It’s official. The new Tesla Model Y Performance is rolling out across most global markets, including the US where it comes in at $57,490, as well as Europe. Buyers get more power, more speed, updated styling, and subtle chassis tweaks.

In Britain, the starting figure is £61,925 (around $75,500), which makes it roughly £10,000 more than the Long Range AWD. In the US, the gap is a little narrower at $8,500. Even so, Top Gear argues that the premium is enough for buyers to think twice before ticking the Performance box.

More: New Tesla Model Y Performance Turns Supercar Thrills Into A Bargain Family Affair

Tom Ford from the famous British auto journal drove the updated Performance variant and found that while it delivers excellent performance, the upgrades don’t make it a must-have. The SUV is unquestionably quicker and sharper, but Ford noted that the standard Long Range already accelerates in under five seconds, offers slightly more range, and costs £10,000 less in the UK.

What extras buy you

The Performance gets a handful of changes to justify that price hike, including staggered Arachnid 2.0 21-inch wheels, red-painted calipers, revised bumpers, and a carbon spoiler. Tesla claims it’s cut drag by 10 percent and lift by 64 percent compared to the original Model Y Performance. It also gets a larger 16-inch infotainment system, carbon interior trim, and sport seats with extra bolstering.

Under the skin, it has a lot going for it on paper. The suspension features reinforced parts, stiffer bushings, and adaptive bits as well. It’s good enough that Ford says it’s “class-leading.” Despite that, the sum of its parts doesn’t end up being good enough for an all-out recommendation. “It’s not night and day better than the standard vehicle,” he says.

Everyday reality check

Drilling down further, he gets into the nitty-gritty of the situation for real, everyday buyers. This is, after all, a relatively (if not slightly pricey) mainstream crossover. It’s not a Model X or another flagship of sorts.

As he put it, “A Y is a family SUV, so more go isn’t needed – the fast stuff makes more sense in, say, a Model 3. And then there’s the fact that the standard all-wheel drive long-range car is still sub-five to 62mph, has a smidge more range, doesn’t look much different, and costs a straight £10k less.”

At this point, it sounds like the Model Y Performance is indeed an upgrade over the Long Range in terms of driving engagement. At the same time, it’s not a leap-and-bound sort of improvement.

Could Tesla have done more?

That’s a bit curious considering a few small things, like perhaps simulated gear shifts and some fun faux exhaust or rev noises might have amped up the fun like Hyundai does with the (a lot) more expensive Ioniq 5 N. We’ll have to wait to test one stateside to make our own determination. Until then, what do you think of the latest high-spec Model Y?

The electric Dodge Challenger hasn’t had the greatest start to life. After middling reviews, low sales, and many reports of problems, things might be getting even worse. According to industry sources, the 800-volt Banshee halo trim is dead before it ever arrives.

More: Ford, GM, And Stellantis Paid Billions To Tesla And Rivian Until Trump Pulled The Plug

Over the past six months, Stellantis has made a dramatic pivot from its EV goals to a more conventional ICE-focused plan. The HEMI V8 is reigning supreme once again with its reintroduction to the Ram 1500, exclusive use in the Durango, and continuation in the Jeep Wrangler. Heck, even the Gladiator might get one.

Strategy in Flux

That makes a report from MoparInsiders indicating the death of the flagship SRT Banshee all the more believable. Suppliers allegedly claim that Dodge has axed the car entirely. Dodge didn’t confirm or deny the decision when we asked for comment.

“Stellantis continues to reassess its product strategy to align with consumer demand”, a press spokesperson told us. “Our plan ensures we offer customers a range of vehicles with flexible powertrain options that best meet their needs. With the great news announced in July that Stellantis is bringing back its iconic SRT performance division, it follows that we are also reviewing the plan for future SRT vehicles.”

Rules No Longer Binding

Undoubtedly, the brand is clearly willing to make big sweeping changes now that EPA regulations basically don’t matter, and as a result, automakers won’t have to pay for carbon emission credits. The all-electric Ram REV is dead, as is the Jeep Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid. What’s one more EV that would’ve cost more than the Charger Daytona already does?

That said, it’s not as if performance at the brand is going by the wayside. The Charger SIXPACK is rolling out and promises a taste of what the Hellcats once offered. The possibility of a V8 Charger feels more plausible than ever, even if it’ll take reworking of the chassis and engine bay. We’ve reached out to Stellantis and will update this piece if we hear anything new. 

Credit: Michael Gauthier / Dodge

Car buyers might be feeling the pinch of limited supply, but Honda’s sales figures show that demand for its lineup remains strong. Together with Acura, the group moved 105,097 vehicles in September, despite tighter inventories across popular models. The real standout was the Passport, which is having its best year ever. On the flip side, Acura’s ZDX, which was recently discontinued after just a single year on the market, struggled.

More: Should The Next Honda Ridgeline Look Like The New Passport?

Total Honda sales reached 95,391 for the month, which is virtually unchanged from last September at just 0.3 percent lower. Looking at the bigger picture, year-to-date deliveries are up 4.1 percent. Passport demand has been a major driver, with sales up 75.5 percent for the year and a striking 108.8 percent for September alone. Nearly 80 percent of buyers are choosing the rugged TrailSport trim, suggesting that Honda’s more adventurous positioning has struck a chord.

SUV Strength

The CR-V continued its domination with over 28,000 sales in September, more than half of which were hybrids, while the Pilot and HR-V chipped in another 20,000 sales combined. On the passenger car side, Honda sold almost 30,000 sedans and coupes in September.

Accord and Civic hybrids made up 47 percent and 36 percent respectively. Electrified models in general set a new monthly record (32,387), thanks in part to the rollout of the Prologue EV.

Acura’s Mixed Bag

Acura, meanwhile, moved 9,706 vehicles in the ninth month of the year. That’s actually a drop in sales year over year of 2.2 percent. The Integra held firm at sales of over 1,500 units. The MDX and RDX combined for over 4,800 deliveries, and the ADX is, according to the brand, “capturing a segment-leading nearly 30% of retail sales”.

On the downside, the ZDX continues to be the white elephant in the lineup, experiencing a 61.3 percent drop in September sales year over year. While that might sound excessive, in cold hard units, that’s a drop from 979 units in 2024 to just 395 this year.

Since the start of the year, Acura has delivered only 11,915 examples. To put that into perspective, Honda has already sold more than three times as many Prologues in the same period. With numbers that lopsided, it is not surprising production of the ZDX has already been cut short.

Faraday Future is back in the news, but not for the reasons it would prefer. Early on the morning of September 28, an early FF91 prototype caught fire in the company’s headquarters. Nobody was hurt, but we can’t say the same for the building, which is now off-limits for workers.

More: This Used Faraday Future FF 91 Sold For $235,000

The Los Angeles Fire Department received a call at 4:37 a.m. about the blaze and managed to extinguish it within 40 minutes, says TechCrunch. Sprinklers inside the building helped slow the fire, but not before an explosion blew out part of a wall. Firefighters had to force entry into the building, and once the fire was out, an inspector red-tagged the property.

Early Prototype Up in Smoke

After the fire, the company quickly moved to temper concerns with a public statement. It stressed that the battery pack wasn’t involved and pointed out that the vehicle in question was an old prototype.

Internally referred to as B40, the company said the car is about nine years old and that “its interior materials do not meet the flammability standards of production vehicles. This beta prototype is entirely different from FF 91 production vehicles, and therefore, we believe this incident will not result in any recall of production models.”

The brand will conduct a full investigation, and for now, they think the fire started due to a short circuit in the showroom wiring itself or a loose connection in the vehicle’s 12-volt system.

Not the First Fire

This isn’t the first time Faraday Future has faced a blaze involving one of its test cars. Back in 2022, another prototype reportedly went up in flames, though few details ever emerged about that event other than a set of photos. For a company already fighting for stability, each incident adds to a growing cloud of doubt.

The latest fire comes at an especially volatile time for the embattled company.

Statement on Fire Incident at Faraday Future Satellite Office Building

In the early morning of Sunday, September 28 (PST), a fire occurred at FF’s satellite office building at our U.S. headquarters. The company attaches great importance to this matter and would like to provide…

— Faraday Future (@FaradayFuture) September 30, 2025

After the FF91 turned out to be a flop, Faraday Future has been working on plans to federalize and sell a Chinese-made van with a screen on its face. In recent months, it’s come under fire for a controversial crypto-related pivot and for allegedly missing payments for the property where the fire happened. The lease ended at the end of September.

While the company says the fire poses no risk to production vehicles, it’s certainly not going to restore trust or confidence in owners, landlords, and shareholders alike. 

Source: Faraday Future, Techcrunch

Ford just posted its seventh straight month of growth and capped off a successful third quarter. It wasn’t just one or two models that did the heavy lifting, either. Not only were traditional ICE vehicles like Bronco, Explorer, and Expedition big hits, but electrified cars, trucks, and SUVs smashed records. Here’s a look at the details.

More: Ford Sold More Than Twice As Many Electric Mustangs As Gas Ones

During the quarter, Ford and Lincoln sold a combined 85,789 electrified vehicles, which include both hybrid and pure battery-electric vehicles (BEV). That’s up 19.8 percent compared to last year, and it made up 15.7 percent of the brand’s sales mix. Last quarter, electrified cars made up just 13.5 percent of sales.

No doubt, some, well, scratch that, most of those sales came from buyers eager to grab a tax credit before it expired on September 30. Ford and GM, however, seem to have found a loophole to keep it alive a little longer, as we reported yesterday.

Battery Gains Build Momentum

That’s backed up in part by the huge gains Ford saw in its BEV sales. It delivered 30,612 EVs in the quarter. That’s a 30.2 percent increase over the same time period in 2024. Leading the way was the Mustang Mach-E, which recorded its best quarter since launching in 2020, climbing 50.7 percent to 20,177 units. The F-150 Lightning also posted a record quarter with 10,005 trucks sold. That’s up almost 40 percent.

Hybrids still make up the majority of Ford’s electrified sales. They accounted for 55,177 sales. The F-150 Hybrid continued its reign as the best-selling full-size hybrid truck in America with 22,212 sales. The Maverick Hybrid continued to dominate the midsize hybrid pickup segment with 63,516 sales, an 11.5 percent increase.

Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, said the results highlight the company’s balance across powertrains. “We saw strong performance in gas, hybrid, and electrified powertrains, while at the same time growing our paid software solutions, all embedded in vehicles such as Expedition, Explorer, and F-150.”

Balancing Old and New

While some big automakers are pivoting around a shifting market, Ford seems on track to move from strength to strength. It’ll likely outsell GM and Stellantis combined with regard to electrified sales this year. And it’s managing that while ICE-powered vehicles see success as well.

Anyone who thought that Audi’s foray into ebikes might be a one-and-done better think again. The German automaker is back with a new ebike designed to crush trails with upgraded components and, somehow, a lower starting price. In fact, at just $5,850, it’s more attainable than some traditional ebikes that aren’t connected to luxury cars.

Built in partnership with Italian motorcycle and ebike builder Fantic, the eMTB 2.0 uses the same aluminum frame as the original Audi eMTB. At the same time, there are some key improvements here.

Read: McLaren Unleashes World’s Most Powerful Trail-Legal eBike Ever

The drivetrain now features a SRAM GX Eagle Transmission AXS electronic derailleur paired with a SRAM XX SL Eagle 12-speed 10-52T cassette for crisp wireless shifting. Braking gets a big boost too, thanks to new EPTA STAGE rotors measuring 220 mm up front and 203 mm at the rear. Sunstar F.I.R.S.T. calipers provided improved control when the trail points downward.

What doesn’t change is the electric motor. It remains a Brose S-MAG 250-watt unit good for up to 90 Nm of torque. A 720-Wh battery pack feeds it power while remaining fully integrated into the frame. Riders can pick from four assistance settings, including eco, tour, sport, and boost. It really feels like at least one of those should’ve been RS.

That said, the eMTB will assist riders up to 20 mph and has a range that could be as little as 12 miles or as much as 90, depending on terrain and effort. Having ridden mountain bikes and eMTBs, that range will be plenty for the vast majority of folks. A small digital display keeps tabs on speed, assist level, and battery status.

This is what riders often call a mullet setup with a 29-inch wheel in the front and a 27.5-inch unit in the rear. That helps with managing big obstacles while keeping the bike nimble. An Öhlins RXF38 m.2 fork and TTX22m.2 rear shock provide 180mm of travel on each end, while Audi even offers some accessories to go with the bike, including a helmet and hydration pack. Deliveries are already underway to some lucky customers. 

When police set up a DUI checkpoint, they’ve got to be ready for just about anything. In between those who may or may not be under the influence, they’ll sometimes find people with warrants or those with illegal items in their car. What they probably never expect is a car with no driver at all. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what they stopped in California last Friday night.

More: Oakland Police Are Towing Teslas To Obtain Crime Scene Footage

According to the San Bruno PD, officers conducting a grant-funded DUI enforcement operation watched as a white Waymo Jaguar I-Pace made an illegal U-turn near the city’s Caltrain station. When it did, officers pulled the car over and, unsurprisingly, found nobody in the driver’s seat.

An Empty Front Seat

The department leaned into humor on social media, posting, “No driver, no hands, no clue. Our citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot.’” In this case, it’s the hands of law enforcement that are tied.

California law doesn’t currently allow moving violations to be issued to autonomous vehicles, so officers couldn’t write a ticket. That said, officers were able to reach out to Waymo’s operations team to report the glitch. In a perfect world, the staff will be able to update the system to never make another U-turn in that spot.

For now, Waymo escaped without a fine, but the stop highlights an issue we’ve seen before. As driverless cars become more common on public roads, law enforcement needs a way to deal with them when infractions happen.

Tickets Without Drivers

The problem isn’t confined to San Bruno. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the city of San Francisco has already seen Waymo vehicles rack up more than $65,000 in fines. At this point, federal regulators are investigating reports just like these with autonomous cars violating traffic laws.

San Bruno officers say their mission hasn’t changed. “Whether it’s drivers, passengers, or even driverless cars,” the department said, “we’ll continue to do our part to keep San Bruno’s streets safe.”

Photos San Bruno PD

In August of 2019, a man driving his Ford Explorer Sport Trac was hit from behind by another driver in a 2019 Tesla Model 3 who was using Autopilot. The Ford’s driver lost control as the truck rolled and his 15-year-old son, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and killed. Just weeks before the case was set to go to trial, Tesla quietly settled the lawsuit that followed.

The Tesla driver, Romeo Yalung, was traveling at 69 mph (111 km/h) in lane three of Interstate 880 in California. Video from the EV shows the driver of the Ford, Benjamin Escudero, signaling and moving into the same lane ahead. Neither Yalung nor the Tesla, which had Autopilot engaged at the time, slowed down to avoid hitting the Ford.

More: Crash Victim Trapped In Burning Tesla Sues Over Door Handles

The lawsuit named multiple parties, not only Tesla and Yalung but also Yalung’s wife, who was in the passenger seat at the time. Over four years, Judge Rebekah Everson had the option to dismiss the case but allowed it to move forward. Now, with trial just a month away, Tesla has reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount.

That might seem like a shock considering some of the surrounding factors. Tesla has a largely victorious record in court when lawsuits about Autopilot or Full Self-Driving (Supervised) come up. Juries and judges have agreed in almost all cases that the person behind the wheel is responsible for driving and not Tesla. In addition, video of the tragic crash certainly calls into question Mr. Yalung’s attentiveness.

That said, this all comes after a Florida jury decided that Tesla was 33 percent liable for another fatal crash involving Autopilot. In that case, the driver of the Tesla hit two people on the side of the road, admitted fault to the police, and said that he wasn’t paying attention when the crash happened. Despite that, the jury awarded the plaintiffs $242 million.

Tesla is now appealing that verdict, but another loss in court could have been damaging. Settling this California case may have been a calculated move to avoid the risk of a repeat outcome.

Sources: Freightwaves, Carcomplaints

A little over two years ago we first heard of the Telo, a pickup truck with qualities and stats that seemingly make no sense. It has four doors, five seats, is all-electric, makes up to 500 horsepower, can go 350 miles between charges, and fits a full 4×8 sheet of plywood in the bed, all while taking up the footprint of a Mini Cooper. This week, it’s reached a new funding goal of $20 million and is one step closer to reality.

Read: $30K Ford Electric Truck Coming In 2027 Is Seriously Bad News For Slate

Announced by Drew from Telo on YouTube, the $20 million concludes what the company calls Series A funding. That cash is going to go into production tooling. The next step after the tooling is set up is to build production-intent prototypes. Telo is also going to expand the team and partner with an existing contract manufacturer.

From Prototype To Reality

Getting the mini truck with a big personality to market will then require federalization, crash testing, and certifications. It’s hoping that state-of-the-art manufacturing, off-the-shelf parts usage, and collaborating with existing manufacturers will not only speed up development but help that $20 million go further than it would otherwise.

One More Thing

We’ve all watched the automotive industry promise a lot and deliver very little. Think of things like the Cybertruck, Faraday Future, Level 3 Driving from Stellantis, and more. Along those same lines, brands have promised specific prices and then ended up having to jack those prices up before launch. Telo might just be the outlier there.

Originally, it was aiming for a starting price of $49,995. Now, it says it’s targeting a starting price of $41,520. That may or may not sound more attainable than Slate’s sub-$20,000 claim for its bare-bone electric truck, which was later adjusted to $27,500 after the federal EV tax credit disappeared.

Either way, that’s only worth believing when and if it actually happens, but it’s noteworthy. Arguably, that price is still too high to get people excited since Federal EV incentives are dead in just a few days.

Nevertheless, should the Telo make it to market, it might just be cheap enough to be an attractive option in a sea of trucks that are too big, too fuel-thirsty, and far more expensive. Of course, if Ford actually builds a $30,000 EV truck, the Telo might find itself without a market.

It👏🏼Fits👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/nQxAUzpIAa

— TELO Trucks (@TELOtrucks) August 11, 2025

It’s official: Acura’s first all-electric SUV is dead. The brand chose to skip the 2025 model year after its joint venture with GM was cancelled in late 2023. Now, the Japanese automaker has confirmed to Carscoops that the ZDX will not return, with production ending immediately. The ZDX lasted just over a year, with assembly having kicked off in March 2024.

The decision also happens to line up with the federal $7,500 EV tax credit winding down in just a matter of days, and comes right after Nissan announced it would also scrap the Ariya EV.

More: Nissan Is Dropping The Ariya EV After 2025

“To better align our product portfolio with the needs of our customers and market conditions, as well as our long-term strategic goals, we can confirm the Acura ZDX has ended production,” an Acura spokesperson told Carscoops.

Setting the Stage for What’s Next

Although the model has reached the end of the road, Acura stressed that the ZDX still laid important groundwork for what comes next. “ZDX has played a valuable role for the Acura brand, and will provide a foundation we will build on next year with the arrival of the all-electric Acura RSX, which will be produced at the EV Hub in Ohio in the second half of 2026, as well as with hybrid-electric Acura models now in development,” the spokesman added.

Read: Acura Delays EV-Only Future, Considers Adding Hybrids

As for current owners, Acura promised that “customers will continue to receive full product support through our dealer network, including service, parts, and warranty coverage.”

The news first emerged earlier today through Car Dealership Guy News, which cited an internal memo distributed to Acura dealers. Until now, though, it had not been formally confirmed.

The ZDX was based on GM’s Ultium platform and shared bones with the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV, as well as the Honda Prologue. Ultimately, it never really took off. Incentives topped $30,000 off MSRP at times and then, Acura skipped 2025 altogether. Suffice it to say, this news isn’t all that shocking.

When the partnership between GM and Honda ended in late 2023, the two brands said it was a mutual decision. “After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment we are ending development of an affordable EV,” said Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda. Despite the death of the ZDX, the brand is clearly pushing forward on some of its EV plans. The all-electric RSX will arrive in the latter half of 2026.

What About The Prologue?

Carscoops can also confirm that the Honda Prologue will continue on. Essentially, it serves as Honda’s primary EV offering until its next-generation electric architecture arrives. The Prologue has enjoyed steadier demand and certainly plays a role in the brand’s long-term EV-only strategy.

Update: Our spies have been busy again, catching the new Ferrari EV prototype out in the wild. The camouflage is still working overtime, but these new angles add a little more intrigue to Maranello’s best-kept secret.

October 9 is shaping up to be an important date for Ferrari. That’s when Maranello is expected to preview the electric powertrain and possibly some sketches for its first-ever EV, although the car itself won’t be unveiled until next year. Dubbed the Elettrica in inner circles, the new model is believed to be a crossover of sorts that slots below the Purosangue in terms of size. That detail is still unconfirmed, and Ferrari’s test mules have only deepened the mystery.

More: Ferrari Secretly Studying World’s Fastest EV Sedan Behind Closed Doors?

So far, prototypes have worn what looks like a Frankenstein blend of a Purosangue and Maserati Levante parts for the shell, making it impossible to pin down the final shape. Now, a new prototype has surfaced. This time, the heavily clad body looks completely different and gives the impression of a breadvan-style silhouette, or at least that’s what it wants us to think beneath all that heavy camouflage.

Breadvan is the name often given to the one-off Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. Built to race at Le Mans, it featured a very unconventional body with a roofline that carried all the way to the very end of the car. The French press of the day called it the “La Camionnette” (little van), and English-speaking journalists translated it as the Bread Van.

Photo Credit: Andrea Canuri for Stephen Hancock

It’s not hard to see the resemblance in the spy shots. Just like that 250 GT SWB, this electric prototype shows a roof that runs flat to the rear bumper and a squared-off rear window with rounded corners. Before anyone gets too carried away, though, a closer look at the images reveals the trickery of the disguise, exposing an angled rear window hiding beneath the cladding.

This is the first time we’ve seen a Ferrari prototype with this particular shape and stance. Every previous sighting of Maranello’s upcoming EV has featured far more curvaceous bodywork, though always wrapped in deceiving test mule panels. With the powertrain reveal scheduled for next month, there’s a good chance Ferrari could slip in a teaser of the car itself, finally giving us a glimpse at its true silhouette

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A post shared by Derek Cornelissen (@derek.photography)

The Current Roadmap

Ferrari has certainly taken its sweet time bringing its EV to market. To the brand’s credit, the company said at the time that it would tell us about its first electric vehicle in 2025, and sure enough, we’re less than a month from that. We expect Ferrari to begin customer deliveries around a year from now. Below are some spy shots we brought you back in May of another Ferrari EV test mule.

Interestingly, while Ferrari has only confirmed development of a single EV, Reuters recently reported that this first model, said to be co-designed by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, is more of a statement piece than a volume seller. Positioned as a “symbolic milestone,” it is expected to cost over $500,000, be produced in very limited numbers, and come in a format larger than the typical Ferrari without straying into SUV territory.

More: Ferrari Just Delayed Its Second EV Because Rich People Can’t Kick Their Combustion Habit

That same report suggests a second EV program, originally projected at 5,000 to 6,000 units over five years, has been delayed to 2028. If true, it suggests Maranello may be hedging its bets, slowing its EV rollout to test the waters of demand while also sending a message to investors that the company isn’t rushing headlong into a market shift that could unsettle long-term returns.

An older Ferrari test mule captured by our spy photographers earlier this year.

Safety has long been central to Tesla’s identity, and the brand often finds itself defending that reputation. While there might be lingering questions around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for years to come, what seems like an open-and-shut book is how these electric cars protect occupants.

More: Family Says Cybertruck Became A Fiery Trap That Killed Driver

Despite many concerns that the Cybertruck would struggle to keep up Tesla’s excellent crash-test rating, it just sailed through IIHS crash testing with flying colors. At the same time, there’s room to improve in terms of headlights and seat belt reminders.

Solid Crash-Test Credentials

Overall, the IIHS gave the Cybertruck a ‘Good’ rating in the updated moderate overlap front test. The rating applies to examples built after April of 2025, when Tesla updated the front underbody structure. The driver dummy showed low risk of injury to the head, chest, and legs. The rear passenger experienced only a moderate risk of chest injury. These results fall in line with the five-star crash-test rating that the NHTSA gave the Cybertruck.

The Cybertruck also aced collision avoidance tests, where it avoided every collision. That includes at 12 and 25 mph during the day and night. It also includes nighttime testing at 25 mph and 37 mph, where the potential obstacle is traveling in parallel with the Cybertruck. Those are great results considering how much concern there was in the past over the way this car might interact with pedestrians.

Lighting Holds It Back

The biggest thing holding the Cybertruck back from a Top Safety Pick award is its headlights. The IIHS says that “systems that create excessive levels of glare on specific road sections do not receive full credit for visibility readings in that scenario.”

Sure enough, the Cybertruck’s lights did create that glare, and they struggled in other areas too. Illumination was found lacking on the left side of the road and when turning left, leaving gaps in coverage. By contrast, the right side met almost every benchmark comfortably, creating an uneven performance overall.

More: Cybertruck Crushes Safety Tests With 5-Star Rating

That all said, this is just one more good mark for EVs when it comes to safety. The Rivian R1T scores even higher than the Cybertruck and earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award in 2024. Last year, it was still a Top Safety Pick as standards became tougher. The only ICE truck to meet that type of score is the Toyota Tundra. If the Cybertruck wants an award, it’ll need to improve its headlight situation, and the IIHS will need to submit it to small overlap and side crash tests. 

Six More EVs Tested

The Cybertruck was not alone in facing the spotlight in this latest round of IIHS safety tests. Six other electric models went through the same moderate overlap front crash test, and most came out well. The BMW i4, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Volkswagen ID.Buzz all earned good ratings, while the Tesla Model 3 was marked ‘acceptable’ due to higher chest-injury risk for rear passengers.

The F-150 Lightning and Ariya fell behind, with the Ford truck posting a poor score after rear dummy readings revealed risks of chest, head and neck injuries, and the Nissan EV receiving a marginal rating for elevated chest injury risk in the back seat.

Beyond crash protection, pedestrian crash prevention and headlight performance played a significant role in the results. The i4, F-150 Lightning, and Model 3 all earned good marks for pedestrian avoidance, with the ID.Buzz rated acceptable and the Blazer holding the same score from earlier testing.

Headlights Prove the Weak Spot Again

Headlights, however, proved to be a universal weak spot. Five of the seven electric models settled at acceptable, while the i4 and Cybertruck were marked down further for glare and poor high-beam illumination. Because of these issues, and the stricter award requirements, none of the seven EVs tested here qualified this time around for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+.

Credit: IIHS

Tesla has fought, and consistently won, court battles over its semi-autonomous Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised). That record changed recently when a Florida jury decided that the EV maker was partially to blame for a crash that ended in a fatality. Now, Elon Musk’s company is pushing for a new trial, arguing the verdict could stifle development of safety technologies.

A Fatal Florida Crash

The case stems from the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed in 2019 when a 2019 Model S slammed into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in Miami-Dade county. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, suffered serious injuries.

More: Over 10,000 Owners Sue Tesla Over This Widespread Complaint

The driver, George McGee, admitted he dropped his phone, took his eyes off the road, and believed the car would brake on its own. At the same time, he conceded that he was negligent and placed too much trust in the car.

Jury Finds Tesla Partly Liable

Despite that, a jury found Tesla 33 percent liable, awarding $42.5 million in compensatory damages and a staggering $200 million in punitive damages. Jurors were reportedly swayed by the plaintiffs’ argument that Tesla overstated the capabilities of Autopilot, even as the company repeatedly warned drivers to stay alert and keep their hands on the wheel. According to CarComplaints, Tesla admits that the whole thing was a tragedy but says it was entirely the fault of McGee’s “extraordinary recklessness.”

Tesla Pushes Back

In its filing, the company said “No other car in existence would have stopped when the driver was telling it to ‘go.’” Tesla argued that McGee was “reckless in the extreme by ignoring or overriding every safety feature in his car,” including by pressing the accelerator pedal, which overrides the system’s cruise control and braking functions. There’s no question that this is a sticky situation, but Tesla makes a few interesting points.

“For as long as there have been cars, there have been reckless, self-absorbed drivers like McGee,” Tesla said. “Those drivers should face every legal consequence for their wrongful conduct. Holding Tesla liable for providing drivers with advanced safety features just because a reckless driver overrode them cannot be reconciled with Florida law. That rule would impede the development of safety features, deter progress, and cost lives both now and in the long run.”

The Bigger Question

Ultimately, all of this seems to stem from the nomenclature and advertising of Autopilot. Were it called something else and marketed differently, it would seem more difficult to blame Tesla at all. The automaker is asking the judge to either order a new trial or reduce the damages, a move that will weigh driver responsibility against driver-assistance technology. The outcome could make a huge impact in the future of automakers and their relationship with autonomy.

The Jeep Wrangler hangs its reputation on its ability to go just about anywhere. Of course, that reputation is also why it’s a popular choice for those buying Power Wheels electric cars for kids. Put an adult in the Barbie Jammin’ Jeep Wrangler from Power Wheels and it turns out that there are plenty of places the vehicle can’t go. In the case of this story, rush hour traffic, to be specific.

More: This Not-So-Serious Fake G-Class Sold For Seriously Real Money

On September 5, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers found a man piloting a Barbie Jeep down Fifteenth Ave near Nicholson Street. They stopped him, and he revealed that he wanted a Slurpee but “got lazy,” so he borrowed his roommate’s kid’s Barbie Jeep to make the trip.

As pointed out by Road&Track that brought the story to our attention, the man, 40-year-old Kasper Lincoln, reportedly showed signs of impairment and had a suspended driver’s license.

Over the Limit at 5 MPH

According to CBC News, officers administered two breath tests and confirmed that he was over the legal limit at the time. Let me remind you, it was morning, specifically, 9 a.m. The string of excellent decisions here is uncanny. For example, the Barbie Jeep in question is capable of no more than 5 mph (8 km/h). Only kids aged 3 to 7 are supposed to pilot it, and at most, it should carry no more than 130 pounds.

@cbcbritishcolumbia A Prince George, B.C., man was pulled over by police after driving a child-size pink toy Barbie Jeep along one of the city's main roads. CBC's Andrew Kurjata has more on the joy ride that made the rounds online. #princegeorge #barbiejeep #dui #britishcolumbia #cbcnews ♬ original sound – CBC British Columbia

Lincoln, who was wearing a shirt that reportedly read “Let’s Do It The Dumbest Way Possible.” Likely exceeded the weight limit and likely reduced both the intended speed and range of the toy. As such, it’s questionable whether or not he would’ve even made it to his destination and back without having to drag the toy along at some point.

He told the news station that he had no idea what he was doing was illegal and that he used the sidewalk for most of the trip before getting stopped. At this point, his driver’s license is now suspended for a further 90 days beyond the initial suspension he was already under. He’s also got a court date for December, where he’ll face a charge of prohibited driving. 

H/T to Road&Track

The automotive industry never stops changing, but 2025 has been unlike most as Donald Trump’s policies have changed the way automakers are doing business. The elimination of federal tax credits for electric vehicles is a major move on its own. Paired with the removal of penalties for missing fuel economy targets under CAFE regulations, the result is a playing field with entirely new rules.

The immediate winners are the combustion-heavy brands that can now focus on selling trucks and SUVs without financial punishment. On the other side, Tesla, Rivian, and other EV specialists stand to lose billions, not because demand for their cars will collapse, but because a critical source of revenue has been pulled out from under them. At the center of the storm is an Environmental Protection Agency that appears to be working against the mission printed on its own website.

Cash Flow Reversal

Since 2022, GM has spent some $3.5 billion buying regulatory credits, says Bloomberg. Ford and Stellantis have spent billions as well. That cash went to brands like Tesla and Rivian, which had plenty of credits to sell since their cars emit zero emissions. With the end of EV tax credits and CAFE fines for breaking regulations, Ford, GM and Stellantis can pour the money they would’ve spent on credits back into their own piggy bank.

Read: Millions Hate This Fuel Saving Tech So EPA Wants To Get Rid Of It

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the policy shift has the “potential to unlock a multibillion-dollar opportunity,” noting that the Blue Oval is already retooling its Oakville, Ontario, plant to build Super Duty pickups instead of EVs.

GM is also cutting back on EV production, opting to overhaul factories for gasoline-fueled models. Stellantis, meanwhile, has gone so far as to revive the thirsty Hemi V8 engine, something previously thought dead in the age of electrification. With all of these changes, death might now be coming for some EV brands.

Trouble Ahead For EV Startups

Not only does the end of tax credits make purchasing an EV less palatable for many, but it also means that brands which used to benefit from selling tax credits now need to readjust to the new reality. Smaller brands, though, might be in big trouble. For example, Slate’s trucklet looks almost pointless with a starting price near $30,000 as the EV tax credit was vital to its success.

Even larger brands like Tesla and Rivian have leaned on the pure profit they’ve gained by selling regulatory credits. That money likely won’t be coming back anytime soon and that’s because the EPA seems willing to do just about anything the Trump Administration deems reasonable.

A Mission Ignored

It states plainly that its mission is “to protect human health and the environment.” Love them or hate them, electric vehicles are probably better at that than combustion cars. In fact, the EPA itself has an entire page dedicated to debunking the myths so many like to perpetuate surrounding them.

Things like “EVs are worse for the climate than gas cars,” “EVs are unreliable,” and “EVs will collapse the power grid.” Furthermore, J.D. Power is one of many sources that indicate that when all costs are considered, EVs are cheaper to buy, maintain, and own long-term when compared to combustion cars.

No one argues that people should be forced into one type of car. Choice matters. The government shouldn’t force anyone into a specific car or truck. But supporting policies that improve human health and the environment is what the EPA literally says it’s supposed to do.

By supporting Trump’s rollback of strict fuel economy standards and regulations, the agency is doing the exact opposite of its own mission statement. It’s clearing the way for automakers to build more polluting vehicles, burn more fuel, and erase billions in total consumer savings. If the EPA won’t uphold its own mission, it seems that nobody will. 

Credit: Ford / GM / Slate / EPA

When firefighter Max Walsh saw smoke rising in the distance, he figured he was sprinting toward yet another car fire. As a firefighter, he’d seen plenty of them, but this time, he was actually headed into a nightmare. The Tesla Model Y engulfed in flames after a crash didn’t have damage to its door latch, but it wouldn’t open anyway. The dead electrical system meant that even the conscious passenger in the front seat couldn’t unlock the doors.

The quirks of Tesla’s flush handles, and the risks when they fail, have been examined in detail by Bloomberg journalist Dana Hull, who reported extensively on how the design can turn dangerous when the car loses power.

Tesla didn’t pioneer flush, power-operated door handles, but it certainly helped them push into the mainstream. EV automakers often tout that they look better and reduce drag and the design has spread across the market from the Ford Mustang Mach-E to the new Nissan Leaf and the Kia EV6. The tricky bit is that when the low-voltage battery dies, whether it’s because of a crash, a fire, or something else, the electric door poppers die too.

Read: How To Get Out Of A Tesla If It Loses Power And You Become Trapped Inside

Carscoops has brought you countless examples of this issue across several different brands. Something kills the power to the car in question, and it leaves occupants, owners, and sometimes rescue workers scrambling to get the doors open. In multiple crashes, from a deadly Cybertruck fire in California to a Model S blaze in Wisconsin, victims have allegedly been unable to escape. Again, the real kicker is that Tesla isn’t alone in this issue.

Not Just A Tesla Problem

Ford recently recalled the Mustang Mach-E for handle-related defects, and we’ve reported several cases of owners getting locked out, or in some cases locked in, because of dead batteries. Fisker faced a similar issue with the Ocean before going belly up. A woman in a Rivian R1S called 911 and was ‘stuck’ in her SUV for 45 minutes when it bricked on the side of the road while smoke wafted into the cabin. In fact, the issue dates back over a decade.

In 2015, 72-year-old James Rogers and his pup, Leia, both passed away while in a Chevrolet Corvette. According to reports from the time, it was Rogers’ dream car. Once again, the battery died. Those who found Rogers and Leia tried to get in but couldn’t. When they finally did, both had succumbed to the heat inside the car. Making things even more tragic is the fact that the man evidently didn’t realize that the manual release for the door handle was inches away…

Manual Releases Are A Perfect Solution

In most of these cases with coherent occupants, the reality is that, just like in the case of Mr. Rogers, safety is usually one very close manual door handle pull away. There are still big issues to overcome, though. First, so many individuals have no idea where the manual door release is or how to access it. But knowledge isn’t the only concern. What happens when the occupant is incapacitated, say after a crash, as was the case when Walsh arrived at the burning Model Y?

Also: New Lawsuit Might Force Ford To Change Mustang Mach-E Door Handles

The front passenger, Susmita Maddi, was pinned by the airbags that had gone off. “It’s the most horrible thing, to see a human burning,” Walsh told Bloomberg. “If I was able to open the doors, I could have gotten them both out before the fire department even got there.” Maddi made it out alive but not without first suffering life-changing injuries. She inhaled fumes that did permanent damage to her lungs, but worse yet, she received third-degree burns to her face.

“Sometimes it is very depressing to see my face,” she says. “Who is this? I wouldn’t recognize myself. Is this what I am now? It took many months and many nights of crying to come to this stage.” She’s suing Tesla and claiming that the doors pose an unreasonable safety risk. “Buying a Tesla was the worst decision of our life,” Maddi says.

A Push For Change

Right now, China is reportedly considering a ban on flush door handles. The nation says that they’re unsafe and could soon require automakers to have at least partially exposed exterior handles and manual releases inside the car. Again, it’s not a perfect solution, but it could influence cars everywhere since several automakers consider China to be one of their biggest available markets.

QOTD: Should Governments Mandate Turn Signal Stalks And Intuitive Manual Door Handles?

Design can be deadly, as is clearly the case here. No doubt, even mechanical door latches can fail, but electric ones can add a layer of complexity when every second counts. Whether or not China‘s potential intervention ends up happening is yet to be seen. For now, anyone with electric door poppers should make themselves well aware of the manual release and how to use it in an emergency. It could very well make the difference between life and death.

The automotive industry never stops moving, and the latest on Toyota proves it. The Japanese automaker is reportedly moving production of the next Lexus ES from the U.S. back to Japan. On the flip side, it’ll begin building two new electric SUVs, including one that’ll likely carry the Land Cruiser name, here in Kentucky.

More: Toyota’s Lineup Overhaul Could Include A Surprise Sedan And Electric Highlander

This shouldn’t come as a wild surprise because Toyota has hinted at an electric Land Cruiser for a few years. In addition, sedan sales are slowing in the States while crossovers and SUVs continue their trend of popularity. To that end, by focusing on building and selling SUVs in the States, rather than sedans, Toyota can also avoid tariffs on its most popular models.

EVs Based On Familiar Nameplates

According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters, the upcoming EVs “will be based on the Land Cruiser and RAV4”. While the phrasing suggests they could be directly derived from those models, it’s also possible the source meant they may simply carry those names, even if the underlying vehicles differ.

The Land Cruiser Se concept, first shown in 2023, lines right up with an electrified version of the popluar off-roader. It was a sleek, three-row EV designed to complement the retro-inspired two-row Land Cruiser currently on sale here in the States as well as the larger 300 series model in overseas markets.

See: This Is The New Toyota FJ Cruiser You’ve Been Waiting For

Another, though less likely, candidate for the Land Cruiser name is the long-rumored compact SUV often referred to as the FJ Cruiser. Given its size, it doesn’t seem suited for a three-row layout. Regardless, reports suggest it could be offered with both electric and hybrid powertrains. Toyota teased a shadowy image of the model a couple of years ago and more recently filed patent images believed to show the production version.

RAV4 EV Could Be Key

The second model, described as a three-row RAV4-based electric SUV, may prove even more crucial for the brand’s strategy. The RAV4 is America’s third-best-selling vehicle so far this year. A family-sized EV positioned closer to the familiar RAV4 branding could give Toyota’s electric lineup the boost that the bZ4X hasn’t. If an electric RAV4 can be anywhere near as popular as the gas model, it’ll be a huge win.

Lexus Production Shifts

On the other hand, Toyota will shift production of the next-generation Lexus ES back to Japan, a move the company first hinted at in 2021. With tariffs in play, we’re not sure if the decision makes sense today, but it may also reflect Toyota reading the market and recognizing the continued decline of sedan sales. Meanwhile, production of the Lexus TX will stay in Indiana, where the same factory is also expected to increase output of the Grand Highlander.

Would you be interested in an electric RAV4 or Land Cruiser? Tell us your thoughts below!

The Trump administration urged global automakers to “build it in America”. The Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions did exactly that, pouring billions into US battery factories to power the EV transition.

More: ICE Storms Hyundai’s Georgia Plant Detaining Hundreds In Massive Immigration Raid

Then, last week, immigration officials raided a Georgia plant where the Korean group was working to ramp up production. The sweep led to the arrest of nearly 300 Korean nationals, triggered a diplomatic clash, and put projects across the country on hold.

Visa Trouble At The Factory

The raid saw the arrests of almost 500 individuals allegedly in the States illegally. Now that the dust has settled, it turns out that around 300 were Koreans in the country under ESTA or B-1 visas. These programs allow short-term business activity such as equipment installation and training. In other words, the workers were helping to get these plants up and running.

While some may have exceeded their visa limitations, others were lawfully present to help launch the facilities that the administration clamored for. According to Bloomberg, the move hasn’t just shaken things up at the Georgia factory, it’s also caused several plants to shut down. That’s because Korea is sending a plane to the US on Wednesday to bring home all detained workers. The CEO of the company is personally joining the trip.

“To see their employees treated like this, to the point of being banned from visiting the U.S. again, companies would feel humiliated and ashamed,” Chang Sang-sik, head of the Korea International Trade Association’s International Trade and Commerce Research Center, told the news outlet.

Engineers On Edge

According to Chang, top engineers are usually the first ones shipped over to get factories humming, but he warned that after this mess, convincing them to go stateside will be a hard sell, no matter how much pay or prestige is dangled.

“Unless there are clear guarantees that workers won’t face such a situation, it will be even more difficult for companies to invest in the U.S. going forward,” he said.

A worker who’s navigated the short-term visa process called it “completely unrealistic” to replace South Korea’s seasoned battery experts with fresh U.S. hires. He told Bloomberg that these projects depend on homegrown specialists to launch plants before American crews can keep them running. After the raids, he added, there’s no way he’d return without airtight paperwork.

Billions At Risk

The Georgia facility is just one piece of a much bigger LG Energy buildout. Other plants in Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio are supposed to start operations next year to supply Hyundai, GM, and Honda. At this point, those plants are reportedly stalled. LG has evidently told all workers and contractors in the US under the ESTA or B-1 visa program to return to Korea.

When and if they’ll come back is the big question now. Without them to be the vanguards of plant production ramp-up, billions could disappear into thin air. Since this goes against the Trump administration’s stated goals, we can’t help but wonder whether the raid was a wise idea…

When Audi discontinued the TT, demand for sports cars was very limited and, for a time, no replacement was in sight. However, a successor is finally on its way. The brand’s striking Concept C is “90 percent there” in terms of production planning, according to the four-ring brand’s CEO. Evidently, it’ll roll into showrooms in 2027, along with fake gear shifts and faux five-cylinder noises. Here’s everything we just learned from Audi’s boss.

For those who haven’t being paying attention, the Concept C that made its world premiere this week showcases Audi’s big new design direction. It’s a mix of mostly straight angular lines with a few soft curves here and there. CEO Gernot Döllner said that it’s something in between the TT and the R8, and that’s an apt description of the car from the looks of it.

Beneath the surface, it shares close ties with Porsche’s next 718 EV, a project that is still in development though running behind schedule.

Read: Audi’s Concept C Previews A Porsche-Linked Sports Car Coming Sooner Than You Think

What’s truly interesting, though, is what Top Gear got out of Döllner at the Munich motor show. There, he confirmed that “It’s a fully-functional concept, street legal, you’ll drive it soon.” There’s still one glaring omission, however: a name.

A Car Without a Name

According to Döllner, development moved so quickly that the team didn’t have time to settle on branding.

“It’s not a successor to the TT – it will not have the TT name. We were so fast in developing the concept, we didn’t have time to find a name, so called it Concept C,” Döllner said. “To be honest, it could start with an R or be a name. Sometimes it’s easier to develop a car than find a name for it,” he continued.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Virtual Gearbox Plans

That’s not the only new detail. The upcoming production car will almost certainly have a virtual gearbox. “We found that a virtual gearbox and sound really add something to driving an electric car. Even on the racetrack, I’m faster with a car with a virtual gearbox,” he told the magazine. “We’re developing it, I think we’ll have one. The company is quite open to finding innovative solutions in this area.”

Also: Mercedes Boss Says Audi Concept C’s Interior ‘Looks Like It Was Designed In 1995’

Those innovations may extend to sound as well. Döllner hinted that Audi could simulate the iconic growl of its five-cylinder turbo engine, a nod to enthusiasts who still mourn its slow fade.

When asked about the lifespan of the engine that lives under the hood of the RS3, Döllner confirmed that it’ll die at some point soon as Audi will not update it for the Euro 7 emission regulations. On the flip side, he did say “maybe it will come back virtually.” We can’t think of a better car for it than whatever the Concept C turns into. 

Could The R8 Return?

As for the possibility of a new R8 built on the Lamborghini’s Temerario‘s hybrid V8 twin-turbo platform, surprisingly, that door hasn’t been closed. “Of course there’s room for another car, but we need to go step by step. First of all I have to focus now on our core segments and carry this new design language to series production cars,” Döllner explained.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Stellantis has had a lot going on lately. While the headlines have mostly circled around the return of the Hemi V8, the company hasn’t slowed its march toward electrification. A recently published patent outlines a system designed to manage torque between three electric motors and an additional torque source. That extra source appears to be a gasoline engine, which suggests Stellantis is laying the groundwork for new extended-range EVs.

The patent in question, WO/2025/184156, describes solving a three-dimensional optimization problem to balance torque delivery across each motor and the generator while keeping the battery charged. Essentially, it’s a roadmap for controlling a highly complex EREV platform.

More: Breakthrough EV Battery Patent Could Charge In Minutes And Cross A Continent

Filed by FCA US LLC (yes, Stellantis is still using FCA officially for its North American operations) and published on September 4, 2025, the document represents the first time we’ve heard about this tri-motor EREV configuration from the automaker. The claim itself is very focused on the technical challenges, coordinating multiple drive units and generator output, but the potential application is what we find exciting.

Where Could It Fit?

What could this powertrain end up in? The folks over at CarBuzz think the next-gen Ram pickup is the most obvious answer. The Ramcharger already uses an EREV setup, and a tri-motor version could make for something capable of rivaling the Tesla Cybertruck but with more range. It could potentially tow more, too. Still, we think there could be a better application.

In China, the Maeextro S800 pairs three electric motors with a 1.5-liter turbo generator for up to 1,333 km (828 miles) of combined range, and the Yangwang U8 uses four individual wheel motors plus a 2.0-liter engine to deliver supercar-level performance and nearly 1,000 km 640 miles) range.

A New Chrysler Flagship?

This could be Chrysler’s opportunity to return with a statement vehicle. The brand currently sells only minivans and hasn’t had a proper flagship since the 300. A new Imperial equipped with a sophisticated tri-motor EREV powertrain could mark a dramatic re-entry into the luxury space, positioning Chrysler with something distinctive in a crowded market.