For years, alongside valid concerns about driving range, charging speeds, and infrastructure, buyers who choose not to go electric have often cited the high price of EVs as a major factor. But a new study shows that electric vehicles are more affordable than ever, with inflation-adjusted prices dropping by a solid 25 percent since 2018.

In fact, according to a report by industry analysts Jato Dynamics, the drop in EV prices has brought the gap between electric and combustion cars to its narrowest point yet. The difference stood at around 50 percent in the US until 2021, then the arrival of a glut of new EVs and aggressive price cuts by Tesla narrowed it to 33 percent in 2022. Last year it was just 15 percent.

Related: EV Prices Could Match Gas Cars By 2026, If Governments Don’t Ruin It

Those US figures are not necessarily representative of the car buying experience across the world. In some markets the closing of the gap isn’t only down to EVs costing less than they used to, but because combustion cars cost so much more in real terms than they previously did. In Europe the price gap between EVs and combustion vehicles was 27 percent in 2021 and actually climbed to 29 percent in 2023 before dropping back to 22 percent last year.

But any notions that American EV buyers are getting a great deal and their Euro cousins are getting stiffed disappears when you factor in the situation in China. Compared to Chinese drivers, European and American EV buyers are both being shafted.

Powertrain Price Changes 2018 to 2024 (Inflation Adjusted)

Take the Polestar 4 Dual Motor, which cost $62,900 in the US, or the equivalent of €59,452 at the time Jato complied its report. True, that looks good value next to the €79,424 British drivers are charged and the €69,300 being asked in the Eurozone. But the same EV costs just €52,190 (¥399,000) in China.

More: VW ID.7 Launches In China At Nearly Half The Price It Costs In Germany

Other comparisons between the four regions are made more difficult because the US doesn’t take many of the same cars. But a look at the table below shows UK drivers are paying in some cases more than twice as much as their Chinese counterparts for the exact same car built in the same factory.

Price Comparison For Identical EVs

Jeep dealers were already offering discounts on the Wagoneer S ahead of launch, so perhaps it’s not surprising we’re in fire sale territory now that units are trickling into showrooms. While this should be a win for consumers, the model is still seriously expensive.

Without further ado, we’ll introduce you to M&L Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Lexington, North Carolina which has a $12,409 discount on their 2024 Wagoneer S Launch Edition. This lowers the price from $72,590 to a far more palatable $60,181.

More: Electric Jeep Wagoneer S Already Getting Dealer Discounts Of Up To $3,000

Even Michigan’s notorious LaFontaine Automotive Group, which had a $16,600 markup on a Ford Maverick, has a $9,615 discount on their Launch Edition. This drops the price to $62,380.

It’s a similar story in Lexington, Kentucky where Freedom Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has a $10,000 discount on their electric crossover. The dealer also notes the $62,590 price doesn’t include a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Missouri’s Mayse Automotive has a big banner on their Wagoneer S proclaiming it’s “$10,000 Off MSRP!” However, they’ve apparently raised the price as the model only has a $7,000 discount as of this writing.

Those are just a handful of examples, but we found over 200 Wagoneer S’ being offered below MSRP. We can’t say we’re surprised as the electric crossover starts at $70,795 before a $1,795 destination fee. To put that number into perspective, the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT starts at $54,995 and has a $1,995 destination fee.

While the Wagoneer S appears to be massively overpriced, it offers some pretty good specs. In particular, it has a 100.5 kWh battery pack that feeds a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing 600 hp (447 kW / 608 PS) and 617 lb-ft (836 Nm) of torque. This enables the model to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.4 seconds, which is just a tenth of a second slower than the $79,990 Cadillac Lyriq-V.

Electric vehicles can now last just as long and often be more reliable than comparable ICE cars. That’s the conclusion of a new multi-national study conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the London School of Economics (LSE), which analyzed over 300 million records, including data from 30 million cars.

Published in the journal Nature Energy, the findings are an interesting indication of just how far EV technology has come. Even so, the researchers caution that further study is needed to fully understand the long-term potential of these vehicles.

The study leveraged anonymized MOT test data from Great Britain for its main data set. This enabled the researchers to look at records from 2005 through 2022. Those records are detailed enough that they could infer when a car’s life ended and what type of powertrain each one used.

More: Are EVs Safer Than ICEs? Australian Crash Safety Body Has The Answer

In short, the peer-reviewed study found that early EVs struggled to last as long as ICE cars but at this point, they’ve already caught up. “While BEVs represent a newer technology that was traditionally less reliable, they have rapidly evolved, with the latest BEVs expected to outlast the average ICEVs within the same cohort,” the study said.

Faster Gains for EVs Than ICE Cars

One of the standout findings from the research is how quickly battery electric vehicles have improved in terms of reliability. The study found that, for every year of production, the likelihood of failure dropped by 12%, a figure that’s notably higher than the 6.7% improvement for gas engine vehicles and a mere 1.9% for diesels. In other words, if you’re considering a BEV, the chances of it not breaking down are dramatically higher with each newer model, making those early EV hiccups seem like a distant memory.

Co-author Dr Viet Nguyen-Tien from the LSE, said: “Our findings provide critical insights into the lifespan and environmental impact of electric vehicles. No longer just a niche option, BEVs are a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles – a significant step towards achieving a net-zero carbon future.”

Co-author Robert Elliott, Professor of Economics at Birmingham University, addd: “BEVs offer significant environmental benefits, especially as Europe switches to a more renewable energy mix. Despite higher initial emissions from production, a long-lasting electric vehicle can quickly offset its carbon footprint, contributing to the fight against climate change – making them a more sustainable long-term option.”

How Do Modern EVs Compare?

To quantify the progress, the researchers provided some hard numbers. A modern BEV now boasts an average lifespan of 18.4 years and can cover 124,000 miles (200,000) before calling it quits. This mileage not only matches but surpasses the average for petrol-powered cars.

For comparison, petrol cars typically have a slightly longer lifespan, averaging 18.7 years, but they cover fewer miles, around 116,000 (187,000 km) on average. Diesel cars, by contrast, have a shorter lifespan of 16.3 years but compensate with significantly higher mileage, often reaching about 255,000 miles (410,000 km) before retiring. These, of course, are averages, so, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary—yes, we know about your Japanese SUV that’s sailed past 300,000 miles without a hiccup.

Challenges Ahead

At the same time, they acknowledge that the community needs to continue researching the topic. For one thing, we’re still somewhat in the early days of the EV transition. We still don’t know how modern mainstream EVs will fare 20 or 30 years down the road.

In addition, battery replacement costs are still exponentially higher than similar component replacements in ICE cars. Finally, the researchers admit that some of the data included by the MOT could be faulty or flawed because of how they are recorded. In any case, it’s interesting to see that EVs are making the type of rapid progress needed to put them into the same realm as ICE-powered vehicles on the road today. 

Image Credit: Nature Energy

By the end of this year, Rivian plans to roll out a hands-free autonomous driving system in its vehicles, with an even more advanced eyes-off system following in 2026. If it pulls this off, the company will join a growing list of automakers offering systems that aim to ease the burden on drivers—assuming, of course, they don’t hit too many roadblocks along the way.

While speaking at a press roundtable in San Francisco, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe emphasized that Level 2 and Level 3 systems will provide significant value for customers. The brand’s current Rivian Autonomy Program offers semi-autonomous features, including radar cruise control and automatic lane centering, but it still falls short of Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise and Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.

Read: Rivian Offers Up To $6,000 Off If You Request A Trade-In Estimate

“We think there’s an enormous amount of value to customers, to having a robust first level two, but importantly, level three in very specific domains,” Scaringe said during the event, according to InsideEVs. “Imagine a world where you leave your house, you’re still in the vehicle, but you get to the highway, and you have all of your time…. You don’t have to be looking at the road. You don’t have to be grabbing the wheels to say, ‘I’m still here.’ The vehicle [will be] capable of doing that.”

Systems could be added to the upcoming R2 and R3 series

Scaringe added that Rivian is “highly focused on” launching the hands-free driving array in 2025 before following it up with an eyes-off, Level 3 system in 2026. Mercedes-Benz is the only car manufacturer currently offering an approved Level 3 system in some states in the USA, known as Drive Pilot. While it’s a highly effective system, the driver must be ready to take control at all times.

Rivian’s current R1T and R1S models use 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors to enable the various driver assistance functions. It’s possibly that only the recently-updated 2025 R1T and R1S models will get the new Level 2 and Level 3 systems rather than the company’s previous EVs. Other future models, like the smaller R2 and R3, could also launch with these trick self-driving systems.

Four automakers from Europe and China have joined forces to challenge EU tariffs on cars imported to the region from China. BMW, BYD, Geely, and SAIC all lodged complaints on Tuesday this week, just one day before the deadline.

The quartet is objecting to the tariffs set last year following an investigation by the European Commission into Chinese state aid in the Chinese car industry, Reuters reports. The panel concluded that available aid gave some automakers an unfair financial advantage when selling cars in Europe.

Related: China Hits EU With WTO Lawsuit Over EV Tariffs

Investigators said the help came in many forms, ranging from cheap loans to subsidized batteries, and because some automakers got more help than others, or were less transparent with the probe, the tariff amounts vary.

BYD cars were hit with a relatively low 17 percent rate, though that is on top of the standard 10 percent import duty for goods to the EU. Geely’s cars attract an 18.8 percent tariff and SAIC took both barrels, being blasted with a 35.3 percent tariff.

But what’s the deal with BMW? Although the tariffs on the Chinese automakers could help sales of its BMW-branded cars, they’re a big problem for Mini. The combustion Mini is still built at the Oxford plant in the UK but the new electric Cooper hatch and Aceman SUV are both produced in China. UK builds are coming, but not until 2026, which is why the US launch of each model has been postponed.

There have been no reports of other European carmakers who build cars in China and then export them to the UK, such as VW Group’s Cupra brand, also logging legal challenges to the tariffs. But even Mercedes, which doesn’t import Chinese-built EVs to Europe, has previously come out against the tariffs.

Several Chinese companies have been looking at ways to sidestep the duties by building their EVs in or close to Europe. Chery is already building cars at an old Nissan plant in Spain, BYD has plans to build factories in Hungary and Turkey, and earlier this month we reported that Chinese officials were interested in taking factories VW no longer needs, in part due to a downturn in its China sales operation.

Not too long ago, the Tesla Cybertruck was the must-have toy for America’s tech-obsessed wealthy, the kind of vehicle that promised to revolutionize trucks as we knew them Flash forward to early 2025, and one has been left abandoned in a Los Angeles parking lot, looking less like the future of automotive design and more like a forgotten relic of yesterday’s hype.

This particular Cybertruck appears to have been left in an LA parking lot sometime in the second week of January, where it’s clearly been sitting for several days. It seems like Tesla’s darling didn’t just lose its shine; it also got badly burned—literally. The truck has suffered significant fire damage, and almost every inch of it has since been vandalized with graffiti.

Read: Seattle’s Viral Tesla Cybertruck Heads To Auction After Months Of Internet Fame

While Cybertruck fans will probably hate seeing one in this state, I’d argue this wrecked example looks somehow better than a stock one. It almost resembles like an obscure piece of art, resting in an urban grave surrounded by high-rises, as if to represent the failures of modern-day life and capitalism. Or, perhaps we’re just reading a little too much into it…

Regardless, the damage done to the Tesla is extensive. It appears the initial fire started around the dashboard before spreading across much of the truck’s driver-side front corner. The frunk appears to have been cut open (probably by firefighters doing their thing), a tire has exploded, and part of the plastic aero disc has melted. There’s no word on whether the truck spontaneously combusted or perhaps if it was the victim of an arson attack.

It hasn’t taken long for local vandals to start tagging the truck with text like ‘Aso’ and ‘Beler.’ We have no idea what they mean – but in any case, it’s a sad thing to see a car, even one as divisive as the Cybertruck, in such a sorry state.

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Genesis isn’t content with simply building luxury models for the Hyundai Motor Group and has released some fabulous one-offs and concept cars in recent years. Soon after it unveiled a special GV80 off-roader at the Dakar Rally, it’s gone from sand to snow after revealing the GV60 Mountain Intervention Vehicle Concept.

Introduced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this wild creation is based on the road-going GV60. It’s been equipped with huge snow tracks instead of wheels and while the brand hasn’t detailed the full extent of the mechanical modifications made to the EV, it’s safe to say some significant changes had to be made to the suspension to support these tracks.

Read: 2026 Genesis GV60 Magma Debuts This Fall With Over 640 HP

The upgrades made to the GV60’s body make it look fitting of a starring role in the next James Bond film. Just imagine, the British spy driving this thing through the snow, desperately fleeing from his enemies. These include carbon fiber fender flares and the fitment of skid plates at the front and rear. Genesis has also added new driving lamps to the front grille and a light bar on a custom roof rack.

The cabin of this crossover is also quite special. It’s been fitted with new sport seats and carries all the necessary medical supplies and communication systems needed for mountain rescues.

While using an EV in freezing conditions far away from any serious charging infrastructure may not seem like the best idea, the GV60’s vehicle-to-load system could be useful, allowing it to power auxiliary devices.

Last year, Genesis unveiled another special concept for the World Economic Forum. It was dubbed the X Snow Speedium Concept and built on the standard X Speedium Concept shown previously, adding a lovely shade of white and a roof rack to carry skis.

Obviously, the new GV60 Mountain Intervention Vehicle Concept will not spawn a production model, but it’s interesting to see how far Genesis can take the electric crossover.

Cracking into the trucking business is no easy feat, just ask Nikola. Not only was its founder and former CEO Trevor Milton convicted of fraud in 2022 and sentenced to four years in prison, but the company has so far failed to make a positive name for itself – despite spending years developing some interesting electric trucks. Now, it’s being reported that parts or all of Nikola could be sold.

Unnamed sources toll Bloomberg that Nikola is in financial trouble and needs a savior. While a final decision has yet to be made by management, it’s possible the company could be sold, or it may need to bring on new partners. It’s also possible it could be forced to raise new funds.

More: Canoo Goes Bust With Less Than $50,000 Left And Millions In Debt

Nikola shares have lost roughly 95% of their value over the past 12 months, and the firm desperately needs to turn things around. Current chief executive Steve Girsky is said to be leading the effort to save it from the cash crunch. In October, Nikola said it only had enough cash to fund its obligations through the first quarter of 2025. At the same time, Girsky noted that Nikola was “actively talking to lots of potential different partners who value what we do and value what we’ve built,” Bloomberg reports.

“Despite external headwinds in the EV sector, we have been relentlessly working to raise capital, reduce our liabilities, preserve cash and provide excellent service for our customers,” the company added in a recent statement.

Read: Sparks Fly After Disgraced Founder Picks ‘Diesel Brothers’ Star For Nikola Board

Since Milton was axed by the company he created, the company has continued to produce its battery-electric and hydrogen-electric (FCEV) trucks. It’s been led by Girsky since August 2023 and has had to make several recalls over the past couple of years. In July 2023, it was revealed one of Nikola’s trucks reignited roughly a month after previously being damaged during a fire at a parking lot in its Arizona headquarters.

As evacuation orders are lifted, people in Los Angeles are returning to their homes--if their homes survived. But the disaster doesn't end when the fire stops.

A single block and a half separates the Altadena home of Jennifer and Ed Barguiarena from complete destruction. Just down the street lies charred, flattened debris.

But for families like the Barguiarenas — the seemingly lucky ones, whose houses survived — an altogether different ordeal is just beginning.

The water still isn't safe to drink, cook or wash with. There are fine layers of ash and dust in people's homes and yards. And families like the Barguiarenas are also worried about what they can't see – the possibility that toxins like lead and asbestos might have drifted into their homes.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org

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(Image credit: ZOE MEYERS)

A Trump executive order temporarily pauses leases and permits for offshore and onshore wind projects. Wind advocates say an offshore wind freeze could threaten states' climate goals and jobs.

(Image credit: Andrew Marszal)

Leo eagerly waved to his school bus driver, excited for the weekend ahead. His plan: attend a high school football game that night and a birthday party on Saturday. He could hardly wait. Unfortunately, a motorist could hardly wait for Leo’s bus to pick him up and hurried past, spoiling Leo’s excitement – and his weekend fun.

What really happened? Did Leo’s enthusiasm lead to the event? Was the school bus stopped? Stop arm extended?

So many questions, so few answers. But the district obtained answers within minutes thanks to their fleet management solution’s automated features and a stop-arm camera system.

Now, to address stop-arm violations like the district, your operation would need to integrate these reliable REI products: an AI Stop-Arm Violation Camera, one or two license plate cameras, a sensor harness, an HD6 DVR and ARMOR Software Suite, the cloud-based, wireless fleet management solution.

Together, the products would capture data and HD images with little to no effort from your team. Here’s how:

• The AI Camera would see a motorist enter its detection zone while the stop arm was out and automatically mark the video on your DVR.
• The marker would automatically prompt ARMOR to download the violation video from your DVR.
• ARMOR would also be prompted to send event alerts to your team to initiate a timely investigation.
• Your license plate camera(s) would capture images of the violator’s license plate(s).
• All images and metadata would be saved in ARMOR, ready for review and sharing by your operation shortly after the incident.

Wouldn’t you like to resolve events quickly? Provide greater peace of mind for parents, students and your district? Streamline your fleet management to save time and money? REI solutions make it possible.

Using the integrated solutions, Leo’s district verified the stop-arm violation by an impatient driver. Also confirmed: Leo’s bus had completely stopped, and its flashing stop arm was fully extended. Even so, the motorist’s speed made it impossible for Leo to avoid her. Luckily, he escaped the potentially catastrophic event with a broken arm due to the motorist’s side mirror.

The breathtaking incident happened on a quiet, two-lane highway near Leo’s home. It’s just one of the estimated 250,000+ illegal stop-arm passings that occur on a single day, according to a National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services survey. So, the need for violation detection exists.

Imagine having powerful tools to help deter, prevent and resolve stop-arm violations quickly. Think of the time, effort and stress you’d save. The savings and safety benefits could be transformative for your operation.

There’s no time to wait!

For more information about advanced stop-arm solutions, contact REI.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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As the 2025 year commences, students were hit — and one was killed — while walking to their bus stops in Florida communities.

On Jan. 10, a teenager later identified as Maslin Mooney was a victim of a hit and run while walking to his bus stop, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. The Sheriff’s office stated that Mooney was discovered by a passerby at approximately 6:45 a.m. Lifesaving efforts were immediately initiated, and he was transported to a trauma center by air ambulance.

The Sheriff’s Office added that the preliminary investigation revealed Mooney was walking to his bus stop — the scheduled pick up was at 6:08 a.m. — but never made it to the location. As of Jan. 12, the Sheriff’s Office stated investigators identified and interviewed the suspect and seized the vehicle.

First Baptist Church of Hastings stated via its Facebook page, that Mooney was on the ground unconscious until a citizen discovered him and called first responders. His injuries included two broken legs, the right tibia and left femur, that required surgery, a broken right wrist, extensive dental damage, and a brain bleed. He is expected to remain in the hospital for four to six weeks with a recovery window of four to six months.

As of Jan. 16, the church posted Facebook update that Mooney was making remarkable progress and is improving by “leaps and bounds.” He has since moved out of the ICU and was scheduled to be transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

Related: Kindergartner Stuck and Killed by School Bus
Related: Wisconsin Child Fatally Struck by Car While Waiting for School Bus
Related: Florida Man Arrested for “Exposing” Himself to Kids on School Bus
Related: Florida Sex Offender Behind Bars for Loitering Near School Bus Stop

Meanwhile, about 32 miles North in Jacksonville, Florida, an Atlantic Coast High School student died on Jan. 17, after being struck by a vehicle while trying to get her school bus stop. A GoFundMe page created for the family of Alondra Martinez, 16, said the girl was crossing the street toward her school bus stop when a speeding car struck her. The motorist who hit Martinez reportedly stopped and took her to a nearby medical facility, then stayed there and called the police.

Martinez reportedly died in the hospital from her injuries.

No information had been posted on the Duval County Public Schools website or the Sheriff’s Office regarding the incident. However, local media reported that it was unknown if Martinez was walking in a marked crosswalk.

Jacksonville.com reported that the night before Martinez was killed, First Coast News spoke with Superintendent Christopher Bernier about a new safety campaign, “Be safe, be seen,” which was launched due to the number of motorists hitting students as they made their way to and from school.

“We’ve had three fatalities this year with young people being hit to and from school,” Bernier stated via the article.

Earlier this week in Tampa, Florida, an 11-year-old died after being hit by a car while getting off a school bus. A local news article states the girl had just exited the school bus and was walking alongside the road when she was hit. The unidentified student was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and died Tuesday night.

The post Florida Students Hit, Two Killed During School Bus Stop Walks appeared first on School Transportation News.