GM had high hopes for their BrightDrop brand, but that enthusiasm waned and the vans were rolled into the Chevrolet lineup. While that move was designed to boost sales and availability, it hasn’t helped much as hundreds of unwanted vans have been piling up.

More: BrightDrop Becomes Part Of Chevrolet

Given the growing inventories, it’s no surprise that the company is temporarily halting production at CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario. The Canadian plant started BrightDrop production in late 2022 and employs more than 1,200 people.

Temporary Layoffs and Production Shifts

According to Unifor, GM will initiate temporary layoffs on April 14 and then bring workers back for limited production in May. Production will then end again to allow for retooling for assembly of the 2026 model.

When production resumes in October, the plant will be dropped down to a single shift for the foreseeable future. The union says this will result in the “indefinite layoff of nearly 500 workers.”

Unifor National President Lana Payne described the moves as a “crushing blow” and called on the automaker to “do everything in its power to mitigate job loss during this downturn.” She also called on the government to step up and support Canadian auto workers as well as Canadian-made products.

Payne was particularly adamant about the latter as she pitched the 400 and 600 vans as a “smart choice for Canadian business, government agencies, and for our economy.” That’s a not so subtle hint that she wants the government to buy some of the electric delivery vans.

While BrightDrop’s struggles are far from new, Payne used the opportunity to attack the Trump administration. She accused the United States of creating “industry turmoil” and  said “Trump’s short-sighted tariffs and rejection of EV technology is disrupting investment and freezing future order projections.” She went on to claim this is “creating an opening for China and other foreign automakers to dominate the global EV market.”

Pricing Dilemma

As for the vans themselves, BrightDrop’s offerings start at $77,900, providing up to 614.7 cubic feet (17,406 liters) of cargo space and a combined range of up to 272 miles (438 km).

However, rival electric vans are far cheaper as the Ford E-Transit Cargo starts at $51,000 while the Mercedes eSprinter can be had for $61,180. That’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, but it’s not hard to see why hundreds of BrightDrop vans are sitting on dealership lots.

Despite the problems, Unifor noted the company is committed to CAMI Assembly and the 2026 vans will be getting “upgrades.” What those are remain to be seen, but hopefully a smaller battery pack is on the way to reduce pricing.

This eye-catching all-electric motorcycle is the TS Pro from Verge, and it’s just set a Guinness World Record for the furthest distance traveled by an electric motorbike. Over 16 hours, it was ridden 193 miles (310.6 km) around London and finished the trip with 7% charge still left in its battery pack.

Electric motorbikes have yet to take off in the same way as electric cars, in part because battery packs are heavy, and weight is the enemy on a two-wheeler. However, the TS Pro shows that it is possible to build a compelling electric bike with heaps of power, a usable range, and relatively manageable weight.

Read: Verge’s $87,000 Mika Häkkinen Edition Electric Super Bike Is A Hubless Wonder

Driving the TS Pro is a single hub-less electric motor at the rear with 137 hp and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. Verge says it needs just 3.5 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph), meaning it can keep pace with some proper sports cars. The bike tips the scales at 540 lbs (245 kg), and while that’s hefty for a bike of this size, it’s not crazy. It also has a claimed riding range of 217 miles (350 km).

To see just how far the TS Pro can travel in the real world, Verge recruited two motorcycle influencers and let them ride the bike around inner London for 16 hours at an average speed of just 12 mph (19 km/h). The bike ended its run, having traveled an impressive 193 miles (311 km), setting a new record in the process.

Admittedly, riding around at slow speeds greatly benefits an EV like this. Had Verge attempted the record while sitting at highway speeds, there’s no way the TS Pro would have been able to travel anywhere near as far as it did.

Photos Verge Motorcycles

The new-generation Outback won’t be the only Subaru making its world premiere at the New York Auto Show later this month. The automaker has just teased another model: the 2026 Trailseeker. So, what exactly is this Trailseeker? Well, Subaru has given us precisely two pieces of solid information: it’s an EV and a photo that shows part of the tailgate and cladded rear bumper. Riveting stuff, right?

Here’s what Subaru did say, though: “Get ready to meet your newest adventure-ready sidekick from Subaru: the all-new 2026 Subaru Trailseeker EV SUV. See it in person at the 2025 New York International Auto Show, coming soon.”

More: First Look At Subaru’s 2026 Outback Before It Breaks Cover In NY

Now, this doesn’t give us a lot to work with—so far, it’s just a whole lot of mystery. We haven’t caught wind of any EV prototypes from Subaru recently, so it’s all a bit speculative at the moment. However, what isn’t speculative is the fact that Subaru has already confirmed it’s working on a compact electric SUV in collaboration with Toyota. Both brands plan to sell it in Japan, Europe, and North America.

Some have speculated that the Subaru version might be a twin to Toyota’s recently revealed CH-R+, which is set to hit the US next year. But, from what we can gather, that’s not the case. Toyota and Subaru have teased separate compact EVs, and the Trailseeker is likely one of those models.

More: Subaru And Toyota Electric Compact SUV Twins Coming In 2026

Expect the two electric SUVs to be related in much the same way that Toyota’s bZ4X and Subaru’s Solterra EVs are essentially twins beyond the styling differences. The teaser image from Toyota’s version of the Trailseeker shows a more traditional SUV shape, with a sharp nose, roof rails, and a more upright rear end—think RAV4. At the very least, the two will have different front and rear designs, but Subaru’s version will likely play up the brand’s off-road image with more cladding and possibly other tweaks to match its name.

The good news? We don’t have to wait long to find out. The New York International Auto Show kicks off next week, April 17, so like they say, stay tuned.

Somebody call Jim Hall, because his wild idea of using a fan to stick a car to the road just got its ultimate validation—this time, upside down. More than half a century after the Chaparral 2J used fans to create ground-hugging downforce at any speed, the McMurtry Spéirling has shown just how far that tech can go. To put it plainly, it drove upside down, held to the surface not by gravity, but by sheer aerodynamic force.

Read: Rimac Nevera And McMurtry Spierling Show A Red Bull F1 Car What’s What

The Spéirling is a small but intensely capable electric supercar. Pretty much every time we talk about it, it’s breaking another track record. This time, though, it’s setting an all-new benchmark. It’s the first car in history to drive upside down while held to the ground by downforce alone.

999 Horses, Zero Chill

As a reminder, this tiny terror makes 999 hp (745 kW) and weighs just 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). If those figures weren’t bonkers already, the car leverages a fan system that sucks the chassis to the ground. It can create an incredible 2,000 kg (4,400 lbs) of downforce at 0 mph (0 km/h). That’s how it just pulled off the coolest thing we’ve seen on four wheels in a while.

During the demonstration, if you can call it that, the Spéirling drove up a ramp onto a specially built platform. There, it engaged its “Downforce on Demand” system, sucked itself to the ground, and the the platform rolled. Only when the platform was 180 degrees from right-side-up did it stop. At that point, the driver moved the car forward while staying on the platform. Then, the entire rig finished rotating back to its original position, and the McMurtry drove off like it was another day at the office.

Behind the wheel for the stunt was Thomas Yates, Co-founder and Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive. “That was just a fantastic day in the office! Strapping in and driving inverted was a completely surreal experience,” he said. “The 2,000 kg of downforce that the fan system can generate is truly astonishing to experience, and it’s great to show the reason why our Spéirling continues to take records around the world.”

Yates added that this was just a taste of what the tech could achieve. “This demonstration was an exciting proof of concept using a small purpose-built rig, but is perhaps just the beginning of what’s possible. With a longer inverted track or a suitable tunnel, we may be able to drive even further! Huge congratulations and thanks to the entire McMurtry Automotive team, especially the engineers involved in the car and fan system’s design, they are the heroes of today.”

The Safety Implications

Perhaps the most interesting part of the stunt is what it implies for real-world performance—and more importantly, safety. Traditional race cars rely on speed to build downforce. That means during slower sections, spins, or emergency maneuvers, they lose grip when it’s needed most. McMurtry’s fan system flips that logic by providing full downforce even when the car’s barely moving.

“The amount of grip and downforce available means that application of the brakes will often see them (the driver) stop almost immediately, often while still on the tarmac,” says McMurtry. What that means for customers is a safer and more approachable experience.

Which brings us to one of the brand’s core goals: making record-breaking performance accessible to actual driving enthusiasts. And with this kind of tech, it’s not just about going faster. It’s about being able to do so with control, confidence, and—if you really want to flex—upside down.

News about recent firings by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest for the Tesla CEO. During DOGE’s fiery critique of the federal workforce in February, it was revealed that several staff members from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Vehicle Automation Safety had been let go.

The tension between Musk and the NHTSA is hardly a secret. After all, the safety agency is currently investigating Tesla vehicles in eight active cases, and it is responsible for regulating self-driving technology. Musk has long promised that Tesla will deploy millions of robotaxis across the United States, a plan that would be more achievable with fewer regulatory hurdles standing in the way.

Read: Tesla Threatens Lawsuit After Canada Freezes $30M EV Rebates Over Shady Sales Claims

Speaking with The Financial Times, insiders revealed that approximately 30 people were fired from the NHTSA in February. It’s believed that those working in the NHTSA’s vehicle automation safety team were “disproportionately affected.” While it’s unclear precisely how many were fired from the specific department, DOGE cited poor performance in axing the jobs of these employees.

Despite the controversy surrounding the layoffs, it’s important to note that the NHTSA’s vehicle automation safety division was only formed in 2023. As a result, many employees were still in their probationary period, making it easier for the agency to terminate their employment. The total layoffs at NHTSA accounted for 4% of its workforce, which may seem small, but it raises concerns from some corners of the industry.

Potential Conflict of Interest

One unnamed Tesla manager expressed concern that the layoffs could weaken the NHTSA at a time when it needs more resources to tackle the challenges of autonomous vehicles. “Letting DOGE fire those in the autonomous division is sheer madness—we should be lobbying to add people to NHTSA,” the manager told the FT. “They need to be developing a national framework for autonomous vehicles, otherwise Tesla doesn’t have a prayer for scale in FSD or robotaxis.”

A former NHTSA employee also weighed in, noting, “There is a clear conflict of interest in allowing someone with a business interest influence over appointments and policy at the agency regulating them.”

Almost 18 months after the Cybertruck finally went on sale in December of 2023, Tesla has finally gotten around to launching a more affordable entry-level model. But the downgraded spec of the Cybertruck Long Range makes you wonder whether you might want to give it a miss.

Not Quite a Bargain, But Better Than Nothing

A simple, single-motor, rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck was always part of the plan. And while the 2025 Long Range’s price of $69,990 plus $2,245 destination and order fees (but before the $7,500 tax credit) is far from the $39,990 that Elon Musk promised this specific trim would cost back in 2019, it still represents a $10,000 savings compared to the existing bi-motor AWD model. It also comes in at $30,000 less than the absurdly expensive Cyberbeast.

More: Tesla Quietly Pulls Cybertruck’s $16K Range Extender After Taking $2,000 Deposits

And there are other upsides apart from that price. Losing the front motor and driveshafts helps cut the curb weight (Tesla doesn’t specify by how much), enabling the Long Range to secure a 350-mile (563 km) EPA driving range. That’s for an LR with no tonneau cover – order the optional $750 soft tonneau and the electric range climbs to 362 miles (583 km), well above the 325 miles (523 km) claimed for the AWD.

The Catch: A Lot of Equipment Compromises

But from there on things don’t look so good for the Long Range’s chances of snaring buyers. To get that price down Tesla has de-contented the Cybertruck so hard that you’ll be reminded every time you jump in it that you were too tight-fisted to go for the AWD.

Out go the vegan leather seats in favor of simple cloth versions that are still heated, but no longer ventilated, and you’re downgraded to puny 18-inch wheels unless you splash for the optional 20s fitted as standard on the AWD. But the $3,500 cost of doing that really eats into the price differential. Other kit to go includes the height-adjustable air suspension, which is replaced by simple steel springs, and the hi-fi’s speaker count is halved to seven.

Slower and Less Capable

And even if you’re the kind of driver that never gets into the right pedal hard enough to notice or care that the zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time has grown from 4.1 to 6.2 seconds, you probably are going to care that the tow rating has been decimated. AWD Cybertrucks can haul 11,000 lbs (4,990 kg) but the Long Range is only good for 7,500 lbs (3,402 kg), and there’s a 265 lb (120 kg) payload reduction to factor in, too.

Throw in the loss of the bed’s electrical outlets and the fact that you have to pay extra for a soft tonneau when the AWD gets a retractable one as standard, and the Long Range’s appeal really does start to wane. Tesla would argue that what matters here is that the LR is competitive with mid-ranking Ford F-150 Lightnings, which accelerate slightly faster but don’t go as far on a charge. What do you think? Was the entry-level Cybertruck worth the wait?

Cybertruck Long Range now available

– $62,490 (incl. Federal Tax Credit)
– 362 mi of range (est.) w/ Soft Tonneau
– 6' x 4' bed
– 7,500 lbs towing capacity pic.twitter.com/ZP5S5uxHiY

— Tesla (@Tesla) April 11, 2025

MG’s Cyberster electric sports car helped make a splash for the brand, but it’s never going to sell in the millions. But here’s another Cyber-branded MG that might. It’s the Cyber X, and MG has just dropped teaser images of the boxy SUV ahead of its global reveal at the Shanghai Auto Show on April 23.

A series of silhouetted and darkened pictures show the second car from MG’s Cyber family from the side, the front- and rear-three-quarter angles. The X’s fashionably square nose and upright tail say this is a car designed for a younger crowd than the one usually seen in MG showrooms.

Related: MG Cyber GTS Concept Hints At Production Cyberster Coupe

A full-width LED light bar stretches across the Cyber X’s face, with an illuminated MG octagon mounted just below it and flanked by two smaller LEDs. The fenders are flared above the wheels, door handles are sunk flush with the door skin, and a pair of roof rails underlines the go-anywhere vibe. At the rear, the waistline rises to meet the chunky D-pillar, and there’s another full-width LED bar and illuminated MG badge rounding out the show at the tail.

We’ll have to wait until the day of the show to make a final assessment on the design, but from what we can see here, the mix of tech and tough will find the Cyber X plenty of admirers. It’s eerily reminiscent of the new Smart #5, which could be handy because the newly-launched Geely SUV is likely to be one of the X’s key rivals.

Tech details are practically non-existent at this stage, but Chinese reports say that the X will be one of the first cars to benefit from SAIC’s new E3 platform, which features cell-to-body construction where the battery pack is made part of the car’s structure in an effort to cut weight.

The E3 architecture is capable of handling both electric and hybrid powertrains, though right now we don’t know whether the X will offer both or only one of those options. A closed grille suggests we’re looking at an EV. Car News China claims the X will feature semi-solid-state batteries, advanced drive assist features, and sophisticated phone-to-car integration.

We’ll be seeing more than the Cyber X from MG during this year and next. The automaker is preparing to roll out more than half a dozen new cars, including a second-generation MG4, a revised Cyberster, and four EVs, including a pair of sedans and a pair of SUVs. Not all are guaranteed to come to Europe, but our hunch is the Cyber X will find it worth the trip.

Images: MG/SAIC

Months after the EU imposed hefty tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, officials from China and the European Union are reportedly working on a deal that would allow them to avoid relying on those tariffs. Instead of sticking with tariffs, the two sides are now exploring the idea of setting minimum prices for China’s EVs as a potential solution.

Read: BMW Teams Up With Chinese EV Makers To Fight EU Tariffs In Court

A spokesperson from the European Commission confirmed that EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao recently had a chat and agreed to explore the minimum price idea. At this stage, more discussions are in the works, though no specifics have been shared just yet.

What’s on the Table?

As of now, there’s no clarity on what these minimum prices might look like. Sefcovic spoke with Reuters, emphasizing that any pricing rules would need to be just as effective and enforceable as tariffs, without creating additional complications.

The European Union imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs last year following a lengthy investigation to see if Chinese brands received unfair subsidies from their government, allowing them to build and sell EVs for far less than most Western rivals. Newly-enforced tariff rates vary depending on how much assistance individual brands received and how cooperative they were with the EU’s probe.

For example, Chinese conglomerate SAIC received the harshest penalty: a 35.3% tariff on top of the pre-existing 10% import duty. Other companies, like BYD and Geely, were hit with tariffs of 17% and 18.8%, respectively.

The decision to impose tariffs was far from unanimous. Ten EU countries voted in favor, but 12 abstained, and five voted against. Notably, Germany opposed the tariffs, and the country is now pleased that talks are underway to find a more balanced solution.

“Regardless of current global developments, it must also be discussed here how to reduce obstacles and distortions in international trade, rather than building new hurdles,” Germany’s auto industry association, the VDA, said in a statement.

As the negotiations continue, it remains to be seen whether this minimum pricing strategy will gain traction or if it will be another attempt to sidestep deeper issues in global trade.

The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.

(Image credit: Handout/Getty Images)

Bills in the U.S. House and Senate seek to permanently allow states and local governments to bypass a requirement that school bus driver applicants include engine component identification when performing the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing necessary to obtain their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).

The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) successfully asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in January 2022 for a three-month waiver of the so-called “under-the-hood” inspection test used to determine a school bus driver’s familiarity with engines and related components for noting potential hazards prior to starting a school bus route.

That particular skills test is mainly designed for long-haul truckers who might need to make minor repairs on the road. That is not the case for school bus drivers. Instead, they normally call dispatch after a breakdown, and a technician with a substitute bus is sent to the scene so school bus driver and students can proceed to school sites or afternoon bus stops.

NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn wrote at the time that the engine compartment inspection test presents a “significant obstacle” to applicants getting in their CDL and school bus companies from quickly hiring otherwise qualified drivers to address staff shortages.

FMCSA approved a three-month waiver and followed with two more. NSTA asked for a five-year waiver, but FMCSA responded with two, two-year waivers, the most recent announced in December to run through the end of 2026. NSTA said contractor members have hired 1,200 new school bus driver applicants as a result of the waiver.

Rep. John Carter of Texas, who said he drove school buses while in law school, discussed his recent reintroduction of H.R. 2360, The Driving Forward Act, to make the exemption permanent during a dinner last month at NSTA’s “Bus-in” lobbying event in Washington, D.C. A companion bipartisan bill, S. 1284, was introduced last week by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

Carter’s first attempt at passing the Driving Forward Act, introduced last April, failed to make it out of the House transportation and infrastructure committee. The legislation seeks to permanently extend the exemption from the “under the hood” engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test required for obtaining CDL. This exemption is expected to make it easier for individuals to become school bus drivers, helping to alleviate the ongoing driver shortage.

In addition to making the skills test exemption permanent, the Driving Forward Act would require participating states to submit annual reports on the number of drivers licensed under the exemption over a six-year period. This data would help demonstrate success in addressing the driver shortage, the bill notes.

During the Capitol Hill Bus-in March 26-27, NSTA said school bus company members held 153 meetings with congressional offices and secured additional support for the Driving Forward Act.

“The path to getting an under-the-hood testing exemption for school bus drivers has been a long journey, but with the introduction of the Driving Forward Act in both the House and Senate, we are poised to achieve final success,” said Macysyn in a statement.

Not a ‘Silver Bullet?’

NSTA said 13 states have adopted the under-the-hood exemption. But some of those states are either no longer utilizing the exemption or questioned if the waiver is worth the effort.

Texas last year switched to the FMCSA’s new voluntary modernized CDL skills test developed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, which was approved in August 2022. Rather than require driver applicants determine a driver applicant’s ability to identify all under-the-hood engine components, the modernized skills test for the front of any commercial vehicle including a school bus checks fluid levels and for air leaks.

Anthony Shields, director of transportation for San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District near Austin, Texas, said the modernized skills test makes it easier for applicants to test under the hood by utilizing skills cards that don’t provide answers to the applicants but instead “jolt their brains.”

“We didn’t find value in [the under-the-hood exemption], It didn’t really make it simpler,” commented Shields, before adding, ”It’s a good start to make changes for a school-bus-only CDL.”

Another state to adopt the under-the-hood skills test waiver is New York. At a recent meeting with the state DMV, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation shared very few driver candidates were opting for the waiver.

“I know some driver candidates have taken advantage of the waiver, but I don’t believe it is catching on,” commented David Christopher, NYAPT’s executive director. “The issue: It is a temporary license at this point, and it restricts the driver to in-state driving only. We have never believed this would encourage new drivers to the business. Most people who apply to drive a bus have no idea what the pre-trip entails. Therefore, the under-the-hood requirement would not seem to deter them because they are not aware of what is even required.”

He added that school district members have relayed that if new applicants are trained correctly, the under-the-hood portion of the test is not a problem.

In the end, Christopher said NYAPT supports the waiver, but with a caveat.

“If it helps a district get bus drivers, that would be great,” he added. “We don’t think it is the silver bullet that will solve the problem.”

David Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association, also weighed in.

“My understanding is the process the state [Department of Transportation] had to go through to get the waiver was a bit of a nightmare, almost to the point where if they knew it was going to be such a hassle they may not have done it. That’s just my opinion, but that’s how it sounds,” he explained. “I have not heard of any districts that are saying, ‘Hey, this is making it easier to get drivers.’ What I have heard is districts [are] still having the under-the-hood stuff as a part of their in-house training, as they still want them to have that knowledge and check those components. I personally do not agree with the waiver. I think drivers need to know what to be looking for under the hood.”

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Related: Does Taking a Peek ‘Under the Hood’ Impact Driver Shortage?
Related: NSTA’s Macysyn Discusses “Under-the-Hood” Waiver, Clean School Bus Program
Related: Tales From Under the Hood

The post Federal Legislation Reintroduced to Permanently Extend ‘Under-the-Hood’ Exemption appeared first on School Transportation News.

Locals in Franklin County, Kentucky, are questioning why the local school district did not to cancel classes amid heavy rain and flooding that ultimately claimed the life of a 9-year-old student who was walking to his bus stop.

Franklin County Schools Superintendent Mark Kopp released a statement on social media confirming the death of one of their students, later identified as Gabriel Andrews, on April morning at approximately 6:35 a.m. It was the last school day before Spring Break.

The statement also included additional comments from the Frankfort Police Department, Mayor Wilkerson and Judge Michael Mueller.

Assistant Police Chief Scott Tracy said via dispatch received a call regarding a juvenile male caught in flood waters in the Hickory Hills area. A Franklin police officer was the first to arrive at the scene, followed by Frankfort Fire and EMS, Frankfort Franklin County Emergency Management, and other local emergency agencies that conducted an extensive search and rescue operation.

According to Tracy, emergency crews recovered the body of Andrews at approximately 8:45 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, comments of social media posts reflected strong opinions about the district’s decision to hold school amid the severe weather challenges and flooding the state was facing as reported by the National Weather Service. Parents were concerned since two bus routes from the district had been cancelled, while others routes were not. STN reached out to the district regarding the routes and decision not to cancel school, but did not hear back at this report.

Additionally, many people shared their condolences to the child’s family through Facebook posts.

Both Wilkerson and Mueller extended their condolences to the family, gave thanks to first responders for their rapid response, and encouraged the community to stay safe during the weekend’s severe weather event.

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Related: Students Rescued from School Buses Caught in Floodwaters
Related: The Route to Safer School Buses
Related: Deadly Hurricane Helene Closes Schools in Multiple States Amid Catastrophic Flooding
Related: Florida Students Hit, Two Killed During School Bus Stop Walks

The post 9-Year-Old Student Dies After Being Swept Away by Floodwaters appeared first on School Transportation News.

A fourth grader in Maize, Kansas, drove his parent’s pickup truck to school after he missed his school bus, reported KSN News.

According to the article, someone saw the child driving the truck around 8:10 a.m. Wednesday and called the police. Responding officers could not immediately locate the pickup, until someone waved them down and pointed them to Pray-Wood Elementary School.

Police said the child drove the pickup about three miles from his home to the school. Officers added the child parked better than many adults.

Police reportedly did not ticket anyone and allowed the boy’s parents to handle the situation.

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Related: Colorado School Bus Driver Dismissed After Leaving Students at Wrong Bus Stop
Related: Missouri Child Hit by Pickup Truck While Getting Off School Bus
Related: Concerns About Getting Kids to School Safely
Related: Child Safety Network to Meet with School Bus Industry Leaders at STN EXPO East, March 20-25 in Charlotte, NC

The post Fourth grader Drives Pickup Truck to School After Missing School Bus appeared first on School Transportation News.

The automotive industry is currently in a state of collective disorder. And while Donald Trump’s constantly evolving tariffs, which make the headlines daily as they have far-reaching consequences in whole countries and their economies, may play a huge role in that, it’s not the only one.

Electric vehicles, which were touted by almost everyone as dominating all major markets in the (very near) future, are definitely gaining ground with each passing year, just not at the rate most automakers were expecting. Excluding China and Norway, the rate of adoption by buyers is not as high as initially predicted, which has led many manufacturers to reverse their pledge to go all-electric and continue producing ICE-powered models in the interim.

More: GM Just Blinked After Trump’s Tariff War Escalated

Now, GM is about to temporarily lay off 200 out of its 4,500 workers at the all-electric Factory Zero plant in Detroit. As reported by US News, a company source explained that this move is not related to Trump’s tariffs but rather to the automaker adjusting its production to “align with market dynamics”.

For those among us who don’t speak corporate, this means that Factory Zero, which builds solely electric vehicles, specifically the Hummer EV SUV and pickup truck, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the GMC Sierra EV, and the Cadillac Escalade IQ, needs to slow down for a while as demand for EVs is not as strong as GM anticipated.

Factory Zero used to be known as the Detroit-Hamtramck plant until 2020, when GM decided to turn it into a state of the art hub for manufacturing electric vehicles based on its Ultium platform. To that end, it poured in $2.2 billion which at the time, was, in the company’s own words, the “single largest investment in a plant in GM history”.

The plant’s grand opening took place on November 17, 2021, and then President Joe Biden was there to celebrate this milestone alongside General Motor‘s leadership and factory workers. “GM’s U.S. manufacturing expertise is key to achieving our all-electric future,” GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said at the opening.“This is a monumental day for the entire GM team. We retooled Factory ZERO with the best, most advanced technology in the world to build the highest quality electric vehicles for our customers.”

Moreover, executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability Gerald Johnson stated that “To meet our ambitious EV transition, GM’s North American EV vehicle assembly capacity will reach 20 percent by 2025, and then 50 percent by 2030”. Seems that this target turned out to be more ambitious than GM expected, but if it’s any consolation, the same is true for practically all major car manufacturers – except the Chinese.

Well, that took a minute, didn’t it? We’re talking about Tesla‘s response to the accusations that it sold a suspiciously huge number of cars in Canada right before the country’s EV rebate program was about to end. Critics and officials question if these were actual sales and whether the company was just gaming the system instead.

So what exactly happened in Canada? In early March, it came to light that four Tesla stores sold 8,653 cars in just three days and claimed C$43.1 million (US$30M) in rebates. This means that each store sold an average of 30 Teslas per hour, 24 hours a day, even when they were supposedly closed, for this three-day period. And if you believe that, I know someone who has a bridge to sell you.

Tesla Claims It Was All Legal, Officials Should Know Better

However, according to Electrek, in a letter dated March 28, Tesla’s director of sales and service for Canada, Fereshteh Zeineddin, says that those filings were normal and that Transport Canada, the government department responsible for the incentive program, should know better.

More: Tesla Accused Of Gaming Canada’s EV Rebate Program After 4 Stores Sold 2 Cars Per Minute Wiping Out $43M In Grants

He explains that many of these rebates were for cars that were already sold but dealers hadn’t simply filed for them yet. Thus, according to the EV maker, it wasn’t really a shady practice on Tesla’s part – just a case of its staff getting their priorities straight as the electric vehicle subsidy program was about to end. The company says that backlogged files were allowed anyway, so it did nothing wrong. Furthermore, these weren’t money that would end in Tesla’s pockets; rather, as per the program, dealers would offer the incentive to buyers and then get reimbursed by the government.

Frozen Rebates Must Be Paid, Or Else…

Tesla also took issue with Canada’s Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland ordering the rebates to be frozen “in order to fully examine each claim individually and determine whether all are eligible and valid,” as she told the Toronto Star. It adds that, due to this investigation, its employees are viewed negatively by the public and have been subjected to verbal abuse and harassment, and if Transport Canada doesn’t resume payments, it may pursue legal action.

Until the investigation is over, we have no way of knowing whether Tesla is telling the truth or not so, until then, it is presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is worth noting, however, that according to the National Post, Tesla deliveries in Canada plunged some 70 percent between December 2024 and January 2025, which makes this sudden surge peculiar. And if we had to guess, the huge drop in sales and the harassment incidents might be the result of Elon Musk getting increasingly political, not just in the US but wherever he sees fit, and not caused by Transport Canada’s investigation.

Bonus Irony: Musk’s Take on Canada

Speaking of Musk and Canada, here’s a bit of irony. Despite holding a Canadian passport and having lived there from 1989 to 1992, Musk recently posted on X that “Canada is not a real country.” He was responding, apparently in jest, to his political buddy Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada should be annexed as the 51st U.S. state. Maybe he’s just trolling. Or maybe he’s trying to test how much diplomatic damage he can do from his phone.

Whatever the case, the Canadian government doesn’t seem amused—and it’s making very clear that Tesla’s C$43.1 million rebate claim isn’t going to slide through unchecked.

Launching a new brand into an established market is a brave move with no guarantee of success. But if she has any doubts about Denza’s chances in Europe, BYD boss Stella Li isn’t letting on, claiming in a recent interview Denza’s new vehicles were ‘ten times better’ than than those they aim to outpace, and which include the likes of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and possibly even Porsche.

BYD’s gains in Europe with its own EVs and PHEVs gives Li reason to be confident. But Denza is shooting for a totally different, more image and status-conscious audience. A premium brand designed to slot between everyman BYD and pricey YangWang, Denza will take on established European names like Mercedes, which could be embarrassing for Benz because Denza started off as a BYD-Daimler co-op before BYD carried on alone.

Related: Chinese Brand Mercedes Created With BYD Is Now Coming For Mercedes In Europe

The Z9 GT is odds-on the first Denza to hit European roads later this year and will offer a more coupe-like alternative to cars like the Audi A6 and A6 e-tron Avant, and BMW 5-series and i5 Touring. A sporty shooting brake whose Porsche Panamera-like profile is the work of former Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini designer Wolfgang Egger, the Z9 is a triple-motor EV with 952 hp (965 PS / 710 kW). An 858 hp (870 PS / 640 kW) 2.0-liter PHEV is also available.

‘This car is really ten times better than the competition,’ Li told Car Magazine at the Denza brand launch at Milan Design Week. ‘We have a lot of unique features the other legacy brands do not have.’

Tech-Forward, Price-Savvy Strategy

Those features are not limited to aggressive pricing, though you can be sure Denza’s cars will offer more standard equipment at a much lower cost than than their rivals to help hook buyers in. Technology is a big focus: the Z9 will crab-walk and slow-motion drift into parking spaces and round tight turns, tricks you won’t find on premium Western cars (check out the video below).

‘We are confident that buyers will find distinctive, unique appeal in the car’s mix of sophisticated, elegant design, strong performance and astounding technology,’ Li said, adding that Denza’s superior customer service will be key to it carving market share.

European pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but in China, the Z9 GT starts at 334,800 yuan and tops out at 414,800 yuan (around $45,800 to $56,800). That’s a serious value play when you consider the Panamera Sport Turismo and Taycan Cross Turismo start at 1,008,000 yuan ($138,000) and can balloon past 1,500,000 yuan ($205,000) depending on options.

Credit: BYD/Denza

We all knew this was coming, or at least, we should have. Actually, it already happened once. The all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona only began deliveries earlier this year, but now a second wrecked example has surfaced at auction in Florida. And while it might be repairable, given the lukewarm reception to Dodge’s electric muscle car, we’re not holding our breath for a heroic restoration.

This dark blue Charger Daytona was involved in a wreck with just 1,085 miles (1,746 km) on the clock and is in a very sorry state. We don’t know exactly what happened, but the damage appears to be limited to the driver’s side. In all likelihood, it was either T-boned by another car or perhaps slid sideways into something, but that seems less likely as all four wheels look pristine.

More: First Wrecked Dodge Charger Daytona EV Surfaces

The driver’s door has been caved in from the impact, and the dents extend across part of the rear quarter panel. The impact was also strong enough to trigger the side curtain airbags, which more often than not turns a crash into an insurance write-off. Even though the Charger is almost brand-new, it seems the insurer decided it wasn’t worth repairing, perhaps in part because spare parts could be in short supply and some damage may have been done to the frame.

If the door and rear quarter panel are the only areas of damage, they should be easy enough to replace if anyone wants to be brave and revive this Charger Daytona. The Copart listing notes it’s the flagship Scat Pack model, meaning it has a pair of electric motors with a combined 670 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. These motors are fed by a 100.5 kWh battery pack.

Watch: Dodge Charger Still Thinks It’s 1970 And Racing Ford’s Fastest EV Just Proved It The Hard Way

And then there’s the wildcard option. Somewhere, a Dodge traditionalist is already grinning through a cloud of tire smoke, dreaming of yanking out the EV guts and shoehorning in a good old-fashioned HEMI V8. Would it be completely unnecessary and gloriously chaotic? Absolutely. But if there were ever a platform ripe for an identity crisis, it’s this one. Well, we don’t technically know if it’s possible, but hey, when has that ever stopped someone with a welder, a questionable parts stash, and a dream?

If nobody steps up to repair it, or commit heresy by stuffing a gas engine under the hood, there’s always the fallback plan: part it out. The battery and motors alone could find new life in some future EV project. Then again, given how early we are in this car’s life cycle, even that seems like a stretch. Either way, this Charger Daytona’s next chapter probably won’t look anything like Dodge imagined.

Copart

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. After we first reported on the image you see here, TechCrunch spoke with a “person with direct knowledge of Slate Auto’s vehicle design,” who confirmed—on the condition of anonymity—that the truck is “likely one of the concept vehicles the startup has created to show to potential investors” at its design center in Long Beach, California. Original story follows below.

A mysterious electric pickup truck has sparked curiosity online after a photo surfaced of a camouflaged two-door truck being offloaded from a flatbed in Los Angeles. The timing couldn’t be more interesting: news also broke that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is quietly backing a Michigan-based EV startup called Slate Auto, which claims it’s developing a $25,000 electric model in the form of a compact, two-door pickup.

More: Jeff Bezos Secretly Backs EV Maker Building A $25K Pickup For The Masses

The image, posted to Reddit by user Discostranger09, shows the pickup truck being unloaded from a shipping container just outside their office. The flatbed truck is marked with the name “Time Towing LLC,” though there may be an additional word obscured at the front of the logo. The original poster didn’t offer much more than that, though commentators said the photo was likely taken somewhere in Los Angeles.

From what’s visible, the vehicle looks like a mashup of an older Range Rover and a Jeep Renegade—boxy, upright, and unapologetically stubby. The absence of a grille opening at the front suggests its electric, reinforced by what appears to be a charging port near the rear corner. A quick image search doesn’t match it to anything currently on the market, though admittedly, that’s far from definitive.

Is This Slate Auto’s First Prototype?

Naturally, Redditors were quick to speculate. The most popular theory is that this mystery truck is Slate Auto’s debut model, possibly caught during testing or transport. Others floated ideas ranging from a Rivian prototype to a one-off custom build, though no solid evidence has surfaced to support any theory just yet.

What We Know About Slate Auto

Slate Auto remains mostly under wraps, with limited information available beyond a recent TechCrunch report. According to that story, the company was quietly formed in 2022 as a spinout of Bezos’ investment in Re:Build Manufacturing. Since then, it’s been building out its team in Detroit, recruiting talent from legacy automakers like Ford, GM, and Stellantis, as well as from floundering EV startups such as Fisker and Canoo. Their goal? A $25,000, two-door, two-seat electric pickup aimed at a late 2026 release.

While Slate Auto hasn’t confirmed anything about the vehicle, they’ve announced that more news is coming on April 23. Whether that will include a formal reveal or just more corporate breadcrumbs remains to be seen.

In the meantime, we’ll keep digging to see what else we can uncover about the truck in question. If you recognize it—or if you’re the one who built it in your garage over a long weekend—drop us a line.

Photo discostranger09/Reddit

Mazda’s first crack at building an electric SUV, the quirky and range-challenged MX-30, was too weird for its own good, but the EZ-60 revealed this week in China plays it straight and that looks like a smart strategy.

Images released ahead of a full debut at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month show a bigger SUV with conventional doors, but just enough of a sporty Mazda vibe to tempt a few prospective Tesla Model Y buyers to switch sides.

Related: Four Mazda Models Are Being Discontinued This Year, But One Could Return

The EZ-60 is a production version of last year’s Arata concept, and will be renamed CX-6e for sale outside China, reflecting its position in the lineup as an electric alternative to the combustion CX-60. The final design stays close to the concept’s and features a much more assertive face than its Tesla rival, frameless door glass, camera-based mirrors, a coupe-like rear with a sloping roofline and dramatically angled D-pillar. 

Mazda hasn’t confirmed it’ll come to Europe but a debut there is all but inevitable given the region is one of the strongest markets for EVs and Mazda has already committed to launching its 6e sedan (known as the EZ-60 in China) in Europe later this year. We’d be amazed if it isn’t on sale in Europe in 2026.

Shared Platform, Familiar Hardware

Both sedan and SUV are built around architecture from Chinese automaker Changan, whose Deepal S07 is already engaged in a battle with the Model Y, and coming to Europe before the end of 2025. We’ll have to wait until the EZ-60’s full reveal on April 23 to find out the exact specs, but we’re expecting substantial similarities to the 6e when it comes to battery and motor details.

For reference, the European-market 6e sedan has a choice of 68.6 and 80 kWh batteries and comes with a choice of two different motors. Both are single-motor setups driving the rear wheels, one serving up 241 hp (244 PS) and the other, 255 hp (258 PS). Electric range varies from 300 -345 miles (483-555 km), though the heavier and less aerodynamically efficient SUV probably won’t be quite so long-legged.

Charging and Range-Extender Tech

Deepal’s platform isn’t as advanced as Hyundai-Kia’s and can only charge at 200 kW, although that puts it on par with many European carmakers. But the architecture is versatile enough that the S07 is also offered with a 1.5-liter range-extender combustion engine in China, though Mazda won’t be borrowing that tech because it already offers the CX-60 as a PHEV.

Unfortunately for American buyers, the CX-6e won’t be crossing the Pacific. Since it’ll be built in China, it faces steep import barriers and little incentive under current US EV tax credit rules. For now, it looks like this one’s staying in markets where Mazda’s EV strategy is already gaining traction.

Salmon exposed to anxiety medication in the wild behaved more boldly, according to new research in Science.

In this webinar, you will learn about the latest innovations in radio communications and dispatching solutions for K-12 student transportation.

Whether you are deploying a new radio and GPS location tracking system or looking to add range and capacity to your existing system, this webinar will help you determine the best solutions for your school or district transportation. We will present an overview of current two-way radio systems and standards that use licensed UHF and VHF frequencies, and nationwide 4G/5G/LTE Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC). Here are some of the valuable takeaways from this complete guide to radio communications webinar:

• How to choose the best radio system for your specific coverage and call capacity requirements
• How to migrate from analog to digital for improved performance
• How to extend the range and expand the capacity of your radio system
• How to add wide area coverage with PoC radios for buses and dispatching to your existing school’s radio system

This webinar is brought to you by Hytera.

REGISTER BELOW:

Presenters:

Ty Estes
Marketing Director
Hytera

Ty Estes is the Marketing Director for Hytera US Inc, where he oversees promotion of the company’s radio communication products. Estes has over twenty years of experience in marketing wireless communications and network technologies, and he has chaired committees in telecommunications trade associations and authored several technical papers. Estes has a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach.

Julie Ann Baker
PoC Product Manager
Hytera

Julie Ann Baker is the Hytera US Inc. Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) Product Marketing Manager. In this role, she is responsible for product planning and marketing, gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, and analyzing and understanding how PoC product line meets the needs of a variety of vertical markets. Baker has worked in high-tech for Intel Corporation, Microchip Technologies, and Hytera US. Julie Ann has a BSEE and MBA.

The post (Free Webinar) The Complete Guide to Radio Systems for Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.