We discuss the potential impact of the national jobs report on school district budgets, the DOT’s non-domiciled CDL final rule and cutting-edge technology takeaways from the Geotab Connect conference.
“It’s all about service: I went from servicing my country to now servicing my community.” Bernando Brown, director of student transportation for DeKalb County School District in Georgia, shares how his military experience shaped his work ethic, leadership style and focus on training and mentorship. He also discusses handling retention, budgeting and operational challenges.
Before a school bus incident even happens, it’s important for student transportation professionals to be aware of federal safety recommendations and crash investigation procedures. Meg Sweeney from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be at STN EXPO East to give attendees the latest updates.
Her session “NTSB Investigations & Recommendations: Lap/Shoulder Seat Belts to the School Bus Danger Zone” on March 31 wraps up the conference by outlining various facets of school bus crash investigations. She will discuss occupant protection, which will include NTSB recommendations on lap/shoulder seatbelts and their safety impact during crashes, and shed light on “Danger Zone” crashes, including incidents where vehicles struck stopped school buses or hit a pedestrian.
Sweeney will provide attendees with background on the NTSB and its mission to further safety for students and transportation staff. Attendees will also learn about how NTSB conducts investigations and what school districts can expect when NTSB investigators arrive on scene of a school bus crash.
She will also provide insights into NTSB school bus investigations of high-profile crashes and incidents, including one in Maine that killed a 5-year-old boy, who was dragged 280 feet after the school bus loading doors closed on his arm while he attempted to board. Sweeney also worked on the development of recently released urgent recommendations related to an August crash in Leander, Texas and the use of lap/shoulder seatbelts to prevent student injuries and fatalities.
Sweeney is an accident investigator and project manager in the NTSB’s Office of Highway Safety. She has also worked in the NTSB Safety Studies Division, where she studied child restraint safety, multi-passenger van safety and operator fatigue, as well as at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
STN EXPO East will be held March 26-31 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa in Concord, North Carolina. Over the five-day conference, attendees will have access to the best in student transportation training, including hands-on training and events, educational sessions, product demonstration labs, green energy panel discussions, an inspirational keynote address, the STN EXPO Trade Show, the Ride and Drive at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and more. Register now at stnexpo.com/east.
MACON, Ga. – Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, has signed an agreement to acquire Girardin Group’s stake in the 50/50 Micro Bird joint venture, thereby, taking full ownership of the enterprise. Blue Bird will pay approx. $200 million for Girardin’s joint venture share, with 30% in cash and 70% in Blue Bird common stock. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2026, pending fulfillment of various closing conditions and regulatory approvals. A slide presentation is available on the BLBD IR website (https://investors.blue-bird.com/) with additional details.
The acquisition demonstrates Blue Bird’s commitment to growth and market expansion. The transaction allows Blue Bird to consolidate its North America operations and unify its businesses under one team and brand, unlocking further value for customers and shareholders. Blue Bird will offer the broadest product portfolio of industry-leading Type A, C, and D school, multi-purpose, and commercial buses.
Blue Bird is the only vehicle manufacturer in North America to provide diesel, gasoline, propane, and electric powered buses, positioning the company to uniquely address market needs. With the acquisition, Blue Bird will also significantly increase its total addressable market (TAM) for the Buy America Act – compliant shuttle buses in North America, a segment which Micro Bird entered in the fall of 2025 with its Plattsburg, NY facility acquisition.
“With a nearly 100 year history, Blue Bird has emerged as an iconic brand and leader in student transportation. We are delighted to purchase Girardin’s stake in Micro Bird and to take full control of the joint venture. The acquisition strengthens our strategic position and supports Blue Bird’s long-term vision for innovation, operational performance, and sustained profitable growth,” said John Wyskiel, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “In addition, I’m looking forward to welcoming Steve Girardin to our Board along with his contributions to Blue Bird’s continued success.”
Following the close of the transaction, Blue Bird intends to add Steve Girardin to its Board of Directors, strengthening the Board with his proven leadership and decades of experience across the North American bus market.
“This year marks our 60th year as a small bus manufacturer and our successful partnership with Blue Bird,” said Steve Girardin, Micro Bird Chairman and Vice-President of the Girardin Group. “Together, we’ve driven technology, innovation and product excellence in the bus market with a reputation of serving our customers with distinction. I’m confident that Micro Bird will continue to thrive under the sole ownership of Blue Bird, marking a natural and strategically aligned transition that supports value creation for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”
Blue Bird and Girardin Group established Micro Bird as a 50/50 joint venture in 2009. Specialized in designing and manufacturing Type A school and commercial shuttle buses with capacities ranging from 9 to 36 passengers, Micro Bird has emerged as a leader in innovative, safe, and reliable transportation solutions. Today, Micro Bird offers gasoline, propane, and electric powered buses to its customers and employs approximately 960 team members at its Drummondville, Quebec, and Plattsburgh, N.Y. locations.
Piper Sandler & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor to Blue Bird on this transaction.
About Blue Bird Corporation:
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.
About Girardin Group:
Girardin Group is a third-generation family business and longtime partner of Blue Bird Corporation specializing in bus and school bus transportation for more than 65 years and having its head office in Drummondville, Quebec. Girardin is a manufacturer, distributor, and operator of buses, school buses, electric powertrains and electric charging infrastructures. It provides the widest selection of electric school buses together with individualized charging infrastructure assistance. The company’s more than 40 operating divisions employ more than 3,000 team members in Canada and the United States. For more information on Girardin, visit https://www.girardinbluebird.com/en/.
About Micro Bird:
Established in 2009, Micro Bird Inc. is a joint venture between Girardin Minibus and Blue Bird Corporation, combining nearly 160 years of experience in the bus industry. Headquartered in Drummondville, Quebec, Micro Bird designs and manufactures the complete line of Type A school, commercial, and electric buses known for their durability, safety, and long-term value. In 2025, Micro Bird expanded its footprint with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Plattsburgh, New York — a strategic investment that brings the company closer to its U.S. customers and strengthens its ability to deliver innovative, Buy America Act–compliant transportation solutions across North America. For more information, visit www.microbird.com.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today, Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, announced that it will deploy a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools beginning in the 2026–27 school year, making Branford the largest fully electric school district with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in the Northeast. All electric buses will be supported by modern charging infrastructure, with built-in bidirectional V2G capabilities.
This announcement represents a significant moment for Branford and the evolution of student transportation nationwide. As the largest school district in the Northeast to fully electrify its school bus fleet, Branford is demonstrating that clean, reliable electric student transportation is not a future ambition, but a current possibility for school districts across the country.
The electric fleet is designed with the future capability to strengthen grid resilience by enabling school bus batteries to return energy to the local grid at scale when not in use. This vehicle-to-grid capacity transforms what has traditionally been an underutilized asset into a strategic energy resource — improving reliability, maximizing the value of district infrastructure, and supporting long-term sustainability.
Zum also provides the students and parents of Branford Public Schools with enhanced safety and reliability, reflected in a 98% on-time arrival rate to school. Through its parent app, families can see exactly where their children are during every ride to and from school — creating peace of mind for families each day.
Zum and Branford Public Schools announced the initiative today at Zum’s Branford student transportation yard during an event attended by local and state leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
Photo caption: Left to right: Sarah Skinner, Zum; Liz Sanchez, Zum; Chairman Peter Berdon;
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Superintendent Tranberg, Branford Public Schools;
Blaize Levitan, COO, Branford Public Schools; Jim Finch, Town of Branford; and
Charlotte Charbono, Zum.
“This marks a major milestone in Zum’s continued national electrification expansion and an exciting moment for student transportation,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “As we expand our electrification efforts to the East Coast and launch our first fully electric school bus fleet in the region, Branford is helping set a new national standard. With Zum’s technology platform and this state-of-the-art EV fleet, we are reimagining what’s possible — building a modern transportation system rooted in operational excellence and a relentless focus on safety that improves the experience for students, families, and drivers, sets kids up for success in the classroom, strengthens grid reliability and resiliency, and delivers lasting benefits to the entire community.”
“Branford Public Schools, in partnership with Zum, is committed to delivering a first-class transportation system that prioritizes students and families while setting a new standard for safety, reliability, and sustainability,” said Superintendent Christopher Tranberg. “Electric school buses with bidirectional charging capabilities create cleaner transportation today and have the potential to support grid resilience by returning energy from bus batteries back to the grid in the future.”
“Branford is proving that clean, reliable student transportation is possible today,” said Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “By deploying the largest fully electric school bus fleet in the Northeast, we are delivering cleaner air for kids, smarter infrastructure for communities, and a model for the nation.”
Photo caption: Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz delivers remarks at Zum’s Branford school bus yard.
In 2024, Branford Public Schools awarded Zum a 10-year student transportation contract with the goal of transitioning the district to a 100% electric school bus fleet within five years. Through its partnership with Zum, Branford Public Schools is now on track to achieve this transition within the first two years of the contract—three years ahead of schedule.
This achievement builds on Zum’s growing national momentum. Today, Zum partners with school districts across 15 states, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Omaha, Boston and Kansas City, delivering a fully integrated, transparent, and reliable transportation platform at scale. In the 2024–25 school year, Zum made history by deploying the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet in Oakland Unified School District in California.
To learn more about how Zum is working with thousands of schools to deliver safe, reliable and modern student transportation, please visit Zum’s website.
About Zūm
Zum is a technology-led, data-driven transportation company transforming student transportation—the largest mass transit system in the United States. Today, Zum provides turnkey, modern transportation solutions to more than 4,000 schools across 15 states and is expanding rapidly nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has raised over $350 million from leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, and SoftBank. Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times Fastest Growing Companies. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
About Branford Public Schools
Located in Branford, Connecticut, Branford Public Schools provides a high-quality, inclusive public education for students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The district is committed to academic excellence, student well-being, and equitable learning opportunities that prepare students to think critically, contribute to their communities, and navigate a changing world.
Ford has released a new teaser video for their mid-size electric truck.
Arrives next year with an aerodynamic design and a focus on efficiency.
It will have LFP batteries as well as a new 48-volt low-voltage system.
Ford swung and missed with the F-150 Lightning, but the company continues to pour billions into electric vehicles. We’re starting to see some of the fruits of their labor as they’ve revealed more details about their next-generation of electric vehicles based on the new Universal EV platform.
Set to be launched on a mid-size electric truck in 2027, Ford is promoting the project with a 14 minute video that provides a few glimpses of the vehicle as well as a lot of talk without saying much.
The end result feels like a waste of time, but there are a few interesting nuggets of information including that the model’s “aerodynamic efficiency is more than 15% better than any other pickup truck on the market today and will ultimately result in longer range and lower cost for our customers.”
We can see a rounded front end as well as a curved roof, which enables air to ‘skip’ over the bed. The model also has 20% smaller side mirrors that result in an extra 1.5 miles of range.
The video goes onto say the truck will have large aluminum unicastings that deliver a 27% advantage in casting weight compared to competitors. The model will also have two structural components compared to the Maverick’s 146.
Ford then talks about the truck’s cost-effective lithium iron phosphate battery pack and mentions an upgraded regenerative braking system, which reportedly saves $100 in battery costs.
Digging Deeper
Putting the video aside, Ford noted most automakers have tackled range anxiety by adding large battery packs. This adds range, but it introduces a host of new problems as batteries account for roughly 40% of an EV’s total cost as well as around 25% of their total weight. As a result, bigger batteries mean heavy and expensive vehicles.
To keep prices low, Ford is betting on a small battery and a focus on efficiency. The latter saw them keep a close watch on weight, drag, and rolling resistance.
Ford also introduced a bounties system when developing the truck, which focused on “evaluating tradeoffs.” While there are always competing goals in vehicle development, Ford connected changes to a “specific value tied to the range and battery cost.”
How Much Is 1 mm Worth?
As the automaker explained, their aerodynamic and interior teams could easily see that “adding even 1 mm to the roof height would mean $1.30 in additional battery cost or .055 miles of range. ”This process repeated itself over and over again in other areas, allowing Ford to create an efficient and affordable pickup.
The focus on efficiency didn’t stop there as the Blue Oval noted “power conversion within an electric vehicle platform can account for a surprising amount of wasted energy in a vehicle while charging or even taking energy from the 400V battery and converting it to 48V for the low-voltage devices.” To address this, the truck has a “fully electric vehicle charging ecosystem” that was designed in-house and uses their own software.
This promises to increase efficiency, reduce charging times, and maximize the lifespan of the battery. The company also revealed the model has a bi-directional charging capability and the company’s first 48-volt low-voltage system. Furthermore, the model’s wire harness is 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) shorter and 22 lbs (10 kg) lighter than on their first-generation of electric vehicles.
Rivian R2 launches by June priced from about $45,000.
Sliding rear glass disappears fully into the tailgate area.
It claims wiper placement improves driving range too.
Rivian will begin deliveries of the long-awaited R2 by June this year, finally giving a much larger slice of the public the opportunity to buy one of its EVs. In many ways, it marks a pivotal expansion for the brand into a more accessible segment. Priced to start at around $45,000, it closely resembles the R1S but in a smaller package, and it brings several new features with it.
One of the highlights is the rear window. Seemingly inspired by vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus GX, and BMW 3 Series Touring, Rivian has designed a rear window that opens. However, rather than swinging open like some vehicles, the R2’s rear window rolls down into the tailgate, much like a side window.
This sliding setup presented a challenge when Rivian needed to develop a rear wiper. Because the glass disappears completely into the tailgate, mounting the wiper directly to it was not an option. The R2’s teardrop-shaped roof and spoiler also ruled out placing the wiper higher up. As a result, the company developed a compact holder for the wiper within the tailgate itself.
Some Reddit users have questioned how this arrangement will function in the depths of winter, when snow and ice could easily build up around the mechanism. Rivian appears to have anticipated those concerns.
According to InsideEVs, the small compartment housing the wiper includes a hidden drain that channels water out from beneath the tailgate, preventing it from pooling. For those in the Northeast already thinking about freezing temperatures, the holder-and-drain assembly also integrates a heating element designed to melt accumulated snow or ice and guide the water away.
Rivian says that by placing the rear wiper in this position, it has been able to boost the R2’s range by a considerable six miles. It no doubt caused headaches for some designers and engineers, but it could prove worthwhile. Here’s hoping it’s adequately tested in winter conditions before customer deliveries begin.
PROS ›› Lots of utility, genuinely quick, quiet cabin CONS ›› Tight rear space, Trailseeker is cheaper, divisive styling
Toyota is one of the few brands that still seems intent on giving enthusiasts something to get excited about. Vehicles like the Land Cruiser, GR Corolla, and GR Supra make that clear. But what about the eco-conscious buyer with a family? Until now, that same energy hasn’t really carried over to its EV lineup. The bZ Woodland is meant to change that.
It would be easy to look at it and assume this is just another trim level dressed up with black plastic cladding and a roof rack meant to suggest capability more than deliver it. After all, Toyota is still a long way from securing a serious foothold in the all-electric space. This SUV, which actually looks more like a wagon on stilts, not dissimilar to older Subaru Outbacks, pushes the brand more squarely into the conversation.
190.2 L x 73.2 W x 63.8 in H (4,830 x 1,860 x 1,620 mm)
› Wheelbase:
112.2 in (2,850 mm)
› Curb Weight:
4,376–4,453 pounds (1,985–2,020 kg)
› Powertrain:
Dual electric motors / 74.7 kWh battery
› Output:
375 hp (280 kW)
› 0-60 mph:
4.4 seconds (97 kmh)
› Transmission:
Single speed
› Efficiency:
21.0 kWh/100 km as tested
› On Sale:
First-half of 2026
SWIPE
On paper, this could be the vehicle to move Toyota’s EV aspirations higher. It’s a family hauler. It sounds like it’ll be reasonably capable off-road. Clearly, on-road performance is something the automaker considered as well. Does it all actually pay off in the real world, though? That’s what we went all the way to California to find out.
Rugged Cues With Familiar DNA
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
From afar, the bZ Woodland looks like it’s gone out into the world in a monotone plaid shirt. It’s trying to stand out and appear rugged, but not shouting for others to look at it. Some will love it and appreciate the understatedness, and others will think it’s trying too hard and is a bit overdone. Personally, I’m not sure the black plastic cladding is doing much good, but once it has some dirt on it, the overall package does appear appropriate.
That said, it’s far from a departure from Toyota’s previous design efforts. The hammerhead nose, first introduced on the widely-loved new Prius design, is here and is complemented by a full-width LED lightbar and DRLs. The sideskirts and rear of the car offer more cladding and even a faux diffuser treatment below another full-width LED lightbar.
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
If you’re getting Subaru vibes from the shape, don’t feel bad. This SUV rolls off a Subaru production line with that brand’s Trailseeker SUV. The two share just about everything under the skin, but compare them side to side, and to my eye, it’s the Toyota that seems to have a more cohesive design overall.
Cabin Design And Layout
In the cabin, this crossover walks a fine line between rugged and refined. The materials feel good overall. They’re not luxurious or even what I’d call premium necessarily, but there’s a lot of thoughtful little touches to enjoy. Take, for example, the visual texturizing of the dashboard edges and upper door cards.
It elevates what could otherwise be a very plain space. That said, it’s all monotone. Black and more black, unless you opt for Stone Brown. I wish there were a little more visual drama inside, but from a business standpoint, Toyota probably made the smart call.
The cabin layout is straightforward to the point of being almost clinical. The 14-inch infotainment screen dominates the dash. It’s fast, intuitive, and thankfully backed up by integrated physical controls for key functions. The steering wheel feels tech-forward, with buttons for lane centering, voice commands, regenerative braking adjustments, and more. It’s busy, but logical.
Ergonomics And Everyday Usability
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
One potential issue, especially for shorter drivers, is that the steering wheel doesn’t have much in the way of maneuverability. My drive partner, Jason Torchinsky from our friends over at The Autopian, specifically remarked on how shorter drivers will struggle to see the entire gauge cluster without having the wheel block a significant portion of it.
In other words, shorter drivers might have to pick between seeing the whole road or seeing the whole gauge cluster because doing both at once might be impossible.
Another strange choice is the shifter knob. You have to press down on a ring and then rotate it in the direction you want. It’s not terrible. But it’s not intuitive, either. And it doesn’t feel like it adds anything meaningful. That space could’ve been used more creatively. Ahead of it, dual wireless chargers are a genuinely nice touch. It’s the kind of small usability win that makes daily life easier.
Rear seat space is where reality sets in. For a relatively large crossover, comparable in footprint to something like a Crown Signia, it’s tight back there. At 6’6″, I’ve endured my share of cramped rear benches, but I wasn’t expecting to have to slouch this much. Average-sized adults will be fine. Taller passengers should absolutely call shotgun.
Cargo space makes up for it. With 74.9 cubic feet available with the seats folded, it’s genuinely cavernous. I fit a full-size, full-suspension mountain bike in the back, thanks to The Mob Shop, without removing the front wheel. That’s impressive.
It speaks not only to total volume but to how large and usable the rear opening is. If it swallows a modern mountain bike that I could ride whole, it’ll handle just about anything else you throw at it. If that’s not enough, it can also tow up to 3,500 pounds (1,588 kg).
Technology And Charging
Toyota loads the Woodland well. The 14-inch touchscreen runs Toyota’s latest multimedia software with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system is quick and easy to navigate. Dual Bluetooth pairing, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, and available JBL audio round things out nicely.
Charging is handled via a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, giving access to a broad network of fast chargers. Under ideal conditions, Toyota says it’ll go from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes. There’s also battery preconditioning and Plug & Charge capability to simplify public charging. That alone is a huge step in the right direction.
Steering-wheel-mounted paddles allow you to adjust regenerative braking intensity on the fly. It’s a useful way to fine-tune the driving experience depending on terrain or traffic. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 comes standard, along with features like Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Panoramic View Monitor with Multi-Terrain Monitor, and Safe Exit Alert.
It’s a comprehensive package that just about all buyers will benefit from.
Drive Impressions
Here’s where things take another unexpected turn, and this time, it’s decidedly for the better. Testing crossovers often means evaluating a vehicle that starts out compromised by design. What you don’t expect is something that does so many things at an above-average level, but that’s exactly where the bZ Woodland lands from a driver’s perspective.
Within 60 seconds of the opening presentation surrounding this vehicle, Toyota was proudly boasting that it has a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds. That’s unusual both in how it’s positioned and in terms of outright quickness.
For context, that’s quick enough to leave a GR Corolla (4.8 seconds) for dead and to almost keep up with a GR Supra manual (4.2 seconds). It actually beats the older four-cylinder version of the Supra (5.0 seconds). That said, this car isn’t really about outright speed. It’s about well-rounded capability.
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
What matters is how broad its competence is. On steep dirt roads, even with minimal momentum, the Woodland climbed confidently. On an off-road course with deep ruts that frequently lifted a wheel into the air, it slowly and methodically found traction and worked its way forward.
Grip Control functions like a low-speed cruise control for rough terrain, maintaining a steady crawl (roughly 3–5 mph or 5–8 km/h)) without constant throttle or brake input. In my testing, it wasn’t strictly necessary, but I can see it being useful on tight trails where steering precision matters more than pedal modulation.
On pavement, it’s exactly what most buyers want. Quiet. Smooth. Stable. Even on the optional all-terrain tires, road noise is impressively subdued.
Is it engaging? Not really. It’s more forgettable than fun. But it’s also sharp enough and consistent enough that you won’t complain. Visibility is good. Controls are balanced. Feedback is predictable. It’s faster than most people need, more capable off-road than most buyers will ever test, and more comfortable in daily driving than you’d expect from something with this much performance on tap. That’s a pretty compelling blend.
Range And Real World Efficiency
Toyota says the bZ Woodland will get up to 281 miles of range or 260 with its $0 optional all-terrain rubber. We drove different versions to different degrees of accelerator pedal excess, but managed one key finding in the end. During one restrained trip on a car equipped with all-terrain tires, we managed 3.5 miles per kWh.
Considering the 74.7 kWh battery pack under the floor, that works out to a potential 261 miles (420 km) on a single charge, assuming conditions stayed consistent. It’s difficult to view that as anything but a win, especially given that this wasn’t a tightly controlled test facility but real-world driving in Ojai, California, where the roads are rarely flat or straight.
Sure, we’d love even more range, but for now, we’ll take just barely beating an EPA estimate. After all, few folks will use up 260 miles of range in a day anyway.
Market Rivals And Positioning
Unquestionably, the biggest competition for the bZ Woodland will be from the Subaru Trailseeker. Positioned as an electric version of the well-loved Outback, the Trailseeker starts at around $5,000 less ($39,995) than the bZ Woodland ($45,300) and features the same underpinnings, battery, and AWD system. We haven’t sat in one, but based on photos, the cabin looks very similar. We expect the two to drive and handle almost identically as well.
Beyond the Subaru, there aren’t many EVs in this same niche. Rivian’s upcoming $45,000 R2 is likely the closest as it attempts to pair off-road capability with a premium cabin and on-road performance. Even so, it lacks the brand loyalty and recognition Toyota commands, along with the broader availability and ownership advantages, including a vast dealership network and established service infrastructure, that come with choosing a legacy automaker rather than a startup still finding its footing.
Other automakers like Tesla, Ford, Chevrolet, and Honda all have two-row crossovers or SUVs that could go up against the bZ Woodland on the road. None of them really has the same off-road capability angle to their game, though. Some, like Tesla, can’t come close to matching Toyota’s 3,500-lb towing capacity either. We expect that it’ll help Toyota capture a portion of the market that these others simply can’t touch.
Final Thoughts
The bZ Woodland reminds me of something like the Ford F-150. It’s very capable, but very few folks will ever use it to eight tenths of its performance envelope, much less ten tenths. That said, it’s hard to ignore just how much of Toyota’s DNA and ethos managed to find its way into this crossover. The original bZ4x never really felt all that akin to the brand from an identity standpoint.
Toyota’s newest EV offers serious practicality, objective soft-roading capability, and even a bit of serious performance on paved roads. Yes, the rear seat is tight for tall passengers. Yes, the shifter is odd. And yes, the interior could use a little more visual excitement.
But taken as a whole, the bZ Woodland is a genuinely well-rounded electric crossover that does more things well than it does poorly. And for a first serious swing at an adventurous, all-electric Toyota SUV, that’s a strong place to start.
Attorneys for the Palm Beach County School Board argued in court last month that a student with autism who was a victim of sexual assault on a school bus at age 3 and a half did not suffer long-lasting trauma as a result of the attack, a claim strongly disputed by a medical expert testifying for the child’s family, reported The Palm Beach Post.
During testimony Thursday, Miami psychiatrist Dr. Michael Hughes told jurors the sexual assault had a profound and enduring impact on the girl, now 9, affecting her emotional development, learning ability and overall quality of life. Hughes rejected the school board’s assertion that the child’s ongoing difficulties stem solely from pre-existing developmental disabilities.
“The younger the child, the greater the impact of the trauma,” Hughes testified via the article, adding that early childhood experiences play a critical role in long-term development. He explained that the girl’s silence about the January 2007 sexual assault does not indicate a lack of memory or harm.
The girl was riding a school bus carrying special-needs students of varying ages when she was assaulted by a 15-year-old “emotionally disturbed boy.” The school district does not dispute that the assault occurred. Instead, its attorneys argue the district should not be held financially responsible for years of therapy and specialized education. It says the therapy is unrelated to the incident.
According to the news report, Hughes testified that the attack caused the child to withdraw from the world, stunting her curiosity and learning. He noted that adults on the school bus, the driver and a bus aide, failed to protect or comfort her, reinforcing a sense of fear and helplessness.
According to Hughes, the girl’s academic progress has significantly declined. Now in fourth grade, she is reportedly completing preschool-level work. Her I.Q. score dropped from 77 to 67 between first and third grade, placing her in the borderline intellectually disabled range.
“She’s not plateauing — she’s falling further behind,” Hughes said, recommending extensive therapy and specialized education as her only chance at achieving a functional adult life.
School board attorney Thomas McCausland reportedly challenged Hughes’ conclusions, arguing that fluctuations in I.Q. scores are common and can be influenced by factors such as fatigue or nutrition. McCausland also questioned whether the child’s behavior toward Hughes, allowing him to hug her and kiss her forehead, was consistent with someone who views the world as threatening.
Earlier testimony from the girl’s parents described behavioral changes following the sexual assault, including aggression toward toys and family members and rejection of traditionally feminine clothing. McCausland reportedly countered that some of these behaviors predated the incident and suggested that conflicts with her half-brother stem from competitive video gaming.
Jurors appeared engaged, with one asking the father how the girl behaved immediately after the assault. He testified she exited the bus “like an ordinary child.”
The alleged assailant, now 21, was deemed incompetent to stand trial and refused to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. The bus aide, Grenisha Williams, was fired and later convicted of child neglect. Jurors were shown video footage from the bus, which captured the boy’s movements during the sexual assault, though the girl was not visible due to her size.
Cross-examination of Dr. Hughes is expected to continue as the trial proceeds.
VANCOUVER, Canada, – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (Nasdaq: GP) (“GreenPower” and the “Company”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced that the Company has received formal notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) confirming that the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), the “Equity Rule,” and otherwise satisfies all applicable criteria for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Over the past few months GreenPower has completed a series of transactions including raising new capital with an equity offering of Series A Convertible Preferred Shares for up to $18 million, term loans of $5 million and a new banking relationship with CIBC including a line of credit and term loan. In addition, the Company exchanged $7 million of related party loans for convertible debentures and $3 million of related party loans for Series B Convertible Preferred Shares,” said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. “These transactions have helped the Company regain full compliance with the Nasdaq listing criteria as well as with the execution of our strategic goals.”
Notwithstanding the Nasdaq compliance determination, the Company will remain subject to a Panel monitor for one year. If, within that one-year monitoring period, Staff finds the Company again out of compliance with the Equity Rule that was the subject of the hearing, the Company will be subject to a delisting determination and will not have the opportunity to present a compliance plan for the Staff’s consideration. However, the Company will be afforded the opportunity to request a hearing before the Hearings Panel, and the hearing request will automatically stay any suspension or delisting action pending the conclusion of the hearings process and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Panel following the hearing.
The Company’s common stock will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “GP.”
About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com
The spotlight on autonomous vehicle safety intensified in late 2025, when multiple Waymo robotaxis were caught illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas.
Footage from Austin Independent School District revealed at least 24 such violations since the start of the school year through the middle of January, with vehicles
ignoring flashing red lights and extended stop arms while children boarded or exited. Despite a software recall in December affecting over 3,000 vehicles, incidents persisted. Investigations by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) followed suit last month.
Austin ISD asked Waymo to pause operations during school hours, but the company declined, citing ongoing improvements. Director of Transportation Kris Hafezizadeh will discuss the situation next month at STN EXPO East.
This saga underscores persistent challenges in AI-driven perception systems, where even advanced neural networks struggle with contextual cues like school zones, raising alarms among educators, parents and regulators about the risks to vulnerable road users.
Power disruptions have also exposed vulnerabilities in autonomous fleets. During San Francisco’s 2025 outages, hundreds of Waymo vehicles halted abruptly, creating gridlock and highlighting dependency on stable infrastructure. Similar events in other cities have fueled debates on redundancy measures, such as onboard backup power and enhanced telematics for real-time rerouting.
As technology matures, industry experts anticipate 2026 will bring more resilient systems, with AI algorithms trained on diverse failure scenarios to minimize disruptions. Optimism persists that real-world testing will refine these tools, but incidents like these remind us that innovation must prioritize safety, especially around
schools and school buses.
The consumer automotive market is evolving rapidly, with autonomous driving features projected to become standard in over 20 percent of new vehicles this year, according to industry forecasts. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised software, for instance, has seen significant patches in 2025 and early 2026, particularly for school bus interactions. Updates have improved detection of flashing lights and stop signs, with user videos demonstrating reliable stopping and waiting behaviors.
However, NHTSA’s ongoing probes into FSD including an October evaluation of traffic law violations covering nearly 2.9 million vehicles, reveals lingering issues like occasional failures in reduced visibility. Adversarial tests by The Dawn Project staged demos showing a Tesla Model Y ignoring bus signals and striking child dummies. Tesla extended its response deadline to this month amid scrutiny of over 8,000 potential incidents. A 2023 North Carolina case, where a 17-year-old was struck by a Tesla after exiting a bus, echoes these concerns. While software fixes addressed the bug, it illustrates how AI must evolve to anticipate unpredictable child movements.
As self-driving cars proliferate in urban areas, school bus drivers face added complexity. Children in loading zones demand split-second recognition yet early AV
systems have faltered. By this year, expect wider adoption of Level 3 and 4 autonomy, where minimal human input is needed in defined conditions, promising fewer crashes
through precise sensor fusion.
NHTSA’s early 2025 estimates show overall traffic fatalities dropping: 27,365 deaths in the first nine months, a 6.4 percent decline from 2024, with the rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled falling to 1.10. The first half of 2025 saw 17,140 fatalities, down 8.2 percent, even as miles driven rose. While distracted driving specifics for 2025 remain preliminary, trends suggest AVs could further reduce human-error crashes, though flaws in software like those in Tesla and Waymo highlight the need for rigorous validation.
Emerging trends are transforming school transportation itself. AI and telematics are shifting from reactive to proactive safety, with predictive maintenance using data
analytics to forecast bus failures, reducing breakdowns. High-definition cameras, integrated with AI software, provide 360-degree views, detecting illegal passers and
alerting authorities. Automation extends to digital forms for route planning and incident reporting, streamlining operations via cloud platforms that unify GPS/Telematics, video and RFID for student tracking.
The growth of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication potentially enables school buses to signal AVs directly, which could prevent illegal passes.
The school transportation industry must adapt to these innovations to safeguard students. From apps providing real-time ETA alerts to parents, to HD cameras deterring
misconduct inside buses, technology enhances efficiency and accountability.
As we share roads with evolving AVs, collaboration between manufacturers, regulators and districts is crucial. Staying ahead of the curve ensures we don’t lag in safety, after all, the families our industry serves count on us daily to innovate for the best interest of kids.
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the February 2026 issue of School Transportation News.
The Skoda Peaq has been spied ahead of its summer debut.
Electric three-row crossover previewed by Vision 7S concept.
Expected 89 kWh battery could provide a 373-mile WLTP range.
Skoda recently confirmed its upcoming three-row electric crossover would be called the Peaq and now spy photographers have caught a lightly camouflaged prototype undergoing cold weather testing.
Previewed by the Vision 7S concept, the production model will debut this summer and sport a design reminiscent of the Hyundai Ioniq 9. While stickers provide plenty of misdirection, we can see angular air curtains as well as a trapezoidal lower intake sporting stylized lines.
The grille and headlight treatment is designed to throw people off as the camouflage hides a new “Tech‑Deck Face,” which appears to resemble the one used on the concept. A closer inspection appears to show C-shaped headlights that are connected by a lower band.
SHProshots
Moving further back, we can see slender A-pillars that flow into a long, sloping roof. They’re joined by an expansive greenhouse, streamlined bodywork, and flush-mounted door handles. The model also has pronounced wheel arches, but the disguise appears to add some extra thickness.
The rear end has a stylish liftgate with a trapezoidal accent as well as a distinctive spoiler. The taillight graphics are fake, but presumably hide T-shaped lighting units that echo those found up front.
What About The Interior?
SHProshots
Spy photographers didn’t get a look inside, but Skoda has previously said the seven-seater will bring “spaciousness and practicality to a whole new level.” We can also expect a relatively upscale cabin as the Peaq will become the brand’s range-topping model.
MEB Platform And Battery Expectations
SHProshots
Powertrain details remain elusive, but the crossover will ride on the MEB platform and likely offer an assortment of powertrains. If the concept is any indication, the road-going model could have an 89 kWh battery pack and a WLTP range in excess of 373 miles (600 km). The Peaq may also offer a DC fast charging capability of around 200 kW.
The model could take a few cues from the Enyaq, which offers dual-motor all-wheel drive systems with outputs of 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS) and 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS). That being said, the newer Peaq could have more powerful and efficient motors.
RS-style Taycan prototype now wears production aero parts.
Engineers chase Nürburgring glory after Xiaomi stole record.
Could make even more power than the 1,019 hp Taycan GT.
It’s eight months since Xiaomi smashed Porsche’s production EV sedan record at the Nurburgring, but 2026 is the year the Germans fight back. Fresh spy shots from northern Sweden show a vicious-looking, track-ready Taycan ahead of a new record attempt later this year.
Visually, this prototype has matured since we last saw it bullying the Nürburgring in September. The aero components, heavily inspired by the mighty 911 GT3 RS, now look less like prototype science projects and more like showroom-ready hardware.
The front splitter is a different shape and no longer held on with motorsport-style bars, and the fat arch spats designed to cover a much wider track now have cooling slots behind the front wheels. Less visible this time, though, due to this car’s disguise, are the saw-tooth vents cut into each fender top whose job is to vent air pressure built up in the wheelhousings.
Toned-Down Rear Wing
SH Proshots
At the back is the same gigantic diffuser we saw on the last prototype, but here it’s paired with a different trunk spoiler. The latest wing looks less race-car-like, its end planes moulded into the overall shape rather than being bolted on. It’s more like the Weissach-kitted Turbo GTs but with an added lip, though it still rides high above the tail to grab as much of the passing air as possible.
We can expect some advanced chassis trickery under the skin and more power than even the 1,019 hp (1,033 PS / 760 kW) the Taycan Turbo GT delivers. The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s 1,526 hp (1,547 PS / 1,138 kW) powertrain played a major role in helping the Chinese brand pull off a 7-minute 4.957-second lap of the Ring, beating the Taycan Turbo GT’s record by over 2.5 seconds.
Sub-Seven?
Separately, a stripped-down prototype version of the SU7 recorded 6:22.091, and though we doubt Porsche’s new Taycan will beat that in fully road-legal form, it should become the first production EV to go sub-seven. We’ll find out in a few months when the weather is good enough for Porsche to try for an official timed run.
We’ll also find out if the hottest Taycan will get an RS badge to match those RS aero goodies. If it does, it’ll be the first EV to be granted those letters, and it’ll have a price to match. The Taycan Turbo GT already costs $243,700 with or without the Weissach package, so an RS is surely going to be close to $300k.
Ford closed Kentucky EV battery plant after just 4 months.
1,600 workers lost jobs after tax credit policy change.
Plant originally projected employment near 5,000 workers.
Ford’s sudden decision to cancel its multi-billion-dollar partnership with South Korean battery manufacturer SK On in December, just four months after the first batteries rolled off the line, left 1,600 people without jobs at the joint battery plant in Kentucky.
The move caught workers and locals off guard, and many are placing the blame squarely on Ford. That’s not surprising. Still, the political backdrop, including Trump-era EV policies that limited Ford’s options, played a larger role in how this ultimately unfolded.
The Ripple Effect Of A $7,500 Credit
All brands selling EVs in the US were hurt by the government’s decision to kill the federal tax credit, valued at up to $7,500 for new EVs. While some understandably criticized the program as artificially propping up the industry, there’s no denying that it played a hugely important role in convincing many Americans.
With fewer people buying EVs and other government policies relaxing CAFE fuel-economy standards, Ford acknowledged that “the operating reality has changed,” which is why it’s scrapped a slew of its more ambitious and important EV projects. “We are listening to customers and evaluating the market as it is today, not as everyone predicted it would be five years ago,” Ford recently said.
As reported by The New York Times, Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, said: “1,600 Kentuckians lost their jobs solely because of Donald Trump pushing that big, ugly bill, eliminating the credits that had people interested and excited to buy EVs. I bet many, if not most, of those 1,600 people voted for him, and he basically fired them.”
Unexpected Closure
The site had only been manufacturing EV batteries for four months before it was shut down. Speaking with the NYT, Joe Morgan says he left a job of 24 years to start working at the plant, confident that EVs would grow in popularity.
Morgan, a registered Republican, acknowledges that “taking away the tax credits did play a little bit of a role in not selling EVs,” but he thinks it’s Ford that should take most of the blame. “I just think Ford made a bad decision when they came out with an F-150 that they wanted to make all electric.”
Derek Doughtery shares a similar view. Landing a job at the battery plant was a turning point for him after previously experiencing homelessness, especially with a second child on the way. He, like others, believes Ford may have misread the market and bears more responsibility than the government.
“At the end of the day, whatever the government policy would be, the company made the decision,” he said.
A Scaled-Back Future
Fortunately, the facility will not close entirely. Now under full Ford control, it will be retooled for battery storage production and is expected to employ roughly 2,100 people. That figure is well below the 5,000 jobs originally projected when the plant was dedicated to building EV batteries, but it offers at least some continuity for a site that only recently promised much more.
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The electric i3 will be sold alongside a new ICE 3-Series.
Design influence comes from the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse.
Sixth-gen motors and batteries shared with the iX3 SUV.
The next chapter in BMW’s electric transition is beginning to come into focus as a new i3 edges closer to the market. It brings technology closely aligned with the second-generation iX3, now packaged in sedan form. With pre-series production now underway and official images of a camouflaged prototype already released, new renderings have begun to fill in the remaining blanks.
Much of the i3’s design will be inspired by the Vision Neue Klasse concept unveiled in 2023. However, whereas the subsequent Vision Neue Klasse X ended up looking almost identical to the new iX3, it appears BMW has calmed some of the sedan concept’s most dramatic elements, and the production model should look better.
While the concept featured large illuminated kidney grilles flowing into the LED headlights, recent spy shots and renderings indicate the production model might adopt smaller and slimmer units, better suited to a sedan of this size.
These renderings by Nikita Chuyko for Kolesaalso show the new electric sedan with a sharper lower front bumper and gloss-black accents. Along the sides, it departs noticeably from the current 3-Series, with split shoulder lines and flush door handles that give the bodywork a cleaner, more contemporary look.
Some uncertainty still surrounds the taillight design. Recent prototypes indicate they will be much smaller than those on the Vision Neue Klasse concept and, in these renderings, they resemble scaled-down versions of the old 2-Series Gran Coupe units.
Inside, the change may feel even more dramatic than the exterior. Anyone climbing out of a current 3-Series should brace for a clear break from the more traditional cockpit BMW has refined over the years. If you are coming from the iX3, however, none of this will feel particularly shocking. The i3, along with the next combustion-powered 3-Series, will mirror BMW’s first production Neue Klasse model, down to a dashboard layout.
Front and center will be BMW’s new ‘Panoramic iDrive’ concept, paired with the brand’s latest software. The conventional instrument cluster is gone, replaced by key information projected across the base of the windscreen, while a large touchscreen sits on the center console.
Shared Underpinnings
Beneath the surface, the i3 rides on the same Neue Klasse EV platform as the new iX3. For anyone concerned that it might fully replace the 3-Series, there is no need. The combustion-powered 3-Series is being updated separately, continuing on a revised version of BMW’s CLAR architecture.
The i3 is expected to launch with BMW’s sixth-generation electric motors and battery technology, along with an 800-volt electrical system shared with the iX3. Early reports suggest one of the first variants will be the i3 50 xDrive, potentially producing around 463 hp, placing it within reach of today’s BMW M3. A less powerful rear-wheel drive model is also planned, along with a flagship electric iM3 featuring four motors.
The company wants EVs to feel like sports cars not tech showcases.
For many modern electric vehicles, progress has come to mean more. More batteries, more screens, more driver aids, and more weight. Longbow doesn’t see that as a requirement, or even desirable, for that matter.
The company was founded in 2023 by Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott, both veterans of Tesla and Lucid, so they have seen firsthand how ambitious EV concepts hold up once they leave the presentation slide. At the end of 2025, former X Shore CEO Jenny Keisu joined the leadership team, bringing experience from the electric marine world into the mix.
Speaking exclusively with Carscoops, Tapscott outlined an engineering philosophy rooted in first principles, lightweight design, and a rejection of the idea that electrification must automatically lead to oversized, tech-heavy vehicles.
Does Every EV Need To Be Built From Scratch?
“I think it’s just a strengthening of resolve, to be honest,” Tapscott said when asked whether shifting industry conditions had forced a rethink. Rather than chasing vertical integration or speculative future technologies, Longbow is focused on building a sports car using proven components that already exist.
That mindset was reinforced early on through conversations with one of Tesla’s original co-founders, Tapscott told us, though he did not specify which one. Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. “He sort of explained to us… that it’s exactly how they wanted to build Tesla 15–20 years ago,” Tapscott said. Back then, the supply chain simply wasn’t ready. Today, it is.
Instead of pouring resources into building motors or factories from scratch, Longbow is deliberately sourcing components with millions of miles of validation behind them. “There are so many suppliers making incredible products that we can take advantage of,” he explained. “The industry is helping us in what it’s doing.”
Physics First, Always
Tapscott says Longbow didn’t need to “unlearn” much when forming the company, largely because its founders came from motorsport, startups, and consultancy work rather than traditional OEM bureaucracy. What they did adopt, and continuously return to, is physics-based thinking.
“We always come back to that, which is the ‘why’ every single time,” he said. “It’s always ‘why this, ok, why that,’ until we get to that physics first-principle reason. And very often, there isn’t a reason—it’s just a choice.” A clear example is Longbow’s battery architecture. Instead of layering cells inside multiple cases and mounts, the company questioned whether those layers were truly necessary.
“Cells go into a case. That case is in another case. And then it goes into the vehicle, which is another case,” Tapscott explained. “So you end up having these extra layers of unnecessary weight and volume.”
By stripping those layers away and integrating the battery structure directly into the chassis, Longbow says it has achieved significant stiffness gains. According to Tapscott, the resulting structure is “at least twice as stiff as the Lotus chassis,” often cited as a benchmark for lightweight aluminum sports cars.
Clearing The Air On In-Wheel Motors
Longbow’s CES appearance sparked plenty of conversation around in-wheel motors. The brand touted a potential output of 900 horsepower, but it left us wondering how those motors would affect unsprung mass. Tapscott was quick to clarify that what was shown was a demonstration, not a production specification.
“The vehicle that we showed at CES… was really a demonstration,” he said. The goal was to highlight the flexibility of the underlying chassis rather than preview a finalized drivetrain. For production, Longbow is sticking with what Tapscott described as a “beautifully engineered, tiny little watchmaker’s motor” mounted within the vehicle. Still, he sees long-term potential in hub motors, particularly as technology matures.
“There is development work to be done on in-wheel motors,” he said. “We do think there is definitely a future for them… because it gives you so much more opportunity within the vehicle.” So for now, put a pin in the hub motors, but don’t forget them. They could pop back up in a future Longbow product.
Weight Loss As A Daily Discipline
Ask where weight was spent most reluctantly, and Tapscott doesn’t point to a single component. Instead, he describes an internal philosophy that governs every decision. “Our engineers are given two tasks,” he said. “Every day, they need to lose at least one gram from anything they’re designing. And the second is the best design they can do is no design at all.”
That ethos borrows heavily from Colin Chapman, whose influence Tapscott freely acknowledges. Still, Longbow isn’t pursuing minimalism at all costs. Some elements, like a physical shifter, exist purely to enhance the experience. “There are things we’re adding… for the theatrics,” he said. “Customer enjoyment is important.”
Additive Manufacturing And A Different Production Model
One of the most under-the-radar aspects of Longbow’s approach may be how it’s using additive manufacturing beyond prototyping. “At the moment, a lot of the development prototype cars we’ve been producing have been fully 3D printed on the exterior,” Tapscott said, noting how it enables rapid iteration during development.
Looking ahead, he sees additive manufacturing changing how low-volume cars are supported and customized. Instead of maintaining warehouses full of body panels across different markets, parts could be printed locally, on demand.
“You can actually just have one printer that can print off that part in that country immediately, without any delay,” he said. The same approach could also enable personalization without the cost typically associated with bespoke programs. “It could be entirely personalized to you,” Tapscott added. “That’s something that hasn’t been explored as much in production automotive.”
An EV That Puts The Driver First
Ultimately, Longbow’s message is that electrification doesn’t have to erase driver engagement. “An EV powertrain doesn’t mean a D-segment SUV with all of the extra cameras and weight and everything else,” Tapscott said. “Those two things are different.”
Longbow wants its car to be a tool – powerful, precise, and rewarding- but only when paired with an engaged driver. Or, as Tapscott put it, borrowing from the company’s own name: the weapon matters, but the archer matters more. Modern EVs are often defined by their tech-heavy approach, but that leads directly to just being outright heavy. Longbow’s approach to cutting out the fat might be its sharpest edge in the market.
Range extenders are enjoying a bit of a renaissance at the moment. Early examples like the Chevrolet Bolt and BMW i3 gave the world a preview of what these powertrains were capable of, but they largely fell out of favor in the middle of the last decade as carmakers shifted their focus to fully electric models.
Things have changed. Thanks in large part to several major Chinese manufacturers, range-extender EVs are becoming more common and are even being adopted by legacy brands like Ford and Hyundai. Last year, Leapmotor, Stellantis’ Chinese partner brand, joined the movement by adding a range-extender option to its mid-size C10 SUV, and we had the chance to live with it over the Christmas period.
QUICK FACTS
› Model:
2026 Leapmotor C10 REEV Ultra Hybrid
› Price:
AU$47,888 (US$33,500) as tested
› Dimensions (L x W x H):
186.5 x 74.8 x 66.1 in (4,739 x 1,900 x 1,680 mm)
› Wheelbase:
111.2 in (2,825 mm)
› Curb Weight:
1,950 kg (4,299 lbs)
› Powertrain:
1.5-liter four-cylinder / Single electric motor
› Output:
212 hp (158 kW) / 236 lb-ft (320 Nm)
› 0-62 mph:
8.5 seconds
› Transmission:
Single speed
› Efficiency:
14.5 kWh/100 km, 6.1 l/100 km as tested
› On Sale:
Now
SWIPE
In markets where charging infrastructure is still patchy and long-distance driving is simply part of life, the range-extender idea holds up. You get the smooth, instant response of an EV without planning your schedule around charging stops.
On paper, the C10 REEV arrives at the right moment, pitching itself as sensible rather than compromised. In reality, while the powertrain delivers on that promise, the experience is undercut by a collection of nagging tech issues that chip away at its appeal.
What Changes With The REEV?
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The first Leapmotor I tested last year was the regular C10 EV, equipped with a 69.9 kWh battery and a rear-mounted electric motor with 215 hp and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm). The C10 REEV is quite a bit different.
Under the hood sits a 1.5-liter four-cylinder that never drives the wheels, serving solely as a generator to charge the battery pack. That battery is a 28.4 kWh unit powering a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 158 kW (212 hp) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque.
Leapmotor says the C10 REEV can travel up to 1,150 km (715 miles) between top-ups and charges, average 15.2 kWh/100 km in electric operation, and has a quoted fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km (261 US mpg).
Visually, there’s nothing differentiating the C10 REEV from the EV. That means it looks as uninspiring as the EV, with not even the slightest bit of personality.
How’s The Interior?
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
In the cabin, it’s also very familiar. Leapmotor has done exactly what Tesla popularized with the Model 3 and Model Y, opting for an ultra-minimalist design that some people will love, but others will hate.
A 14.6-inch infotainment display sits at the center of the dash running on Leapmotor’s in-house operating system, which uses Android as its base. While we wouldn’t go as far as to describe the C10’s infotainment as good as Tesla’s, it’s surprisingly not far off.
The tablet-like design doesn’t require a steep learning curve to get used to, and the display is very responsive to the touch. Admittedly, some of the settings hidden in the menu are a little too comprehensive, and it can be difficult to find things while on the move. Fortunately, there is a swipe-down notification menu that can be configured with dozens of different toggles for important vehicle functions, ensuring they’re never more than a couple of touches away.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Frustratingly, the display does not support smartphone mirroring, so there’s no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, leaving me to place my phone in the cupholder for navigation. Additionally, the quality of the reversing camera is shocking and not up to modern standards. The infotainment system also needs 15 seconds to load after the car is turned on, by which time I’d often already reversed without the camera loading and started driving away.
All of the materials used feel pleasantly plush, particularly the soft-touch leather adorning the seats, door panels, dashboard, and center console. However, I found that the leather marked very easily, so while it looks nice, it doesn’t stay clean for very long.
Entering and exiting the C10 REEV also turned into a bigger hassle than it should have been. In the first C10 I tested, I easily synced my phone with it and used it as the key. When I tried to use the Leapmotor app on my phone to do the same with this C10, it refused to work. A bit of digging suggests this could have been because the VIN had already been assigned to another device. Apparently, resetting the infotainment system should have fixed it. It didn’t.
Do Small Annoyances Add Up?
This left me with no choice but to use the silly keycard for my two weeks with the C10 REEV. Not only is a keycard inferior to a traditional key in every single way, but it also doesn’t have any buttons, meaning I had to tap the NFC logo on the driver’s side mirror every time I wanted to lock or unlock it. It doesn’t even have a proximity locking/unlocking function, so when unloading things out of the passenger side or the trunk, I’d have to walk back around to the driver’s mirror and tap it.
I get it, keycards are in fashion (thanks, Tesla…), but they are just not nice to use.
My issues didn’t stop here. The air conditioning is genuinely disappointing. With the temperature turned down to its lowest setting, the AC on, and the fan speed at full, the C10 would only blow out mildly cool air, equivalent to what most cars do with the AC turned off and just the fans running. In the Australian summer, that was very annoying.
Set those issues aside, and the cabin of the C10 REEV is a nice place to spend time. It’s spacious, and there’s plenty of room in the rear, too. Cargo space is also good, as it can swallow up to 546 liters (19.2 cubic feet) or 1,375 liters (48.5 cubic-feet) with the rear seats folded down.
Smooth Power
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Out on the open road, I quickly grew quite fond of the range-extender powertrain, and actually preferred it to the more traditional full-EV version.
As the engine is only ever operating in the background to charge the battery, it doesn’t intrude on the driving experience at all. In fact, even when I had the Leapmotor in the mode that prioritizes the engine charging the battery, the four-cylinder barely ever revved to beyond 2,000 rpm, so it couldn’t be heard. Around town, it’ll happily sit at less than 1,200 rpm, remaining completely silent while the instant power and torque of the rear-mounted electric motor make the REEV drive just as smoothly as an EV.
I ended my two weeks with the C10 REEV averaging 14.5 kWh/100 km, while fuel consumption sat at 6.1 l/100 km (38.5 US mpg).
On The Road
Admittedly, the Leapmotor isn’t particularly fun or engaging to drive. It takes 8.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) and isn’t the type of SUV that likes to be driven in a sporty manner. Drive it calmy, and it does the job just fine.
As I found in my first test of the all-electric C10, the driver assistance systems leave a lot to be desired. The SUV includes both adaptive cruise control and active lane centering, neither of which works well. Even if the adaptive cruise is set and the C10 detects a vehicle ahead, it’ll struggle to maintain a consistent distance from it, repeatedly accelerating and decelerating to hold position.
The lane centering also needs improvement. I spent hours on end sitting on well-marked highways during my time with the Leapmotor, and it’d consistently ping-pong between the lines. That’s unacceptable in this day and age.
The C10 REEV also has several other overactive sensors, like the driver attention monitoring system and speed limit warnings. Fortunately, these can be easily disabled in the swipe-down menu, and I didn’t find them to be as intrusive as I did when I first tested the C10 six months ago.
Ride quality is good most of the time, but there were a few instances when it felt like I hit the bump stops after going over speed bumps a little too fast, which most cars would have easily dealt with. The steering is exceptionally light, particularly in the Comfort setting, but it can be configured to feel slightly firmer in Sport mode.
Verdict
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The Leapmotor C10 REEV has promise. The trick hybrid powertrain works well, combining all of the benefits of a traditional EV like smoothness and instant power, without any of the downsides like range anxiety, particularly in Australia, where the charging network is sub-par.
However, the overall experience of living with the C10 is marred by poorly calibrated safety systems and some tech gremlins that need to be fixed. If these systems can be improved with software updates, the C10 REEV would be a very tempting proposition.
Cadillac’s flagship SUVs are very evenly matched in a sprint.
Electric Escalade IQ packs 750 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque.
Escalade-V delivers an almighty 682 hp and 653 lb-ft total.
There’s something uniquely American about building an SUV with insane straight-line performance and then expecting it to hustle like a sports car. The Escalade-V and its unrelated Escalade IQ electric sibling may be two of the most gloriously excessive vehicles Cadillac sells today. Both deliver supercar levels of power, which makes the obvious question hard to resist.
Curious to see which one is actually quicker, Edmunds lined them up for one of its U-drag races. Watching these two dinosaur-sized SUVs subjected to hard launches, heavy braking, and tight turns feels surreal and just plain absurd in the best possible way.
On paper, the Escalade-V and IQ are closely matched, even though their powertrains could not be more different. The V is powered by Cadillac’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8, producing 682 hp and 653 lb-ft (885 Nm) of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that drives all four wheels.
By contrast, the Escalade IQ relies on a pair of electric motors and a substantial 212 kWh battery pack. In standard form, it delivers 680 hp and 615 lb-ft (834 Nm) of torque. Switch it into Velocity Max mode, and those figures climb to a healthier 750 hp and 785 lb-ft (1,063 Nm).
The Escalade IQ needs this additional grunt to somewhat offset its insane heft. Whereas the combustion-powered V weighs around 6,300 lbs (2,857 kg), depending on configuration, the IQ weighs in at 9,100 lbs (4,127 kg), making it one of the heaviest passenger vehicles currently on sale.
That weight difference shapes the entire contest. In a straight line, instant electric torque can mask mass for a moment, but physics always keeps score. The U-drag format, with its hard launch, heavy braking, tight turn, and sprint to the line, exposes not just power but how well each SUV manages it.
During the first test, the V8-powered version got the jump off the line. After the U-turn, however, the transmission struggled to find the right gear, and the hesitation cost the Escalade-V its lead. That opened the door for the electric IQ to surge past and cross the line several lengths ahead.
Things were closer in the second race. This time, the electric model had the best launch, although the V regained some of that lost time under braking. The duo was neck-and-neck as they raced to the finish, but the IQ just ran out of puff at the top end, allowing the V to narrowly win.
Rear quarter damage triggered a $53,736 repair bill.
Labor alone accounted for $29,856 of the estimate.
Quarter panel replacement requires major disassembly.
Modern vehicles may be packed with advanced engineering and clever design, but even a minor fender-bender can sometimes trigger catastrophic repair bills. If you own a Rivian R1S or R1T, you might want to keep your fingers crossed that one of the rear quarter panels is never damaged. If it is, repair costs can climb past $50,000, prompting some insurers to write off vehicles that, at least on paper, could be repaired.
An R1S owner recently took to Reddit to share the bill shock he experienced after someone hit his wife’s SUV while it was parked. A photo posted on the forum shows a large dent in the rear quarter panel, along with damage to the wheel and, as it turns out, the frame and suspension too.
In the grand scheme of things, the damage does not appear catastrophic. You might reasonably assume the repair would run a few thousand dollars. That assumption would be wrong.
An authorized Rivian repair facility quoted the owner $53,736 to fix this R1S, or more than half the MSRP of a 2026MY that in this configuration, retails for around $100,000. Of that sum, $29,856 is attributed to labor alone. Insurance would cover close to $40,000, leaving the owner responsible for a little over $14,000.
Why Does It Cost So Much?
It appears much of the cost is related to the complexity of replacing the quarter panel, as it can’t simply be removed and replaced with another. Previous cases of similar damage indicate that much of the SUV’s interior must be stripped and that most of the R1S’s side must be removed, cut, and reassembled. In some cases, it’s been reported that the panoramic glass roof may also have to be removed.
Things can be even costlier for owners of R1T models, as the rear-quarter panel is even larger and stretches up and over the side windows, ending at the A-pillars.
According to the owner, “replacing the quarter panel is the majority of that cost. No motor battery or frame damage”. Some commenters questioned the reference to frame damage because the repair quote specifically mentioned it in one line item. The owner, however, clarified that “the side of the vehicle is considered an integral part of the frame”.
He also explained that “suspension work was quoted as 13 total hours of labor vs. about 250 hrs total. So roughly thats 5% of the price”, adding that this was “one of the top Rivian certified shops in our area, who Rivian themselves recommended”.
Without a more detailed breakdown, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. Still, this is hardly the first time we’ve seen excessively high Rivian repair costs, including a $21,000 estimate for what was described as a relatively minor backup incident.
A Pattern Of High Repair Bills
While this particular example appears to involve underlying damage, which may justify more extensive work, the total still sounds steep. In cases without structural or deeper damage, more affordable solutions do exist.
Many paintless dent removal specialists have repaired similar quarter panel damage for a fraction of the quoted insurance repair cost, restoring the panel rather than replacing it. Just pray that you don’t damage the taillight too.
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