Just weeks after Honda announced it was scrapping three EVs it planned to launch in North America and booking roughly $15.7 billion in expenses and losses for its over-commitment to EVs, chief executive Toshihiro Mibe was asked to resign. He refused.

A new report reveals that, starting in late 2025, several retired Honda executives began meeting to discuss ongoing issues with the Japanese manufacturer. Over several months, they blamed Mibe and took particular issue with his neglect of China and his responsibility for the costly EV missteps.

Read: Honda Previews New Fastback Sedan And Next Acura RDX, And Neither Is An EV

As reported by Reuters, who spoke with two participants in these meetings, they even suggested Mibe was more focused on Honda’s golf sponsorships than its business. In April, 90-year-old former Honda chief executive Nobuhiko Kawamoto visited Honda’s headquarters and asked Mibe to step down. He said that wasn’t going to happen.

What Role has Mibe Played?

Mibe has served as Honda’s chief executive since 2021 and is taking a 30 percent pay cut for three months in response to the brand posting its first annual loss in 70 years. According to those who tried to force him out, Mibe hasn’t focused on the “genba” of his predecessors, or the “actual place” where important work gets done, like factory floors and showrooms.

“The CEO does not see conditions on the ground or listen to customers, and doesn’t go to the genba,” they told Reuters. “Senior ⁠management, including the CEO, do not visit the genba. Example: China.”

Although former executives wanted Mibe ousted, he had the backing of the board’s nominating committee. This committee was established with more outside directors as part of a general shift in Japan for better corporate governance and to reduce the influence of retired executives.

More: Honda’s $15.9 Billion EV Disaster Just Delayed The Next Accord, Odyssey, And MDX

Honda has quickly changed plans after the EV cancellations. In May, it was revealed that the automaker is developing a new-generation electric vehicle platform that will also support hybrid powertrains. The company acknowledges that the American market for EVs could change dramatically after Trump’s second term in office ends in January 2029. The outcome of this November’s midterm elections could also have a big impact on the market.

Under this new strategy, Honda plans to launch 15 new hybrid models by 2029. Two of these were recently previewed: one, known simply as the Honda Hybrid Sedan Prototype, and a second, a sleek SUV badged the Acura Hybrid SUV Prototype.

Honda Hybrid Sedan Prototype and Acura Hybrid SUV Prototype

While plenty of Chinese brands are turning out genuinely compelling cars these days, Hongqi usually isn’t the name that springs to mind. That’s despite its pedigree as the country’s most premium homegrown marque, the one chauffeuring China’s political elite back in the day, Chairman Mao included. Their latest effort is the G919, a boxy off-roader saddled with an enormous grille that does it no favors at all.

Read: The Most Expensive New Chinese Car Ever Sold In Russia Costs $445,000

The rugged SUV was previewed at the recent Beijing Auto Show, and now a fresh batch of images has surfaced. More Chinese brands are piling into the rugged-SUV space chasing strong demand, and Hongqi decided the moment was right to join them. The styling leaves plenty to be desired, but the G919 still has a few things working in its favor.

Measuring 202.1 inches (5,135 mm) long, 80.7 inches (2,050 mm) wide, and 76.7 inches (1,950 mm) tall, with a 114.1-inch (2,900 mm) wheelbase, the G919 uses a traditional body-on-frame design, an essential element of any good off-roader. Hongqi has also fitted the model with mechanical locking differentials at both the front and rear, along with trick air suspension. And like a Mercedes G-Class it clearly has in its sight, there’s a center diff lock too.

Supercar Power

Then there’s the powertrain. The G919 will be built as an EREV, pairing a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with four electric motors for a combined 831 hp (620 kW) and 973 lb-ft (1,320 Nm) of torque. The size of the battery pack remains unclear, but it reportedly offers an all-electric range of 174 miles (280 km) and a combined range of 839 miles (1,350 km).

Obviously, no one needs such an extraordinary amount of power in an off-roader, but it’s nice to have. In addition, because the G919 has an electric motor at each wheel, it offers precise torque adjustments to maintain traction in all conditions. It can also run from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in an impressive 4.5 seconds.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed. What we do know is that the G919 is expected to go on sale in the coming months.

Guangzhou Automobile Group, the Chinese giant most people just call GAC, is moving past the automobile and into the air. The company has started production of its very own eVTOL aircraft, the AirCab, built under its Govy mobility brand, with output capped at roughly 100 units per year.

The AirCab has already cleared every certification required for commercial operation and survived a full crash test program, so this is a finished product rather than a proof of concept. The fuselage uses lightweight carbon fiber composites, and six arms reach out from the cabin, each carrying a pair of propellers to generate lift.

Read: Porsche Built The Macan EV For The World, GAC Built A Bigger One For China

Limited technical details have been provided about the aircraft, but GAC has previously said it’s equipped with high-density cylindrical batteries that take just 25 minutes to fully charge. There’s no word yet on how far it can travel, but the range is expected to be limited.

While some companies are aggressively developing eVTOLs to usher in a new era of mass mobility, GAC has smaller ambitions for the AirCab. For now, it expects the aircraft to be used by tourism operators offering sightseeing services. Last year, GAC completed several demonstration runs in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, providing a glimpse of that key use-case.

No Pilot Needed

Not only is the AirCab electric, but it also supports Level 4 autonomous flying features. If hoping into the passenger seat of an autonomous robotaxi gives you the heebie-jeebies, then GAC’s eVTOL probably isn’t for you.

And as you’d expect from anything that flies itself, the AirCab isn’t cheap. Prices start at 1.68 million yuan, or roughly $248,000. At that kind of money, the tourism operators who actually buy one will probably charge an arm and a leg for even a short hop.

Mercedes introduced the GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology last fall and now they’re expanding the lineup with two more affordable variants in Europe. The cheapest starts at €64,736 ($74,765) in Germany, which is €6,545 ($7,558) less than the range-topper.

That’s a considerable savings, but there are quite a few tradeoffs. The biggest is that the entry-level GLC 250 Electric has a smaller 85 kWh battery pack and a single rear-mounted motor producing 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. It enables the crossover to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.9 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h).

More: Star-Stricken Mercedes GLC EV Has A Grille Big Enough To Swallow A BMW iX3

Besides being slower, the GLC 250 has a less impressive range of up to 404 miles (650 km). That’s 40 miles (65 km) less than the GLC 400 4MATIC and buyers also get a slightly lower 320 kW DC fast charging capability. However, it still enables the battery to go from 10-80% in as little as 22 minutes.

The GLC 300 4MATIC Electric is similar, but it features a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with 416 hp (310 kW / 421 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. This lowers the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time to 4.7 seconds, while the top speed remains unchanged. Unfortunately, the WLTP range falls to 383 miles (616 km).

Pricing starts at €68,306 ($78,894), which is €2,975 ($3,436) less than the GLC 400. That model, as you may recall, has a larger 94 kWh battery and a beefier dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 483 hp (360 kW / 489 PS). The combination enables the crossover to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.3 seconds and travel up to 444 miles (715 km) between charges.

There’s no word on US availability at the moment, but the UK will be getting the GLC 250 Electric. It starts at £55,495.

Mexico builds cars for much of the world, hosting plants for several of the planet’s biggest automakers, yet almost no homegrown brands have ever come out of the country. The new Olinia Uno aims to change that. As the first model from Mexico’s inaugural EV brand, it carries the weight of shaking up the nation’s mobility scene.

The Uno is a compact six-seater designed in Mexico and, with federal government backing, built there too. It isn’t chasing conventional consumer EVs. Instead, it positions itself as a replacement for the motorcycles and three-wheeled motortaxis that swarm the country’s streets.

Read: Mexico Starts 2026 With Steep Car Tariffs, And One Country Is Getting Slammed

Rather than being focused on long journeys and road trips, the Uno is far better suited to last-mile taxi services. It is equipped with a tiny 14.7 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack that drives a single electric motor with a measly 17 hp (13 kW). If any driver is brave enough to plant the vehicle’s throttle, it’ll top out at just 31 mph (50 km/h).

Cheap To Run

Affordability should be a key part of the vehicle’s appeal. The Uno starts at just 150,000 pesos, or a touch under $8,600. Olinia claims that while a conventional ICE-powered taxi sedan can cost up to 2.4 pesos ($0.14) per kilometer to run and a motorcycle taxi up to 1.18 pesos ($0.07) per kilometer, the Uno will cost just 0.50 pesos ($0.03) per kilometer. Plugged into a 220-volt household socket, it charges in about four hours, ideal for topping up overnight and having it ready by morning. Driving range is capped at 62 miles (100 km).

Hoy presentamos Olinia, el auto eléctrico creado por jóvenes mexicanas y mexicanos. pic.twitter.com/IkexSRtTDY

— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) June 7, 2026

According to Olinia, the vehicle is perfect for “short group trips, frequent stops, people coming and going with bags, children, and older adults.” It includes plenty of grab handles inside and across the exterior, and thanks to the coach-style rear doors, it can even fit a wheelchair user without needing to be modified.

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum drove a prototype of the Uno onto the stage during the vehicle’s world premiere at the Santa Lucia military base. The design certainly isn’t one to tug at the heartstrings, but it does at least look fit for purpose.

Chinese newcomer Maextro made plenty of noise a couple of years ago with the S800, an uber-luxurious sedan pitched like a Mercedes-Maybach but priced well under one. The gamble worked. The S800 became a real sales hit, outselling every established luxury rival above $100,000 in China and giving Maextro plenty of reason to push further upmarket. Now the brand has teased its second model, and this one promises to be even more opulent.

Read: Huawei’s Maextro Is Making A Cullinan Rival For BMW iX Money, Not Rolls Money

For the uninitiated, Maextro is one of the five brands in Huawei’s HIMA multi-brand collaboration, alongside Aito, Luxeed, Stelato, and SAIC. The vehicles are built by JAC and Huawei at a plant in Hefei, China, and while you might have expected the second model to be an SUV, it’s actually a minivan. But this is no ordinary minivan for the school pickup run.

Badged the V800, the minivan borrows heavily from the S800. Tall LED headlights dominate the front, and there’s no traditional grille, just an oversized badge planted in the center of the fascia. Like a growing number of high-end Chinese cars, it’s been shown wearing a two-tone finish, here in gold and brown, with chrome laid on thick.

The S800 has some trick LED technology, and the V800 is much the same. It features small lights hidden behind the door handles that illuminate the doors, and rear taillight clusters with thousands of tiny LEDs that can display detailed images, as previewed here with a Phoenix.

Big Power For A Big MPV

The V800 is a full-size minivan measuring 216.3 inches (5,495 mm) long, 78.9 inches (2,006 mm) wide, and 72.8 inches (1,850 mm) tall, riding on a 135-inch (3,430 mm) wheelbase. Frustratingly, only a few interior shots have surfaced so far, so a proper look will have to wait.

For now, we can see the cabin will have a 2+2+3 configuration and is trimmed in plush leather with what appear to be several crystal elements. There’s also a large panoramic glass roof with a sliding cover that doubles as a Starlight headliner, just like a Rolls-Royce.

Power comes from a range-extender setup. The new Maextro pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine making 173 hp with two electric motors good for a combined 530 hp. Feeding them is a sizable 63.2 kWh battery, enough for up to 171 miles (275 km) of all-electric range.

Pricing and availability should be confirmed in the next few weeks, though we suspect the V800 will land above the S800, which already starts at a little over $100,000 in China.

The Eclipse name keeps finding new homes that have nothing to do with the sport coupe sold from 1989 to 2011. First it landed on the Eclipse Cross crossover, and now Mitsubishi has confirmed a new Eclipse Sportback EV bound for North America as a 2027 model in the back half of this year. Beneath that Triple Diamond badge sits nothing more than a lightly reskinned new-generation Nissan Leaf, so anyone holding out for a true heir to the original should brace for disappointment.

Visually, most people will just see a Leaf wearing Mitsubishi emblems, but the Eclipse Sportback does have a few redesigned bits. Up front, the bumper gets a different grille and horizontal intakes with aerodynamic detailing. Despite the official claims, the LED headlights look awfully close to the Nissan units, the difference being that they aren’t connected by a strip of black trim.

More: Mitsubishi’s Building A Kei-Sized Pajero, And A Nissan Pickup For America

The profile is also identical, keeping the original crossover fastback silhouette, though it picks up fresh EV emblems on the front doors along with chrome accents around the windows and on the three-spoke 18-inch aero wheel covers borrowed from the Leaf S+.

At the back, Mitsubishi’s designers kept their input minimal: a sculpted rear bumper, a new tailgate that drops the glossy black trim of the Nissan, and custom LED taillight graphics. Naturally, the Eclipse Sportback won’t get the Z-inspired “3D holographic LEDs” of the flagship Nissan Leaf Platinum+ trim.

More: Nissan’s New Rogue Plug-in Hybrid Isn’t Even A Nissan

The company hasn’t shown the interior yet, but don’t expect much beyond a Mitsubishi emblem on the steering wheel. The Leaf comes with dual screens measuring 12.3 or 14.3 inches, depending on the trim. Whether the Mitsubishi version gets the dimming panoramic electrochromic roof and the clever Bose Personal audio setup with speakers built into the headrests remains to be seen.

Under the skin, the Eclipse Sportback rides on the CMF-EV architecture shared with the Nissan Leaf and Ariya. Full technical specs will come later, but the Leaf offers a choice between 52 kWh and 75 kWh battery packs and a single electric motor making either 174 hp (130 kW / 176 PS) or 214 hp (160 kW / 218 PS). EPA range tops out at 303 miles (488 km).

More: Nissan Beats Tesla To $25K EV Musk Said Would Never Happen

Mitsubishi has promised more details and pricing in the near future ahead of the market launch. The company also confirmed the Eclipse Sportback will be joined by an “all-new rugged, off-road derivative of the Outlander SUV” in early 2027, followed by a new or significantly revised vehicle every year through 2030.

Mitsubishi

It’s only been just over a couple of months since BMW pulled the wraps off the all-electric i3, and the company is already inching toward revealing the M version. The long-awaited performance model could break cover at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, or at least be teased there by a motorsport-flavored concept.

Photos from the Le Mans paddock this week show BMW has built a dedicated fanzone at the circuit, and tucked inside it sits a large box with glass doors. An image circulating online offers a preview of what’s behind the glass, and it appears to be the electric M3, rumored to wear the iM3 badge.

Read: A 1,000 HP Electric M3 And A 552 HP Gas M3 Will Have The Same Price Tag

A handful of images claiming to show this car leaked a couple of months back, and what’s sitting at Le Mans looks awfully familiar. Like the regular i3, it wears BMW’s Neue Klasse front fascia, but the track is noticeably wider here, with a pair of squared-off LED daytime running lights flanking each side.

The wing mirrors are particularly interesting, as shown in these photos from the German Car Forums. They don’t look like those on any current BMW M production car; instead, they look more like the mirrors we’d expect to see on a race car. This has prompted some to suggest the vehicle previewed won’t be the production-spec iM3, but rather a concept that previews its design.

A Track-Focused Beast

The vehicle’s presence at Le Mans will come just a few days after BMW released the latest episode in its multi-part documentary detailing the development of the electric M3 sedan. This episode focuses on the car’s brutal testing regime at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where it’s covered more than 4,970 miles (8,000 km).

While many details about the car remain under wraps, we know it will have a quad-motor setup with an electric motor at each wheel and individual gearboxes. This will enable BMW to precisely control torque distribution. In this clip, BMW says, “this new technology allows us to push the boundaries of vehicle dynamics even further.”

“This allows us to send more power to the wheels that can use it most effectively,” BMW adds. “You can get back on the throttle much earlier, exactly to the slippage area of a wheel, so you can step on the throttle very, very early. The car doesn’t push outwards but is pulled and pushed through the corner, without any understeer or oversteer.”

So, while moving to electric power will no doubt upset some purists, it’s clear BMW is committed to making the iM3 as intoxicating to drive as possible.

Nearly one year ago, Peugeot introduced the e‑208 GTi concept on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The automaker is now returning with the production model, which will be fully detailed on June 12.

While the automaker is keeping information under wraps, they released a handful of pictures and noted the model “remains incredibly close to the original 2025 concept.” They added the car has a “sporty yet elegant design” as well as “performance figures intended to WOW.”

More: The First Electric GTI Isn’t From VW

The hot hatch certainly looks the part as it has a lightly revised Lion logo with a red surround. The sporty hue can also be found on the outside edges of the grille as well as incorporated into the lighting units. They’re joined by a revamped front splitter, which is painted to match the body color.

Further back, we can see gloss black mirrors and dark window trim. Other highlights include black fender flares with red accents as well as “208 GTi” badging on the rear pillar. The car also appears to ride on a set of aerodynamically optimized seven-spoke wheels, which are backed up by a braking system with red calipers.

The rear end largely carries over, but the car adopts a new spoiler with a contrasting red accent on the underside. It’s accompanied by a far more aggressive diffuser and a motorsport-inspired central brake light.

Interior changes are more modest, but we can see a lightly revised flat-bottom steering wheel with “208 GTi” branding. Elsewhere, there are sporty front seats with red center stripes. Other highlights include red contrast stitching, red illumination, and special graphics for the displays.

We’ll learn full details next week, but the concept had a 54 kWh CATL battery that powered an electric motor developing 276 hp (206 kW / 280 PS) and 254 lb-ft (345 Nm) of torque. This enabled the car to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds, before topping out at 112 mph (180 km/h).

Other highlights included a limited-slip differential and a 100 kW DC fast charging capability that enabled the model to go from 20% to 80% in less than 30 minutes. While Peugeot originally hinted at a range of 217 miles (350 km), the instrument cluster implies the production model can travel 233 miles (375 km) between stops.

Ferrari’s controversial Luce debut got plenty of attention, though perhaps not the kind Maranello was hoping for. Rather than have cross-town rival Lamborghini feeling like it’s behind the times, it appears as though the brand’s CEO is even more content now that the Lanzador didn’t remain on schedule for an earlier debut. He’s openly doubling down on the idea that Lamborghini was right to delay the brand’s first EV.

In a round table with journalists, asked about the reaction to the Luce, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said his company made the “right decision” in postponing its first fully electric car, arguing that customer demand for electric supercars simply hasn’t materialized the way much of the industry assumed it would.

Read: EV Plans Wait As Lamborghini Expands V8 And V12 Lineup

According to Handelsblatt, Winkelmann said Lamborghini has spent years monitoring demand in the luxury segment. To no one’s surprise who’s been paying attention, the company found that acceptance of electric vehicles hasn’t climbed at anything close to the pace many had forecast.

The automaker had planned to launch the all-electric Lanzador before the end of the decade. Initially, production was simply delayed. Now, it won’t happen until at least 2030, if not later, because acceptance for EVs within the brand’s target demographic was “close to zero.” For now, Lamborghini has scrapped it and is looking at a new hybrid model to join the lineup in the near future.

Importantly, European regulations currently call for a ban on the sale of new combustion-powered vehicles beginning in 2035, although exemptions for e-fuels and certain low-volume manufacturers remain under discussion. While many exotic-car makers spent the last several years announcing ambitious EV programs, Lamborghini now appears content to let others test the waters first.

That’s probably a wise move considering its positioning. While nowhere near as successful as Ferrari, Lamborghini has its position underneath Volkswagen Group going for it. It’s currently one of the most profitable divisions. In 2025, it generated €3.2 billion ($3.7 billion) in revenue. Even though operating profit slipped from €835 million ($970 million) to €768 million ($892 million), the company still posted a remarkable 24 percent operating margin.

Volvo’s current lineup leans hard on SUVs, but the brand built its reputation on wagons, and there’s reason to believe it hasn’t given up on them. Neither has at least one of the people who used to design its cars. A former Volvo designer set out to bring the old formula back with a pair of digital concepts, the V77 and XC77, each built around a mix of minimalism and sustainability.

The man behind them is Julien Fesquet, a Los Angeles-based professional designer currently working for Slate Auto. His resume reads like a grand tour of the industry, with stops at Volvo, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, and Ferrari.

More: Volvo’s Prettiest Wagon Returns, But Only A Lucky Few Will Own One

The V77 and XC77 are a personal project, drawing on Bauhaus principles and the work of Dieter Rams, the industrial designer whose thinking eventually shaped the look of Apple products. Both wear a three-door shooting brake body with a low nose and an aerodynamic roofline. Staying true to Volvo’s playbook, the V77 is built for the road while the XC77 adds crossover cues and a lifted stance.

Illustrations: Julien Fesquet

Beyond the compact footprint and genuinely handsome proportions, the concepts trade in clean surfacing and restraint. The low-mounted headlights fade into a covered grille via a digital gradient, and the Volvo emblem has been pared down to a single horizontal line.

More: Volvo 240R EV Study Throws A Brick At Electric Performance

The profile is distinguished by large alloy wheels, supercar-style creases on the front fenders, a flat beltline, and a bi-tone livery with a darker finish for the lower bodywork. The rear section is even more striking, with a glass tailgate surrounded by ultra-slim LEDs. The designer also placed emphasis on the Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) strategy, proposing the use of recycled materials and an unpainted body for the V77.

Inside, we find two rows of seats and a rather large boot. The V77 adopts a Cream Yellow interior theme inspired by the Volvo 850 T-5R, while the XC77 gets an Orange interior that complements its earthy brown exterior panels.

Illustrations: Julien Fesquet

Fesquet didn’t list any specs, but the absence of cooling vents and tailpipes suggests the digital concepts were envisioned with a fully electric powertrain.

More: The EX30 Is Dead, But Volvo’s Next Cheap EV Is Already On The Way To America

Fesquet told CarScoops: “Volvo is a brand with iconic station wagon, very minimal functional boxy designs in the past. It still has beautiful cars, but it tends to be oriented to more traditional automotive design. I thought it would be interesting to break the modern Volvo codes and imagine what it could look like if it was still a more minimal, functional, and industrial design. Something modern, sophisticated yet boxy, but without forgetting the need of aerodynamic performance. This led to this shooting brake silhouette with a low nose, sleek roof and low ground clearance.”

What About Real Volvo Wagons?

Volvo has recently wound down production of the aging V60 and V90, along with the adventurous XC60 and XC90. Even so, wagon fans aren’t completely out of luck.

Chief technology officer Anders Bell has said the new SPA3 architecture, which debuted underneath the EX60 SUV, can support a range of bodystyles, low-slung models included. Volvo hasn’t confirmed any wagon yet, so the question comes down to whether demand will be there to justify the spend. For now, we wait.

Illustrations: Julien Fesquet

For years, automakers, including Lexus that once pledged to go EV-only by 2035, told us the future would be electric. Now that EV growth has cooled in several key markets, many of those same companies are quietly changing course, often at a huge cost. Lexus, however, thinks it has found a smarter, less financially painful way forward.

Related: The 2027 Lexus TZ Borrows The Highlander’s Bones And The LFA’s V10 Voice

Instead of betting everything on dedicated EV platforms, or U-turning in favor of old-fashioned gas cars, Toyota’s luxury division is developing vehicles that can be built as either hybrids or fully electric models using much of the same underlying architecture. It’s a strategy designed to give Lexus maximum flexibility while competitors wrestle with expensive shifts in demand.

One Platform, Two Powertrains

Future products will be designed so the two brands can install either a battery pack or a hybrid powertrain within essentially the same vehicle structure, according to Lexus and Toyota executives who presented the plan to Handelsblatt and other media at the Shimoyama development center in Japan. That means Lexus can react faster if customer demand swings toward EVs, hybrids, or somewhere in between. Or if the next US president reinstates tax credits for cleaner vehicles.

Toyota CTO Hiroki Nakajima told reporters that Lexus’s upcoming TZ electric SUV is expected to be profitable from launch in North America. That’s a claim many automakers would love to make right now, because some, like Honda/Acura and Porsche, are hurting badly from having written off billions of dollars in EV development, and US EV sales are dire.

Christopher Richter, an automotive analyst at CLSA in Tokyo, traces that edge to Lexus’s lower cost base. Toyota doesn’t break out Lexus financials, but Richter told the German outlet he figures the brand’s margins sit well into the double digits. By comparison, Mercedes posted a return on sales of 5% last year and BMW managed 5.3%. The trick, Richter says, is that Lexus can charge BMW money while leaning on the purchasing volume and development resources of the world’s largest carmaker.

The TZ isn’t the first Lexus or only Lexus to benefit from common-platform thinking. The new ES sedan is already available as a hybrid or EV, both versions built from the same basic architecture. It’s not a strategy peculiar to Lexus. BMW and Mercedes also build some EVs and hybrid cars on shared platforms, including the X1 and iX1, 5-series and i5, and CLA.

But the two German brands also have EV-specific platforms. BMW’s new ICE 3-series sedan, for instance, will look almost identical to the i3 electric 3-series, yet they’ll ride on totally different architectures.

Profit Over Volume

BMW and Mercedes both sell more than twice as many cars as Lexus, which moved 882,291 vehicles worldwide in 2025, nearly half of them in North America. In particular, Mercedes shifted around 1.8 million that year and BMW close to 2.2 million under its core brand. But in the luxury game it’s profit, not registrations, that counts, and Toyota’s upscale division seems convinced it holds the better hand.

Lexus, Rivers/Carscoops

Nearly four years ago, Massachusetts landed $64 million from the Biden administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, the massive $5 billion national push to seed thousands of new charging stations across the country. It is now mid-2026, and the state has yet to turn any of that money into a single working charger.

Two years ago, the state selected three vendors to identify possible locations for the new charging stations. Only two of them, Applegreen and Global Partners, have signed contracts, and both companies, along with the state Department of Transportation, have stayed conspicuously tight-lipped about what’s actually happened since.

Read: Sixteen States Say Trump’s Admin Is Illegally Holding EV Money Hostage

The Commonwealth Beacon reports that Applegreen and Global Partners have spent roughly $4 million between them on engineering, permitting, and procurement. There are finally signs of progress, but MassDOT isn’t saying why things have crawled along this slowly.

According to MassDOT spokesperson Marshall Hook, Applegreen recently placed an order for EV charging equipment for sites in Greenfield and Newburyport, with construction expected to begin in July. Global Partners, meanwhile, has ordered the equipment needed to set up stations in Lancaster, Raynham, and Wrentham.

Too Slow For The EV Transition

“The slowness of adoption here is mystifying,” former state transportation secretary Jim Aloisi said. “If your approach to transportation sector decarbonization is largely about the transition to EVs, then you should be spending a fair amount of effort accelerating the process of getting people to adopt EVs, and one way to do that is obviously to roll out the NEVI initiative. That’s the disconnect.”

Massachusetts is hardly the only state dragging its feet on getting these federally funded chargers running. A website tracking the NEVI program shows that plenty of states have received tens of millions of dollars without building a single station, including Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oregon, Alabama, Arizona, and, surprisingly, even California.

On the flip side, some states have put the money to work. Texas, for one, already has several NEVI-funded charging stations in operation, with many more at various stages of construction.

Tesla’s trouble moving the Cybertruck in any meaningful quantity on US soil is by now thoroughly documented. Before the electric pickup ever reached a showroom, Elon Musk boasted that Tesla could move as many as 500,000 a year. The reality has been less kind. In 2025, American buyers took home just over 20,000 of them.

While it seems the Cybertruck has lost a lot of its initial luster in the US, it is slowly being introduced in other markets. One of them is Kazakhstan, where a handful are being used by government departments, proving that the car’s controversial design does have its perks.

Read: Unplugged’s $18K Cybertruck Package Adds What Tesla Left Out

In mid-May, a matte black Cybertruck served the State Security Service during the Summit of the Organization for Turkic States, held in Kazakhstan’s Turkistan region. Fitted with flashing blue and red lights, the Tesla was reportedly donated to the authorities by a local entrepreneur.

It started out as a mobile command center, and from here it will take on a central role at major security events across the country, handling field coordination between units and providing communications support.

A Second Cybertruck

This isn’t the only Cybertruck roaming the roads of Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has folded one into its fleet too, this one wrapped in matte white with orange and blue graphics. According to vice minister Yerbolat Sadyrbayev, the truck has proven itself capable of tackling the treacherous terrain of the country’s mountainous Almaty Region.

🇰🇿 The future has arrived in #Kazakhstan’s spiritual capital – #Turkistan#Cyber-police are patrolling the Turkic States Summit @Turkic_States #Cybertruck @Tes @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/ofKCXROnli

— Consulat général du Kazakhstan à Strasbourg (@KazStrasbourg) May 14, 2026

“Our ministry deals with situations where assistance must be provided as quickly as possible and every minute counts,” Sadyrbayev told Kazinform. “The Cybertruck has proven to be highly effective in responding to various emergency situations. We are talking about saving people’s lives.” The minister added that the government plans to add more Cybertrucks to its fleet, although he didn’t specify how many.

At this stage, it seems Tesla will take any Cybertruck order it can get. With US sales sliding from 39,965 in 2024 to just 20,237 in 2025, the company has been eager to sell the truck wherever there’s an appetite for one, even if it’s just for show. Earlier this year, it even started selling the electric pickup in the Middle East.

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A Waymo robotaxi can be fooled into rolling straight into a flooded street, but it turns out the same self-driving cars have no trouble pulling getaway duty for a crime. They are, it seems, alarmingly good at helping criminals disappear.

Earlier this year, an unidentified suspect walked into a Hot 8 Yoga studio in San Francisco and left in a hurry with an armful of pricey activewear. He had arrived by Waymo and used the same car to escape, dumping the loot into the trunk of the autonomous I-Pace before riding off.

Watch: Dozens Of Empty Waymo Robotaxis Keep Circling An Atlanta Cul-De-Sac For Hours

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, local authorities took their time looking into the theft. A search warrant landed on Waymo in April, ordering the company to hand over everything it knew about the account behind the ride, along with video from inside and outside the car to help identify the thief.

However, by the time the search warrant was filed in April, Waymo had already wiped the cabin footage. The company doesn’t publicly say how long it keeps video, and on top of that, its exterior cameras always blur faces for privacy reasons. So despite each robotaxi packing a small arsenal of high-definition cameras, none of them helped track down the thief.

That’s a tough pill to swallow when you consider the hardware involved. According to Waymo’s website, its latest Jaguars feature 29 cameras that provide a full 360-degree view of their surroundings. The user’s account information didn’t lead police to a suspect either, perhaps because whoever booked the ride used stolen credentials or a burner phone.

All For Some Men’s Shorts

The studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga says footage from outside the location shows the Waymo dropping off the individual and waiting for him to return with the stolen loot. Although he only made off with a bunch of men’s shorts, it’s certainly possible this case might encourage other criminals to escape in robotaxis.

Los Angeles saw a version of this last year, when someone bolted from a grocery store theft in a Waymo. That one ended differently. Police caught up with the robotaxi, forced it to the side of the road, and arrested the suspect.

The second-generation BMW iX3 has been well received by most, marking a serious step up from its predecessor and delivering the kind of driving range usually reserved for Chinese EVs. But the launch hasn’t gone off without a hitch. Two recalls have already been issued for the electric SUV in Germany, and one of them sounds genuinely unpleasant.

The first recall landed at the end of May and covers 145 vehicles built between November 25, 2025, and February 20, 2026. According to BMW, these iX3 models carry an onboard charger, the component that converts AC power to DC, that may be faulty. The defect could leave the SUV’s body panels buzzing with electricity while the car is plugged in.

Read: BMW Adds A 395-Mile Base iX3 And A Black Package For Summer

BMW says it isn’t aware of any injuries so far, but it admits owners could get a nasty shock if they touch the car at the wrong moment. The fix is straightforward enough, as the onboard chargers on affected models will be swapped out, whether or not they actually turn out to be defective. With high-voltage EVs, better safe than sorry. All told, the recall covers 145 cars worldwide, 28 of which are in Germany.

Dangerous Airbags

Then a few days later, on June 1, a second recall followed. This time, BMW says the side airbags may not have been bolted in to spec. The concern is twofold: the airbag might not deploy properly in a crash, and the gas generator could shift out of position and strike occupants.

The affected iX3s were built between December 18, 2025, and May 8, 2026. It’s the bigger of the two campaigns, covering 4,843 vehicles worldwide, including 1,071 in Germany. As with the charger issue, there are no known accidents or injuries tied to the airbag fault.

In this case, BMW says it will inspect the screws that hold the side airbags in place and, if necessary, resolve any issues.

Some automakers have caved to buyer demand and started bringing physical buttons back, including VW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai. Rivian, on the other hand, has no interest in joining them, insisting its advanced AI-driven voice assistant is simply a better way to control a vehicle’s functions.

While recently speaking with Rivian’s chief software officer, and co-CEO of the Rivian and VW joint venture, Wassym Bensaid, The Verge dug into the new Rivian Assistant, which rolled out to existing R1 models in mid-May. It’s built on a shared, multimodal AI foundation and can handle core vehicle functions, HVAC included.

Read: For $50 A Month, Rivian Will Make You A Passenger In Your Own EV

Existing Rivian R1 models, along with the new R2, are largely free of physical buttons, and given the brand’s commitment to its new assistant, that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

“I deeply believe that voice has the chance to be the primary interface in the car,” Bensaid told The Verge. “I also think that buttons can exist, but they shouldn’t be the primary way with which you interact with the car. I think there’s more that is possible with voice since you can do more than one single function. You don’t have to fiddle with so many functions.”

Are Scroll Wheels The Solution?

“You don’t have to go deep into the touchscreen to look into specific features. A great voice experience can elevate all of that, allow users to talk to the car as a human would, and really take the overall experience to the next level,” he added.

Bensaid went on to note that in the R2, there are no traditional HVAC buttons; instead, the large scroll wheels on the steering wheel can be used to adjust settings like fan speed on the fly. While not quite a button, they do seem like a better solution than tapping on a small icon on the touchscreen to tweak the fan speed.

According to Rivian, “the only reason that drivers and consumers do not interact with the car through voice is that, to put it really bluntly, the technology has been broken,” up until this point. A key difference between Rivian’s Assistant and those of competitors is that it uses its own Android-based infotainment system, which doesn’t offer support for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, so the AI-assistant works seamlessly regardless of what screen is displayed.

Rivian also points out that the system takes a more conversational approach than traditional voice assistants. Instead of barking “Open the frunk,” for instance, you can simply say “I have a bag in the front of the car,” and the assistant will pop the frunk for you. It all sounds rather slick, though we’d still take a few physical buttons. What about you?

One of VW’s most influential board members believes that once automakers actually convince buyers to go electric, internal combustion cars could end up viewed the same way we now see horses, an outdated form of transportation.

According to Martin Sander, VW’s board member for sales, marketing, and aftersales, more needs to be done to persuade people to buy an EV, rather than simply talking about ICE bans, such as the 2030 deadline in the UK.

More: VW’s Cheapest Golf Left America In 2021, Mexico Could Bring It Back

“[Today] I look out of the window: not many horses – it’s predominantly cars,” he told Auto Express. “This is why I hate the discussion about the ICE (internal combustion engine) ban. Everyone is just talking about the ICE ban. How do you convince customers about a new technology if you’re only talking about when there will be a date when you are not allowed to use these vehicles – vehicles you have got used to over the last decades – anymore?”

Sander believes that “over time, more and more customers will be convinced” to buy an EV if barriers to ownership, such as improvements to charging infrastructure, are removed. “Let’s talk about what we need to do to actually convince customers: the charging infrastructure; talk positively about the advantages of electric vehicles, and possibly do something around the energy prices,” he noted.

Read: VW Kills Its Last Manual Gearbox Model In America

The board member suggested that if these conditions are met, the number of customers interested in owning an ICE-powered vehicle could drop to as little as “three, four, five percent” by 2035.

No EREVs For Europe

Interestingly, while VW transitions towards electrification in Europe, it doesn’t plan to introduce any of the range-extender EVs it offers in China, suggesting that demand for this powertrain won’t be strong enough in Europe.

Read: VW’s New $16,200 EV Sedan Is Longer Than A Jetta And Runs On Xpeng Tech

Despite this, Sander notes that the lessons VW is taking from its expansion of electrified vehicles in China will help it overseas.

“Everything we are learning in China will help us to be competitive in all the other markets around the globe where we are competing with the Chinese,” he said. “On our end it’s very much about scale, efficiency and cost, and this is what we are working on diligently. We have to be competitive. There’s no alternative.”

Some car manufacturers have caved to demand from buyers to bring back physical buttons, including VW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai. Rivian doesn’t seem interested in following suit, declaring that its advanced AI-driven voice assistant system is a better way to control a vehicle’s functions.

While recently speaking with Rivian’s chief software officer, and the co-CEO of the Rivian and VW joint venture, Wassym Bensaid, The Verge dived head-first into the new Rivian Assistant, introduced to existing R1 models in mid-May. It’s built on a shared, multimodal AI foundation and can control core vehicle functions, including HVAC.

Read: For $50 A Month, Rivian Will Make You A Passenger In Your Own EV

Existing Rivian R1 models, as well as the new R2, are largely devoid of physical buttons, and given the brand’s commitment to its new assistant, it doesn’t appear as though this will change.

“I deeply believe that voice has the chance to be the primary interface in the car,” Bensaid told The Verge. “I also think that buttons can exist, but they shouldn’t be the primary way with which you interact with the car. I think there’s more that is possible with voice since you can do more than one single function. You don’t have to fiddle with so many functions.”

Are Scroll Wheels The Solution?

“You don’t have to go deep into the touchscreen to look into specific features. A great voice experience can elevate all of that, allow users to talk to the car as a human would, and really take the overall experience to the next level,” he added.

Bensaid went on to note that in the R2, there are no traditional HVAC buttons; instead, the large scroll wheels on the steering wheel can be used to adjust settings like fan speed on the fly. While not quite a button, they do seem like a better solution than tapping on a small icon on the touchscreen to tweak the fan speed.

According to Rivian, “the only reason that drivers and consumers do not interact with the car through voice is that, to put it really bluntly, the technology has been broken,” up until this point. A key difference between Rivian’s Assistant and those of competitors is that it uses its own Android-based infotainment system, which doesn’t offer support for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, so the AI-assistant works seamlessly regardless of what screen is displayed.

Rivian also notes that it provides a more conversational approach than traditional voice assistant systems. For example, you don’t have to say “Open the frunk,” and can instead say “I have a bag in the front of the car,” and the system will automatically open the frunk. It all sounds rather nice, but we’d still prefer some physical buttons. What about you?

Ford announced its “Model T Moment” a year ago. With it came the promise of an affordable electric pickup and other models on the same platform. According to a new report, we’re about to see prototypes on the road in Dearborn prior to its release next year.

According to Ford CFO Sherry House, prototypes of the automaker’s upcoming electric midsize pickup are already being built and tested as the company pushes toward a planned 2027 launch. While Ford later clarified that the camouflaged trucks aren’t yet driving on Michigan roads, spokesman Dave Tovar confirmed to The Detroit Free Press that they’ll be out in public within the next few weeks.

That means Detroit-area motorists could soon catch a glimpse of the vehicle Ford hopes will reshape its electric future.

Read: Ford Working On Affordable EVs, Setup A “Skunkworks Team” For New Platform

The truck is significant for more than simply being a brand-new platform and model. It’s the first product of Ford’s “skunkworks” team at the brand’s Electric Vehicle Development Center in Long Beach, California. More importantly, it will be the debut model for Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle platform.

Ford CEO Jim Farley first revealed the architecture in 2025, promising a family of affordable EVs built around a radically different cost structure. The first vehicle is expected to be a four-door midsize pickup starting at roughly $30,000.

House told investors the project remains on schedule. “We’re on plan for our 2027 launch,” she said, noting that Ford is already validating suppliers, testing prototype vehicles, and evaluating new manufacturing technologies, including megacasting.

Also: Ford Gives A Tiny Glimpse Of The $30K EV Truck Slate Should Be Worried About

The process, popularized by Tesla, can significantly reduce manufacturing complexity and costs. Ford believes those savings will be key to making the new truck profitable at a relatively low price point. “It’s going to be very feature-rich. It’s going to be very tech-forward,” House said. “It’s going to be affordable.”

Ford’s EV business has struggled to generate profits, making the success of this new architecture especially important. If House’s comments are any indication, Ford is betting that this vehicle and platform will turn the tide. We’ll get our first real look at that strategy once those heavily disguised prototypes start appearing on public roads.