Toyota has a new electric car for you — and it’s about the size of a golf cart
The Toyota Ultra-Compact BEV is a bite-sized electric car designed for short trips. Toyota believes there is a market for tiny cars like this in cities. Toyota is shifting more attention to battery-electric cars, but remains committed to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as well.
Next Mercedes-AMG C63 could ditch the V8 for four-cylinder hybrid power
A twin-turbocharged V8 makes the current Mercedes-AMG C63 a standout performer, but AMG could take the car in a radical new direction, according to a new report. AMG may replace the V8 with a four-cylinder engine backed by a hybrid system, increasing fuel efficiency and decreasing weight.
Ford’s upcoming electric cars will share VW’s Electrify America charging network
Ford is getting charging infrastructure ready for an upcoming line of electric cars. The Blue Oval will use Volkswagen's Electrify America network for public charging, and will offer home charging equipment to customers. Ford has confirmed four new all-electric vehicles.
Senators offer plan to stop drunk driving using in-car technology
Senators Tom Udall and Rick Scott are slated to introduce legislation requiring automakers to install devices that will detect blood alcohol levels and disable the vehicle from starting. The bill looks to mandate a 4-year countdown from passage to full implementation on all new vehicles sold in the U.S.
Waymo and Renault eye Paris for full-fledged robo-taxi service
Waymo and Renault are exploring the idea of launching a robo-taxi service in Paris for a route between Charles de Gaulle Airport and a major business district about 20 miles away. If it goes ahead, it would mark the first time for Waymo to take its autonomous-vehicle technology overseas.
Bask in the green glow of the XC40 Recharge, Volvo’s first electric car
Here it is in all its glory — Volvo's first fully electric vehicle. The 2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge charts a new path for the Swedish carmaker, while still retaining and expanding its famous safety focus. Add in a dash of Scandinavian design we have a winner on our hands.
BMW’s entry-level 2 Series Gran Coupe packs big tech in a small package
The 3 Series has grown in size and price, so BMW filled the void by releasing a new entry-level model named 2 Series Gran Coupe. It's a front-wheel drive-based model, which is unusual for the firm, but it's packed with tech borrowed from its bigger sibling, and as quick as its specifications sheet suggests.
Tesla offers peek inside the Crash Lab that helped it win a safety award
Tesla takes us inside its Crash Lab where it tests its electric cars' ability to handle smashes. Testing at the facility helped the Tesla team pick up a coveted safety award last year, as well as a top safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Take an electric ride around the Nurburgring for $164 with Jaguar
Jaguar has been making a push in Germany to carve into Mercedes Benz stranglehold on the taxi business previously with the SE model and now with the I-Pace. In 2018 Jaguar started the "racing taxi" at the famed Nurburgring in their XE SV V8 model.
Audi grounds flying taxi project as it rethinks Airbus partnership
Audi is having second thoughts about a partnership with Airbus to develop a flying taxi. The goal of the project was to develop a vehicle that could transition from driving to flying. Several other automakers remain interested in flying taxis, despite many unanswered questions about the technology.
Self-driving truck company wants to test without ever using public roads
Ike Robotics has a different approach to using public highways. In a 90-page safety report filed with the NHTSA describes a series of simulations before public road testing. Of the 16 of these safety reports filed by different companies, Ike Robotics is the first to eschew testing on public roads.
Audi’s rugged A6 Allroad wagon is finally coming back to the U.S.
The 2020 Audi A6 Allroad is a lifted station wagon that boasts some off-road tech, and it's finally coming back to the U.S. In Europe, the A6 Allroad gets one of Audi's TDI diesel powertrains, but the U.S. version uses a gasoline mild-hybrid powertrain.
Uber is now arguing that it doesn’t actually have any drivers
In light of AB5, a new California law that will require Uber to classify its drivers as employees, The Washington Post has uncovered a long history of the rideshare company referring to drivers instead as independent, third-party transportation providers in various court cases.
Tempo builds its e-bikes to replace cars as primary transportation
Is it practical or even possible to use an e-bike as your primary mode of transportation? According to Tempo Bicycles founder and CEO Van Nguyen, e-bikes can definitely take the place of cars for urban commuting and errands. Tempo e-bikes have mid-drive motors, carbon drive belts, and hydraulic disc brakes.
Toyota’s LQ concept has A.I. tech that knows when you’re stressed
Toyota's latest concept car tries to use technology to create an emotional connection with its users. Capable of autonomous driving, the LQ features an artificial intelligent personal assistant called Yui. Toyota plans to give public test drives of the LQ in Japan in 2020.
Jeep could return to the battlefield with the toughened-up Gladiator XMT
Jeep and AM General have developed a military version of the Gladiator pickup truck. Called the XMT, it certainly looks ready for war thanks to a host of exterior upgrades. The military Jeep could enter production in 2020, pending customer interest, the two companies said.
Ford and Holoride have a VR message you need to deliver to Frankenstein
You can experience Holoride technology for the first time by visiting Universal Pictures in California. Riders hop in the back of a 2020 Ford Explorer, put on VR goggles, and defeat virtual monsters to deliver an important message to Frankenstein. Holoride tech will be available for purchase sooner or later.
Porsche shaves nearly $80,000 from the Taycan EV’s price with new 4S variant
Scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2020, the 4S variant of the electric Porsche Taycan looks just like the existing Turbo and Turbo S models, but it's cheaper, slower, and it presumably has less driving range. It's on sale now with a base price of $103,800 before destination and incentives get factored in.
Subaru recalls 360,000 Forester SUVs over airbag deactivation issue
If you’re driving a Subaru Forester that rolled off the production line between 2015 and 2018, you may have to have a repair carried out to fix an airbag deactivation issue. The Japanese automaker said it will begin contacting affected owners toward the end of November 2019.
For Chevy’s Silverado, off-road racing will be the ultimate torture test
The Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck will go off-road racing as a test of durability. Engineers plan to push the Silverado to its breaking point in a Nevada race. The Silverado will race alongside a smaller Colorado ZR2 truck at the Laughlin Desert Classic, followed by other events.
Ready for Prius on Prius racing? NASCAR could go hybrid in 2022
NASCAR is looking to add hybrid powertrains by 2022, but hasn't made any firm commitments yet, an official said. It's a surprising move for NASCAR, which isn't known for technical innovation. Manufacturers currently racing in NASCAR have significant experience with hybrid road cars.
Toyota is extending warranties on EV batteries because they’re lasting so long
Toyota has announced that starting with its 2020 line up of seven hybrid vehicles and one fuel cell model it is extending warranties on the hybrid battery. Previously covered for eight years and 100,000 miles the new warranty is extended to 10 years and 150,000 miles.
VW’s electric ID.3 will talk to you using lights straight out of Knight Rider
Volkswagen wanted its ID.3 electric car to have more personality, so it equipped the hatchback with an LED strip that relays information to the driver. The ID.3 is the first in a family of Volkswagen electric cars based on the new MEB platform, but it's unclear if all cars will have the light feature.
How Chevy developed its road and race Corvettes together to make both better
The Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is a racing version of the recently unveiled mid-engine 2020 Corvette. The car will make its racing debut in 2020, taking on the likes of Ferrari and Porsche. The Corvette racing program has won 107 races over 20 years in its current incarnation.
Volkswagen’s dapper 2020 Cross Sport may make its big brother jealous
New for 2020, the Atlas Cross Sport is not just a shrunken Atlas. The two models share a lot under the sheet metal, but the Cross Sport inaugurates several tech features and wears its own design. The five-seater model will be built in Tennessee, and it's scheduled to arrive in showrooms in early 2020.
New all-electric Volvo XC40 will feature Android infotainment system
On October 16, 2019, Volvo will introduce an all-electric XC40 featuring an Android Auto based infotainment system featuring Google technologies. The new infotainment system offers customers unprecedented personalization, improved levels of intuitiveness, and new embedded Google technology.
Airbus and LM Industries want to change the way your next ride is made
Airbus and LM Industries are jointly launching a startup called Neorizon, which will look for new ways to manufacture vehicles. The goal is to implement new technologies at a faster pace. Neorizon will be based around a "microfactory" located on an Airbus campus in Germany.
Dyson comes to realize that making electric cars really sucks
Two years after it first announced the project, Dyson this week said it had decided to end the development of its electric car because it couldn't make it commercially viable. It added that it will continue work on tech related to the project, and try to offer new positions to the engineers who worked on the car.
Jeep celebrates being emoji-free after Apple boots impostor from iOS
The blue, hatchback-like emoji that popped up when iPhone users wrote the word "Jeep" wasn't trail-rated, according to the makers of the real thing. Apple booted it from the latest version of iOS, and Jeep started a lighthearted social media campaign to celebrate. We're hoping for a real Jeep emoji eventually.
Porsche links arms with Boeing in race to fill the skies with flying taxis
The two firms have already started developing a concept. They envision an electric, luxurious vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that silently and smoothly transports passengers through the skies. Porsche's research suggested the flying taxi market will pick up a tremendous amount of speed after 2025.
Toyota’s E-volution continues with 2021 Mirai and 2021 RAV4 Plugin
Toyota revealed the second-generation 2021 Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle in Greensboro, North Carolina. Toyota also used the occasion to tease images of the 2021 RAV4 plug-in hybrid, and to introduce an extended battery warranty for model year 2020 hybrid, plug-in, and fuel cell electric vehicles.
Honda is sending two teams to compete in a women-only off-road rally
Female Honda R&D engineers enter a woman's only off road rally to test themselves and the vehicles they help design in a 1,200 mile trek through the deserts of Nevada and California.
Cadillac’s 2020 CT4 small sedan starts at $33,990, sporty V model tops $40,000
The 2020 Cadillac CT4 joins the larger CT5 sedan in Cadillac's ever-evolving lineup. Highlights include available Super Cruise driver-assist tech and a V-Series performance model. Cadillac is adding more crossovers to its lineup, but the CT4 shows it is still committed to sedans.
Clever technology helps keep EVs juiced up during widespread California blackout
Pacific Gas and Electric Company cut power to over 800,000 people in 34 California counties to reduce the risk of wildfires. Tesla leveraged its over-the-air software updating system to make sure its customers don't end up with a bricked car. It's also taking measures to ensure future outages are less problematic.