Ford is being sued over missing safety tech in 2024 F-150 Lightnings.
Plaintiffs claim Ford misrepresented features listed on window stickers.
Company offered $100 refunds, but owners say that barely covers losses.
Ford’s electric pickup has long been seen as a bellwether for mainstream EV demand, but the latest news surrounding it has little to do with torque or battery range. Instead, the company now faces scrutiny of an entirely different kind inside a courtroom.
Ford is being sued in the United States over claims that certain 2024 F-150 Lightning models advertised with a Forward Sensing System were delivered without it. The lawsuit alleges that customers have “incurred damages” due to the missing safety feature and that the company’s efforts to make amends have fallen short.
Missing Sensors or Missing Disclosure?
The class action, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California, argues that the window stickers on 2024MY F-150 Lightning models clearly state the vehicles are equipped with the Forward Sensing System, which includes several parking sensors on the front bumper.
Ford reportedly notified U.S. dealerships on March 31 that every 2024 F-150 Lightning advertised with the system was actually built without it. The company subsequently began contacting customers, offering a $100 refund to address what it described as a window-sticker error.
What the Plaintiff Claims
The plaintiff named in this new lawsuit, Ibrahim Lunawadawala, contends that the refund offer is negligible, pointing out that installing equivalent aftermarket sensors would cost substantially more. The filing states that Ford “has been unwilling to provide adequate compensation to aggrieved consumers.”
“Plaintiff Lunawadawala has suffered an ascertainable loss because of Ford’s misrepresentations, including but not limited to, diminished value of his vehicle and other consequential damages,” the lawsuit continues, as cited by Carcomplaints.
Production Pause and Broader Troubles
This legal development arrives just weeks after Ford confirmed it had indefinitely paused production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, redirecting resources toward gas and hybrid models instead.
The decision was made not just to address falling sales of the model, but also because of a huge fire at a Novelis aluminum plant in Canada that supplies Ford with the aluminum it needs for all F-150 models.
The Rivian R1T Quad Motor Max Pack hits 60 mph in 2.6 seconds.
It is faster than a Cybertruck, Raptor R, and Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
This is a 7,000-lb truck that embarrasses sports cars on the strip.
It’s been clear for years that electric vehicles aren’t just efficient, they’re mind-blowing fast. Now, Rivian is proving it all over again with a truck that weighs over 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) once the driver jumps in.
Results from a fresh independent test make it hard to argue otherwise: the R1T Quad Motor Max Pack is astonishingly fast. So fast, in fact, that it can line up against the 655 hp Corvette E-Ray hybrid in a drag race and come away even. Just think about that for a second.
How Fast Is It Really?
The folks over at Car and Driver just managed to sprint from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in the R1T in just 2.6 seconds. That’s the exact same time that the Tesla Cybertruck managed, but past 60 mph, the Rivian leaves the angular Tesla for dead.
By 70 mph (113 km/h), the R1T is already ahead of the Cybertruck, and by 100 mph (161 km/h), it’s 0.9 seconds out in front. When the Rivian crosses the quarter mile, the Tesla is still 0.6 seconds behind despite weighing less.
In the end, the Rivian covers the standard quarter mile in just 10.6 seconds, crossing the line at 128 mph (206 km/h). Yes, that’s a ten-second truck, and it’s as wild as it sounds. That figure represents a huge leap forward, at a full 1.1-second and 17-mph improvement over the previous-generation quad-motor version.
The fact that the automotive world now produces something like this shows just how far things have come since the Fast and Furious era first imagined it.
This level of performance comes from a massive 1,025 horsepower (764 kW) and 1,198 lb-ft (1,625 Nm) of torque. By comparison, America’s everyday supercar in hybrid form, the Corvette E-Ray, pairs a 6.2-liter V8 with an electric motor for a combined 655 hp (488 kW) and 594 lb-ft (806 Nm).
Today, the R1T Quad Motor Max Pack is quick compared to just about everything. The Corvette E-Ray, initially touted as the quickest of its kind, can do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. By the time it gets to the end of the quarter mile, the Rivian has actually caught it and tied it exactly down to the trap speed.
Few Gas Cars Can Follow
If we get away from electrified sports cars and look at gas-only options, very few cars in the world come even close to keeping up. The Ford F-150 Raptor R needs 3.6 seconds to get to 60 mph. The standard Corvette Stingray needs 2.8. A Porsche 911 GT3 RS needs 2.7.
Put simply, the R1T can do what just about every other car on earth can do, short of tow things a long long way without refueling or, you know, escape a simple fender bender without being a write off.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner faces $12K bill after bottle spilled water.
Company denied warranty, citing damage from an external factor.
State Farm also refused coverage, claiming gradual wiring corrosion.
Most drivers think spilling a bottle of water in their car is annoying at worst. Maybe you get a damp carpet and some condensation on your windows. Maybe your floor mats start to smell like a gym bag.
What you probably do not expect is a repair bill that costs more than a used Honda Civic. But that’s exactly what happened to one Hyundai driver.
Mike McCormick was driving his Ioniq 5 on the freeway in Florida when a traffic snarl-up ahead forced him to hit the brakes. That move sent a water bottle in one of the rear cupholders flying forward and eventually to the floor, where its contents found their way into some wiring harness connectors, though it’s not clear if the bottle’s cap was on, off or somewhere in between at the time.
Within a few minutes of the water bottle performing its base jump, McCormick noticed various warning lights come up on the dash. Then the turn signals stopped working and by the time he got home he couldn’t shut the car off.
How One Bottle Became a Bill
After inspecting the two-year-old EV, a Hyundai dealer told him the underfloor and under-seat wiring harnesses would both have to be replaced. Annoying, but how much could a few wires cost, right? The answer is a whole lot, as the bill ballooned to a crazy $11,882.08.
And according to the company, the damage was caused by an “external factor,” and not a factory defect, meaning McCormick was on the hook for the whole repair cost.
Okay, you’re thinking, go to plan B: insurance. He tried that too, and State Farm denied his claim, suggesting that its investigation showed the damage to the wiring harness had occurred over time, rather than as a result of the one water bottle spill. Talk about rock and a hard place.
Why So Fragile?
WFTV Channel 9’s report on the story highlighted the vulnerability of the Ioniq 5’s wiring harness below the Ioniq 5’s seat by referencing another owner who was left with a five figure bill for new harnesses after a dealer found his had frayed.
And that’s not the only unexpected bill some of the EV drivers have come across. If you want to replace your own brake pads on the sporty Ioniq 5 N, maybe after a track day, you need access to special software and tools that can cost thousands of dollars. Some owners suggest cheaper unofficial workarounds, but those come with inherit risks, including the possibility of voiding your warranty or creating even costlier problems if anything goes wrong.
Do you think Hyundai or the insurance company should pay for the repairs to McCormick’s EV, or is it right that he’s being forced to foot the bill? Leave a comment and let us know.
Multiple media sources are quoting Ukrainian officials saying they attacked the two sanctioned shadow fleet tankers off Turkey on Friday. Turkey had...
Researchers have found that ongoing thyroid hormone imbalance in pregnancy may be linked to higher autism risk in children. Treated thyroid disorders did not show the same effect. The longer the imbalance lasted across trimesters, the more the risk appeared to rise. The study underscores the need for consistent thyroid monitoring.
Researchers studying thousands of canine genomes discovered that wolf DNA is still present in most dog breeds. This ancient genetic influence shows up in traits like body size, behavior, and environmental resilience. Even dogs bred far from wolves, including tiny chihuahuas, carry detectable wolf ancestry. The findings highlight how deeply intertwined the histories of dogs and wolves really are.
Nearly a century after astronomers first proposed dark matter to explain the strange motions of galaxies, scientists may finally be catching a glimpse of it. A University of Tokyo researcher analyzing new data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected a halo of high-energy gamma rays that closely matches what theories predict should be released when dark matter particles collide and annihilate. The energy levels, intensity patterns, and shape of this glow align strikingly well with long-standing models of weakly interacting massive particles, making it one of the most compelling leads yet in the hunt for the universe’s invisible mass.
Scientists have reconstructed the most complete and lifelike profile of Edmontosaurus annectens thanks to an extraordinary preservation process called clay templating, in which a thin clay film captured the dinosaur’s skin, scales, spikes, and even hooves in three dimensions. By combining newly excavated “mummies,” advanced imaging, and artistic reconstruction, researchers revealed a tall crest, a single row of tail spikes, delicate pebble-like scales, and—most remarkably—the earliest known hooves in any land vertebrate.
Quantum communication is edging closer to reality thanks to a breakthrough in teleporting information between photons from different quantum dots—one of the biggest challenges in building a quantum internet. By creating nearly identical semiconductor-based photon sources and using frequency converters to sync them, researchers successfully transferred quantum states across a fiber link, proving a key step toward long-distance, tamper-proof communication.
Millions face Medicare decisions each year, but many don’t take advantage of tools that can save them money and stress. Insurance marketing often overshadows unbiased options like SHIP, leaving people unaware of better choices. Comparing real costs—not just premiums—can prevent unpleasant surprises, especially when provider networks or drug rules change. New assistance programs for low-income adults offer valuable help for 2026.
Scientists found that RSV infection early in life can set the stage for childhood asthma, particularly in kids already genetically prone to allergies. The virus appears to skew the developing immune system toward exaggerated responses to everyday allergens. But when newborns were protected from RSV, asthma development was prevented. The results point to a powerful added benefit of RSV prevention tools now being rolled out globally.
The discovery of strange, ultra-red objects—especially the extreme case known as The Cliff—has pushed astronomers to propose an entirely new type of cosmic structure: black hole stars. These exotic hybrids could explain rapid black hole growth in the early universe, but their existence remains unproven.
With load growth projections all over the map and politicians zeroing in on high electricity prices, I take a step back in this audio essay to ask how we should build the grid in the face of massive uncertainty. The answer lies in modular, distributed technologies that strengthen the system regardless of whether the AI bubble eventually bursts.
President Donald Trump speaks during an executive order signing in the Oval Office on Feb. 11, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump said Friday he will try to reverse any law, pardon or still-in-effect executive order that former President Joe Biden signed with an autopen, though it wasn’t immediately clear how that would work or whether it would be legal.
Trump declared in a social media post that any documents Biden signed with the autopen are “hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.”
“I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally,” Trump alleged. “Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to a request for the list of documents Trump believes he has the ability to rescind based on the manner they were signed.
States Newsroom also asked the Trump administration if officials believe the president would need to sign an executive order in order to implement his social media post.
Experts dismissed earlier autopen challenge
The post was similar to one Trump published in March when he claimed any pardons Biden signed with the autopen were void, something legal experts said at the time was “absurd” and a “red herring.”
Trump brought up his frustration with autopen use again in June when he ordered the White House legal counsel and U.S. attorney general to investigate when and why Biden administration staff used an autopen.
Trump said during an Oval Office appearance at the time he hadn’t found any evidence Biden aides violated the law.
“No, but I’ve uncovered the human mind,” Trump said. “I was in a debate with the human mind and I didn’t think he knew what the hell he was doing. So it’s one of those things, one of those problems. We can’t ever allow that to happen to our country.”
Biden and spokespeople working for him have repeatedly said he knew what official documents were being signed in his name and rejected claims that White House staff used the autopen without his authorization or knowledge.
Biden released a statement in June following the Trump memorandum, saying the investigation “is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden wrote at the time. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
While presidents have regularly rescinded their predecessors executive orders, usually within their first few days or weeks in office, Congress would very likely need to act in order to alter or eliminate any laws that Biden signed with an autopen. Trump seeking to overturn a law, or part of a law, unilaterally would likely lead to a lawsuit over whether he holds that power.
Trump doesn’t cite legal authority
It also wasn’t immediately clear what legal authority Trump believes he has as president to undo pardons if Biden used an autopen to sign the documents.
David Super, a constitutional and administrative law professor at Georgetown University, told States Newsroom in March that “the Constitution does not require signatures for pardons. It simply says the president has the power to pardon.”
“So if President Biden wanted to simply verbally tell someone they’re pardoned, he could do that. It wouldn’t have to be in writing at all,” he said. “Administratively, of course, we want things in writing. It makes things a lot simpler, but there’s no constitutional requirement.”
A small memorial of flowers and an American flag outside the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C., near where two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot on Nov. 26. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced Friday it has charged the man who allegedly shot two National Guard members earlier this week with first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died as a result of her injuries.
Other charges include three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
The attack shocked the country and has led to a renewed discussion about immigration policy as well as the war in Afghanistan and how the country withdrew during the Biden administration.
President Donald Trump announced late Thursday night he intends to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” though he didn’t specify which countries would be included or exactly how such an order would be implemented.
Trump wrote on social media he plans to “remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
The post came just hours after U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from injuries she sustained during a Wednesday shooting a couple of blocks from the White House. The other victim, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained hospitalized in critical condition. Both were West Virginia National Guard members.
The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who worked with United States forces, entered the country on Sept. 8, 2021, as part of Operation Allies Welcome, according to a statement from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
No details of immigration proposals
The White House press office declined to say Friday which countries would have their residents barred from entering the United States under the new order, referring back to the president’s social media posts, which did not include a list.
“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump wrote. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Thursday afternoon statement the administration would pause immigration applications for Afghan nationals.
“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” she wrote.
The Trump administration will also review “all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration,” McLaughlin said, saying those cases required more vetting.
Biden Afghanistan policy blamed
In a separate post, Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for allowing the alleged shooter into the country.
McLaughlin echoed that sentiment.
Lakanwal “was paroled in by the Biden Administration. After that, Biden signed into law that parole program, and then entered into the 2023 Ahmed Court Settlement, which bound (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) to adjudicate his asylum claim on an expedited basis. Regardless if his asylum was granted or not, this monster would not have been removed because of his parole.”
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, following two decades of war that began as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has been widely criticized.
Many of the Afghan nationals who aided the United States and allied countries were left behind as the Taliban quickly regained control.
The nonprofit #AfghanEvac, formed in August 2021 to help resettle Afghan refugees, criticized the administration’s proposal to indefinitely halt the processing of immigration requests from Afghans.
“Our allies are under attack today because of the actions of one deranged man. Those actions should not be ascribed to an entire community,” the organization posted on social media late Thursday.
In a lengthier statement issued Wednesday following the shooting of two National Guard members, the organization’s president, Shawn VanDiver, said #AfghanEvac “expects and fully supports the perpetrator facing full accountability and prosecution under the law.”
VanDiver continued: “AfghanEvac rejects any attempt to leverage this tragedy as a political ploy to isolate or harm Afghans who have resettled in the United States.”
Motive unknown
Lakanwal had been residing in Washington state and drove across the country before the shooting, according to Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Officials investigating the shooting have yet to release a possible motive.
Lakanwal was granted asylum in the U.S. in April, according to reporting by many media outlets, including NPR.
The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm for States Newsroom the date Lakanwal was granted asylum.
FBI Director Kash Patel, left, at a press conference on Nov. 27, 2025, looks at photos of the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot in Washington, D.C., the previous day. They were identified as Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Sarah Beckstrom, 20. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — West Virginia National Guard member U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, one of the victims of a shooting near the White House, died Thursday, President Donald Trump said.
“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us.”
Trump, who was speaking with members of the military via video, said she was “magnificent in every way.”
A White House official said Trump spoke with Beckstrom’s parents on Thursday night.
U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of Summersville, W.Va. , died on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, after she was shot while on mission as a member of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Joint Task Force-District of Columbia)
The other victim, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, underwent surgery and remained hospitalized in Washington, D.C., in critical condition.
“The other young man is fighting for his life,” Trump said.
Earlier Thursday, federal law enforcement officials examined evidence collected from the home of the alleged lone gunman, who drove to the nation’s capital from Washington state to target the troops, officials said.
They did not disclose a motive for the attack in a busy area of offices and retail just blocks from the White House, the day before Thanksgiving.
Beckstrom and Wolfe underwent surgery and were hospitalized after the suspect allegedly shot them in broad daylight Wednesday, according to Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
A military press release said Beckstrom, of Summersville, was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade. Wolfe, of Martinsburg, was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, of Martinsburg, W.Va., was shot on Nov. 26, 2025, while on mission with the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Joint Task Force-District of Columbia)
Wolfe entered service on Feb. 5, 2019 and had been on orders in the district since the beginning of the mission in August. Beckstrom entered service on June 26, 2023 and also had been in the district since August.
“Their families are with them now. They are critical. I think you understand the meaning of that,” Pirro told reporters at a Thursday morning briefing.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan refugee who worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, is currently facing three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, Pirro said, adding the charges are “appropriate” for now.
“It’s not clear, you know, how this is going to end up. But let me be perfectly clear about how it will end up in this office if one of them is to pass. And God forbid that happens, this is a murder one (charge). Period. End of the story,” Pirro said.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Thursday morning the Department of Justice will seek the death penalty if either of the guard members succumbs to their injuries.
Bondi said Beckstrom had volunteered to work over the holiday.
Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, commanding general of the National Guard in the District of Columbia, told reporters, “Regardless of the outcome, we know that their lives, their family life, their families’ lives are all changed forever because one person decided to do this horrific and evil thing.”
Pirro said the suspect “drove his vehicle across the country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital.”
Trump mobilized 800 National Guard members to the district in August, on the grounds of a “crime emergency,” despite a nearly 30-year low in violent crime in the city.
Some of the guard troops were instructed they would be carrying service weapons while deployed in the district, according to an Aug. 17 report in the Wall Street Journal.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday the administration will send an additional 500 National Guard troops to the district.
Fellow guard troops responded ‘immediately’
Shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, at 17th and I streets NW, near the Farragut West Metro station, Lakanwal allegedly shot the first guard member, then “leans over and strikes the guardsman again,” Pirro said, not identifying which member was initially struck.
Lakanwal then struck the second guard member “several times,” she said.
“Fellow guardsmen who were there responded immediately, engaging the suspect, neutralizing the threat, and subduing him at the scene. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains as we speak, under heavy guard. Thanks to the swift and coordinated response of the National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department, no additional victims were harmed, and the scene was secured within minutes,” Pirro said.
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, said the agency searched Lakanwal’s home last night in Bellingham, Washington, seizing multiple electronic devices and interviewing family members. Patel said the suspect is believed to have five children.
The gun Lakanwal used in the attack, a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, is being analyzed at the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, Patel said.
Patel said the FBI is also interviewing interested parties in San Diego but would not provide further details on the “ongoing investigation.”
A ‘relationship’ with ‘partner forces’ in Afghanistan
Patel told reporters that he spoke to CIA Director John Ratcliffe Wednesday night and obtained “confirmation now that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” Patel said.
Patel would not answer reporters’ questions about whether and when Lakanwal had been granted asylum in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s request for a timeline.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement Wednesday night confirming Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 8, 2021, as part of the Operation Allies Welcome.
The program was established after the U.S. military’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan “to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, as they safely resettle in the United States,” according to Department of Homeland archived information.
Noem did not provide any further information on Lakanwal’s asylum process.
The administration announced Wednesday night it will immediately halt any immigration requests from Afghan nationals.
Lakanwal had worked with a CIA-backed military unit in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, Fox News reported Wednesday night. The CIA did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.
Guard deployment in the courts
Last week, a District of Columbia federal judge found the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in the city illegal. However, Judge Jia Cobb paused her order for three weeks to give the Trump administration time to remove the guard members along with appealing her ruling.
More than 2,000 members of the guard have remained in the district, and are expected to stay until the end of February, according to Cobb’s order.
The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in an emergency motion to intervene.
A pedestrian lifts his bike over snow piles after a storm in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo is among the older industrial cities where residential properties have drawn interest from corporate investors. (Photo by John Normile/Getty Images)
As corporate ownership of residential property across the country rises nationwide, researchers from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Center for Geospatial Solutions, which is housed at the institute, warn this rising trend has complicated the housing market for first-time buyers.
According to a joint “Who Owns America” report, nearly 9% of residential parcels in 500 U.S. counties are owned by a corporation. The concentrations exceed 20% in some cities, including St. Louis, Missouri; Harrisonburg, Virginia; and Franklin, Ohio.
Researchers told Stateline they define “corporate ownership” as any rental property held under a formal business entity, whether a single-property LLC or large institutional investors such as Blackstone. They also track three factors: whether the owner is a business entity, whether it is based in- or out-of-state, and the size of its housing portfolio.
Roughly 2% of residential lots are owned by out-of-state investors. Investors have shifted their capital to older industrial metros such as St. Louis, along with Buffalo, New York, and Akron and Toledo in Ohio, where rents are rising and vacancy rates are extremely tight.
Although corporate owners currently hold a modest share of all residential parcels nationwide, their footprint is expanding steadily, said Reina Chano Murray, associate director at the Center for Geospatial Solutions.
“Corporate ownership may look small on paper, around nearly 9% across the counties we studied, but that share is steadily increasing,” said Chano Murray. “Even if corporate owners don’t make up a huge percentage right now, the trend line is clear. They’re growing.”
This past year, states took a major step in attempting to use legislation to rein in corporate ownership of rental homes. According to an August report by the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, lawmakers in 22 states have introduced such legislation in 2025, including in California, New York and Texas. Cities in Indiana have capped the percentage of single family homes that can be rented in a neighborhood.
AEI, however, believes the issue of corporate land ownership is a “narrative [that] is not supported by empirical evidence,” highlighting that less than 1% of institutional investorship is in residential property, according to its report.
Earlier this year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, proposed a 75-day moratorium on institutional or corporate investors buying single- and two-family homes to disincentivize those groups from buying up housing stock at the cost of individual buyers.
Washington state lawmakers have floated caps on how many units a single investor may own. In 2024, Colorado enacted a law that gave cities a right of first refusal on some multifamily property sales. Locally, some redevelopment authorities in Cincinnati and Minneapolis are using their own capital to compete, by directly acquiring and preserving single-family homes for low- and moderate-income buyers.
The impact of corporate residential ownership, researchers at the Lincoln Institute say, is most severe for first-time buyers, who are increasingly outbid by cash offers from well-endowed investors.
“For first-time homebuyers, it’s a double whammy. Units are being removed from the marketplace, and investor competition is driving up prices,” said George McCarthy, president and CEO of the Lincoln Institute. “Cash-only transactions make up nearly a third of single-family sales this year, and those aren’t families with briefcases full of cash.”
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Hilux BEV could prove popular with mining companies in Australia.
Toyota confirmed the electric Hilux will cost more than diesel models.
A 59.2 kWh battery powers twin electric motors producing 193 hp/
Earlier this month, Toyota pulled the covers off its long-awaited battery-electric Hilux, built on the thoroughly reworked ninth-generation platform. While powertrain specifications for the model have been released, Toyota has yet to confirm pricing, saying only that it will be “attainable.”
The complete list of markets where the Hilux BEV will be sold is unclear, but we do know that Australia will be among them. Local buyers will see the Hilux BEV arrive in the first half of 2026, with Toyota initially targeting fleets rather than private owners.
Large mining operations are expected to be the main customers, given the suitability of electric drivetrains for underground work.
Pricing Expectations
While recently speaking with local outlet Drive about the new truck, Toyota Australia vice president for sales and marketing Sean Hanley acknowledged the Hilux BEV will “be dearer than the diesel cars we’ve got right now.”
Prices for the new Hilux equipped with the mild-hybrid diesel engine will start at AU$65,990 ($42,800), and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the BEV could add AU$15,000 ($9,700) to that figure, meaning this model could be positioned near the top of the Hilux range.
“We know this is not going to be our biggest seller, but it’s got to be competitive and affordable for those that want it, so it’s got to be attainable,” Hanley added.
“There’s no point putting it out there if it’s going to be a hundred grand (AU$100,000), you know what I mean, like maybe you’re referencing. It’s got to be achievable, it’s got to be attainable.”
Toyota has equipped the Hilux BEV with a small 59.2 kWh battery pack and dual electric motors delivering 193 hp. The pickup has a quoted range of just 149 miles (240 km).
A Niche Future
Despite some interest from private buyers, Hanley is realistic about where this model fits. He describes it as a niche vehicle, built with clear intent rather than broad market ambition.
“Where this will appeal will actually be mining – massively. Again, I don’t wanna sit here and say to you ‘it’s gonna take the world by storm and volume’. [It’s] not going to do that. It’s not meant to do that. That’s not why we’re launching it,” he said.
Still, he admits there could be some crossover appeal. “There is a niche market out there where we can put this car, and in mining it will be, I think, our biggest target market. Now, that’s not to say some tradies may not want it. They may… it’s possible.”
Ford F-Line E debuts as an all-electric heavy-duty truck in Europe.
Top-spec 6×2 version packs four 98 kWh batteries and 523 hp.
Smaller 4×2 variant uses three packs with a 315 hp electric motor.
While Ford has walked back some of its more ambitious electric vehicle goals lately, the company is still pushing forward with notable investment and new product launches.
The Ford Truck division’s first-ever, production battery-powered creation, however, isn’t something customers will find parked at their local dealership. Instead, it’s a dedicated all-electric rig called the F-Line E.
Ford Trucks operates as the heavy-commercial arm of Ford Otosan, the long-running joint venture between Ford and Turkey’s Koç Holding. The partnership oversees the design, engineering, and production of tractors, construction vehicles, and heavy-duty haulers serving markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Production of the F-Line E will take place under Ford Otosan, with the model making its first appearance at the Solutrans fair in France, displayed in both 4×2 and 6×2 configurations.
The largest of the available models has no fewer than four 98 kWh nickel manganese cobalt batteries, making for a combined 392 kWh or a usable 314 kWh. Ford says this is enough to give the F-Line a driving range of up to 186 miles (300 km).
Power is provided by a single electric motor at the rear wheels with 415 hp and 1,010 lb-ft (1,370 Nm) of torque during regular driving, but capable of producing up to 523 hp and 1,821 lb-ft (2,470 Nm). The 6×2 model also supports peak charging speeds of up to 285 kW.
By comparison, the smaller 4×2 version has three battery packs and a combined capacity of 294 kWh or 235 kWh usable. It also relies on a less powerful motor with 315 hp and a peak of up to 389 hp.
Ford says this version can travel up to 155 miles (250 km) on a single charge. Peak charging speeds on the 4×2 are capped at 213 kW. Both the 4×2 and 6×2 models are capped at 56 miles (90 km/h).
Built for Work
Ford Trucks positions the F-Line E as a flexible platform suitable for delivery fleets, municipal operations, and various vocational applications, including garbage collection. The truck’s modular design allows operators to tailor it for specific roles without major reconfiguration.
Alongside the F-Line E, Ford also revealed the updated F-Max at the same event. Significantly larger and powered by a revised 12.7-liter engine for 2025, the F-Max promises to trim fuel costs by 11 percent, showing that Ford’s commercial lineup isn’t going all-in on electrification just yet.
Chinese automakers debut budget EVs under $21,000 to expand abroad.
Falling EV prices spark fears of excessive competition and lower profits.
BYD and Great Wall Motor report 30 percent profit drops amid price cuts.
Chinese automakers are steering the electric era into a new phase, flooding the market with low-cost EVs and plug-in hybrids at the Guangzhou Motor Show.
With prices starting between 100,001 yuan ($14,100) and 150,000 yuan ($21,100), this new generation of vehicles sends a message that’s hard to miss: China intends to own the mass market for electrification.
According to Nikkei Asia, many of China’s biggest automakers are getting ready to export these budget-friendly newcomers. For Western legacy brands still wrestling with production costs and emissions targets, those prices don’t signal healthy competition so much as the opening act of a global price reckoning.
Several new EV and PHEV models took the stage at the show, among them the Leapmotor A10, which is expected to start around 100,000 yuan ($14,100) and head for export worldwide. The company’s Lafa 5 electric hatchback is set to launch at roughly the same figure.
Nio made a strong impression with its Firefly, shown for the first time in right-hand drive. Priced around 100,000 yuan ($14,100) in China, the Firefly will enter 17 new markets next year, reaching into Central America and beyond. GAC joined in with its Aion i60, a range-extender SUV starting at 109,800 yuan ($15,500).
Price Wars Continue
The Chinese automotive industry has been in a price war for the past few years, and there are no signs of cooling, as carmakers feverishly battle to gain market share. The lower end of the market is proving to be an especially fierce battleground, Nikkei Asia reports.
During the first nine months of this year alone, 2.35 million EVs and plug-in hybrids priced between 100,001 yuan ($14,100) and 150,000 yuan ($21,100) were sold in China. That makes it the nation’s largest market segment, up from fewer than 1.5 million in the same range last year.
By contrast, models priced between 150,001 yuan and 200,000 yuan ($21,100–$28,200) have held steady at around 2.3 million sales.
There has also been significant growth in even more affordable NEVs. The number of vehicles sold in the $11,300 – $14,100 and $11,300-or-less price brackets has doubled to over 1 million units.
While the growing number of affordable models is good for Chinese customers, it’s hurting the automakers themselves. During the July-September quarter, BYD’s net profit fell 30 percent, its first decline in four years. Great Wall saw a similar hit, with profits falling 30 percent despite a 20 percent rise in sales.
Exports, meanwhile, are accelerating. Over the first three quarters of this year, Chinese brands shipped 1.75 million EVs and plug-in hybrids abroad, an astonishing 89 percent increase from the same period last year.
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