The first of BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs drops this fall, and it’s not only the exterior styling, dashboard layout and electric platform that’s new. So is the soundtrack for this new generation of electric vehicles, and BMW has given us a glimpse of what kind of noises to expect when we eventually slide behind the wheel of the 2026 iX3 and 2027 i330 sedan.

This isn’t the first time BMW has created unique soundtracks for its EVs. It famously commissioned Hans Zimmer to come up with signature sounds for the i4 and i7. But the automaker claims the new HypersonX soundscape developed by BMW’s own Sound Design Studio is even more complex and nuanced.

Related: BMW Confirms iX3 Debut In September, Will Launch Over 40 New Models By 2027

Neue Klasse cars benefit from a new audio control unit that brings a greater dynamic range, BMW claiming that although the new soundscape uses fewer notes than older systems, it delivers more color and depth to give a more natural feel.

43 Layers of Motion

HypersonX has 43 different sound signals and driving sounds for the cars’ Personal Mode and Sport Mode settings and when the driver accelerates the car shifts through three-dimensional sound layers to create a sensation of speed.

The team didn’t only spend time working out how to make the EVs feel exciting at full throttle, but also how they sound when you first open the door and any time you’re inside. BMW says it drew inspiration from art, science, light and nature, and even used sounds created using a choir made of development team members.

“The unique sound spectrum of HypersonX plays a major role in giving a Neue Klasse model its own, highly distinctive character acoustically,” says Renzo Vitale, Creative Director of Sound Design BMW Group.

“Through our focus on precision, warmth, and lightness, we can create a direct emotional connection between the driver and their vehicle.”

The first production BMW to benefit from HypersonX is the iX3 SUV, the electric brother to the recently-facelifted X3, which is scheduled to make its debut this September.

Americans bought more electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, but it’s not just enthusiasm for clean energy that’s pushing the numbers. Sales of EVs were up 11.4% year-over-year, with some of that bump likely driven by fears of disappearing federal tax credits and looming tariffs. Gas-powered cars even saw some love, as buyers rushed to lock in purchases before incentives or prices changed. Crisis buying: it’s not just for toilet paper anymore.

More: Americans Are Buying Cars Like It’s Black Friday Before Tariffs Hit

For context, the entire new vehicle market (regardless of powertrain) grew 4.3% in Q1 2024, totaling roughly 3.9 million units, according to Auto News. That puts EVs at 7.6% of the market, a noticeable increase from last year, and a sign that electric adoption, while still uneven, continues to inch forward, at least for now.

Brands: Tesla Still Leads, But It’s Not All Good News

You probably guessed it that Tesla still wears the EV crown. The company moved 128,100 vehicles in Q1, capturing a commanding 43.5% share of the EV market. That’s still dominant, but it’s down 8.6 percentage points from last year. Some of that slip can be chalked up to delays in rolling out the updated Model Y. The rest? Probably a mix of market competition and the ongoing Elon Effect, a combo of social media theatrics and questionable business decisions that make both investors and buyers twitch.

Ford continues to hold a firm grip on second place, selling 22,550 electric vehicles in Q1, an 11.5% increase over last year, giving it a 7.7% share of America’s EV market. But the real drama happened just below that. Rivian, which held the No. 3 spot last year, tumbled all the way down to ninth place after a steep 37.1% drop, totaling just 8,553 sales. Hyundai, previously in fourth, slid to No. 6 despite a modest 5.1% gain to 12,843 units. Its Kia sibling dropped from fifth to eighth, as sales fell 24.1% to 8,665.

Taking their places, Chevrolet surged into the No. 3 spot with 19,186 units sold, recording a 114.2% increase, while BMW climbed to No. 4 with 13,858 deliveries, up 26.4% from a year ago. There were other notable shifts as well: Porsche more than tripled its EV sales in Q1, thanks to the Macan Electric. On the flip side, Mercedes took the hardest hit, with sales plunging 58.3%, despite aggressive lease deals and major incentives, as many of our readers have pointed out. For all the numbers and surprises, check out the full brand breakdown below.

BEST SELLING EV BRANDS

Models: The Y Slips But The 3 Soars

Looking at individual models, the Tesla Model Y still tops the US EV sales chart, but its grip on the lead has loosened. It delivered 64,051 units in Q1, marking a steep 33.8% decline from last year. The delayed launch of the standard facelifted “Juniper” version didn’t help matters, as only the pricier Launch Edition was available early in the quarter. We’ll see how the new Juniper performs once the entire range goes on sale.

On the flip side, the Model 3 is having its moment. It saw a huge 70.3% increase in sales, hitting 52,520 units in Q1. For perspective, that’s nearly as many as the next three brands (Ford, Chevrolet, and BMW) sold combined, at 55,274. Tesla’s aggressive sales strategy likely played a role, with improved lease offers and zero-percent financing, though that conveniently wrapped up in April.

More: Tesla Model 3 Performance Vs. BMW 330i xDrive, Which One Deserves Your $47K?

The Ford Mustang Mach-E maintained third place among EV models with 11,607 units sold, a significant 21% increase, helped along by solid discounts and lease incentives. Rounding out the top five were the Chevy Equinox EV (10,329 units), the Honda Prologue (9,561), and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which saw 8,611 deliveries, a 26.2% jump.

Trucks: F-150 Still Rules But Cybertruck Catching Up

As for electric trucks, the Ford F-150 Lightning remains the best-seller, even though deliveries dropped 7.2% compared to the same period in 2024. Tesla’s Cybertruck, love it or hate it (and many do), is at least moving the needle upwards, with 6,406 units sold, up 128.5% over last year’s laughably small starting numbers.

GMC doesn’t separate sales by body style, but Rivian does, and its R1T pickup moved just 1,727 units this quarter, a massive 47% drop from Q1 2023. For all the flak the Cybertruck catches online, it’s still outselling the R1T by a wide margin. No, it’s not the million-unit-a-year miracle Elon once promised, but it’s still finding more buyers than the R1T and that should be sounding alarms in Rivian’s executive suite.

BEST SELLING EV MODELS USA

Public opinion on Elon Musk isn’t exactly glowing these days, and that discontent isn’t limited to the United States. Across the Atlantic in the UK, backlash against Tesla and its high-profile CEO has been gaining steam.

Most recently, a group calling itself “Everyone Hates Elon” organized an event where a 2014 Tesla Model S was systematically destroyed in what they described as both a protest and a live art installation. The display was part of a broader campaign against Musk, which has been growing in visibility.

Read: Trump’s Commerce Secretary Said Tesla Stock Would Never Be This Cheap, The Market Called His Bluff

The black Model S was provided by an anonymous donor and placed at Hardess Studios in south London. Participants then vented their frustrations by smashing the electric sedan with sledgehammers and baseball bats. What started as a perfectly good Tesla ended up as one where every single body panel has been destroyed, and it looks like it’s been involved in a devastating crash.

The Everyone Hates Elon group appears to have gained traction through social media and has attracted attention with provocative materials, including stickers that read, “Don’t buy a Swasticar.”

Among those participating was Alice Rogers, a researcher from Illinois currently working at the University of Cambridge. She said the protest offered an outlet for frustration over what she sees happening back in the US.

“Musk is acting in ways which violate our constitution. I’m very concerned by what I’m seeing – he’s gutting agencies and cutting USAID,” she told The Guardian. Another participant, 32-year-old Giles Pearson, pinpointed Musk’s rightwing politics as the reason why he wanted to wreck the Model S.

Anti-Musk Actions Escalate in the UK

The campaign against Musk has intensified across the UK, with guerrilla-style messaging appearing in public spaces. Fake advertisements have popped up at bus stops with slogans like, “Autopilot for your car. Autocrat for your country”, “Now With White Power Steering,” and “The Fast and the Führer.”

The New York Times reports that several anti-Musk groups have popped up across Europe, many of them sharing the dual aim of damaging Tesla’s brand and sinking its stock value. Some are explicitly focused on disrupting sales and targeting the company’s public image.

“There’s never been a target exactly like this,” John Gorenfeld from the ‘Takedown Tesla’ group said. “Nobody who is that rich and powerful has behaved that outrageously. There’s something campy and ridiculous about Musk’s brand of toxicity. And it opens up a real space to ridicule.”

Screenshot Wion via YouTube

Car buyers looking for a break may be in for a short-lived reprieve. While vehicle prices are widely expected to rise in response to the Trump administration’s new tariff policy, March offered a rare moment of calm. Both new and used car prices dipped slightly compared to February, and on average, they were less than 1% higher than they were in March 2024.

It’s a temporary win for shoppers, but don’t expect it to last. Once dealers run through their pre-tariff inventory, the market is likely to shift.

Read: Crushing Import Tariffs Could Kill Audi’s Best-Selling Model In America

Data from Cox Automotive reveals that the average monthly transaction price for new cars in the US last month was $47,462. This is a small decline from the $47,577 of February. Curiously, the ATP discrepancy between ICE models and EVs has actually increased recently, even though EVs should, in theory, be approaching price parity.

EV Prices Push Higher

Estimates put the average ATP of a new EV in March at $59,205. This is a 7% increase year-over-year and up from $57,015 in February. This is in part due to rising Tesla prices, with its ATPs estimated at $54,582, or 3.5% higher year-over-year, and jumping 4.5% from February, too.

Average transaction prices at other brands have also jumped. For example, Land Rover ATPs hit $107,129 in March, up 8.8% from February’s figure of $98,478. They are also up 6.1% year-over-year. Lincoln and Mitsubishi ATPs also rose 4.7% and 4.3% month-over-month, hitting $68,281 and $31,692, respectively.

Not All Prices Are Rising

A few automakers actually posted lower ATPs in March. For example, they were down 5% at Cadillac in March, dropping to $74,078. They also declined 5.8% at Jaguar to $64,403, and were down 2.6% at Dodge and Infiniti, falling to $49,548 and $62,276, respectively.

Cox Automotive’s data also reveals that total market sales climbed significantly in March, even though prices and incentives largely remained steady. It estimates that 1.59 million new vehicles were sold last month in the US. If accurate, this would represent the best sales volume month in nearly four years and is a 30% increase from February.

Read: Average EV Transaction Price $6,300 Higher Than Gas Cars

The reason is simple. Many car shoppers have been rushing to buy a new vehicle before the tariffs hit and increase prices across the market.

“All signs point to higher prices this summer, as existing ‘pre-tariff’ inventory is sold down to be eventually replaced with ‘tariffed’ inventory,” Cox executive analyst Erin Keating said. “How high prices rise for consumers is still very much to be determined, as each automaker will handle the price puzzle differently. Should the White House posture hold, our team is expecting new vehicles directly impacted by the 25% tariff to see price increases in the range of 10-15%.”

Materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium have long been classified as hazardous by the European Union. Despite that, they’re still allowed in the automotive sector under exemptions that don’t apply to other consumer goods. Now, though, another material could face outright prohibition in European cars: carbon fiber.

According to a new report, the European Parliament, which is responsible for the union’s laws, recently concluded a draft revision of the End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive that regulates dismantling and recycling vehicles and is aiming to make them more environmentally friendly. In it, carbon fiber is, for the first time anywhere in the world, classified as a harmful material.

More: EU Could Ditch Tariffs On Chinese EVs For Minimum Prices

Carbon fiber is used extensively in the aircraft industry as well as many other applications, such as wind turbine blades, cars and, to a lesser degree, motorcycles due to it being stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum. While it’s pricier than both, as its construction is far more difficult and costly, in many instances its advantages outweigh that con.

Is A Huge Market Worth Billions About To Be Decimated?

The world market for carbon fiber, which was worth $5.48 billion in 2024, is expected to grow annually at an average rate of 11% to $17.08 billion by 2035, US research firm Roots Analysis estimates. Currently, cars account for 10% to 20% of all applications according to Nikkei Asia‘s report. That number is bound to increase exponentially as manufacturers strive to lower the weight of their electric vehicles.

The extra weight of EVs compared to ICE-powered vehicles is due to them having to haul a big battery pack, usually on the floor. Using carbon fiber is seen as an ideal solution, especially by premium manufacturers for whom price is far from the first priority, unlike handling and range, which are compromised by all that weight and definitely matter much more to them.

Caution: Carbon Can Be Harmful When Getting Disposed Of

So why does the EU consider the material to be hazardous? The reason that when carbon fiber, which is bound with resin, is discarded, filaments may become airborne, causing short circuits in machinery and, more importantly, pain in humans if they contact the skin and mucosal membranes.

More: 2025 Kicks Off With A 30% Surge In Global EV And PHEV Sales

As Nikkei Asia points out, the ones who stand to lose the most if this ban goes through are three Japanese companies, Toray Industries, Teijin and Mitsubishi Chemical, who combined hold 54% of the world’s carbon fiber market. For Toray Industries, after aircraft and wind power generation, cars are the third largest segment of its business. Moreover, 50% of that is in Europe, so it would be greatly affected if this proposal gets voted into law.

Apart from EVs, many brands use carbon fiber in their ICE or hybrid cars – McLaren even makes the whole chassis of its supercars out of it. The good news is that even if this ban is adopted in Europe (and that’s a big “if”, as it’s bound to be met with lots of resistance), it won’t come into effect until 2029.

Are We Getting Ahead Of Ourselves?

Four years may not be such a long time for manufacturers who must develop their upcoming cars to comply with regulations, but take a look at how our world has changed in less than four months, when Donald Trump took office as the 47th US President.

A single decision, the 25 percent tariff on imported cars which was implemented on April 2, sent economies all over the globe into a spin. Yet nothing’s set in stone yet, as many countries intend to negotiate with the Trump administration over this measure that harms their business. So, perhaps we shouldn’t worry too much about a possible ban on carbon fiber in Europe just yet – unless, of course, we were execs in one of the aforementioned Japanese companies. Or McLaren.

The McMurtry Spéirling Pure is unlike any other car on the planet. And, as it turns out, it can also go around the Top Gear Test Track unlike any other, too, setting a new outright lap record with ease. While the British EV looks a little funky, there’s no questioning its performance credentials.

Top Gear managed to get its hands on the Spéirling Pure, and it knew it was going to be fast. However, it wasn’t clear if it would be able to topple the Renault R24 Formula 1 car that lapped the circuit in 59.0 seconds back in 2004. Not only did the McMurtry topple that record, but it absolutely destroyed it. The EV needed just 55.9 seconds to complete a lap.

Watch: McMurtry Spéirling Sucks So Much That It Just Made History By Driving Upside Down

The speed at which the Spéirling accelerates and can handle corners is mind-boggling. It needs just 1.5 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) and cancorner harder and faster than an F1 car. Thanks to its complex fan system, it produces 2,000 kg (4,400 lbs) of downforce at a standstill. The Pure is even more insane than the original prototype, which smashed the Goodwood hillclimb record a few years back.

It comes standard with wider front and rear slick tires and can pull more than 3G in the corners. It also delivers 999 hp, has a 60 kWh battery pack, weighs just 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg), and tops out at 190 mph (306 km/h). The Stig wasn’t able to hit the Spéirling’s vmax at the track, but did get it up to 177 mph (285 km/h).

When watching the onboard video, you could be excused for thinking you’re watching a video game that’s been sped up. The grip on offer is truly insane and out of every corner, the McMurtry bolts off into the distance like a scalded cat.

To put the car’s time into perspective, it didn’t just beat a 2004 F1 car, but it slashed 13 seconds off the Aston Martin Valkyrie‘s time, which until now held the record for the fastest road-legal car ever tested by Top Gear with a time of 1:09.6.

Prosecutors say the operation was aimed at gathering information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from climate change.

(Image credit: John Minchillo/AP)

Plants are blooming right now – and so are people's allergies. And if it feels like those pesky symptoms are getting worse ... you're probably right. Wednesday, a review published in the journal The Laryngoscope looked at the link between climate change and increasing rates of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. So today, we turn back to a classic Short Wave episode from Brit Hanson and Maddie Sofia, who spoke to allergy expert Dr. Juanita Mora about some quick tips for managing seasonal allergies.

Want more of the science behind your health questions? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

(Image credit: Roy Morsch)

Riverbank stabilization, lead and asbestos contamination are just some of the projects tribes planned to address before the Trump administration froze funds.

(Image credit: Mark Ralston)

For five years, the Coral City Camera has given viewers a live look at aquatic reef life near Miami. It's documented the declining conditions and shown a surprising vitality among some coral species.

Parents question a school bus driver’s actions after he drove away from the bus stop with students still on board on March 27, reported CBC News.

According to the news reports, Chris Roberts was at the bus stop as usual, waiting for his 5-year-old son to come home from Moncton School.

The bus reportedly arrived, the door opened, and a few students got off. Then the driver suddenly closed the door and started to drive away with Robert’s son and other students still on board.

Roberts told local news reporters he began to run toward the bus to alert the driver, who was not identified in this writing. But the driver waved and drove away.

Dozens of kids usually get off the bus at the Chesed Boulevard stop every day at about 3 p.m.

The article states parents have been trying to piece together what happened but still don’t have a clear picture because the Anglophone East School District is not answering their questions.

Roberts told reporters that he was very concerned about the situation because he claims he heard the driver say something that sounded like he was going to teach the children a lesson.

Down the street, another parent, Kenny Caron, was waiting for his 10-year-old to arrive home from Bessborough School. When the usual time came and went without his son’s arrival, Caron reportedly got in his car and drove to the bus stop where he met Roberts, who was contacting the school.

According to the news report, Caron drove to the school hoping the driver might’ve returned there with the kids but when he failed to locate the bus, he returned to the bus stop.

During this time, Roberts had reportedly contacted a school official, who communicated with the bus driver. The driver had said he was going to finish his route and then drop the kids off at the bus stop.

The parents told reporters that all they had deduced from the receptionists was that the driver was taking them on a drive to scare them straight.

Both parents stayed at the bus stop in panic until the bus returned with the remaining children. The Carons also tried to get answers from the district to ensure this situation wouldn’t happen again, but nobody contacted them.

Local news reporters requested interviews from the Department of Education, but it was declined and redirected questions to the district.

Caron said he was pleased the district put another adult on the bus with the driver, but he only found out because he waited at the bus stop, not because the district communicated with him.

Related: Colorado School Bus Driver Dismissed After Leaving Students at Wrong Bus Stop
Related: Ohio Parents Sue School District After 6-Year-Old Left on Bus for Hours
Related: Wisconsin Parents Concerned About Unsanitary School Bus
Related: District Responds to Parents Fears About Immigration Raids on School Buses

The post Parents Panic After School Bus Driver Leaves Without Letting Students Off appeared first on School Transportation News.

When student transporters seek new school bus equipment, what do they look for? The options can be intricately dizzying, prompting them to turn to a resource that previously assisted with mundane email issues and computer peripherals not working.

Susan Keller, like many student transportation leaders, relies on the expertise of her school district IT department to help make the right choices, especially when it comes to implementing a new camera system. The transportation manager for Cumberland Valley
School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, said IT played a “critical” role in upgrading to Safe Fleet camera systems and the cloud-based Commander video management system in August 2023.

“They provide all of the technical knowledge in achieving our dream of a hands-off school bus camera system,” she added. “We are now able to access video independently without inconveniencing contractors and drivers with requests to manually retrieve video.”

Cumberland Valley, she explained, uses several small and large contractors in addition to the 90 district school buses that operate three-tiers of service each day across a 103-squaree-mile service area. The school district purchases and installs the equipment into the contractors’ vehicles, a complex project in itself.

“While looking at various school bus camera models, I was in constant conversation with our IT department as to what each scenario would involve from their end,” she said. Several questions needed answers. Would the system require Wi-Fi access points on buildings? Would access points at contractor lots be prudent? Would the district choose cellular technology? If so, what would that annual cost be?

“There were many details that I would not have known to ask or look for that they were able to guide me in,” Keller shared.

In the end, IT drove the decision to utilize Wi-Fi hotspots with access spots at each school building and bus loop as well as the transportation facility. Cellular with its monthly data cost and live look-in feature was deemed too expensive and challenging to manage.

“Everybody’s always shorthanded,” she added. Keller said she can now respond to requests made from drivers during their route to download and review flagged footage at her desk. Previously, she shared, anyone including contractors could download video and
store it on their computers or upload it to Google Drive. “It was not as secure as we would have liked,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Denver Public Schools in Colorado is working closely with its IT department as well as multiple vendors on a suite of video solutions that includes AI-enhanced software.

Albert Samora, the executive director of transportation, said Denver is due for an upgrade, as the existing cameras date back to 2018. But first, he wants to ensure the current project, which was slowed by COVID-19, is a success.

The first phase, all video storage and management moving to the cloud, went as planned. Phase two, seamlessly connecting each school bus camera system to Wi-Fi and cellular for downloading, is in process.

“Our intention with this solution for our cameras was to have access anywhere in the city,” he explained. That entails school buses connecting to Wi-Fi at the transportation facility, using cellular while on route and then connecting again to Wi-Fi access points at each school building during drop-off and pick-up. That has been a challenge.

“We ran into the problem that when they would get to the schools, even though the network is the same network, because of the different IP address it would see [the attempted connection] as a threat,” he continued, adding the issue is with the school district firewall. “We’re currently working through that.”

The temporary solution is to only access videos at the transportation facilities via Wi- Fi. Progress has been slow, thanks to the COVID-19 slowdown that Samora said the district is just now emerging from. That led to the following recommendation.

“Take your advice from somebody technical. Pull technical teams together and have them make promises that are realistic,” he shared, citing the importance of working closely with the school district’s IT department to manage expectations and hold all parties accountable.

Phase three is expected to be the incorporation of live video from Samsara’s AI-enhanced driver coaching cameras, which Denver currently only uses in its white fleet vehicles, with the existing Safety Vision school bus cameras.

Currently, the district has a forward-facing camera out the front windshield that Samora said he would like replaced by the Samsara system that views the road and the driver. The four Safety System cameras would record footage of the stairwell, from the rear forward, the forward to the rear, and in the middle of the school bus.

Next, Samora said he’d like to take AI to the next level by using his camera system to predict other risk factors, such as bus aides working with students during routes. “I’m looking for a company that can provide me data on a possible [paraprofessional] striking a student,” citing a desire to avoid incidents like those that have occurred recently in neighboring school districts.

He added that he would be interested in creating personal space boundaries around students and staff, similar to a geofence, for detecting when a normal action crosses the line to something improper or downright illegal—the difference between an aide handing a child a tablet and the aide back-handing the child, or proper child safety restraint securement and inappropriate or illegal touching.

“Instead of me having to go through hundreds of hours of video, I can actually get a report that says the risk factor on this, if we said the risk factor is zero to 10, is a seven and a half. And that’s not acceptable. I’ve got to look at this, get a set of human eyes on it,” added.

Samora, who has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. “For me, it’s interesting. I don’t know that it’s a new idea, but I haven’t heard of the industry talking about this.”

He said he also wants to receive similar instant alerts to review video when yaw sensors detect, for example, driver acceleration and harsh braking that reaches a certain risk level. Student transportation operations rely heavily on IT, but none more so than First
Student, North America’s largest school bus contractor. Camera systems are just one piece—a vital one—of the extensive technology suite integrated across a fleet of 45,000 school buses.

However, managing the data, particularly video footage, presents the biggest challenge.
With all the data collection now possible for student transporters, video or otherwise,
that’s where IT can play an active role.

“You can get all this data from technology, but it’s what you do with it, right?” commented Melinda Hall, First Student’s operations support manager. “You need IT to pull the reports together, give you what you need, so that operations can then do something with it.”

That requires IT to be privy to conversations between transportation departments and vendors in terms of not only the technology but what school districts are looking and what parents are wanting school districts to deliver.

“Senior IT members are starting to go into the bidding proposal process and participate, because of the saturation of technology offerings,” said Brent Maher, First Student’s vice president of information technology, adding that for as large as the company is, IT can’t be a part of every deal. A school district IT department at a smaller scale likely would have similar time and workforce constraints. Maher said the most important aspect is for transportation to engage IT professionals for their expert perspectives and know-how.

“If a school district is going to invest any energy in their transportation technology management, we recommend they focus on student data,” he concluded.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted in the March 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: 8 Must-Know Tips for Bus Camera System Installations
Related: Districts Share How Unified Software Solution Simplifies School Bus Operations
Related: Baltimore County to Install New School Bus Cameras Ahead of Classes
Related: Data: The Power Behind Streamlined Fleet Management

The post As Camera Systems Evolve, IT Collaboration Necessary appeared first on School Transportation News.

Electric dreams don’t always go according to plan, especially when you’re trying to replace roaring V8s with silent speed. The transition from combustion powertrains to all-electric ones was supposed to be a one-way trip for automakers, the future most agreed was inevitable. But Dodge’s recent experience suggests the road ahead is a lot bumpier than expected.

In fact, the Charger Daytona, which abandoned the ICE powertrains of the previous-gen muscle car, has been underperforming both in tests and, more crucially, in sales.

More: Dodge Sold More Old Challengers And Chargers Than New Daytona EVs In Q1

The situation appears to be so bad that Dodge, which introduced the Charger Daytona EV at the end of last year, is now offering buyers a $6,500 National Retail Consumer Cash rebate, according to Cars Direct, which cites a bulletin sent to dealerships. That’s in stark contrast to what usually happens when a brand new sports car is launched, as dealers are more than eager to slap huge markups on them provided, of course, there is sufficient demand.

However, fans haven’t warmed up to the EV at all, as they still miss the Hemi V8, leaving Dodge with a serious problem on its hands. That challenge is further complicated by reports that the ICE-powered Sixpack could be delayed, as Stellantis has idled the Windsor plant, where it’s set to be built, in response to Trump’s 25% import tariffs.

Even if the Sixpack is launched on time and gets well received by buyers, Dodge still has to sell the electric Daytona as well. Apparently, that’s easier said than done, and its dealers know it all too well as they’ve been offering much bigger discounts on their own way before the brand announced its $6.5k rebate.

More: Dodge Charger Still Thinks It’s 1970 And Racing Ford’s Fastest EV Just Proved It The Hard Way

This started in December 2024, but only last month, we found a 2025 Charger Daytona R/T on sale for $39,945. Since this car stickers at $62,685, that’s a discount of $22,740 – and it’s not the largest we’ve seen. In fact, another example that originally retailed for $61,590 was being offered for $36,932, which is $24,658 below MSRP.

Having sold more old, ICE-powered Chargers and Challengers than electric Charger Daytonas in Q1, Dodge has definitely heard the message buyers are sending loud and clear. Thus it falls to the Sixpack to save the day, which is a tall order indeed. The EV lacks anything but power, so that’s not an issue; the character of its ICE predecessor, however, sure is.

Sticker Shock Doesn’t Help

Beyond the lack of emotional connection, there’s the price tag. The Daytona’s pricing strategy follows the same playbook Dodge used with the Challenger, where upper trims stretched into premium territory. But with the new Charger, the starting price has jumped to $59,595 for the R/T and $73,985 for the Scat Pack. Some well-optioned examples are approaching, or even surpassing, the $100,000 mark in terms of MSRP.

More: New Age Charger Daytona Vs. Old-School Mustang V8 In U-Drag Showdown

At that point, the Daytona isn’t just competing with muscle cars, it’s going head-to-head with more refined and tested performance rides. The Ford Mustang GT starts at $46,560. A BMW 440i Coupe runs about $65K. Even the M4, a benchmark in the segment, starts at $80K. It’s hard to imagine what Stellantis was thinking pricing the Daytona this far north, especially with electric performance still a tough sell.

Can A Hemi Save The Day?

So what can Dodge do? The new platform wasn’t built for a V8, but Stellantis might not have a choice. Recent reports suggest the company is already exploring ways to cram a Hemi into the new Charger’s engine bay, possibly as soon as 2026. Whether that move comes in time to save the brand’s muscle legacy is another question entirely. Here’s hoping it’s not too late.

Lexus isn’t exactly known for rushing into things, but when it moves, it tends to do so with quiet confidence. Now, it looks like the Lexus family is set to expand once again with the addition of a new all-electric three-row SUV. We’re getting an early sense of what it might look like, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting electric counterpart to the brand’s existing offerings.

More: Toyota And Lexus Will Launch 15 EVs By 2027 And That’s Just The Start

The new model, likely to be called the TZ, will share its underpinnings with a Toyota-branded sibling known as the bZ5X. It’s expected to fill the role of a three-row alternative to the gas-powered Lexus TX, stepping into a space that’s growing fast in the EV market, where size, range, and badge cachet all matter.

To show how this new model may look, designer Theophilus Chin, also known as Theottle, has taken the Lexus Electrified SUV concept unveiled back in 2021 and made some production adjustments to it. While we won’t know how the TZ looks until Lexus starts testing some prototypes out in public, it would make sense for the brand to base it heavily on this concept.

A Familiar Face With Slight Tweaks

At the front, Theottle’s rendering swaps out the concept’s dramatic headlights for more conventional units, ones more in line with the current Lexus design language. The lighting elements below them, along with the shape of the front bumper, remain untouched, suggesting Lexus might not stray too far from its conceptual roots.

Moving along the sides, a few practical changes appear. The flush door handles of the concept are gone and have been replaced with more traditional hardware. A new set of wheels has also been added, and normal wing mirrors have been installed. It’s all standard production-car stuff, but necessary if this thing is going to hit a dealership lot.

The most obvious change made to the rear of the TZ is the fitment of smaller taillights that do not stretch as far down the rear quarter panels. Despite this, we think the rear of the new three-row Lexus still looks a little busy, and we hope Lexus’s designers come up with something more attractive than this.

Read: Lexus Kills Off The RC And RC F Coupes After 11 Years

Little is known about the production model, but in 2023, Lexus applied to trademark the TZ450e and TZ550e names, indicating that at least two electric models are being prepared. Lexus could use the same 77 kWh battery offered in the new RZ, but given the size and expected weight of this three-row SUV, it seems likely the TZ550e will need a pack with increased capacity. For comparison, the Kia EV9, one of the few EVs in this segment already on sale, offers a choice between 76.1 kWh and 99.8 kWh battery packs.

Talking about the RZ, the entry-level version is the RZ 350e that features a single electric motor at the front axle with 224 hp (167 kW) and 198 lb-ft (269 Nm) of torque and has a 357-mile (575 km) range. The RZ 500e packs two electric motors that deliver 375 hp (280 kW) for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.6 seconds and has a lower estimated range of 311 miles (500 km).

For the 2026 model year, Lexus added the RZ 550e F Sport to the lineup. It produces 402 hp (300 kW) from its dual-motor setup and accelerates to 100 km/h (96 mph) in 4.4 seconds. That added performance, however, comes at a cost as range drops to 280 miles (450 km). Since the TZ will be larger and heavier than the RZ, to quote Jaws‘ most iconic line, Lexus is gonna need a bigger boat – em, I mean battery.

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Here are three things you probably already know but, in light of what will follow, are worth repeating. First, Tesla is not your average car company. Second, the Cybertruck is as far removed from your average truck as can be. And third, Elon Musk is definitely not your average CEO, seems to have an opinion about everything, and makes sure that it’s heard. Loud and clear.

Tesla’s success story and how it managed to disrupt the automotive industry has been told so many times that we won’t bore you with it. The Cybertruck, though, is worth exploring because it’s a relatively new product and was touted as the truck to end all trucks, electric or not. So, did it?

More: Vandals Attack 5 Cybertrucks At Shopping Mall Triggering Police Hunt

When it comes to publicity, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Hardly a day goes by without a story (or five) involving Tesla’s angular pickup truck, whether it be how ugly divisive its looks are, how its frame snaps in a YouTuber’s test while an old Ram’s doesn’t, the time a terrorist chose one to detonate an explosive device outside a Trump Hotel, and so on and so forth.

The Hype Is Still On, But Sales Are Falling

But first, let’s take a small trip down memory lane to October 2023. A month before the Cybertruck’s launch, Musk boasted that Tesla had already received “over 1 million reservations” and demand for the unconventional truck was “off the charts”. Of course, you could make a reservation for a refundable $100 (later raised to $250) deposit, but that was a minor detail…

Naturally, no one, not even Musk himself, expected all those reservations to translate into actual orders. In fact, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive, told Wired that “The automotive industry aims for a conversion rate of around 2 to 16 percent”. Since a couple of weeks ago Tesla revealed, as part of a recall campaign, that it has delivered 46,096 Cybertrucks from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025, it represents a conversion rate of less than 5 percent. That’s within the aforementioned range, but not exactly music to Musk’s, or Tesla fanboys’, ears.

While nobody would dare accuse the world’s richest man of making misleading statements (except, maybe, the “crooked” SEC), 46,000 sales do not indicate that demand is “off the charts”. Granted, initially it was the new shiny toy everyone who’s someone had to have, and in the first half of 2024 the Cybertruck was America’s sales leader in the six-figure-priced car club. However, compared to the sub-$100k one, which is most carmakers’ that aren’t called Ferrari, Bentley, Aston Martin or Lamborghini, bread and butter, it’s quite an exclusive club, wouldn’t you agree?

Model Y Production Is Prioritized Over That Of The Cybertruck

In early January, Business Insider reported that, according to its sources, declining sales led to Tesla moving some of its workers in the Austin plant from the Cybertruck to the Model Y production line. The company told its workers in a survey where it asked them about their reassignments that “As we continue to assess schedules to meet business needs, we’ll be making a change to Model Y and Cyber schedules and we want to ensure that your preferences are considered”.

More: Musk Could Soon Leave Trump’s Administration, But The Drama May Still Follow Tesla

Two workers said that this was an unusual move as such changes are only implemented for new vehicles. Then again, maybe the brand considers the Model Y Juniper an all-new model, so this was justified. After all, the Model Y is Tesla’s bread and butter product – and an extremely successful one, at least until last year when sales dropped sharply. But that was natural as everyone knew the updated Juniper was soon coming our way, so they probably decided to wait a few months rather than buy the “old” model.

Forget Tesla And Sales, Let’s Talk About Robots Instead

As we’ve come to expect, though, the really hot stuff usually comes not from the company or its products, but from its head honcho who’s not afraid to speak his mind – and then some – at any given opportunity. Never mind the Cybertruck’s performance or Tesla’s rapidly declining sales; at a staff meeting on March 20, Musk focused on a non-automotive product: Optimus.

“This year, we hopefully will be able to make about 5,000 Optimus robots,” he declared. “That’s the size of a Roman legion. Which is like a scary thought. Like a whole legion of robots. I’ll be like, ‘whoa.’” Then he upped that target by stating that Tesla will make “probably 50,000-ish [Optimus robots] next year” (so, 10 legions), and subsequently corrected himself, saying that his company would actually make “maybe 100 million robots a year”.

Veni, Vidi, Vici – And Then, What?

Now, I don’t care to do the math, I don’t know whether Musk’s promises will turn out to be true (though he does have a less that perfect track record on that) and, last time I checked, I don’t have an BA in History. I’m no gambler either, but I’m willing to bet not even Julius Caesar had that many legions at his disposal when he crossed the Rubicon to march towards Rome.

After emerging victorious in the ensuing civil war, he was declared dictator perpetuo – that’s “dictator for life” in Latin – in January, 44 BC. Little did the great general know how short-lived that title would turn out to be; he was assassinated two months later, in March.

Well, the only sure thing is life is death (and taxes…), so it all boils down on how you wanna be remembered. Julius Ceasar, apart from his conquests, is also famous about his one-liners – even the one uttered while he was being stabbed to death (“You as well, Brutus?”). I believe Elon Musk will also go down in history, though I can’t predict for what. Perhaps you care to speculate in the comments?

The electric-versus-combustion debate isn’t just about performance or emissions anymore—it’s also about dependability. And according to Europe’s largest roadside assistance organization, the German Automobile Club (ADAC), electric cars might be quietly winning that fight.

More: The Most Reliable And Longest Lasting Used Cars

Its workers, sometimes known as “Yellow Angels” thanks to their bright uniforms, responded to more than 3.6 million breakdowns over the last year making this study. They recorded the details of each call, and that mountain of data shows that electric vehicles are breaking down less often than internal combustion cars.

EVs Show Fewer Breakdowns

For the first time in 2024, the ADAC said it had enough data to make a confident call on EV reliability, and that call favors electric. With another year of data behind them, the case has only grown stronger. While it responded to more EV calls for service than ever before, those accounted for just 43,678 out of the 3.6 million total or just 1.2%.

The organization pointed out in its recent study that the rise is likely due to the increased popularity of electric vehicles. In addition, the results should be more accurate since some of the EVs on the road are a year older now.

Crucially, 2024 marked the first year ADAC felt it had enough data to confidently say EVs were more reliable. With another year of records, that finding looks even stronger. “For cars first registered between 2020 and 2022, electric vehicles experienced 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles,” German outlet Handelsblatt reports. For combustion cars in the same age range, that figure was 10.4.

Common Weak Spot For ICE and EVs

Interestingly, the most common issue for both types of propulsion was the same: the 12-volt batteries. They were the issue in 50 percent of the breakdowns for EVs and 45 percent of the breakdowns for combustion cars. In almost every single category over the last few years, combustion cars have seen more or equal issues when compared to EVs, including the electrical system, engine management, and lighting.

The one area where EVs seem to have more problems is when it comes to tires. Specifically, 1.3 calls for service out of 1000 were due to an EV with tire issues, while combustion cars saw just 0.9 in the same population. It’s worth pointing out that newer EVs do not seem to suffer from the same problem.

Of course, EVs are also devoid of potential ICE issues regardless of age. They don’t have oil to replace, nor the complex propulsion system that an internal combustion engine is, and as a result, they have fewer pieces that can break.

The ADAC acknowledges the challenges with comparing EVs and ICE cars at this point. The data is limited since all-electric vehicles just haven’t been around all that long, thus we can’t know just yet how reliable they’ll all be after they’re 10+ years old. Still, this is a good indication that EVs are improving and could indeed be a more practical mode of transportation, even when we ignore their effect on sustainability. For more detailed information.

Photos ADAC

Electric vehicle sales in the United States are gaining ground, but the road to mainstream dominance is still a long one. While EVs made a notable leap forward in the first quarter of 2025, they continue to account for only a fraction of total new car sales. Some automakers rode a wave of growth with new models and fresh demand, while others—Tesla included—faced early-year setbacks.

Read: Tesla’s Q1 Collapse Fueled VW’s Shock Rise In The EV Race

In total, 296,227 electric vehicles were sold nationwide between January and March, marking an 11.4 percent increase over the 265,981 units delivered during the same period last year. New data shows that General Motors had a particularly strong showing, with more than 30,000 GM EVs finding buyers in Q1—nearly doubling its output from a year ago. A mix of fresh offerings from Chevrolet and GMC helped drive the gains, while Cadillac continued to post steady performance.

GM Surges with Chevrolet and GMC

Chevrolet alone sold 19,186 electric vehicles in Q1 2025, a 114.2% increase over the 8,957 units it moved in the same quarter last year. The big success story was the Equinox EV, which led the brand’s lineup with 10,329 sales. The Blazer EV followed with a staggering 931.2% increase—rising from just 600 units in Q1 2024 to 6,187 units. The Silverado EV also posted a strong debut with 2,383 deliveries. Meanwhile, the Bolt EV and EUV were essentially absent, with only 13 units sold after GM officially discontinued the models two months ago.

GMC contributed solid numbers as well. The Hummer EV pickup and SUV posted a combined 3,479 sales, up 108.6%, while the brand also moved 1,249 units of the new Sierra EV.

According to Cox Auto, Porsche recorded the highest EV growth rate of any brand, with sales up 249% thanks to the arrival of the new Macan Electric. Toyota’s EV sales climbed 195.7% to 5,610 units, the Volkswagen Group jumped 183%, and Volvo spiked 172.9% on the strength of the new EX30 and EX90 models.

Tesla Flounders While Others Flourish

Tesla by contrast, didn’t share in the early-year enthusiasm. The company saw its US sales drop 9% year-over-year, delivering 128,100 vehicles in Q1. Still, even with the decline, Tesla holds a commanding 43.5% share of the U.S. EV market—nearly half of all electric cars sold.

Several other automakers also saw declines. Mercedes-Benz posted the steepest drops, down a staggering 58%. Rivian followed with a 37% dip, and Kia slipped 24% compared to the same quarter last year.

Looking ahead, Cox Automotive expects the rest of the year to be anything but smooth. “The rest of 2025 will likely be a volatile one for EV sales in the U.S., despite the introduction of new product and healthy incentives,” the firm noted. Tariff-related headwinds could weigh heavily, particularly for automakers relying on imported materials. Steel and aluminum tariffs are already a hurdle, and with China supplying much of the world’s EV battery materials, the ongoing trade standoff may distort the market further.

Back in February, BMW pulled the curtain back on its all-electric Vision Driving Experience study, giving us a conceptual peek at what’s coming with the first M-branded Neu Klasse EV. The German brand’s design direction has faced its fair share of criticism in recent years, and while they’re trying to embrace a fresh new look, it seems not everyone is onboard with their latest vision.

Earlier this week, BMW published images of the Vision Driving Experience on its Instagram page, and the reception has not been all positive. A look through the comments shows that people have taken particular issue with the rear-end design of the EV, and we can’t blame them.

Read: BMW Vision Vehicle Is Our Best Look Yet At The iM3 Neue Klasse

We think BMW has done a nice job with the front-end design of its Neue Klasse concepts, ditching the hideous kidney grilles found on several existing models in favor of slimmer grilles that are joined seamlessly with the sharp LED headlights. However, the rear is a different story.

While the front of the concept sits quite low, as a sports sedan should, the rear end is much more upright and sits far higher than it needs to. The taillights are also positioned at the very top of the tailgate and look out of place.

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People haven’t held back in voicing their opinion. “What the hell is this rear view,” one comment with over 6,500 likes reads. “Y’all need to fire your designer,” a user says, while another with over 3,000 likes says, “Tf are those rear lights.”

One comment is a meme showing a large pile of excrement, while another says, “I will pay you a billion pounds not to make this.” A popular fitness influencer with 2.7 million followers also left a comment, saying “Front is smooth but what the *** is that rear.”

Since the piece went live, there have been a few positive comments sprinkled in, but they’re pretty much an afterthought, with likes numbering in the single digits. Safe to say, most people aren’t exactly lining up to praise this design.

So, what do you think – does BMW need to go back to the drawing board, or are we just nitpicking? In any case, at this point, the concept‘s rear end might be the least of the brand’s worries when it comes to public opinion.

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The US and China have been at loggerheads for quite some time and their rivalry seems to be intensifying with each passing day. One could describe it as a 21st Century version of the US vs. USSR situation – a Cold War 2.0 if you like, with China replacing the country that used to be known as the Soviet Union when the latter collapsed almost overnight in the early 1990s. Well, one always needs an big, scary enemy to galvanize their citizens and keep their military and industrial complex busy, right?

One of the most hardly fought fronts in this undeclared war is that of the automotive industry. See, China used to be a lot like the Soviet Union, seen by Westerners as monolithic and stuck in the past, its people allowed no freedom whatsoever. Most of them didn’t even have cars, for crying out loud, and those that did were forced to make do with sub-par, by our standards, locally-made ones. Oh, how the tables have turned.

The US Has A “National Security” Problem

Nowadays, it’s the rest of the world that’s afraid at the thought of a Chinese invasion; only it won’t be by armored divisions, fighter squadrons and aircraft carriers, but something much more benign that’s already in vogue in the West: electric cars. Not cheap European or American knock-offs, either, but ones with cutting edge technology, modern design, lots of built-in features and even performance that can rival whatever their competitors throw at them. And all that at a much more affordable price, too.

No wonder the US is actively prohibiting them from being imported in the country on the grounds of protecting national security.

More: GM Launches Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Macaron In China With Extra Features

It’s not something that started with Donald Trump, either, despite the 47th President being extremely vocal about putting an end to China’s advancements. The former occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C., Joe Biden, was the one who increased the tariffs on Chinese cars from 25 to 100 percent in 2024, while he banned tech giant Huawei from the States by evoking (you guessed it) national security concerns.

Excluding Chinese-made cars from brands like Volvo, Polestar and Ford, no cars from the Peoples’ Republic are allowed to be sold in the US, whereas GM and Ford have been doing business in China for many years and even build market-specific models that cater to local buyers’ preferences.

One Man’s Quest to Get His Hands on GM’s Wuling Macaron

Which brings us to John Karlin, a guy who might or might not have had all of this in mind when he read an article in 2021 about GM China’s Wuling Hongguang Mini EV outselling the Tesla Model 3 in China. “I saw an article saying the most popular EV in the world is the Hongguang Mini EV, but you can’t have one. So that got me asking: Well, why is it the most popular vehicle? And why can’t I have one?,” he told Wired.

Eager to know what all the fuss was about, he went on and ordered a Wuling Macaron, a fancier version of the Mini EV, that he was determined to make his daily despite car imports from China being officially forbidden.

Undeterred, he bought one and started looking for a way to bring the EV on American soil legally. Buying it though was the easy part, and it cost him less than $8,000. Importing, registering and driving it on US roads proved to be the real challenge. By October Karlin, a registered nurse and quality process analyst, was driving from Oklahoma City to Freeport, Texas, to pick it up. Which, naturally, begs the question: how did he do it?

A Legal Loophole and an Ingenious Workaround

Karlin’s first roadblock was the 25-year law that allows cars of that vintage or older to be imported without going through the federal certification process. Problem: China wasn’t exactly making EVs that long ago. Grey, or parallel, imports, which thrive in other countries like the UK, where many Japanese icons have been imported over the years, was also not an option.

Congress made sure of that in 1988 when it outlawed them in order to protect US-made cars from the invasion of the Europeans and the Japanese that was happening at the time. Not that it eventually did domestic makers much good anyway.

Nevertheless, Karlin did have another recourse. As he told Wired, he discovered that certain states, including Oklahoma, have their own set of safety regulations for low- and medium-speed vehicles that aren’t allowed on highways. These are supposed to be street-legal golf carts or farm vehicles, but the diminutive Wuling Macaron fitted that description too.

More: The Cute Wuling HongGuang Mini Continues To Dominate China’s EV Sales Charts

The only thing he had to do in order to register it was to limit the EV’s top speed to 35 mph, proving that it wouldn’t go on a highway. While for many that would be a serious deterrent, Karlin mused that since he would only drive it to get to work or go grocery shopping, top speed wasn’t an issue anyway.

With that out of the way, the Macaron was registered, with Karlin thought be the first individual who brought such a car in the US. All in, it cost him around $13,000, which is 50 percent more than the sub-8k original price, but still cheaper than any other EV in the market, and it did the job quite nicely.

A Sweet Victory, But For How Long?

Karlin enjoyed the tiny Chinese EV for 12 months. Even though the state of Oklahoma re-audited his paperwork (he passed with flying colors) and he was followed by the police (but never pulled over), he was compelled to say goodbye when an unnamed US company offered to buy it from him in order to conduct research.

In fact, the company’s CEO visited him personally in Oklahoma City and sat in the car. Karlin admitted to Wired that he could “see the wheels turning in his head as he’s realizing this and that, and looking at these different features and materials”.

Today, with Biden’s 100 percent tax being compounded by Trump imposing a 20 percent levy on Chinese cars at first, and recently a 25 percent tariff on all imports, the cost would be significantly higher than it was in 2021, so going to all that trouble to bring in the Wulling probably wouldn’t make sense. But, at the time, it was a win for an individual fighting a government preventing him from getting his wish, and he did it all by the book, not by resorting to shady practices. We bet he feels going to all that trouble was well-deserved.