Facing an ongoing shortage of school bus drivers, Pasco County Schools in Florida is launching a new incentive program aimed at keeping routes covered and getting students to school on time, reported Bay News.
According to the news report, district officials say 49 of the county’s 297 school bus routes currently lack permanent drivers, resulting in some students arriving late to class. To help solve the issue, the district has approved quarterly bonuses designed to boost recruitment and retain current staff.
Beginning this quarter, drivers with strong attendance will receive a $500 bonus. Those who volunteer for designated high-need routes, often in more remote areas, will earn an additional $250 per quarter.
“Our goal is to ensure that every student gets to school on time so that learning can occur,” said Superintendent John Legg.
For veteran driver Lynn Zion-Weick, who came out of retirement four years ago after seeing an ad for the job, said the work is both meaningful and manageable.
“I’m pretty good with kids and I decided to give it a shot,” she said, adding that today’s buses drive “just like a nice car,” helping ease concerns from new recruits.
While she admits learning the engine components was the toughest part of training, she said the role has only grown more rewarding, especially since she now drives children whose grandparents she once attended school with.
With the driver shortage still pressing, the district is ramping up its hiring efforts. Pasco County Schools will host a school bus driver recruitment event on Dec. 11 and is hopeful the new bonuses will bring more applicants behind the wheel.
Related: New Incentives in Place to Keep Illinois School Bus Drivers Working During Holidays
Related: Dauphin County School District Considers Paying Parents Amid Bus Driver Shortage
Related: Turning School Bus Driver Shortages Into Opportunities
Related: Arizona School District Increases Bus Driver Pay to Help with Shortage
The post Pasco County Schools Rolls Out New Cash Incentives to Tackle School Bus Driver Shortage appeared first on School Transportation News.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra recently acknowledged that federal fuel efficiency standards were set so aggressively under the Biden administration that her company would have been forced to scale back production of internal combustion engine vehicles just to stay compliant.
More: GM’s CEO Defended Tesla And Musk To Biden, But The Snub Happened Anyway
Barra shared this during a conversation at a high-profile industry conference hosted by The New York Times, where she discussed the internal pressures major automakers face under the current regulatory environment.
Timing matters, of course, as her comments came shortly after President Donald Trump confirmed that fuel efficiency standards are being rolled back, reducing the pressure on automakers to build EVs and providing them with more flexibility to manufacture and sell more combustion-powered models.
“Had to Start Shutting Down Plants”
Under the Biden-era rules, automakers would have been required to reach a fleet-wide fuel economy average of 50 miles per gallon by 2031. According to Bloomberg, achieving that would have meant electric vehicles making up more than half of all sales by that point.
Read: GM CEO Says EV Shift To Happen “Over Decades”
If GM couldn’t meet those benchmarks, and if the administration didn’t revise the rules to reflect market realities, Barra claims that the company would have had little choice but to curtail sales of its gasoline-powered lineup.
She added that internal forecasts indicated the company would have “had to start shutting down plants” if its EV sales didn’t grow quickly enough.
Barra also touched on several other topics with Andrew Ross Sorkin, the interviewer and the founder and editor at large of DealBook. At one point, he asked her about GM flip-flopping in supporting policies during the first Trump administration, again when Joe Biden was elected, and once more after Trump returned to the White House in January.
Bending The Knee Or Business As Usual?
Barra responded by framing GM’s approach as pragmatic, not political. The company, she said, wants to build vehicles people want to buy, and it simply has to work within the regulatory frameworks set by whoever is in office.
Also: Ford’s CEO Applauds Trump’s CAFE Rollback, Says They Were Forced Into EVs
Now, thanks to the rollback of CAFE standards, it will have the freedom to better manufacturer vehicles based on what their customers want, rather than simply what they must build to meet regulatory requirements.
How this will impact the American car industry remains to be seen, but if those rules remain in place in the future, we don’t expect to see EVs accounting for a significant share of the market any time soon.
Audi’s awkwardly named Chinese sub-brand AUDI introduced the E SUV concept at the Guangzhou Auto Show last month and now China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has revealed the production model. It’s known as the E7X and it closely echoes the concept.
The design is instantly recognizable as both have a familiar front fascia with a fully enclosed grille. However, the production model eschews the full light surround seen on the concept. The road-going crossover also has a revised lower intake with what appears to be an active shutter.
More: Audi’s AUDI Bets Big On China With A 671 HP Electric SUV That Means Business
Moving further back, we can see traditional and digital side mirrors as well as new cameras or sensors on the front fenders. They’re joined by a roof-mounted Lidar sensor as well as flush-mounted door handles and a variety of wheels in sizes up to 22-inches.
How Big Is It?
The E7X measures 198.8 inches (5,049 mm) long, 78.6 inches (1,997 mm) wide, and 67.3 inches (1,710 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 120.5 inches (3,060 mm). That means the production crossover is slightly smaller and shorter than the concept.
Furthermore, to put those numbers into prospective, the model is 0.8 inches (20 mm) shorter than the current Q7. However, its wheelbase extends an extra 2.6 inches (66 mm).
The MIIT didn’t reveal interior pictures, but confirmed at least one variant will be offered with a four-seat setup.
That’s not much to go on, we do know the E5 Sportback has a 27-inch pillar-to-pillar display and an AI-powered avatar known as AUDI Assistant, so it’s reasonable to expect similar tech inside the E7X.
The E5 also sports three-dimensional wood trim, a dual wireless smartphone charger, and an ambient lighting system. They’re joined by a fragrance diffuser and hidden air vents.
Multiple Powertrains And Up To 671 HP
The images reveal quattro and non-quattro variants, which means we can expect an entry-level model with a rear-mounted motor producing 402 hp (300 kW / 408 PS). The all-wheel drive variant, on the other hand, will have 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS) and a top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h).
The MIIT didn’t have much else to say about the crossover, but the concept had a 109 kWh battery pack that provided a CLTC range of more than 435 miles (700 km). The model also had an 800-volt electrical architecture, which enabled it to get 199 miles (320 km) of range with a ten minute fast charge.
AUDI has previously confirmed the production model will be launched next year, so expect to learn more in the coming months.
The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E has quietly introduced a change that’s small in size but significant in everyday use. Every trim level now comes with real rear door handles.
For owners who spent years pressing a tiny electric pad and awkwardly tugging at the door edge, this is a big quality-of-life upgrade. In fact, it might be even more noteworthy than the new California Special package.
Read: Electric Door Handles Face Global Scrutiny After Deadly EV Crashes
The Blue Oval brand has long faced criticism over its rear door handle situation. Until now, entering the rear seats required touching a small electric door popper on the C-pillar.
Once the door was popped open, a second mechanism would keep it from closing fully until someone opened it up to get into the car or put something in the second row. It was a complex system, now made slightly simpler.
A spokesperson from Ford confirmed the change for the 2026MY to InsideEVs saying:
“All 2026 Mustang Mach-Es get the rear door handle as standard equipment. This was a change as part of our always-on approach that we made due to feedback from our customers who wanted a physical handle on both front and rear. The rear door still uses the same electronic latch release with the button on the door, but now the door can be pulled open with the handle.”
So, for clarification, the majority of the mechanism is unchanged. Users just don’t have to put their hand in the door jamb to open it. We’ve reached out for more information from Ford regarding whether or not this design change had anything to do with critiques over rear-door safety.
We also asked if it has any plans to make ingress easier should the 12-volt battery die. We’ll update this piece if we hear back.
In addition to the new door handles, Ford announced that the California Special package is coming back in a new way. While there aren’t any performance benefits over the GT trim it’s built on, the package features a lot of visual enhancements.
The star of the show is Rave Blue, a color-shifting blue/violet shade meant to echo the Pacific coastline. 20-inch wheels get unique GT/CS lettering and aero inserts. There are blue and silver interior accents and special Navy Pier ActiveX + Miko performance seats, too.
Pricing for 2026 also nudges downward. The Mach-E GT now starts at $53,395, about $1,100 less than last year, while the California Special package adds $2,495. The broader Mach-E lineup starts at $37,795, down $200.
In 2021, a high-profile EV summit at the White House brought together some of the biggest names in the auto industry. Hosted by then-President Joe Biden, the event was pitched as a landmark moment for the nation’s transition to electric vehicles. Executives from GM, Ford, and Stellantis were all present.
But conspicuously absent? Elon Musk, or anyone from Tesla, for that matter. That absence didn’t go unnoticed, especially when Biden publicly credited GM with leading the EV revolution.
Read: GM’s Mary Barra Promises Cleaner Engines, But Looser Rules Fuel More Gas Guzzlers
As history has shown, Musk likes to hold a grudge. And while it may have seemed like a fleeting political oversight at the time, the snub may have had consequences that extended far beyond the Beltway.
What Was Behind the Snub?
Little has been said publicly about the summit in the years since, but during an interview at the 2025 New York Times DealBook Summit, GM president Mary Barra shed new light on what happened behind the scenes. According to Barra, she spoke privately with President Biden at the event to redirect some of the praise being sent her way.
“He was crediting me and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla,’” Barra told the audience. “You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”
The snub was thought to have been done in part to throw the White House’s support behind the United Auto Workers and GM, Ford, and Stellantis, all of which have unionized labor. Tesla, on the other hand, doesn’t. Musk has been openly critical of labor unions for years, a stance that’s often put him at odds with Democratic policymakers.
The Fallout That Followed
The story didn’t end there. As reported by the Business Insider, in her recent memoir, then-Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that leaving Musk off the invite list was, in hindsight, a misstep.
“If you are convening the nation’s manufacturers of electric vehicles and the biggest player in the field is not there, it simply doesn’t make sense,” she wrote. “Musk never forgave it.”
Speaking in a separate interview, Harris reflected further: “So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” she said, according to Fox News.
It’s hard to quantify exactly how much the snub shaped Musk’s political outlook, but for years, the Tesla CEO had aligned himself with Democratic candidates, casting votes for figures like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
But around 2022, Musk’s political leanings began shifting to the right, and he would go on to play a significant role in helping elect Donald Trump to a second term. Whether things might have turned out differently if Biden had acknowledged him is anyone’s guess.
Let’s not forget the White House giving Tesla the cold shoulder, excluding us from the EV summit and crediting GM with “leading the electric car revolution” in the same quarter that they delivered 26 electric cars (not a typo) and Tesla delivered 300 thousand.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2023
The Trump administration is rolling back fuel-economy standards in the United States, encouraging car manufacturers to build more combustion-powered vehicles and reducing their impetus to build EVs. It’s a move that’s been a long time coming.
While companies like Ford, Stellantis, and GM have thrown their support behind the new “common sense” rules, they shouldn’t expect any handouts from the government to offset the billions they invested in EVs under Biden-era regulations.
Read: Trump Admin Pushes Fuel Economy Shakeup And The Impact Could Be Huge
During the recent CAFE standards announcement at the White House, a reporter from the Detroit Free Press asked President Trump whether automakers deserved compensation for those investments, given that they were made under policies assuming continued federal support for EV sales.
“No, I’m not doing it,” President Trump quickly replied, triggering laughter among those standing behind the Resolute Desk. “Nope, no, I’m not letting them recoup, they’re going to do just fine. You know how they recoup? From this point forward they’ll do very well.”
During the same presentation, the President suggested that thanks to his controversial tariffs, Stellantis, Ford, and GM are all coming back to the United States.
“The people that are up here from Stellantis and Ford and General Motors, great companies … they wouldn’t be here today if we didn’t have tariffs,” Trump claimed.
“They’d be building their plants in Mexico and other places. They’re leaving Mexico and they’re leaving Canada. They’re leaving because they ripped off our country, they took our businesses away from us. And now because of tariffs they’re all coming back, so it’s a great thing,” the president added.
Ford CEO Thrilled With Changes
According to Ford chief executive Jim Farley, previous CAFE standards “was totally out of touch with market reality,” claiming that “we were forced to sell EVs and other vehicles.”
More: Ford’s CEO Applauds Trump’s CAFE Rollback, Says They Were Forced Into EVs
He noted that Ford wants to give customers the freedom to choose, noting “we have a lot of EVs and a lot of hybrids at Ford, but now customers get a chance to choose what they want, not by what we force on them.”
Farley added that the rollback will allow it to “offer more affordability on our popular models, and we’ll be able to launch new vehicles built in America that are more affordable because of this rule change.”
Tesla has added a no-frills Model 3 Standard to its revamped European lineup in a bid to boost flagging sales, months after the stripped-down EV made its US debut. But the EU versions of the entry-level 3 come with one piece of retro kit denied US buyers – who might not even notice it’s missing.
We’re talking about an FM radio, equipment that hasn’t been worth bragging about since Gerald Ford was in the White House.
Related: Tesla’s Standard EVs Don’t Even Have A Radio, But Will You Care?
In the US, only Model 3 Premiums and up get the radio, a decision rooted more in cost saving than any lingering notion that a radio is a luxury item. Neither gets an AM radio, by the way, and only the EU version has a digital radio.
According to a 2023 study, cutting the radio unit could save Tesla around $50–70 per car, since it no longer needs to shield radio waves from interference created by the electric motors.
In other respects, the EU-spec Model 3 Standard (€36,990 in Germany) follows the US car’s lead. It gets a smaller battery versus the €44,990 Premium that cuts the WLTP range from 466 miles (750 km) to 466 miles (332 km), and the trip to 62 mph (100 kmh) takes 6.2 seconds instead of 5.2 seconds.
Bye-bye, rear touchscreen
Alloy wheels are replaced with 18-inch steelies and plastic hub caps, and the ambient lighting, rear touchscreen, electrically adjustable steering column, and heated rear seats are gone. You also get simple cloth on the chairs and a hi-fi downgrade from nine to seven speakers.
And there’s one other significant change that you won’t spot until you drive down the road for the first time. The Standard Tesla makes do with basic passive shock absorbers, whereas the Premium gets slightly more sophisticated frequency-dependent shocks that deliver a smoother ride.
But as with the US Standard, the EU base trim retains its panoramic glass roof. The Model Y Standard also keeps its glass roof, but mean old Tesla covers it over from the inside to remind you that you were too tight to pay for the Premium.
The base Y, which also loses its front and rear light bars and alloy wheels, is now on sale in the UK (for £41,990), as well as the EU. But so far, the Model 3 Standard is not available in Britain.
Two months after the NHTSA opened an investigation into thousands of Rivian’s all-electric delivery vans, the carmaker has announced a recall impacting almost 35,000 units.
Rivian says that on certain examples of the EDV, the driver’s side seat belt pretensioner could be damaged from repeated misuse. It notes that misuse could include the driver sitting on the seat belt while it’s buckled underneath them.
If the pretensioner cable is damaged, it may not adequately restrain the occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Read: Rivian Recalls Thousands Of Cars For A BMW Feature No One Asked For
While Rivian notes that “a damaged pretensioner may be visibly detectable to the driver in some cases”, it presumably won’t be noticeable in others. Even so, the carmaker says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
The initial probe, launched by the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, involved 17,198 examples of the 2022 and 2023 model year Rivian EDVs. However, the recall also impacts 2024 and 2025 models. All of them were manufactured between December 10, 2021, and November 8, 2025, and a total of 34,824 units are affected.
According to Rivian, it has already released an over-the-air update that enables automatic detection of driver seat belt misuse and has committed to inspecting and, if necessary, replacing the driver’s seat belt pretensioner assembly at no cost. It will also reimburse any owners who have paid out of pocket to fix the issue.
Rivian initially developed the EDV exclusively for Amazon, with the retailer placing an order for 100,000 examples, all of which are scheduled to be delivered by 2030. However, it’s now also available to other companies and sold as the ECV, or electric commercial van.
Driving over 1,000 miles across multiple states and meeting with over a dozen customers, BraunAbility gathered feedback from operators, bus drivers, fleet managers and transportation directors in the public and school transport space on what they want to see in an updated lift.
The result was on display at the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference in Frisco, Texas, Trade Show. BraunAbility’s Dual Parallel Arm Lift Refresh, available on Century and Millennium Series Lifts, updates a product that has seen changes since 2005.
Reed Christiansen, commercial product manager for the company, explained that in 2019 they conducted a survey to customers to understand exactly what they need.
“We tried to learn and understand their challenges and opportunities [were] to improve the lift,” Christiansen said, adding that while COVID-19 slowed down the process, they were able to learn and understand the updates needed to improve the passenger experience. These updates an auto-tite system to reduce drift and rattling, a new user-friendly hand pendant, an onboard diagnostics panel for obstruction alerts, new curved vertical channels and rounded parallel arm covers and a center line platform market to support easier and more symmetrical loading.
“This is a product that hadn’t changed in a long time,” Christiansen added. “It lasts a long time, and so that can also lead us to be not as urgent in updating the product, because from a life cycle perspective, it’s continuing to do very well, and customers are happy with it. We built a really good product in 2005 and designed a really good update then, but it was time to review that. We just want to continue to innovate and challenge ourselves and give the customers what they’re looking for.”
Colton Walle, the area sales manager for the company responsible for completing the customer survey, said after five or six customer visits he started to see a trend in features that were asked for.
Additionally, the company announced a new product that will be a standard feature on all Century and Millennium lifts. The Lift Sentinel is a guard that automatically deploys at the front of the lift to prevent someone from entering the open area when the lift is deployed. It bolts onto any model-year 2005 or newer lift.
“This is an enhanced security feature to make our operators and passengers more comfortable as they’re loading and unloading passengers,” Christiansen said.
The Lift Sentinel will be available for pre-orders in January, and the DPA Lift Refresh is expected to be available in the second quarter of next year.
Related: Legal Keynote Opens Attendees’ Eyes to Federal Special Needs Transportation Laws
Related: School District Directors Share Strategies for Transporting Students with Disabilities
Related: Parents Speak Out After Motorists Target Son with Disabilities at School Bus Stop
The post BraunAbility Says New Wheelchair Lift Addresses Customer Needs appeared first on School Transportation News.
A Moncks Corner school bus driver is behind bars after being arrested in connection with an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation, reported Live 5 News.
Allan Bladorn, 39, was reportedly taken into custody Nov. 20, after Berkeley County investigators identified him as a suspect during an undercover online operation. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bladorn and placed a hold on him until he was transferred to Chesterfield County the following day.
According to the news report, authorities confirmed that Bladorn was employed as a public-school bus driver with the Berkeley County School District at the time of his arrest. Investigators seized his cellphone, which will undergo forensic analysis as part of the ongoing case.
Bladorn is currently being held at the Chesterfield County Detention Center, where he awaits a bond hearing. The sheriff’s office stated that the investigation remains active, and that additional charges may be filed as evidence continues to be reviewed.
Related: Missouri Parent Boards School Bus, Tells Child to Assault Another Student
Related: North Carolina School Bus Driver Charged with Sex Crimes Against Students
Related: Maryland School Bus Aid Charged with Sexual Assault
Related:South Carolina School Bus Driver Charged with DUI While Transporting Students
The post South Carolina School Bus Driver Arrested, Charged with Solicitation of a Minor appeared first on School Transportation News.
This is the Lexus LFA Concept, and it’s quite unlike the V10-powered weapon that preceded it. For years, enthusiasts assumed the next LFA would be little more than a Lexus-badged take on Toyota’s new GR GT. Instead, what’s emerged is something very different. It’s electric. Yes, really.
The concept made its debut in Japan this evening alongside the twin-turbo V8 Toyota and was first teased months ago under the name Lexus Sport Concept. That early study has now morphed into the more production-ready LFA Concept, carrying a fully electric powertrain.
Read: Toyota’s GR GT Drops With TT V8 Hybrid And At Least 641 HP
According to Lexus, the ‘LFA’ name is “not bound to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines,” but instead symbolizes a vehicle that “embodies the technologies that engineers of its time should preserve and pass on to the next generation.”
Toyota Underpinnings
While Toyota has already shared a trove of details about its new halo performance car, Lexus is staying quiet on the finer points of its electric sibling. The company has yet to release any figures for the LFA Concept’s powertrain, leaving its performance potential open to speculation.
Whatever its output, it’s safe to say no amount of kilowatts will replicate the unmistakable howl of the original LFA’s V10, or even the sound of the Toyota’s new V8.
Interestingly, the LFA Concept is based on the same all-aluminum platform as the Toyota GR GT and GR GT3. That presumably means Lexus had the option of using the same V8 as its parent company, but opted against it.
While the choice of powertrain seems odd, particularly given poor demand for high-performance electric sports and super cars, there’s no denying the LFA Concept looks beautiful, which isn’t a word we’d use for the Toyota. The interior is also wildly different than the Toyota, although this isn’t a surprise given the LFA is still a concept.
When Will it Launch?
What does the future hold for the LFA Concept? We know it’s headed for production, and the renaming of the Sport Concept to the LFA Concept suggests it will indeed be sold as the second-generation Lexus LFA.
When it will reach public roads remains uncertain, but if we had to place a bet, it’s likely to arrive around the same time, or perhaps a little later, than the Toyota GR GT, which is expected in 2027.
Just over a month ago, Mercedes-owned brand Yasa unveiled a record-breaking electric motor that weighs just 12.7 kg (28 lbs) and has the ability to produce up to 1,006 hp (750 kW). The company has now revealed that this axial flux motor will be used as an in-wheel unit for its next-generation EV powertrains and could even replace traditional rear wheel braking systems.
While in-wheel electric motors are nothing new, they haven’t been widely adopted in the EV market, in part because they’re heavy and generally aren’t particularly powerful. Yasa’s new motor set an unofficial electric motor power density record of 59 kW (79 hp) per kilogram, or 35 hp per pound.
Read: Mercedes’ Axial Flux Motor Weighs Less Than A Toddler And Makes Over 1,000 HP
While the motor can deliver a peak of up to 1,006 hp, the firm notes that its continuous power output ranges between 469 hp and 536 hp. It can then be paired with a 15 kg (33 lbs) dual inverter that Yasa has also developed in-house, and could prove perfect for high-powered hypercars and other performance EV applications.
Then there’s the matter of braking. Yasa says its in-wheel motor offers such “incredible regenerative performance” that the system could potentially negate the need to use traditional rear brakes.
This could allow carmakers to not only ditch important brake componentry, but also rear driveshafts, potentially saving up to 200 kg (441 lbs) from current models and as much as 500 kg (1,100 lbs) on new models developed from the ground-up.
“Thanks to its exceptional regenerative capability, this system has the potential to dramatically downsize rear brakes on an EV – or even remove them entirely in certain architectures,” Yasa chief of New Technology, Simon Odling, said.“And by capturing a much greater proportion of regenerative braking energy, this technology can also deliver a significant increase in EV range.”
“What’s more, our new in-wheel motor powertrain not only enables significantly lighter, more efficient and higher performance EVs, but also dramatically creates space within the architecture of an EV too, giving car makers unprecedented freedom to redesign and optimize the packaging, aerodynamics and kinematics of their next-generation vehicles,” he added.
Yasa’s axial flux motors will be used in the new all-electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door sedan and SUV. However, these models are not expected to use these motors as an in-wheel application, and will instead have one motor at the front axle and two at the rear.
Subaru introduced the 2026 Trailseeker earlier this year and now the company has announced the wagon-like crossover will start at $39,995. That’s $5,000 more than the redesigned Outback, but the Trailseeker is far more attractive.
Kicking things off is the entry-level Premium trim, which features a fully enclosed grille that is flanked by LED headlights. Buyers will also find automatic windshield wipers, a power liftgate, and 18-inch alloy wheels with aerodynamic covers.
The model is also notable for having 8.3 inches (211 mm) of ground clearance, which is more than the redesigned Jeep Cherokee.
More: Toyota Made An Electric Subaru Outback As Powerful As A Supra
The minimalist interior comes nicely equipped with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. They’re joined by heated front seats that are wrapped in StarTex upholstery and have 10-way power adjustment on the driver’s side.
Other highlights include an automatic climate control system, ambient lighting, and a dual wireless smartphone charger.
The EyeSight Driver Assistance suite comes standard and provides Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Tracing Assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The model also has Front/Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Pre-Collision Braking, Active Lane Change Assist, and Lane Departure Prevention. Rounding out the highlights are Safe Exit Assist and a Blind Spot Monitor.
Trailseeker Limited
Moving up the trim ladder is the $43,995 Trailseeker Limited. It features a lightly revised exterior with 20-inch wheels and a hands-free power liftgate.
Bigger changes occur inside as the cabin is more luxurious thanks to a heated leather steering wheel and heated rear seats. Buyers will also find a power passenger seat and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.
The upgrades don’t end there as the Limited features digital key technology and a 1500 watt AC power outlet in the rear cargo area. They’re joined by parking assist and a panoramic view monitor.
Trailseeker Touring
Sitting at the top of the lineup is the $46,555 Trailseeker Touring. It’s distinguished by a panoramic glass roof and a gloss black accent on the hood. Customers can also get a unique two-tone paint job for $795.
Interior changes are minor, but the range-topping variant has a digital rearview mirror, ventilated front seats, and radiant leg warmers. Customers can also shell out $300 to get black and blue leather seats.
The Fastest Subie In America
Regardless of which trim is selected, all Trailseekers have a 74.7 kWh battery pack that feeds a dual-motor all-wheel drive system. The latter produces a combined output of 375 hp (280 kW / 380 PS) and it enables the model to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.4 seconds.
Besides being the fastest Subaru ever sold in America, the model is expected to have a range of approximately 280 miles (451 km). When the battery is low, the 150 kW DC fast charging capability can deliver an 80% charge in as little as 28 minutes. It’s also worth noting the model has an NACS charging port.
| Model | MSRP |
| Trailseeker Premium | $39,995 |
| Trailseeker Limited | $43,995 |
| Trailseeker Touring | $46,555 |
Four years after first showing its Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobED) concept, Hyundai’s Robotics LAB has now revealed the production version in Tokyo, Japan. The debut marks an important step in the company’s expansion into advanced robotics.
The compact platform has been engineered to be fully autonomous and uses advanced artificial intelligence that allows it to cruise over different surfaces and provide incredible adaptability for different use cases.
How Does It Move?
Central to MobED’s capability is its Eccentric Control Mechanism, a clever system that lets the robot adjust its posture and each wheel individually. The result is an uncanny steadiness, even when crossing inclined or uneven terrain.
Read: Like All Eccentrics, Hyundai’s New Mobile Eccentric Droid May Be Going Into The Film Business
For spatial awareness, Hyundai equipped the platform with a suite of advanced cameras and LiDAR sensors. An AI-driven obstacle detection system adds another layer of awareness, helping the robot navigate confined or crowded spaces without missing a beat.
Hyundai envisions it taking on various roles, from last-mile deliveries to logistics support, with minimal human intervention.
Two Flavors Of Droid
Hyundai has revealed two versions of the robot: the Basic and the Pro. The Basic measures 1,150 mm (45.2 inches) in length, 750 mm (29.5 inches) in width, and 430 mm (16.9 inches) in height. It weighs 78 kg (172 lbs) and can carry up to 57 kg (125 lbs).
The Pro variant stands a little taller at 650 mm (25.5 inches) and heavier at 88 kg (194 lbs), though its payload capacity drops slightly to 47 kg (104 lbs).
Where they diverge most is autonomy. The Pro comes equipped with Hyundai’s full self-driving system, while the Basic relies on manual operation via remote control.
What Keeps It Rolling?
Powering both versions is a small 1.47 kWh battery that provides up to 4 hours of operating time. However, compared to some of Hyundai’s EVs, the MobED charges slowly, needing 2.5 hours to juice up the battery from 10 to 90 percent.
Each robot also features universal mounting rails that make it easy to attach a variety of tools and modules. In the future, they could perform a range of important tasks in factories and warehouses, as well as crucial functions at production facilities, reducing the need for human labor.
Commercial sales of the MobED are expected to begin in the first half of 2026. Hyundai has yet to announce pricing, though it’s clear the company sees the robot as more than a novelty.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has joined several of his American counterparts in supporting the Trump administration’s decision to reset federal fuel-economy standards.
The move, Farley says, gives automakers the breathing room to produce more affordable vehicles in the United States without walking away from electric innovation or efficiency goals.
Farley’s core argument seems to be that regulations were so strict that they effectively squeezed automakers out of the low-cost segments so many buyers still rely on.
Read: Trump Admin Pushes Fuel Economy Shakeup And The Impact Could Be Huge
Speaking at a press conference with President Donald J. Trump on Thursday, Farley called the update “a victory for affordability and common sense,” adding that Ford will now be able to offer cheaper versions of its most popular models and launch new price-focused products.
“We believe that people should be able to make a choice, as you said, Mr. President,” Farley said. “And we will invest more in affordable vehicles. This allows us to invest in affordable vehicles made in the U.S., which we will take the lead on and will allow us to make vehicles more affordable.”
Trump, sitting beside him, said, “People were brainwashed. This is a ‘green new scam.’ And people were paying too much for a car that didn’t work as well. And now they’re gonna have a great car that’s gonna be environmentally friendly, but it’s gonna cost you a lot less and it’s gonna work great. All of the nonsense is being taken out of the cars.”
Political Theater or Market Reality?
Farley stopped short of framing the move as an ideological shift, instead focusing on the economics. He argued that the tightened CAFE standards under the previous administration imposed costs that made entry-level vehicles much harder to justify.
That pressure, he said, pushed automakers toward higher-margin EVs and hybrids simply to meet fleet targets.
“What you should know is that this is a victory for affordability and common sense. As the president said, we will be able to offer more affordability on our popular models, and we’ll be able to launch new vehicles built in America that are more affordable because of this rule change,” Farley said later in an interview on “Fox & Friends” Thursday.
Farley added that the earlier fuel-economy system “was totally out of touch with market reality.” Automakers, he said, were forced to sell EVs and other vehicles to stay compliant, even when customer demand wasn’t there.
“We were forced to sell EVs and other vehicles. We’re not going back to gas-guzzlers,” he continued. “We have a lot of EVs and a lot of hybrids at Ford, but now customers get a chance to choose what they want, not by what we force on them.”
Balancing Choice and Compliance
Ford’s CEO also clarified that the company isn’t returning to inefficient gas models, noting it already sells a wide range of EVs and hybrids. GM’s CEO Mary Barra recently made similar comments.
Also: GM’s Mary Barra Promises Cleaner Engines, But Looser Rules Fuel More Gas Guzzlers
The reset rolls back the steep increases introduced under the Biden administration, which raised fuel-economy requirements by 8% for 2024 and 2025 and 10% for 2026. Federal officials previously estimated those rules would add nearly $1,000 to the average new-car price.
By contrast, the new standard lowers compliance costs and, according to the White House, will save American families a combined $109 billion. Now, the market waits to see if automakers really do deliver on their promises of rolling out more affordable models.
Our spy photographers have already snapped prototypes of the 2027 Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron during testing. Now, however, they’ve gotten a glimpse inside, where we can see some pretty significant changes.
While the current model has a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.6-inch infotainment system, the facelifted prototype has an all-new dashboard with a freestanding curved display that appears to echo the one found in newer models such as the A5 and A6 as well as the Q3 and Q5.
More: Audi Q4 E-Tron Glow Up Takes Aim At Tesla’s Model Y
This likely means it will consist of an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment system. We also wouldn’t be surprised to find an optional 10.9-inch front passenger display.
We can’t see much else, but the production model could benefit from additional changes including a new steering wheel and revamped switchgear. Updated trim, upholstery, and equipment may also be on the cards.
Moving outside, we can see a lightly revised front end with skinnier air curtains that feature a horizontal accent. The grille is covered by camouflage, but it’s expected to be refreshed and could adopt an illuminated four ring logo.
Also: Audi Fixes One Of Its Most Hated Interior Features For 2026
The evolutionary styling continues at the rear as the Sportback has a lightly revised bumper with slender vents that’s joined by a modified diffuser and taillights that look the same but could sport updated graphics in the production-ready model.
Some of the biggest changes are expected to occur beneath the skin as electric vehicle technology has come a long way since the Q4 e-tron was introduced in 2021. This likely means we can expect more efficient motors, improved batteries, and upgraded charging technology.
The current model offers an assortment of powertrains, including a rear-mounted motor producing 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS). Buyers can also get an all-wheel drive variant with 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS) and an EPA-estimated range of 258 miles (349 km).
Believe it or not, it’s been a decade since Bentley introduced the Bentayga SUV, and it’s proven to be the brand’s best-selling model during this time. It’s perhaps a surprise then that it’s taken them ten years to start work on a second SUV, designed to slot below the Bentayga.
This new model is currently known as the Urban SUV, but expect a fancier name once production is near. Unlike the Bentayga, it will be sold exclusively as an EV, a decision that, given the current uncertainty surrounding Western markets, might not prove Bentley’s most strategic choice.
Read: This Is Bentley’s First EV And It’s Built To Haul More Than Just Your Ego
Hindsight, of course, is 2020, but it’s reasonable to assume Bentley also had China in mind, where electric vehicles now dominate the premium segment. Either way, with fellow VW-owned brand Porsche already having two electric SUVs of its own, it was only a matter of time before Bentley followed suit.
What’s Hiding Under There?
Pictured here for the first time during testing at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Urban SUV is hiding under camouflage and body cladding, keeping most of its design details a secret. Included as part of the disguise are four fake circular headlights, similar in shape to those of the current Bentayga.
A few months ago, Bentley unveiled the wild EXP15 concept, complete with vertical headlights. However, the headlight clusters we can see don’t look like the concept’s.
As with the headlights, it is difficult to discern the shape of the grille, as it too has been hidden from view. What we can see is that this new model is smaller than the Bentayga and has a lower roofline. This isn’t to say it’s small, however. It’ll likely be about the same size as the new Porsche Cayenne Electric.
Our spy photographer was able to catch a glimpse of the SUV’s interior, although it’s difficult to pinpoint any highlights. What we can say with certainty is that it won’t follow the current trend of many EVs that feature tacky tablet-like displays for the gauge cluster and then giant infotainment screens on the dash.
Cayenne Electric Power?
Powertrain details have not been confirmed, but the Bentley is widely expected to share many components with the Cayenne Electric.
This could include the same 113 kWh battery pack and 800-volt electrical architecture, ensuring the Bentley will have decent range and support fast-charging. In the case of the Cayenne, Porsche says it needs just 16 minutes to charge from 10-80 percent.
Two versions of the Cayenne Electric have been confirmed, one with 402 hp as standard or 435 hp with launch control enabled, and the flagship Turbo that boasts 844 hp during normal driving and 1,139 hp and 1,106 lb-ft at launch control. It’s safe to assume the Bentley’s power figures could slot somewhere between the two Cayenne models.
Bentley is expected to unveil the Urban SUV in mid-2026, with first deliveries planned for 2027.
This year has been a strange one for automakers, but many of them just caught a break. The EPA effectively wiped out penalties for missing fuel-economy targets, a move that could easily trigger another surge in high-margin full-size trucks and SUVs.
More: Trump Admin Pushes Fuel Economy Shakeup And The Impact Could Be Huge
With less regulatory pressure, engines don’t have to get cleaner or more efficient, yet GM CEO Mary Barra insists the company will keep pushing them in that direction anyway.
She maintains that GM will improve every combustion engine it invests in, no matter what the rulebook says. Whether that commitment holds once the market leans even harder toward big, profitable gas-guzzlers is another matter entirely.
How Long Will Progress Last?
Innovation is no doubt key for all automakers, so the promise of continued development is promising on paper. That’s what Barra provided at the New York Time’s DealBook Summit on Wednesday, saying, “Every engine we invest in, we work to have a significant improvement.”
It seems clear that tougher fuel economy standards have led to huge costs for automakers. A recent report indicates that many of the larger recalls from the past two years can be linked to those standards.
Whether or not GM and other automakers will continue to push fuel economy as hard as they have is a worthy consideration.
What’s the Incentive Now?
For decades, automakers have intentionally steered consumers toward larger SUVs and trucks because they offer the largest profits and require the least stringent fuel economy standards.
Read: GM’s Cheapest American EV Starts With A Chinese Shortcut
It’s unclear why that strategy would change now that the penalties are gone altogether. Still, something positive could come from new regulations in Barra’s eyes.
Barra also supported Trump’s move to strip California of tougher clean-air authority, pushing instead for one national standard that doesn’t “get in front of the consumer.” However, automakers helped create today’s SUV-heavy demand, so that argument only goes so far.
Looser rules also ease pressure on EVs, a convenient shift for GM as sales dip after tax credits expired and its electric lineup remains unprofitable. Barra insists the company is still committed.
She was more positive on tariffs, calling recent policies “a more level playing field” after years of uneven barriers. GM may keep refining engines, but with weaker rules and a market built around giant SUVs, it’s hard to imagine Detroit walking away from its biggest profit margins.
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