There’s something uniquely American about building an SUV with insane straight-line performance and then expecting it to hustle like a sports car. The Escalade-V and its unrelated Escalade IQ electric sibling may be two of the most gloriously excessive vehicles Cadillac sells today. Both deliver supercar levels of power, which makes the obvious question hard to resist.

More: There’s Only One Way A Mustang Dark Horse Can Beat A BMW M4 Like This

Curious to see which one is actually quicker, Edmunds lined them up for one of its U-drag races. Watching these two dinosaur-sized SUVs subjected to hard launches, heavy braking, and tight turns feels surreal and just plain absurd in the best possible way.

Gas V8 Power Versus Electric Surge

On paper, the Escalade-V and IQ are closely matched, even though their powertrains could not be more different. The V is powered by Cadillac’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8, producing 682 hp and 653 lb-ft (885 Nm) of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that drives all four wheels.

By contrast, the Escalade IQ relies on a pair of electric motors and a substantial 212 kWh battery pack. In standard form, it delivers 680 hp and 615 lb-ft (834 Nm) of torque. Switch it into Velocity Max mode, and those figures climb to a healthier 750 hp and 785 lb-ft (1,063 Nm).

The Escalade IQ needs this additional grunt to somewhat offset its insane heft. Whereas the combustion-powered V weighs around 6,300 lbs (2,857 kg), depending on configuration, the IQ weighs in at 9,100 lbs (4,127 kg), making it one of the heaviest passenger vehicles currently on sale.

Read: 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL Is Long, Really Long

That weight difference shapes the entire contest. In a straight line, instant electric torque can mask mass for a moment, but physics always keeps score. The U-drag format, with its hard launch, heavy braking, tight turn, and sprint to the line, exposes not just power but how well each SUV manages it.

During the first test, the V8-powered version got the jump off the line. After the U-turn, however, the transmission struggled to find the right gear, and the hesitation cost the Escalade-V its lead. That opened the door for the electric IQ to surge past and cross the line several lengths ahead.

Also: When A Super Venom Mustang Shows Up, Hellcats Turn Into Pussycats

Things were closer in the second race. This time, the electric model had the best launch, although the V regained some of that lost time under braking. The duo was neck-and-neck as they raced to the finish, but the IQ just ran out of puff at the top end, allowing the V to narrowly win.

Modern vehicles may be packed with advanced engineering and clever design, but even a minor fender-bender can sometimes trigger catastrophic repair bills. If you own a Rivian R1S or R1T, you might want to keep your fingers crossed that one of the rear quarter panels is never damaged. If it is, repair costs can climb past $50,000, prompting some insurers to write off vehicles that, at least on paper, could be repaired.

An R1S owner recently took to Reddit to share the bill shock he experienced after someone hit his wife’s SUV while it was parked. A photo posted on the forum shows a large dent in the rear quarter panel, along with damage to the wheel and, as it turns out, the frame and suspension too.

Read: Paintless Dent Removal Magician Saved Rivian R1 Owner From $41k Bodyshop Invoice

In the grand scheme of things, the damage does not appear catastrophic. You might reasonably assume the repair would run a few thousand dollars. That assumption would be wrong.

An authorized Rivian repair facility quoted the owner $53,736 to fix this R1S, or more than half the MSRP of a 2026MY that in this configuration, retails for around $100,000. Of that sum, $29,856 is attributed to labor alone. Insurance would cover close to $40,000, leaving the owner responsible for a little over $14,000.

Why Does It Cost So Much?

It appears much of the cost is related to the complexity of replacing the quarter panel, as it can’t simply be removed and replaced with another. Previous cases of similar damage indicate that much of the SUV’s interior must be stripped and that most of the R1S’s side must be removed, cut, and reassembled. In some cases, it’s been reported that the panoramic glass roof may also have to be removed.

Things can be even costlier for owners of R1T models, as the rear-quarter panel is even larger and stretches up and over the side windows, ending at the A-pillars.

According to the owner, “replacing the quarter panel is the majority of that cost. No motor battery or frame damage”. Some commenters questioned the reference to frame damage because the repair quote specifically mentioned it in one line item. The owner, however, clarified that “the side of the vehicle is considered an integral part of the frame”.

He also explained that “suspension work was quoted as 13 total hours of labor vs. about 250 hrs total. So roughly thats 5% of the price”, adding that this was “one of the top Rivian certified shops in our area, who Rivian themselves recommended”.

Also: Can You Believe This Rivian R1T Damage Repair Cost $21,000?

Without a more detailed breakdown, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. Still, this is hardly the first time we’ve seen excessively high Rivian repair costs, including a $21,000 estimate for what was described as a relatively minor backup incident.

A Pattern Of High Repair Bills

While this particular example appears to involve underlying damage, which may justify more extensive work, the total still sounds steep. In cases without structural or deeper damage, more affordable solutions do exist.

More: Rivian Owner’s DIY Repair Saves Thousands After Mishap And Teaches Us A Lesson

Many paintless dent removal specialists have repaired similar quarter panel damage for a fraction of the quoted insurance repair cost, restoring the panel rather than replacing it. Just pray that you don’t damage the taillight too.

Winter has a way of exposing weaknesses, and in Norway it does so without mercy. A group of 24 of the newest and best EVs were recently subjected to one of the most demanding range tests imaginable in the depths of Scandinavia’s winter, and it was an American made EV that came out on top.

Read: 90% Of Vehicles Sold In Norway Last Year Were Electric

Conducted by Norwegian publication Motor as part of its biannual El Prix winter range program, the evaluation set out to measure how bitter cold affects real world driving range, and some of the findings are striking.

How The Test Was Conducted

Held twice a year, in winter and in summer, the drive follows a predetermined route. This time, 24 EVs were evaluated in temperatures that dipped as low as -24°F (-31°C), the coldest conditions recorded in the test event’s history and well below previous editions, when temperatures rarely fell under 14°F (-10°C).

For much of the global population, numbers like these might as well belong in weather reports from another planet. Still, they provide a useful stress test. As in previous El Prix runs, each car was driven along the set route until it could no longer maintain the posted speed limit.

The Winners

Coming into the test, the Lucid Air had the highest quoted WLTP range of 960 km (596 miles). In Motor’s winter run, it covered 520 km (323 miles) before the battery was fully depleted. On the other hand, while that figure was higher than any of the other cars evaluated, it is still 46 percent lower than the claimed range.

In terms of outright driving range in the frigid conditions, the Mercedes-Benz CLA also performed well, driving 421 km (261 miles), or 41 percent less than its claimed 709 km (440 miles) WLTP figure. Other strong performers included the Audi A6, which traveled 402 km (250 miles), the BMW iX with 388 km (241 miles), and the Volvo ES90 with 373 km (232 miles).

Two Ways To Look at Numbers

Total driving range, though, is not the most revealing part of the story. What stands out more is how much, or how little, each car’s range shrinks in the cold. By that measure, the MG 6S EV and Hyundai Inster led the field, with their ranges falling just 29 percent from their WLTP claims. They recorded 345 km (214 miles) and 256 km (159 miles), respectively.

A second Chinese MG also performed well, namely the IM6, with its range falling 30 percent from a claimed 505 km (314 miles) to 352 km (219 miles). The KGM Musso was another strong performer, seeing just a 31 percent drop in its range from 379 km (235 miles) to 263 km (163 miles).

At the other end of the scale, the Opel Grandland matched the Lucid Air for the steepest decline, surrendering 46 percent of its claimed range in the cold. The Volvo EX90 was not far behind with a 45 percent drop, while the Tesla Model Y and Suzuki eVitara each gave up 43 percent. The Skoda Elroq and Mercedes CLA also struggled to contain losses, both finishing with a 41 percent reduction.

Cold EV Test

Motor.No

January tested the resilience of China’s auto market, exposing fault lines for some brands while spotlighting the rare breakout success. Many domestic manufacturers reported sales declines, with BYD among the most notable names to feel the squeeze. Yet even in a cooling climate, certain models found remarkable momentum. None more so than the Xiaomi YU7.

The all electric SUV, positioned as a rival to the Tesla Model Y and styled with more than a passing resemblance to the Ferrari Purosangue, was the best-selling new vehicle in China last month.

Read: This Ferrari SUV Lookalike From China Makes More Power Than The Real One

According to figures shared by Autohome, it moved 37,869 units, comfortably ahead of the Geely Boyue L in second place with 34,176 sales. The Geely Geome Xingyuan followed with 29,007, while the Aito M7 secured fourth with 26,454 units.

The presence of two Geely models in the top 5 best-sellers reflects a strong month for the group, with sales up 1 percent year-on-year to more than 270,000 units. The M7 from Aito, backed by Huawei and Seres, also surged in popularity, as did other models from the brand, helping it deliver more than 40,000 vehicles, a surge of over 80 percent from January 2025.

Sales of the YU7 in China have remained strong in recent months. December saw 39,089 units sold, making it the third best selling new car in China at the time. That figure represented a clear rise from November’s 33,729 and October’s 33,662.

It has also moved decisively ahead of the Tesla Model Y, selling more than twice as many units. The Model Y ranked only 20th last month, with 16,845 sales, a result that would have seemed unlikely not long ago. In fact, it was China’s best-selling model in December.

Familiar Names Climb The Charts

Perhaps the biggest surprises came from Volkswagen. It ranked fifth in China’s top 20 best-selling cars last month, led by the Sagitar with 25,316 units sold. VW also sold 23,481 Lavidas, 21,330 Tiguan Ls, 20,799 Passats, and 19,306 Magotans. In addition, the Nissan Slyphy sold 24,209 units, indicating that not all hope is lost for legacy carmakers in the country.

Things weren’t so rosy for BYD. It sold 205,518 vehicles in China last month across its brands, a significant decline from the 300,538 in January 2025. Only one of its models entered the top 20, the Fang Cheng Bao Ti7, which ranked 18th with 17,116 units sold.

China New Car Retail Sales January 2026

Sources: Autohome, Carnewschina

The Chinese government is stepping up efforts to end the price war among local car manufacturers following a sales decline in the first month of the year. In what is the government’s most drastic step yet, there will be a cap on how low automakers can price their vehicles.

Newly-released guidelines from the State Administration for Market Regulation explicitly ban companies from setting prices below the cost of production as part of their efforts to monopolize the market and squeeze out competition.

Read: China’s EV Boom Is Cooling, And The Big Names Are Feeling It

According to the China Automobile Dealers Association, the price war has caused up to 471 billion yuan ($68 billion) in lost output over the past three years. Market sales dipped by their fastest pace in almost two years in January, declining 19.5 percent year-on-year.

Sales fell by an even more considerable 36 percent from December 2025 to January, plummeting from 2.2 million units to 1.4 million, CTV News reports.

Some analysts predict that domestic demand for new cars in China will fall this year, with sales potentially dropping by up to 3 percent. However, Chinese car companies may offset this by exporting more vehicles to overseas markets. BYD, for example, aims to export 1.3 million battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles this year, up from 1.05 million last year.

The Chinese market regulator has warned that companies that don’t comply with the new rules may face “significant legal risks,” although it didn’t reveal what actions could be taken.

Supplier Payment Cycles Slashed

This new ban on setting prices below the cost of production isn’t the only measure being taken to quell the price war. Tighter government oversight has led many major automakers to reduce their supplier payment cycles from an average of 300 days to under 60 days.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, many Chinese car brands have frequently extended payment cycles to keep cash reserves, enabling them to ramp up research and development. The new government oversight appears to be helping.

“The results showed government intervention worked, as the automotive groups feared they could face severe punishment if they failed to operate in compliance with the authorities’ requirements,” chief executive of the Shanghai Mingling Auto Service consultancy Chen Jinzhu said. “Without delayed payments to suppliers, they will not have sufficient cash on hand to sustain discount wars.”

In the space of just a few months, Audi has moved from teasing a China only concept to testing the finished product. Shortly after the first photos of the China only AUDI E7X surfaced, the company released a fresh image of its mid size electric SUV undergoing cold weather testing in China.

While several of Audi’s electric models in Western markets have felt stale and predictable, this one from its all-caps AUDI sub-brand for China looks like a real threat to the country’s homegrown EV powerhouses.

Read: The New AUDI E7X Looks Nothing Like The Audis You Know

The design of the E7X is virtually identical to the E SUV Concept that AUDI presented at last November’s Guangzhou Auto Show. As such, it looks very similar to the E5 Sportback, albeit in the form of a high-riding crossover. Finished in a deep shade of purple and pictured driving on the snow, there’s no denying that it’s a head-turner.

The new image confirms that the front end will include an illuminated AUDI badge, with the intricate LED daytime running lights sweeping across the entire fascia. Created in partnership with Chinese juggernaut SAIC, the E7X is quite imposing, but should look right at home in some of the country’s bright and bustling cities.

Like the E5 Sportback, the E7X includes a prominent LiDAR poking out from the roof, as well as a set of digital wing mirrors. Details released in December by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed that the digital mirrors will be optional, with traditional mirrors offered as an alternative.

At the rear, the lighting theme continues. An AUDI badge glows red, framed by LED taillights that wrap around the tailgate. There’s also a prominent split rooftop spoiler to aid in aerodynamics.

Powertrain Options

In terms of power, the electric E7X will have plenty. The entry-level model will use a rear-mounted motor with 402 hp, and an all-wheel drive version will also be available, fitted with dual motors to deliver 671 hp.

Shoppers will be able to choose between a 100 kWh battery and a 109.3 kWh unit, both compatible with an 800-volt electrical architecture. The E7X’s driving range will vary between 615 km (382 miles) and 751 km (466 miles), depending on the motor and battery configuration, as well as different wheel sizes.

The E7X measures 198.8 inches (5,049 mm) in length, 78.6 inches (1,997 mm) in width, and 67.3 inches (1,710 mm) in height, with a wheelbase stretching 120.5 inches (3,060 mm). That makes the production model slightly smaller and shorter than the original concept, though the overall proportions remain close.

More details about the E7X, including the all important pricing, are expected in the coming months.

Like so many other car manufacturers, Volvo’s line-up is becoming increasingly dominated by crossovers and high-riding SUVs, but there’s hope for those who like sedans and estates. According to the Swedish carmaker, the new SPA3 platform for the EX60 offers the flexibility to support low-slung vehicles.

The new underpinnings, which debut in the EX60, have been created in such a way that battery capacity doesn’t determine the height of the vehicle. This is an important distinguishing point between it and the EX90 and ES90’s SPA2 platform, which is an adapted version of the combustion platform.

Read: Volvo Just Gave Its Three-Row EV A Huge Upgrade

In an interview with Autocar, Volvo’s chief technology officer Anders Bell explained that SPA3 enables future EVs to stay closer in width and height to their combustion counterparts. Without having to stretch dimensions just to fit large battery packs, the platform avoids compromising interior space.

Bell added that over 7 kWh of battery capacity can be shifted ahead of the front wheels, opening up more possibilities for weight distribution and design flexibility.

That flexibility comes from a clean-sheet rethink of the platform’s fundamentals. “We can make [cars] high. We can make them low,” said Bell. “It’s all in scalability, and this is unlocked by removing the combustion engine, the exhaust, fuel tanks and everything from the equation, and finding new ways to build up the bone structure and the scalability of the platform.”

Whereas adapted combustion platforms force battery packs to sit entirely between the axles, SPA3 gives designers more room to work with. Cells can now be placed ahead of the scuttle, using more of the floorpan without compromising crash safety or vehicle dynamics.

New Designs Are Now Possible

This means that “in a lower car, you can depopulate cells in the rear footwell, because this is actually what sets the lowest height of a car: the rear-seat passenger.” He noted that many current EVs based on ICE platforms look like baby SUVs because the cars must be raised to accommodate a flat battery pack between the wheels.

By pushing modules ahead of the windscreen, Volvo also creates space for what Bell calls “foot garages.” Similar to those found in the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-tron GT, these recessed floor sections allow for lower seating positions. The result is an EV interior that feels more like a traditional car, with lower rooflines and more natural driving ergonomics.

According to Bell, the new architecture gives Volvo the option to build just about anything it wants. “We can do low. We can do sleek. We can do high. We can do MPVs… It’s all in the cookbook. What we choose to do, however, is a different story.”

A New S60, or V60?

While Volvo wouldn’t reveal what kind of low-slung cars it might have in the works, Bell reiterated it can now go “very low, like proper low,” adding “you can achieve this fantastic bandwidth so we can make super-sleek cars, like there’s no battery pack that affects the height of the roof.”

In theory, this could mean electric versions of sedans like the S60 or S90 could be possible, as well as estates like a new V60 and V90. Such models could look a whole lot more appealing than the ES90, which is Volvo’s current closest car to an electric sedan, but actually sits as high as a crossover because of the ICE-derived underpinnings.

Ford has never been shy about making big, attention-grabbing bets. Sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don’t. In early 2022, the company announced it was splitting its automaking operations into two distinct branches: Ford Blue, handling traditional combustion vehicles, and Ford Model e, dedicated to EVs. At the time, it sounded like a smart move, especially with EV demand climbing fast.

That optimism, however, hasn’t quite paid off. Fast forward four years, and Ford’s huge investments in EVs have come back to bite it. In its latest financial results, the automaker disclosed that the Model e division posted a staggering $4.48 billion loss in 2025. Worse, those losses are expected to continue mounting, even after canceling several planned EV projects.

Read: Ford Got The Loan And Built The EV Battery Plant. Now Everything’s Falling Apart

Earlier this week, Ford revealed its electric car business will likely lose between $4 billion and $4.5 billion this year, and will continue to lose money through at least 2027 and 2028.

Speaking on a conference call following the earnings report, Ford CFO Sherry House stated the company is not aiming for a breakeven point for the Model e brand until “around 2029.”

Tallying The Fallout

In the four years since the Model e division was established, Ford lost more than $16 billion. That’s an extraordinary amount of money, particularly when you consider that the only electric cars it currently sells in its home market are the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit, following the early demise of the F-150 Lightning.

Combustion Still Carries The Load

According to The New York Times, Ford’s losses in electric vehicles were offset last year by stronger performance from its combustion-powered lineup and commercial vehicle sales. Those segments generated enough revenue to support an adjusted earnings total of $6.8 billion before interest and taxes. Ford expects those numbers to climb in 2026, projecting earnings between $8 billion and $10 billion.

Read: Farley Just Realized $55K EV Trucks Don’t Sell, After Ford Made Sure That’s All It Sold

One of the earliest signs of Ford backtracking on EVs came last year when it confirmed production of the F-150 Lightning had been halted indefinitely.

Still, there’s a sliver of hope for those holding out for an electrified truck. The next-generation F-150 Lightning is in the works and will feature a range-extending powertrain that combines electric drive with a combustion engine backup, offering over 700 miles of combined range.

After a string of high-profile crashes in the US and overseas, automakers are facing increased scrutiny over something as basic as door handle design. Once a simple mechanical feature, door handles have become unnecessarily complicated with the rise of electronic systems.

Companies like Tesla and Rivian are facing significant criticism for where they’ve located the emergency interior mechanical door releases if electronic issues prevent the buttons from working. Rivian’s solution for second-row passengers is particularly bad in the R1T and R1S, as they need to remove a large black plastic panel and then reach in to pull a cable to release the door.

Read: Rivian’s New $45,000 EV Is Coming By June

Is the upcoming Rivian R2 any better? Not really. A handful of tech YouTubers recently had the chance to check out pre-production versions of the R2, and JerryRigEverything has provided us with our first look at the R2’s mechanical latches.

Trouble In The Second Row

The latch in the front row is quite simple. Positioned on the underside of the floating storage compartment is a little black plastic handle used to open the doors in emergencies. It’s similar to what’s found in the R1T and R1S, although the emergency releases on those models are larger and easier to identify.

Then there’s the rear. The release is in the same position as the one up front, but bizarrely, passengers have to remove a small plastic cover and then pull a cord, just like they do in the R1 models. The only upside is that the placement has changed slightly for the better.

If you have to give your backseat passengers a tutorial on something as basic as opening the doors in an emergency, the design isn’t clever, it’s flawed. Why Rivian didn’t just carry over the simpler front-door setup is anyone’s guess, but it comes across as needless complexity at best, or cost-cutting by reusing the same flawed design at worst.

Is An Update Happening?

There had been some talk of changes. Rivian was reportedly reworking the R2’s emergency releases in response to incidents involving drivers trapped in burning Teslas. But based on this early look, it doesn’t seem like any major improvement has been made compared to the R1 models.

Although, as this example was a pre-production model, it’s possible that things will be changed for production. Or at least, that’s what we hope.

More: China Officially Bans Pop-Out Door Handles, And The World May Follow

Rivian isn’t alone here. Beyond Tesla, unsurprisingly the poster child for controversial design choices, even Ford has run into trouble with the Mustang Mach-E’s door latches.

And it’s not just the inside of the car that’s raising concerns. Exterior pop-out door handles have created so much controversy that China has decided to ban them on all electric vehicles starting in 2027.

The Jaguar I-Pace was praised upon its release in 2018, even being named both the World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year in 2019. But that early momentum hasn’t aged well. Over the years, the I-Pace’s reputation has unraveled under the weight of battery-related problems, repeated recalls, and even a US buyback program.

Read: This Car Loses 73% Of Its Value After Just Five Years

Now, the I-Pace is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Jaguar has issued yet another recall in the United States due to a serious battery defect, something that doesn’t bode well for its EV aspirations.

More Battery Trouble

This time, the culprit is thermal overload linked to a folded anode tab, which could cause a short circuit. Battery supplier LG has acknowledged there may be additional problems, though investigations are still ongoing.

Also: Jaguar I-Pace Owners Told To Park Outside After 3 Fires Involving Previously Recalled EVs

This latest recall impacts 2,278 I-Paces. Of these, 1,824 are 2020 models built from April 8, 2019, to January 8, 2020, while 454 are 2021 models assembled from March 9, 2020, to June 10, 2021.

According to Jaguar, none of the vehicles involved in this latest recall were taken off the road under prior recall campaigns, nor have their battery packs been replaced, as other I-Paces have.

What Owners Are Being Told

Jaguar is so concerned about the battery issue that it is urging owners to take immediate precautions. Vehicles should be parked outdoors and kept away from buildings. Additionally, owners are being told to charge their vehicles to no more than 90 percent and only when outside.

More: Jaguar I-Pace EV’s Tragic End, From World Car Of The Year To Scrapyard Junk

The issue appears to be persistent. Jaguar has revealed that several 2019 I-Pace models recalled in the past for fire risk were subjected to another recall in 2024. These cases prompted a deeper examination of the battery system, leading directly to the current action.

Impacted models will will receive updated software that limits the maximum state of charge to 90 percent while Jaguar continues work on a permanent fix. Dealers will be notified of the recall starting February 19, and owners should expect official communication from Jaguar no later than April 3.

Mazda has taken its time getting into the EV game, aside from the underwhelming and slow-selling MX-30. But now, it finally has a compelling electric sedan in the lineup in the form of the new 6e, which has just landed in the UK. There’s a bit of sticker shock, though, especially when you compare it to pricing in China, where it’s built and sold as the EZ-6 alongside the EZ-60 SUV.

A single electric powertrain setup will be offered for UK buyers, though shoppers can choose between two trim levels. The entry-level version, dubbed the Takumi, is priced at £38,995 (around $53,200 at today’s exchange rates), landing just shy of the €44,900 (US$53,400) starting price in Germany.

Read: Mazda’s Sportier 6e Sedan Launches With A Price Tag That Feels Like A Typo

On the surface,this pricing doesn’t seem too far off the mark. An entry-level Tesla Model 3 starts at £37,990 ($51,900) in the UK, and the Mazda wants to be positioned as a slightly more premium offering. Even so, the UK price tag looks far less compelling when held up against what customers in China are paying.

Twice The Price, Same Car

In the People’s Republic, where the 6e is built, the entry-level model starts at 159,800 yuan (£16,900 / $23,100), and the flagship model at 181,800 yuan (£19,300 / $26,300). By comparison, UK buyers are being asked to pay more than twice the price for the same vehicle. Specifically, 2.3 times more.

This discrepancy may come as a shock to many buyers, but it’s not without precedent, as it’s common for EVs built and sold in China to be far cheaper there than they are in overseas markets.

However, keep in mind that, that, unlike mainland Europe, the UK doesn’t impose specific tariffs on Chinese cars. There’s just the standard 10 percent import duty, plus a 20 percent VAT on all new vehicles, no matter where they’re made. That tax is included in the advertised price, unlike in the US.

Battery and Charging Basics

Both trim levels of the 6e sold in the UK come with a 78 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, offering a solid driving range of 348 miles (560 km) and the ability to charge from 10-80 percent in 24 minutes.

The 6e doesn’t promise to be a particularly spritely performer, however, as the rear-mounted electric motor is only good for 254 hp and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque, meaning the sedan needs 7.9 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h).

The higher-end Takumi Plus starts at £39,995 ($54,600) and adds more upscale finishes, including tan Nappa leather, titanium-look accents, synthetic suede upholstery, and a panoramic glass roof.

Despite appearances, the Mazda6e isn’t a purely in-house creation from Hiroshima. It’s based on the Changan Deepal SL03 (also known as the L07), sharing its platform and much of its core engineering with the Chinese model.

Hyundai is recalling two of its newest electric models, the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, in the United States due to a potential fire risk stemming from a battery defect. Both models are currently produced at the company’s plant in Georgia.

According to Hyundai, the issue involves the battery pack’s internal components and could increase the risk of electrical fire if not addressed. Specifically, a recall notice points to improperly tightened high-voltage busbars during assembly.

Read: Stop Sale Issued For Hyundai Ioniq 5 As Sonata Gas Tanks Risk Melting

If the retention bolts work loose over time, this could lead to electrical arcing within the battery pack, which in turn may trigger a fire. Hyundai also notes that these loose connections could disrupt voltage readings, pushing the vehicle into a fail-safe operating mode.

How Many Vehicles Are Affected?

The recall affects a very limited number of vehicles. Hyundai has identified 21 units of the Ioniq 5 from the 2025 to 2026 model years, built between January 24 and September 8, 2025. Additionally, just six Ioniq 9s produced from April 8 to September 12, 2025, are impacted.

The issue was first identified in November, when Mobis North America Electrified, Hyundai’s in-house battery supplier, discovered a battery system assembly unit that failed a quality test. The root cause was traced to under-torqued busbar bolts. By December, Hyundai had compiled a list of potentially affected VINs, and the recall decision followed in January.

Hyundai has confirmed that no related incidents have occurred in the field. So far, there have been no reports of crashes, fires, or injuries linked to the issue.

Starting April 6, Hyundai will notify both owners and dealers. The fix is straightforward. Dealers will inspect the busbar bolts in the battery system assembly and tighten them if necessary.

Honda, like many other automakers, is learning just how expensive missteps and overinvestment in the EV market can be. The Japanese company has already taken major write-offs tied to its electric vehicle efforts and now finds itself in damage control after multiple consecutive quarters of operating losses.

Read: Honda’s New Electric SUV Might Be Small But Its Global Ambitions Are Big

In the nine months ending December 31, Honda reported 267.1 billion yen (or $1.71 billion) in write-offs and expenses tied to its push into electric vehicles. While the financial impact hasn’t reached the same level as Ford’s EV setbacks, it remains a troubling sign for Honda’s strategy.

Losses Pile Up

Honda has shelved several upcoming EV models and recently logged its fourth straight quarter of operating losses. For the first three quarters of its fiscal year, those losses total 166.4 billion yen, or $1.07 billion. Industry outlet Auto News projects that the full-year impact could reach 700 billion yen, around $4.48 billion, all stemming from its EV ventures.

Speaking about Honda’s most recent financial results, executive vice president Noriya Kaihara acknowledged the firm needs “to conduct a fundamental review of our strategies to rebuild our competitive strength.”

GM Partnership Unwinds

Things will soon become even more costly. Honda is ending its close cooperation with General Motors on EVs, due in part to slow sales of the Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue, both of which use GM’s Ultium EV platform. It’s understood that Honda reduced the number of vehicles it purchased from GM, and compensated the carmaker.

Redrawing The EV Map

As recently as 2024, Honda said it aimed to sell up to 2 million EVs annually by 2030. However, it greatly overestimated the global popularity of EVs, which has undoubtedly been affected in part by the change in administration in the US just over twelve months ago. According to Kaihara, the company now plans to “significantly revise our future EV strategy” and expects to unveil an updated roadmap in the near future.

That said, Honda recently told us during a roundtable that the new electric Acura RSX and Honda 0 Series SUV are still on track for a launch later this year.

Central to this realignment will be a renewed emphasis on hybrid models. Honda aims to double its hybrid sales to 2.2 million units in 2020, signaling a clear pivot away from its earlier EV-heavy approach.

Ferrari unveiled the interior of its first-ever EV this week, the Luce, created in collaboration with Jony Ive, former Apple design chief and the creative force behind the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. It’s a retro-themed bonanza with plenty of physical buttons, switches, and toggles, representing a radical departure from the screen-focused and minimalist designs of most electric cars.

Read: Ferrari’s Luce EV Has A Glass Key And Buttons That Click Like A Rifle Bolt

The approach may seem counterintuitive at first, especially given Ive’s legacy at Apple, where he helped usher in the age of touchscreens. But the British-American designer’s reasoning is rooted in practicality rather than nostalgia. As it turns out, he never believed touch interfaces belonged in cars in the first place.

Touch Isn’t Always The Answer

“The reason we developed touch [for the iPhone] was that we were developing an idea to solve a problem,” he told Autocar. “The big idea was to develop a general-purpose interface that could be a calculator, could be a typewriter, could be a camera, rather than having physical buttons. I never would have used touch in a car [for the main controls].”

“It is something I would never have dreamed of doing because it requires you to look [away from the road],” Ive added. “So that’s just the wrong technology to be the primary interface.”

This isn’t to say the Ferrari Luce is completely devoid of screens. The gauge cluster features OLED panels from Samsung, designed to mimic the look of classic analog dials. The needle, though, is a physical piece made from anodised aluminium and backlit by 15 LEDs. In the center of the dash sits a touchscreen, angled slightly toward the driver.

Feel Your Way Around

Yet nearly every essential function, including climate controls, drive settings, even audio, can be adjusted through metal toggles or rotary knobs. Ive notes that “every single switch feels different, so you don’t need to look.”

When asked what sets the Luce’s screen apart from others, Ive said, “So much of what we did was so that you could use it intuitively, enjoy it and use it safely.”

In addition to real switches beneath the center touchscreen, the Luce features tactical dials and buttons on the steering wheel and center console, and even an airplane-inspired panel in the headliner. It looks like a welcome reprieve for the haptic controls of many recent Ferrari models, like the SF90.

“I think what happened was touch was seen almost like fashion,” Ivy explained. “It was the most current technology, so [companies thought] ‘we need a bit of touch’, then the next year ‘we’re going to have an even bigger one’, and it will get bigger and bigger.”

He added, “I think the way that we design [car interiors] isn’t that we’re trying to solve problems [like we did with the iPhone].” That, in his view, is where much of modern automotive UX design goes astray.

Chinese juggernaut BYD has expanded rapidly across global markets in a remarkably short time, positioning itself as one of the world’s largest car manufacturers. Yet despite its international reach, it has so far been unable to enter the world’s second-largest new car market: the United States. The main obstacle has been import tariffs, but BYD is now pushing back.

Eager to establish a foothold in the US market with its passenger vehicles, four BYD subsidiaries based in the United States have filed suit against the federal government.

Read: China’s EV Boom Is Cooling, And The Big Names Are Feeling It

The case, brought before the US Court of International Trade, challenges tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The plaintiffs include BYD America LLC, BYD Coach & Bus LLC, BYD Energy LLC, and BYD Motors LLC.

The lawsuit names not only the federal government but also officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Office of the US Trade Representative, and the Treasury Department.

It argues that these agencies exceeded the authority granted to them under the IEEPA statute and contends that the resulting tariff orders are legally invalid.

Tariffs Under Fire

In addition, the lawsuit specifically challenges nine executive orders and amendments issued since February 2025, including tariffs at the borders with Mexico and Canada, as well as tariffs targeting China and related to fentanyl.

The Chinese car manufacturer is seeking permanent injunctions against these measures and wants refunds for all IEEPA tariffs collected, in addition to interest and reasonable litigation costs.

While it may sound like a long shot for BYD to try and get these tariffs overthrown, its efforts aren’t without precedent. The lawsuit cites the case of New York-based wine importer V.O.S. Selections, which successfully sued the US government over tariffs, arguing that the US President lacks authority to impose them, even under the IEEPA framework.

Already On American Soil

Though it may surprise many American consumers, BYD already maintains a manufacturing presence in the United States. Its 550,000 square-foot facility in Lancaster, California, produces hundreds of electric buses and employs roughly 500 workers.

Getting the tariffs thrown out wouldn’t just help this complex, but also open the door for BYD to sell cars in the United States, perhaps importing them from factories in Canada and Mexico.

Could This Open the Floodgates?

Sun Xiaohong, secretary-general of the automotive branch of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, told Global Times that “BYD’s move follows a growing trend of companies using legal channels to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.”

While the case still faces legal hurdles, Sun told the outlet that it could set an important precedent for other Chinese companies looking to assert their rights through formal channels. He also argues that letting automakers like BYD in could benefit US buyers by adding more affordable EV options to a market that’s only getting more competitive.

Subaru is preparing to expand its EV lineup with something larger and more family-focused. Soon, the company’s range will welcome a three-row electric SUV designed to compete with newer offerings in the segment. Like the compact Solterra before it, this won’t be a ground-up Subaru product but a rebadged version of Toyota’s upcoming all-electric three-row Highlander.

We’ve known about Subaru’s plans to have its own version of the latest Toyota for several years now. In fact, Toyota and Subaru confirmed in 2023 that both brands would receive the new model, anticipating that production would start in 2025. While that date has come and gone, Subaru of Americas chief operating officer Jeff Walters recently confirmed it’s still happening.

Read: Subaru’s New $35K SUV Breaks Years Of AWD Tradition

Speaking with Auto News, Walters said that Subaru’s version of the three-row EV is scheduled to arrive later this year. He added that the model is being targeted at two-car households with home charging capabilities. It will join the electric Solterra, as well as the similarly Toyota-derived Uncharted and Trailseeker, in Subaru’s growing U.S. EV portfolio.

2027 Toyota Highlander teaser.

Will Subaru Add Its Own Edge?

What we haven’t seen yet is how closely Subaru’s new entry will mirror Toyota’s new electric Highlander. Given past collaborations, it’s reasonable to expect minimal differentiation beyond some badging and minor design tweaks on the front and rear ends, along with unique side trimmings. Still, there’s a chance Subaru could roughen things up a bit, as it did with the Uncharted, which shares its bones with Toyota’s C-HR

Toyota’s new three-row electric SUV will look virtually identical to the bZ Large prototype previewed a few years ago, closely resembling the smaller Toyota bZ. This new model has been a long time coming and will give Toyota a legitimate rival to the electric Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.

A Lexus Too?

There’s also a possibility Subaru won’t be the only one getting a version of Toyota’s latest EV. According to previous reports, Lexus is working on a premium variant as well. This model could go by the name TZ and serve as an electric counterpart to the gas-powered TX, further spreading Toyota’s electric SUV platform across its portfolio

Just a month after Chinese vacuum cleaner firm Dreame unveiled three high-performance EVs at the CES show in Las Vegas, it has previewed three additional models it plans to add to its fleet. These will be launched under the new Star Motor brand, existing alongside Dreame’s Nebula Next and Kosmera brands.

The first two models are the T08 and T08L. Both are striking off-roaders, with the T08L sharing much of its design with the T08 but is considered even more focused on off-road performance. There’s no denying the T08 models are striking, but their design isn’t unique. In fact, they almost look like direct copies of two other bold Chinese off-roaders.

Read: Chinese Brands Bring Not One, Not Two, But Three Bugatti-Style Super Sedans To CES

Those two models come from Dongfeng, where they are badged the M917 and M817. Dreame has quite clearly copied Dongfeng’s homework with the T08L, crafting bodywork that looks almost identical to the M917, as well as near-identical headlights. The T08 looks mostly the same but has slightly different headlights, apparently copied from the smaller M817.

The similarities between Star Motor’s T08 and Dongfeng’s M917 are particularly apparent from the sides. It has virtually identical squared-off fenders, the same exposed hinges on the front doors, and door panels that look exactly the same as the M917. The only unique element that Star Motor appears to have designed is a distinctive front bumper.

Star Motor hasn’t actually unveiled the T08 and T08L, and only previewed them with a couple of images at a recent company event. As such, we don’t know what kind of powertrains they will have, other than the fact that they will include rear-wheel steering that can turn the rear wheels by up to 24 degrees.

Rolls-Royce Fighter

Previewed alongside the T08 and T08L was the Star Motors D09 that looks to be positioned as the firm’s flagship luxury SUV, akin to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. It shares similarities with the Cullinan lookalike that Dreame previewed last year and could be the production version of that model.

The front of the D09 is dominated by a grille that makes even a Rolls-Royce grille seem small. It also has prominent LED daytime running lights up front, a LiDAR mounted on the roof, and a set of fancy-looking wheels.

Demand for electric cars in China may be cooling, and some of the country’s biggest automakers are starting to feel the chill. Several of the most prominent domestic brands, including BYD, Xpeng, and Xiaomi, reported noticeable drops in January sales.

Data shows that BYD sold 205,518 vehicles in China last month. The number sounds solid on its own, but it marks a sharp decline from the 300,538 vehicles the company moved in January 2025.

Read: A $9,500 Hatch Stole Tesla’s Best-Seller Crown In China

Both BYD’s electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids were affected. Of the 205,518 vehicles sold last month, 83,249 were EVs and 122,269 were PHEVs. A year earlier, those numbers stood at 125,377 and 171,069 respectively. Exports took a hit too, dropping to 100,482 units in January from 133,172 in December.

Is Government Policy Slowing Sales?

These figures suggest weakening demand in China and possibly overproduction for overseas markets, but a recent government policy change may go some way to explaining the drop. As of January 1, the country reinstated a 5 percent purchase tax for new energy vehicles, having previously exempted them from a 10 percent tax for more than a decade, CNBC reports.

“We see increasing pressure on China’s auto market in 2026, driven by a combination of policy and competitive factors,” Helen Liu, partner at Bain & Company, told CNBC. She added that recent tax changes may prompt some consumers to delay purchases, while automakers hold back on new model launches.

“We know [EV sales will] slow, we just don’t know by how much,” added Tu Le, founder of Sino Auto Insights. “We’ll know much better after the first quarter is over.”

Rough Starts And Reversals

Xiaomi also struggled out of the gate. It sold 39,000 cars in January, which was an improvement over the same time last year, but a steep drop from the more than 50,000 EVs delivered in December. Xpeng’s January was even rougher. Sales fell 34.1 percent year-on-year to 20,011 units, and the month-on-month drop was starker still at 46 percent compared to December 2025.

Li Auto’s performance dipped as well, with deliveries slipping to 27,668 units for the month.

Competitors Capitalize

However, it’s not all bad news. One of the few bright spots was Aito, a newer brand backed by Huawei’s operating system, which reported more than 40,000 deliveries in January, marking a gain of more than 80 percent compared to the same month last year.

Sales at Leapmotor rose to 32,059, while Nio also reported an increase to 27,182 units. Geely sold more than 270,000 cars in January, a 1 percent increase year-on-year. Interestingly, its EV sales fell by 15 percent, while its PHEV sales rose 37 percent.

That performance has pushed Geely into second place in the country’s EV market behind BYD, thanks in part to strong momentum from its Galaxy and Zeekr brands.

Will China Step In?

The slowdown has fueled speculation that Beijing may step in once again. If the slump continues into the first quarter, analysts believe the government could reinstate certain subsidies or incentives

Tesla has been hit with yet another lawsuit related to its electrically powered doors. Last week, the mother of a 20-year-old man who died following a collision in a 2021 Tesla Model Y filed a lawsuit against the automaker. The complaint was submitted to federal court in Massachusetts.

According to the filing, Samuel Tremblett was still alive after crashing his Model Y into a tree along Route 138 in Easton, a small town just south of Boston. He managed to dial 911 from inside the car, but a transcript of the call reveals he was unable to open the doors as fire began to engulf the car.

Trapped And Unable To Escape

“I’m stuck in a car crash,” Tremblett said on the call, no doubt in a frenzied state. “I can’t get out, please help me. I can’t breathe…It’s on fire…I’m going to die.”

Read: Families Claim Tesla Door Handles Trapped Teens In Burning Cybertruck

Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, but they couldn’t extinguish the blaze fast enough to save the young man. According to local media, fire responders heard four explosions from the Model Y within the first 10 minutes at the scene. It took four hours before the inferno was put out.

The lawsuit states that Tremblett suffered “catastrophic thermal” injuries as well as smoke inhalation. His body was found in the back seat of the Model Y. According to the complaint, he was unable to open the doors after the crash and succumbed to the fire before help could reach him.

How Tesla Doors May Fail

The lawsuit claims that the electronic exterior door handles on the Tesla Model Y may fail to open during a crash, making it impossible to access the vehicle from outside. In addition, the suite says that the interior mechanical door release is not clearly marked and may be difficult to locate.

This is especially problematic in the rear, where the emergency release is hidden beneath a plastic panel in the door pocket. It’s a simple cable, and many Model Y owners and/or passengers may not even realize it’s there.

The lawsuit cites 17 incidents, going back to 2016, in which Tesla reportedly received complaints of both adults and children becoming trapped inside vehicles during thermal runaway events.

Growing Regulatory Pressure

A recent report from Bloomberg says that at least 15 people in the US have been killed in crashes involving Tesla vehicles where the doors couldn’t be opened. Concerns over the operation of these electronic door handles have recently prompted a ban in China, and it’s possible that other countries could follow suit.

In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in September that it is investigating potential defects in some Model Y vehicles. These cases involve incidents where the external door handles allegedly failed following collisions.

Meanwhile, a US lawmaker has proposed legislation that would require manual door releases in new vehicles and provide first responders with reliable access when power is lost.

Waymo chief safety officer Mauricio Peña fronted US lawmakers at a tense Senate hearing last week, where the self-driving tech company was accused of getting “in bed with China,” as it rolls out more of its robotaxis. The hearing also offered a reminder that beneath the polished image of AI, there’s still a reliance on human labor, often lower paid, sourced from abroad, and largely out of sight.

For years, the Google Alphabet-owned company has relied on the Jaguar I-Pace for its fleet, but Waymo is now preparing to roll out a next-generation, minivan-style robotaxi developed in partnership with Zeekr, a subsidiary of China’s Geely Group.

During the hearing, Peña told lawmakers that the United States is “locked in a race with Chinese companies for the future of autonomous vehicles.”

Read: Waymo’s Ready For One Of Europe’s Busiest Cities, But Is The City Ready?

He also warned that without a clear national framework, the industry could end up facing a fragmented patchwork of state regulations that slows investment and limits progress.

Lawmaker Questions Zeekr Partnership

Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio didn’t let the irony of Waymo using a Chinese vehicle for its fleet go unnoticed. “You said in your testimony that we’re locked in a race with China, but it seems like you’re getting in bed with China,” he retorted during the hearing.

“Giving a natural market to a Chinese company to ship us cars is making us better and creating more jobs for Americans? That’s completely ridiculous,” Moreno added.

According to Business Insider, Moreno went on to suggest that Waymo could be sidestepping US laws designed to curb Chinese involvement in sensitive vehicle technologies. He speculated that the company might be using a “backdoor” to avoid complying with the federal connected vehicle rule, which was finalized last year but has not yet been fully implemented.

Peña rejected that characterization. He maintained that the Zeekr vehicles have “no connectivity” and that all of the autonomous systems are installed in the United States. He also argued that leveraging a global supply chain gives Waymo the flexibility to grow faster and build in operational safeguards.

Overseas Operators Raise Flags

Still, the issue of oversight didn’t stop at the hardware. During the hearing, Waymo revealed that in addition to using remote operators in the US, it also has some working overseas.

When asked for a breakdown of operator locations, Peña said he didn’t have exact figures but confirmed that while some are based in the US, others are much farther away, including in the Philippines, Futurism reports.

“They provide guidance,” he argued. “They do not remotely drive the vehicles. Waymo asks for guidance in certain situations and gets an input, but the Waymo vehicle is always in charge of the dynamic driving tasks, so that is just one additional input.”

According to Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, “having people overseas influencing American vehicles is a safety issue,” adding that these are the jobs that Americans should have. He called the use of remote human operators outside the US “completely unacceptable,” according to Business Insider.

In a statement to Carscoops, Waymo emphasized that no remote employees drive the vehicles.

“Waymo’s fleet response teams are located in the U.S. and abroad. As we scale globally – including to London and Tokyo – we need some Fleet Response functions outside of the U.S. It is very important to note, however, their role is never to drive the vehicle remotely. Our technology, the Waymo Driver, is in control of the dynamic driving task, even when it is receiving guidance from remote assistance”, the spokesperson said.

Tesla Joins the Conversation

The vice president of vehicle engineering at Tesla, Lars Moravy, was also in attendance at the Senate hearing. He said that the US needs to “modernize regulations that inhibit the industry’s ability to innovate,” or risk losing the autonomous vehicle race.

“Federal regulations for vehicles have not kept up with the pace of the rapid evolution of technology,” Moravy said. He added that many safety standards still in place were designed decades ago and no longer account for today’s technical realities.

Update: We’ve added quotes from Mauricio Peña and a statement from Waymo.