel. There are paddles on both sides that…

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Volvo reconstructs crashes with AI in virtual worlds to make safer cars

“One thing is that we develop this in-house now, so instead of relying on suppliers with long deadlines and long process and sending requirements back and forth, we develop the software,” said Erik Coelingh, VP of product at Zenseact, an ADAS developer owned by Volvo. “If there’s something, we solve it in a day,” Coelingh…

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Old Bolt, new tricks: Making an EV into a backup power station with an inverter

I first plugged in my desk and all its accompaniments, then nudged and woke up my laptop and monitor: 14.7 watts. That seemed a bit low, given that monitors are typically more than 20 watts, but the inverter is perhaps slow to report the full draw. Still, there was lots of headroom remaining. One extension…

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New EV battery boasts 5-min charge time, adding 250 miles of range

“Our goal is to make EV charging as fast as refueling a gasoline car,” said BYD chairperson Wang Chuanfu. BYD says it plans to build more than 4,000 of the new megawatt chargers, and customers will be able to make use of them with a pair of new EVs (the Han L sedan and Tang…

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A tough race for the rookies as F1 starts 2025 in Australia

Williams’ Alex Albon scored a fine fifth for the storied team. The preseason vibes for Williams were correct—after a few years of being one of—if not the—slowest, it now looks to be leading the midfield. And Racing Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda demonstrated that he probably should have been promoted to the Red Bull team with a…

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The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ first drive: 460 miles on a single charge

SAN FRANCISCO—Newsflash: the new electric Cadillac Escalade IQ weighs over 9,000 lbs, or a fair amount more than 4,000 kilograms. For context, that figure works out to almost exactly half again as much as the 682 hp (509 kW) Escalade V that comes equipped with a barking-mad 6.2 L supercharged V8. Yet the latest and…

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Used Tesla prices tumble as embarrassed owners look to sell

Similarly, one should take with a pinch of salt a website offering to steal Teslas from owners who are unable to find a buyer themselves. According to data from Car Gurus, used Tesla prices have fallen twice as fast (-3.7 percent) as the wider car market (-1.5 percent) over the last 90 days. Year over…

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The EPA is scrapping fuel economy regs, claiming it will bring back US jobs

By 2016, that plan was looking unrealistic, in part thanks to a love of cheap gasoline and big SUVs with thirsty engines. Two years later, with a different party in control of the government, the EPA was fighting a number of states in court over the federal regulator’s plan to water down fuel economy and…

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Toyota tunes up bZ4x with new battery, more power

Earlier today, Toyota and Lexus debuted some improved and some new electric vehicles. The event was focused on the European market, where battery EV penetration is relatively high, and I wouldn’t expect either the Urban Cruiser or C-HR+ crossovers to show up on sale in the US. But we’ll likely find the upgrades to the…

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Despite everything, US EV sales are up 28% this year

With all the announcements from automakers planning for more gasoline and hybrid cars in their future lineups, you’d think that electric vehicles had stopped selling. While that might be increasingly true for Tesla, everyone else is more than picking up the slack. According to analysts at Rho Motion, global EV sales are up 30 percent…

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BEVs are better than combustion: The 2025 BMW i4 xDrive40 review

But it’s not really fair to compare yesterday’s 430i with this i4 xDrive40; with 395 hp (295 kW) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) on tap and a $62,300 MSRP, this EV is another rung up the price and power ladders. The i4 uses BMW’s fifth-generation electric motors, and unlike most other OEMs, BMW uses electrically…

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Yes, you get used to the grille: The 2025 BMW 430i Gran Coupe review

Back in 1995, a 430i badge would have meant that BMW had a 3.0 L engine. But this 430i makes do with just 2.0 L and four cylinders under the hood, albeit with a turbocharger. Output is 255 hp (190 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), which in this case is sent to all the…

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Maserati kills electric version of MC20 supercar for lack of demand

Electric motors are, in so many ways, much better than internal combustion engines. They don’t waste most of the energy you put into them as heat and sound, they’re easy to control, and they make huge amounts of torque almost instantly. Having recently driven BMW’s 430i and i4 back to back over the course of…

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VW is testing its robotaxis in snowy, icy Norway

There’s a reason that the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, were home to many autonomous vehicle programs: Driving on wide streets in great weather is easy mode for an AV. But a commercial robotaxi service that only works when the sun is shining is a commercial robotaxi service that will never recoup the billions it would…

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Volkswagen gets the message: Cheap, stylish EVs coming from 2026

A surprise find in my inbox this morning: news from Volkswagen about a pair of new electric vehicles it has in the works. Even better, they’re both small and affordable, bucking the supersized, overpriced trend of the past few years. But before we get too excited, there’s currently no guarantee either will go on sale…

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Protests, broken windows, even arson: Tesla’s massive Elon problem

But for some people, simply not buying a Tesla isn’t enough to sufficiently register their displeasure. This past weekend, there were demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms across the United States. A day of protests Kathy Jones, protesting outside a Tesla service center in Dayton, Ohio, told the Dayton Daily News: “I want to get Elon Musk…

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The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA is good enough to make a believer out of EV skeptics

And, when you run out of juice, the new CLA’s 800-volt architecture enables charging rates of up to 320 kW. That theoretically means 186 miles (300 km) of charge in just 10 minutes. Battery energy density is up, and there’s a more efficient heat pump for the cabin. Credit: Tim Stevens So, then, the promise…

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The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe proves to be a real crowd-pleaser

The 27-inch OLED screen combines the main instrument display and an infotainment screen. It’s a big improvement on what you’ll find in older GV80s (and G80s and GV70s), and the native system is by no means unpleasant to use. Although with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, most drivers will probably just cast their phones. That will…

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Driving the new Mercedes CLA made me a believer in Mercedes-Benz’s EV future

Mercedes-Benz provided flights from Albany, NY to Arjeplog, Sweden and accommodation so Ars could drive the CLA prototypes. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. Mercedes-Benz’s EV efforts aren’t exactly burning up the sales charts. Models like the EQS and EQE haven’t convinced the brand’s demanding clientele that batteries are the future, forcing the company…

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Driving an EV restomod that costs as much as a house—the JIA Chieftain

The Chieftain Range Rover is a fascinating thing—a refitted, reskinned, restored classic Range Rover is no new thing, nor is one with a ludicrous American V8 stuffed under the hood. But one that can be had as a gas car, plug-in hybrid, or as an EV? It can be all of those things depending on…

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Kia’s EV strategy: Smaller, cheaper cars like the EV3 hatch and EV4 sedan

The EV3 should go on sale in the US in 2026. Kristin Shaw The EV3 should go on sale in the US in 2026. Kristin Shaw The EV3 interior Kristin Shaw The EV3 interior Kristin Shaw The EV3 should go on sale in the US in 2026. Kristin Shaw The EV3 interior Kristin Shaw The…

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Yes, it turns out you can make a Tesla Cybertruck even uglier

There’s a saying about putting lipstick on a pig, but what if it’s not lipstick? That’s the question the universe set out to answer when it aligned in such a way that famed (or perhaps infamous) car customizer Mansory got itself a Tesla Cybertruck. The Mansory Elongation—a name that must have taken ages to think…

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There’s a battery bigger than in most BEVs inside the Ramcharger hybrid

Ram’s 1500 Ramcharger goes on sale later this year, and the company is taking a slightly different approach to its electrified truck than rivals Ford and General Motors, which both now offer battery electric pickups. The Ramcharger will be a range-extended EV, albeit one with more lithium-ion on board than most BEVs have. Honestly, pickup…

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What we know about Waymo’s 2025 expansion plans

These cities were specifically chosen to challenge Waymo vehicles since both cities have unique layouts and unconventional road designs. Atlanta In partnership with Uber, Waymo plans to launch autonomous ride-hailing services in Atlanta in early 2025. The collaboration will use Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, with Uber managing and dispatching the fleet through…

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In-car advertising glitch may be preview of a distracting future

Last week, a Jeep driver turned to Reddit to do what people do best on the site—complain. Every time they hit the brakes on their Jeep, they wrote, a promotion for an extended warranty plan popped up in the center console. “Press the ‘call’ button to speak to a specialist,” they say the ad encouraged,…

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Volvo added plenty of charm to the EX30 Cross Country EV

Compared to the EX90 I was also able to take on the ice, the EX30 is more playful and a bit more of a handful. That’s thanks to that wheelbase. But it’s easy to get into a rhythm whether you have the stability control fully on or are driving in a reduced—but not completely off—setting….

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Donut Labs and the electric motors everyone has been talking about

“The set of benefits is different to each application or each size,” Piippo said. “In small things, you’re very price conscious, and you need to kind of optimize for the cost. And then the bigger you go, the more performance you can get or the more performance increase compared to the conventional setup you can…

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The Acura ZDX is an example of badge engineering for the software age

Acura is gearing up to build its first entirely in-house battery-electric vehicles, but it has gotten a head start with the ZDX SUV. Built in collaboration with General Motors, the ZDX is a comfortable and competent luxury EV. More than that, it’s a shining example of what badge engineering looks like in the digital age….

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Trump rescinds DOT approval for NYC congestion toll, condemns city to pollution

A difficult birth The plan was met with plenty of opposition despite the promise of generating around $15 billion a year in revenue, and a 2021 implementation date slipped to 2024. But at the last minute, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, deferring to the wishes of commuters from out of state rather than the ones…

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More than 376,000 Tesla Model Y, Model 3s have faulty steering

According to the NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report, NHTSA and Tesla discussed the problem for several months, with NHTSA’s main concern that the failure (at a stop) could happen “at an unsafe location” and that the increased steering effort could surprise the driver and therefore a formal recall ought to be performed. Tesla agreed…

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An episode of The Simpsons? Fake speakers found in Chinese Volvos.

The sketchy S60 also had a knock-off crystal gear knob. Credit: Volvo Confronting the dealer brought little success—the salesperson knew no English and couldn’t see the difference between VV and W, refusing a replacement in the process. This also appears not to be a one-off; other owners have reported Volvos with speakers from Bovvers and…

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Nissan’s latest desperate gamble—see if Tesla will buy the company

Senior politicians in Japan are not going to let Nissan die easily. The automaker has been struggling for some time now, with an outdated product portfolio, ongoing quarterly losses, and soon, the closure of factories and thousands of layoffs. The Japanese government has been trying to find a suitor and had hoped that Honda would…

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This EV could reboot medium-duty trucking by not reinventing the wheel

It’s not the most stylish cabin we’ve sat in. Credit: Tim Stevens In motion, though, the experience is much the same. You’re seated up high, deafened by the clatter and bangs from the empty, boxy body, which, again, is exactly like that built on a traditional truck. The feedback is so harsh that it’s actually…

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F1 may ditch hybrids for V10s and sustainable fuels

High-revving naturally aspirated engines and their associated screaming soundtracks might be on their way back to Formula 1. Not with next year’s rule changes—that will see even bigger lithium-ion batteries and an even more powerful electric motor, paired with a turbocharged V6. But the sport is starting to think more seriously about the technical rules…

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Lamborghini catapults into the electrified supercar age with the Revuelto

Much more drivable Around town, the Revuelto is a quantum leap ahead of the Aventador in terms of drivability, aided in large part by its thoroughly modern eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Where the Aventador’s automated single-clutch gearbox was unrefined and clumsy at low speeds, with pronounced gaps in power delivery as it swapped cogs, the Revuelto’s…

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See a garbage truck’s CNG cylinders explode after lithium-ion battery fire

When firefighters arrived on scene, they asked the driver to dump his load in the street, which would reduce the risk of anything on the truck itself—gasoline, CNG, etc.—catching fire. Then the firefighters could put out the blaze easily, treating it like a normal trash fire, and have Groot haul away the debris afterward. But…

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