Nissan celebrates the end of the line for the R35 GT-R and its legacy as the final example rolled off the production line at the Tochigi factory in Japan. During this bittersweet moment, the brand’s CEO said that this isn’t goodbye to GT-R as the nameplate will “one day make a return”.

An Incredibly Long Run

The Japanese automaker produced approximately 48,000 units of the R35 GT-R over the past 18 years. A team of nine master craftsmen, known as Takumi, assembled all GT-R engines by hand at the Yokohama factory. Each one’s name can be found on a special plaque attached to the respective powertrain.

More: Nissan’s New CEO Pledges Four Or More Sports Cars To Reignite Enthusiast Passion

The last example of the R35 is a GT-R Premium Edition T-Spec finished in the signature Midnight purple shade. It is destined for a customer in Japan, which is the final sales region for the model. Nissan stopped accepting orders in its home market last February, which gave them enough time to clear the backlog.

The Legacy Of The Godzilla

The R35 GT-R was introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and immediately earned the reputation of a “supercar killer”. Nissan says that the model was designed as the ultimate Grand Tourer, combining performance with “a comfortable ride, high levels of refinement, and benchmark fit and finish”. The GT-R received numerous updates over its 18-year-old lifecycle, including facelifts in 2010, 2016, and 2023.

Nissan

All variants of the R35 GT-R were powered by the non-electrified VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 mated to the advanced Attesa ET-S all-wheel-drive system. The engine gradually evolved from producing 473 hp (353 kW / 480 PS) in the initial model to generating 562 hp (419 kW / 570 PS) after the latest update, and up to 600 hp (447 kW / 608 PS) in the hardcore Nismo.

Over the years, the lap record of the GT-R at the Nurburgring was slashed from 7:38 (2007) to 7:08.679 (2013). Nissan’s supercar killer also appeared in motorsports, achieving victories at the GT500 and GT300 classes of Japan’s Super GT Championship, the Blancpain GT Series Pro-Am class, the 12-hours of Bathurst, and the Super Taikyu endurance racing series.

Goodbye R35, Hello R36 (sort of)

Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan, issued the following statement:

“After 18 remarkable years, the R35 GT-R has left an enduring mark on automotive history. Its legacy is a testament to the passion of our team and the loyalty of our customers around the globe. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey.”

Nissan’s boss didn’t stop there, as he gave a few hints about the future of the nameplate:

“To the many fans of the GT-R worldwide, I would like to tell you this isn’t a goodbye to the GT-R forever. It’s our goal for the GT-R nameplate to one day make a return. We understand the expectations are high, the GT-R badge is not something that can be applied to just any vehicle. It is reserved for something truly special and the R35 set the bar high. So all I can ask is for your patience. While we don’t have a precise plan finalized today, the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”

At a time of financial uncertainty, it is clear that Nissan is not ready to commit to a release date for the successor of the GT-R. This probably means that development, while underway, still has some way to go and strategic decisions need to be made before things proceed as they should.

As hinted at by the 2023 Nissan Hyper Force concept, the R36 was expected with a high-performance electric powertrain and solid state batteries. However, recent comments by the R35 product planner – Hiroshi Tamura – suggest that the EV future is not fixed. Instead, it may as well adopt a hybrid setup, if this is what customers really want.

More: The Next GT-R Might Not Be What You Expect

According to the official announcement, “learnings from the R35 will be integral to the next-generation GT-R, ensuring its legacy evolves while raising the performance benchmark”.

In any case, it is good that the Japanese automaker hasn’t abandoned plans for a performance flagship that will eventually continue the legacy of the previous GT-R generations. Let’s hope we’ll lay eyes on it before the end of the decade.

Mercedes-AMG is no stranger to chasing records, yet it might have just outdone even itself. The Concept AMG GT XX just circled the globe virtually in just over a week. In the process of setting that record, it smashed 24 others as well. There’s no doubt about it. The AMG.EA platform just proved that it’s not just good for short bursts. It’s capable of long-haul dominance.

At the heart of the GT XX is a trio of axial-flux motors paired with a directly cooled high-performance battery. This is the same kind of tech that AMG says will underpin production cars starting next year. The concept delivers more than 1,360 hp (1,000 kW) and can sustain triple-digit speeds for days. That’s not hyperbole – it’s a certified fact now.

More: Only Two Of These Ferraris Exist And One Just Shattered Records

Essentially, this car circled Germany’s Nardo circuit for 7.5 straight days, only stopping to charge back up. Mercedes brought two GT XX prototypes, and the pair racked up 3,177 laps of the 7.87-mile (12.68 km) track during the record attempt. In the process, they set records for the furthest distance traveled by an EV over 12-168 hours and the fastest EV to go 2,000-40,075 km.

Key EV Distance Records

Inspired by Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eight Days,” Mercedes actually beat that figure. 40,075 km is the distance around the globe at the equator. The AMG GT XX went that far in just 7 days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes. That means that on average, during that time, it was going 137 mph, including when it was stopped to charge.

Of course, that was only possible because of the engineering on tap here. Charging at 850 kW is something only concept cars can do right now, but it enabled the AMG GT XX to add 249 miles (400 km) of range in five minutes.

The axial motors also provide more power density, and Mercedes used F1-inspired direct battery cooling to ensure nothing got too hot. That’s key because Mercedes reports track conditions of 35°C (95°F) at times. While we don’t expect to see EVs keeping up with ICE cars in endurance races anytime soon, this is a big step in that direction.

Time-Based Records – Distance Covered

Few could have predicted just how quickly Chinese automakers would come to dominate the affordable EV market. In less than a decade, brands from the People’s Republic have gone from underdogs to leaders, reshaping global competition so dramatically that legacy carmakers have largely stepped back from the lower-cost segment, according to a new UK report.

Read: China’s Most British Roadster Freshens Up For 2026

The study, published by the FIA Foundation, highlights how the rise of small, budget-friendly EVs from China is pushing European and British manufacturers to concentrate on larger and more premium models instead.

China’s Growing Edge

“China, which now accounts for 27pc of global passenger car sales, has secured a competitive edge in manufacturing smaller EVs, with strengths across key aspects of EV production, including battery supply chains, manufacturing efficiency and software,” the report says. “It means China has evolved from a net importer of passenger cars before 2020 to the world’s largest net exporter.”

According to the report, this has led to European and British brands to cede the affordable car market. Of course, whether or not the car manufacturers themselves would admit this remains to be seen.

While EVs from China have been kept out of the US, they are becoming an increasingly common sight in the UK. Of all the new cars sold in the UK in June, roughly 19,000 of them were made by Chinese brands like MG, BYD, Omoda, and Jaecoo. Currently, there are more than 130 EV models available in the country and of these, 33 are priced under £30,000 ($40,200).

Small Cars, Big Potential

The surge in Chinese EVs could help to combat the swelling size of new vehicles. As noted by the chief executive of the RAC Foundation, Steve Gooding, “Our love affair with Fiesta-sized cars might swiftly be rekindled if more small, keenly priced EV models start coming to market,” he told Yahoo!.

Incentives from the nation’s Department of Transport could help to increase the number of small EVs on local roads. Discounts of up to £3,750 ($5,025) are available for new electric cars and more than 100,000 addition public charging locations are in the works.

Alexandra Robinson, a well-known figure across the global student transportation industry, will be recognized with for her contributions with an induction into the National Pupil Transportation Association (NAPT) Hall of Fame this fall.

Robinson has spent over 30 years in student transportation, which includes serving as the executive director of the Office of Pupil Transportation at the New York City Department of Education, and before that director of transportation at San Diego Unified Schools in California and a transportation coordinator for exceptional student education at the Florida Department of Education. She was also NAPT president of the NAPT from 2011-2014.

Currently, she is president of A. Robinson Consulting that provides services to school districts and vendors as well as expert witness work on legal cases. She also co-found and manages the industry organization Women in Transportation (wit.). She is known by the School Transportation News community as part of the STN Editorial Advisory Board and the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) tenured faculty. Robinson is also a frequent speaker at the STN EXPO and TSD conferences, sharing her leadership and operational expertise with conference attendees.

“Alex’s induction celebrates not only her extraordinary achievements but also her unwavering commitment to advancing the student transportation profession and the people who make it possible,” NAPT said in a statement Monday.

The release noted that Hall of Fame induction requires nominated individuals to “meet the highest standards of personal and professional integrity, including distinguished service to both the industry and the Association.” NAPT said Robinson was chosen from the nominations based on her personal contributions, eminence, influence, and permanence.

Robinson will be officially inducted at NAPT ACTS on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Related: NAPT Hall of Famer Donn Remembered for ‘Crucial Role’ Played in Industry
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Reno, Nevada is a dichotomy in July, where the sunbaked desert meets the lush Truckee Meadows, and fir and pine trees lead the way to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Temperatures easily reach triple digits, but strong afternoon winds rolling down the mountainside make evenings pleasant. It is also the scene of the annual STN EXPO West, which last month celebrated its 32nd year, and it has hosted many events and training activities over that span. This year, it brought a new element to the conference.

The National School Bus Inspection Training Program included a high-voltage electric school bus overview that identified key safety components when working on these vehicles. Thanks to Washoe County School District Transportation Director Scott Lee and his staff, Derek Bryant of Automotive Service Excellence utilized an electric Type D Blue Bird to show and discuss with 30 participants the intricacies of electric school bus maintenance and safety inspections. Bryant was joined by Jannet Malig of the Long Beach, California chapter of Clean Cities and the head of California’s Community College program that trains school districts on electric school bus maintenance.

The high-voltage training started the Saturday portion of the hands-on training at Washoe’s South transportation facility after a day of classroom exercises and a written exam. Providing an overview of ASE’s new accreditation for high-voltage safety, Bryant took participants through an electrical journey across the entire school bus, which was elevated on a mobile lift. The overview was about an hour and a half long, and thankfully the Reno heat cooperated as the aforementioned breeze came early.

High-voltage safety training is a must for school bus maintenance technicians nationwide, not only in nearby California, where electric school bus adoption is accelerated. This fact was hammered home several days after the EXPO concluded, when the new owner of Lion Bus formally notified U.S. customers their warranties are now void. This means some 2,000 electric school buses officially have no support. Any owner of a Lion electric bus will tell you that that service has been lacking for some time.

Earlier this year, STN reported some options available to U.S. school districts. More recently, the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative and CALSTART announced they are working to provide more resources to Lion customers.

The situation highlights a legitimate concern about new entrants into the electric school bus segment, whether that be the vehicle itself, chargers and infrastructure, or service. Already, several companies have fallen by the wayside. With the exit of Lion from the U.S. market, student transportation leaders must ensure the provider they select will be there tomorrow. Certainly, Blue Bird, IC Bus and Thomas Built Buses are in for the long haul. BYD spinoff Ride has a legacy that goes back to 2013, about the same as Lion, but BYD holds the distinction of being the largest electric vehicles manufacturer in the world.

Meanwhile, the feeding frenzy on $5 billion from the EPA Clean School Bus Program appears to have subsided, though EPA finally broke its silence last month with an update on the rebate process as well as promising more information on future funding. There will likely be changes, such as more money for propane school buses. Still, with over 5,200 electric school buses on the road—and another 14,000 in the pipeline, according to the World Resource Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative—maintenance professionals must receive training and assistance. That includes warranty work.

Electric school buses aren’t going anywhere. All the OEMs have spent considerable time and money in developing their low- and zero-emissions products. No amount of uncertainty from Washington, D.C., changes that. I believe electric school buses, will ultimately be successful in specific areas and on routes where the vehicles make the most sense—and other fuels will be necessary for years to come to make up the difference. And technicians in these school districts will need to provide maintenance.

With electric school buses, there are no oil changes, no fuel filter replacements and in many cases no transmission work. But as highlighted by ASE’s high-voltage accreditation, and the work being done elsewhere, it is critical school districts and bus companies have well trained professionals on staff able to take an educated approach to maintaining them. There is nothing contradictory about that.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the August 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

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Related: (Recorded Webinar) Cut Costs, Not Corners: The Future of School Bus Maintenance
Related: Safety Concerns of the Electric Grid?
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Related: Funding, Data and Resiliency Needed for Electric School Bus Success

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A local school bus driver has been arrested on multiple felony charges involving child sexual exploitation and child endangerment, following an investigation led by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, reported 2 Idaho News.

According to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office via the article, Brian Hendricks was taken into custody on Aug. 7 and now faces seven counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. The Boise Police Department charged both Hendricks and his partner Rochelle Hendricks with four counts each of felony injury to a child, as well as misdemeanor charges for dog nuisance and general animal nuisance.

According to the news report, Attorney General Raul Labrador praised the collaborative law enforcement effort, stating, “Protecting the people of Idaho is my office’s top priority. I thank the Boise Police Department for their partnership and teamwork in serving this search warrant and helping to remove the children that were in the home,” he continued. “We will continue to diligently work with our law enforcement partners across the state to protect Idaho families as children return to school this fall.”

The arrest reportedly followed a search warrant executed at Hendricks’ residence, where officers discovered several children living in what authorities described as unsafe and uninhabitable conditions. Police reported that the children were in imminent danger and were promptly removed from the home. Multiple animals were also seized due to concerns over neglect and nuisance conditions.

Boise Police Department units, including the Neighborhood Contact Unit, School Resource Officers and patrol officers reportedly assisted the ICAC team in the arrest and investigation. Boise Police Lieutenant Tim Brady emphasized the importance of a unified response.

“The Boise Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to our law enforcement partners and the dedicated professionals who worked on this significant investigation,” he said via the article. “This collective effort was instrumental in ensuring the safety and well-being of all involved in this case. We remain steadfast in our dedication to working together to protect and serve the most vulnerable members of our community.”

It is unclear if Hendricks was immediately fired for his position as a bus driver. At this stage of the investigation, authorities say there is no evidence of any local victims, but they encourage anyone with relevant information to contact local police. The case remains ongoing.

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Related: Massachusetts School Van Driver Faces DUI, Child Endangerment Charges
Related: Illinois School Bus Driver Charged for Child Pornography
Related: North Carolina School Bus Driver Charged with Sex Crimes Against Students
Related: Florida School Bus Attendant Arrested for Inappropriate Behavior with Young Girls

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A new piece of research has sparked lively debate about how best to treat an EV battery, especially for those hoping to maximize its lifespan. With replacement costs still high, it’s no surprise that owners want clear answers on whether gentle driving or spirited use is better for long-term health.

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

EV batteries are still hugely expensive to replace, even if prices have fallen, so it’s only natural that anyone in for the ownership long-haul would want to look after theirs by driving and charging carefully. But a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature led some to believe that getting stuck into the right pedal on a regular basis and enjoying an EV’s performance could extend battery life.

The study, ‘Dynamic cycling enhances battery lifetime,’ compared the kind of discharge profiles achieved by a constant-current cycle in lab conditions with dynamic charging and discharging profiles from real-world EV use. It found that batteries subjected to the supposedly more gentle constant-current tests aged more rapidly than the more realistic ones.

Interpreting the Science

But before you head off to absolutely beast your EV down the highway, feeling like you’ve just been told a daily diet of Big Macs and beer will ensure you live to 120, it’s worth hearing what the battery diagnostic specialists from Aviloo have to say on the matter.

Aviloo’s own field tests of 402 identical EVs found that driving enthusiastically was a sure-fire way to shorten a battery’s lifespan, Auto Motor und Sport reports. The reason is that driving hard increases energy consumption and that means more charging cycles, more battery stresses and accelerated aging.

“If you drive efficiently, you save around ten percent of energy in the life cycle,” Aviloo’s Nikolaus Mayerhofer told AMS. “This means that 100,000 km (62,000 miles) with economical driving roughly corresponds to the battery load of 110,000 km (68,000 miles) with an aggressive driving style.”

Practical Advice for Owners

Aviloo isn’t suggesting the authors of the dynamic charging study got it wrong, only that other people misinterpreted their results. Its advice for anyone looking to maximize their EV’s battery life is unchanged: drive efficiently, and unless really necessary don’t fast-charge, charge over 80 percent or leave a car with a ton of juice in it for long periods.

But if that all sounds like too much work or just plain boring, all is not lost. In a recent German study a VW ID.3 lost only 8 miles (13 km) of range after four years and 107,000 miles (172,000 km), despite almost always being charged to full and often being left parked up fully charged.

In a bid to protect its car industry, as well as hit back at Chinese carmakers for receiving unfair subsidies from their government, the European Union has been imposing hefty tariffs on imported EVs from the People’s Republic since October 2024. However, Chinese brands are already looking to circumvent the tariffs as much as possible by setting up local production facilities and, at least for the time being, increasing their focus on hybrids.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Hybrids sit in a relatively safe zone, since they’re only partially covered by the EU’s tariff system. Combined with the fact that they remain popular with European buyers, it’s no surprise that Chinese automakers are boosting hybrid imports at record levels.

Read: Toyota Finally Blinks As Europe’s EV Market Closes In

A recent report from Dataforce reveals that BYD registered 20,000 plug-in hybrids in the EU through the first half of the year, more than three times the number of PHEVs it imported during the whole of 2024. In addition, MG has imported more PHEVs across January-June than it did in all of 2024. Lynk & Co is also importing more PHEVs to Europe than ever.

Increasing their focus on hybrids greatly benefits Chinese firms. Every EV that BYD sells in Germany is hit with a base 10 percent duty and then a 17 percent additional duty, bringing the tariff up to 27 percent. For the best-selling Atto 3, these tariffs add about €10,000 ($11,600) to the electric SUV. By comparison, the plug-in hybrid BYD Seal U only has to deal with 10 percent duties, or the equivalent of €3,999 ($4,600) based on its €39,999 ($46,600) starting price.

The impact is even more significant for SAIC, which sells MG models. It has to deal with the highest EU tariffs of 45.3 percent for its imported EVs. So, through the first six months of this year, it has sold 60 percent fewer EVs across the continent, but has increased registrations for the hybrid MG HS, MG ZS, and MG 3.

Changing Tactics to Circumvent Obstacles

“It was only a matter of time before the Chinese manufacturers changed their strategy after the introduction of the special tariffs in order to increase their profitability in Europe,” the director of the Center Automotive Research in Germany, Beatrix Keim told Handelsblatt.

It’s understood the European Commission is aware of the loophole being exploited by Chinese brands, but it does not appear to be concerned. Instead, it remains hopeful it’ll be able to work things out by having talks with China’s aggressively expanding automakers.

Hurricane forecasts are now much more accurate, 20 years on — largely because of federal government research.

(Image credit: David J. Phillip)

People in high-income countries could dramatically improve lives worldwide with minimal financial commitment, yet few do.<br><br><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/global-inequality-opportunity-to-give" target="_blank"><img src="https://ourworldindata.org/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/qLq-8BTgXU8yG0N6HnOy8g/4a07a4c2-8070-489b-cb46-62dc93a64700/w=1350"/></a>

A new report reaffirms California’s commitment to zero-emission vehicle adoption and deployment despite attempts by Congress and the Trump administration to remove federal waivers that provide the state authority to cut pollution levels within its borders and elsewhere.

The state currently is involved in multiple lawsuits challenging the administration’s efforts to revoke the waivers approved by the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and others.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released the report last week in response to Gov. Gavin  Executive Order N-27-25 in June that directs CARB and several other state agencies to recommend strategies that make clean transportation more affordable, reliable and accessible. ​The report outlines strategies to expand the adoption of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) across all vehicle types, including school buses, as part of the state’s broader effort to combat air pollution and climate change. ​

The report highlights California’s leadership in clean transportation, noting that the state has already surpassed its goal of deploying 2 million ZEVs. ​With 56 ZEV manufacturers operating in the state and nearly 178,000 public or shared private electric vehicle chargers installed, California is setting the pace for the nation. ​

However, the CARB report notes that five of the 10 most polluted cities in the U.S. are in California, and millions of residents still live in areas with dangerously high ozone levels, especially in the Los Angeles area and the San Joaquin Valley. ​

To address these challenges, CARB recommends actions across six key areas: Private investment, incentives, infrastructure, fuel pricing, regulations, and procurement. CARB seeks to sustain the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program that utilizes credits from 200 participating companies and from utilities to subsidize clean fuels like renewable diesel and to continue taking advantage of other existing funding programs. It recommends backfilling the federal clean air vehicle tax credits that are set to expire at the end of next month and providing “reliable and consistent funding” to the agency and the California Energy Commission for ZEV deployment and infrastructure incentive programs.

Noting that infrastructure remains one of the largest barriers to ZEV adoption, the report highlights the need for increased reliability of and access to EV chargers, including timely repair. CARB also recommends streamlining permitting processes and utility energization timelines. This includes implementing flexible service connections and other strategies to eliminate delays in EV charging installation.

CARB also calls for unlocking the benefits of V2G by improving the energization process to enable vehicles to power homes and businesses or to export power to the grid during peak demand periods. This includes developing utility rates “that align EV charging and discharging with grid needs” and establishing incentives to automakers that build EVs that can provide backup power. CARB also writes that standards are needed for chargers to enable the use of vehicle-grid integration.

School buses are directly impacted by the state’s push for ZEV adoption. The report emphasizes the need for incentives and infrastructure to support the transition to zero-emission buses. ​For school districts, this could mean additional access to funding programs that make it easier to replace aging diesel buses with electric or even hydrogen-powered alternatives. ​Additionally, CARB says the focus on building reliable charging infrastructure could alleviate concerns about fueling capacity and range limitations. ​

For companies operating school buses, the report’s recommendations present both opportunities and challenges. The emphasis on private investment through programs like the LCFS could provide financial incentives for operators to transition their fleets. ​Additionally, the state’s focus on workforce development could help create a pipeline of skilled workers to maintain and operate ZEVs. ​

However, the transition will require careful planning. CARB states operators will need to navigate new regulations, invest in charging or fueling infrastructure and ensure their fleets meet the state’s reliability and durability standards. Collaboration with state agencies and local governments will be key to overcoming these hurdles.

The CARB report also notes 17 other states and the District of Columbia have chosen to adopt at least part of California’s vehicle standards. The demand in these states for clean transportation collectively represents 40 percent of the nation’s new light-duty vehicle market and 25 percent of the nation’s new heavy-duty vehicle market, which are three to four times that of California alone. In addition, three of these states have established complementary regulations similar to California’s LCFS to further advance the clean vehicle market.

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Related: EPA Proposal Seeks to Eliminate GHG Regulations for Vehicles, Engines
Related: Update: Congress Shifts Tide in Regulatory Demands for Clean Energy
Related: CARB Uses $33M in Funding to Target Other Zero-Emissions School Travel

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Electric muscle cars were supposed to mark a bold new chapter, but the reality has been less than thrilling. Dodge may not want to admit it, but the Charger Daytona has not ushered in an exciting era for all-electric muscle cars as the brand would have hoped.

In the first quarter of the year, just 2,115 were sold in the US and Canada, prompting Dodge to kill off the entry-level R/T model. And for at least one buyer, it seems to be riddled with issues.

Read: A V8 Dodge Charger Could Be Closer Than You Think

This particular Charger R/T Daytona, which we must say looks excellent painted in Peel Out Orange, is currently being leased by a man named Nicholas Sharrett. He collected it in May from Wetzel Dodge in Richmond, Indiana, and says it has been nothing but trouble. In fact, he now describes the car as “practically useless.”

The Trunk That Won’t Open

Sharrett’s biggest frustration is with the trunk. It doesn’t open, and it hasn’t worked from the day he picked it up. Curiously, Dodge has not added a trunk opener to the keyfob, nor is there a button or a latch in the cabin.

Instead, the only way to open it is to press a tiny rubber button on the taillight. That button doesn’t work, so the only way to load things into the trunk is to open the door, lower the back seats, and throw items to the rear.

Doors Out of Line

The problems don’t end with the trunk. Sharrett says the driver’s door is so badly misaligned that it rubs against the body in three different spots, even wearing away the paint at one point. Wetzel Dodge, located more than 100 miles from his home, tried to correct the alignment but told him Stellantis refused to repaint the exposed metal.

Additionally, there’s a fault with the passenger door, and it only works roughly half the time. So, if Sharrett needs to open the passenger door, he has to do so from inside the Daytona. He also says he receives error messages on the Uconnect infotainment system almost every single time he starts up the car.

The driver’s seat comes with an especially frustrating flaw. When someone in the back pulls the strap to move it forward, the seat slides as expected. But once it reaches the end of its track, it won’t stay in place and immediately begins sliding back on its own. This glitch once trapped Sharrett’s seven-year-old daughter as she was trying to climb out of the rear seat.

Sharrett’s experience might be just one case, but it leaves room for a bigger conversation. If you own a Charger Daytona, have you faced similar issues, or has your car lived up to expectations? Share your experience in the comments below.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano resumed erupting Friday by shooting an arc of lava 100 feet into the air and across a section of its summit crater floor.

(Image credit: M. Zoeller/AP)

News always travels fast, but it is not always accurate, which led to a Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD) bus driver being incorrectly accused of driving erratically while transporting students via a local news station. The district’s superintendent released a social media statement setting the record straight.

On Monday, KHOU-11 published a news article reporting that the unidentified Cy-Fair ISD bus driver was pulled over by police and administered a field sobriety test after a receiving report from a bystander claiming they “saw the bus driving erratically.”

Cy-Fair Superintendent Doug Killian released a statement Thursday defending the school bus driver and clarifying the events.

“On Monday morning, one of our new drivers hit a curb on a tight turn to avoid a vehicle in the opposite lane,” Killian stated. “A community member reported this to Harris County Precinct 5 Constables. Our team reviewed the video of the route multiple times and can definitively say the driver was not driving erratically, as it was reported.”

Killian confirmed the driver was given a field sobriety test twice by law enforcement, as was shown by KHOU-11, and both tests came back negative. The school bus driver was then taken to a clinic for drug and alcohol testing, per district protocol. Killian confirmed those tests also came back negative.

The school bus driver was reportedly back on route Friday.

In the statement, Killian expressed his disappointment in the “click-bait report” that was released by the news station and said that the district is requesting an on-air retraction and apology to the driver.

“The media story created unnecessary embarrassment for this driver and was released prior to the completion of our full investigation. It painted a negative light on the true professionalism of our CFISD bus drivers and transportation staff,” he said.

He continued that while he does not hold out hope that the retraction and apology will happen, he felt it was his duty as superintendent to publicly release the facts of the incident and that he “cannot in good conscience sit by and watch a staff member be attacked or presented in a poor light when their actions were not poor or negatively impactful to kids.”

He explained that after the school bus driver was pulled over, the students onboard behaved well despite the delay, which he attributed to the “quality of our drivers and the high expectations they set for our riders since the first day of school.”

Killian thanked the driver involved for their service and said he encourages the media to report on positive news stories throughout the school year.

On social media, Kilian’s statement was commended by the community for defending the reputation of the driver. One Facebook commenter noted that following the release of the story, “There were so many hurtful and ugly negative comments,” illustrating how a story shared on social media can quickly garner a strong public reaction, even if the facts have not been verified yet.

“This was truly a fantastic example of leadership, accountability, and standing and speaking directly to the people and FOR the people you serve,” said another Facebook comment.

Meanwhile, KHOU published an updated article Thursday noting Killian’s response and the school bus driver passing all drug and alcohol tests, adding, “That criticism came despite the fact that we reached out to Cy-Fair ISD multiple times throughout the day ahead of our story Tuesday night and shared the district’s statement that noted the driver passed two field sobriety tests and an alcohol test, but had been placed on paid leave pending drug test results.”

The news station also reported it asked Cy-Fair for access to the video exonerating the school bus driver, but the request was denied.

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Related: NTSB’s Alcohol Impairment Detection Recommendation More Nuanced for School Bus Drivers
Related: Update: Feds Withdraw Oral Fluid Collection for CDL Drug Tests Rule
Related: FMCSA Resources for Implementing Upcoming Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

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A Fayette County school bus driver is under investigation after reportedly leaving a group of young children unattended inside a restaurant while he ordered breakfast and used the restroom during his morning route, reported Fox 13.

The incident reportedly happened on Aug. 7 when the driver pulled up with five elementary-aged students estimated to be between 5 and 7 years old and brought them into the restaurant. Cyndi Oliver, owner of Sweet Creations & Our Daily Bread in La Grange, Tennessee, said the school bus driver told her he couldn’t leave the children alone on the bus, so he escorted them inside before heading to the restroom.

“He came back in and said, ‘You know, I really can’t leave the kids on the bus,’” Oliver recalled. “Then he went to the restroom and left the children here.”

Oliver said the students were left sitting at a table, unsupervised, for about 10 minutes while the driver was in the restroom. After receiving his order, the driver reportedly returned to the bus, parked across the street and ate his meal before continuing his route.

According to the news report, Oliver was concerned about what she saw and contacted the Fayette County School Board immediately but said she didn’t receive a response for several hours. She later posted about the incident in a local community Facebook group, urging parents of children who ride bus No. 73 to reach out.

“Ten minutes is a long time,” she said via the report. “If I hadn’t been that person, I could have asked any one of those children to come with me … and they would have gone.”

In response, Fayette County Public Schools issued a statement via the article acknowledging the incident and confirming that the situation is under review.

“Student safety is our top priority, and we take this matter very seriously,” the statement reads. “The situation is currently under investigation in accordance with district policy and procedures. Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”

Oliver said she was later contacted by a school district official who assured her that steps would be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, the district has not provided details regarding those specific measures when contacted by local news reporters.

As of this report, the bus driver’s status with the district remains unclear pending the outcome of the investigation.

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Technology experts joined a North Carolina transportation director who weathered Hurricane Helene to discuss how safety, communication and flexibility are central to serving students with special needs or who are experiencing housing insecurity.

Courtney Pallotta, chief marketing officer for alternative transportation provider and webinar sponsor EverDriven, reviewed the company’s “Future of Modern Student Transportation and Safety” study, which found that 62 percent of U.S. school districts reported increasing enrollments of students with special needs and 49 percent reported rising McKinney-Vento student counts.

She shared public information statistics indicating 7.6 million students with special needs require transportation as a related service under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as outlined on their Individualized Education Programs. The 1.22 million students experiencing homelessness under McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act protections make up more than 17.5 percent of all K–12 students in the U.S., Palotta added.

Modernizing operations could be the key to improving operations although that requires a student-centric and safety-focused approach.

“Budget oversight, accountability and safety standards have never been higher,” she said. “How do you put the student at the center of your modernizing strategy?”

Adam Warner, EverDriven’s vice president of operations and head of safety, shared that over half of the school districts surveyed said they face a school bus driver shortage or could not provide adequate transportation for these vulnerable student populations.

Jeremy Stowe, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools in North Carolina, noted that consistency for students is important during shifting life circumstances, the most recent egregious example being last September’s Hurricane Helene. This, he said, requires transportation to be nimble while still safe and to keep transparent lines of communication open with parents.

Safety and Innovation

Alan Fliegelman, EverDriven’s vice president of product management, and Warner noted that everything from student ridership to driver behavior to vehicle inspections can be effectively tracked and managed through telematics and technology.

“How do we use technology to create a safer, smarter, more adaptable ride?” Warner questioned. “I want to get to a place where these tools ensure that compliance is not assumed but is actively verified.”

“Safety is the only acceptable standard,” Pallotta agreed.

Stowe confirmed as a director of transportation that he expects nothing less than the best for the companies he partners with to serve his school district’s students. As Sears and Roebuck was overshadowed by Amazon, he cautioned pupil transporters to not just lean on the ubiquitous yellow school bus without evolving as needed.

Communication and Transparency

“I have to run at the speed of trust,” declared Stowe, adding he works hard to provide a positive impression of the easily identifiable yellow school bus so parents trust that it is safe and reliable for their children.

“The best thing we can do is meet expectations and earn trust,” Pallotta concurred.

Proactive and real-time communication reduces parent anxiety and unnecessary calls, Warner noted. This is especially important to set up before starting a new school year or gearing up for winter operations, he said.

Technology that incorporates routing software and communication apps helps parents, drivers and district leadership stay on the same page, Fliegelman stated.

Flexibility and Adaptability

The trifecta of safety, transparency and flexibility was crucial when servicing families affected by Hurricane Helene, Stowe relayed. So many families were temporarily displaced that the district saw its McKinney-Vento student ridership triple.

He recalled encountering EverDriven at industry conferences, including STN EXPO East, and the help in removing a barrier so these students could receive education, be fed and return to normalcy at school.

Stowe said that while he may be able to transport 99 percent of his students on yellow school buses, he sought out the right partner with the right tools for the job of transporting the remaining one percent.

“The only way to handle these [instances] without disruption is to build an operation with a contingency plan at its core,” Warner said. “There’s a lot of things that can change in the course of a day. You have to build all these operational practices up front.”

Partnership and Implementation

Technology automation can greatly assist in cases where changes to one bus or driver could cascade into affecting other buses and drivers, Fliegelman noted.

in an age where parents have live location apps on their children’s phones and screaming school bus drivers go viral on social media, technology effectively used by transportation departments helps get ahead of incidents.

“If you’re not talking to parents, they’re talking about you,” Stowe said. “Pump that information out and control the narrative.”

A personal touch is crucial for not just students but parents too. To assist with technology implementation, Stowe said he leveraged personal connections by involving social workers to help parents download the communication app. “That paid huge dividends,” he added.

“Students may forget everything we taught them, but they’ll remember how we treated them,” Stowe summed up.

Watch the webinar on demand.

Transportation professionals nationwide are invited to attend the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs Conference and Trade Show from Nov. 6—11, 2025 at the Embassy Suites in Frisco (Dallas), Texas. Immerse yourself in the latest trends in special needs transportation training, products, and services. Connect with like-minded individuals, attend educational sessions and workshops, and explore product demonstrations. Learn more and register at tsdconference.com.

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Advanced solid-state batteries have long been regarded as the holy grail for electric vehicles and Subaru has joined fellow Japanese brands Toyota and Nissan by working to implement these advanced new packs. However, rather than using them in any of its EVs, Subaru is instead utilizing solid-state batteries in robots which build engines and transmissions.

Read: Subaru Is Having Second Thoughts On EVs

The batteries in question come from Japanese electronics firm Maxell Ltd and have been primarily used as backup batteries in industrial equipment, designed to protect against computer memory loss. These solid state cells, like those set to be used by future EVs, have a ceramic-like electrolyte rather than a liquid one. This makes them more energy-dense and allow them to support fast charging than traditional lithium-ion cells.

Why Robots Come First

Maxell’s batteries are less than 1 kWh in capacity, and therefore far too small to use in a vehicle. However, they have been adapted for use with Subaru’s factory robots which usually need battery changes every one or two years. These new batteries can last for up to 10 years.

According to Auto News, Subaru has already introduced the batteries into nine robots at its Oizumi engine and transmission plant north of Tokyo.

“By installing all-solid-state batteries in the industrial robots used at our factory, Subaru aims to reduce both industrial waste and maintenance work for industrial robots by utilizing the long battery life,” the company said in a statement.

Subaru’s EV Balancing Act

A few short months ago, Subaru acknowledged that it was “re-evaluating” its electrification strategy, becoming just the latest in a slew of car manufacturers that have become increasingly concerned with the slowing growth of EV sales in certain markets. However, it recently revealed its second EV for North America, named the Uncharted.

This is the brand’s take on the new electric Toyota C-HR but has a slightly more rugged design. The flagship model has a pair of electric motors that combine to deliver 338 hp and enable it to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5 seconds.

Less than two weeks after news broke that Genesis had dropped the Electrified G80 from its US line-up, production of the all-electric GV70 has also been put on hold. The company maintains the pause is only temporary, though the timing raises questions about the SUV’s future. For now, the situation doesn’t reflect particularly well on the brand’s electric strategy.

Read: Americans Ignored Genesis’ Electric Sedan So Hard It’s Already Dead

News of the production pause surfaced earlier this week through Business Korea, which reported that Hyundai Motor’s Alabama plant stopped building the Electrified GV70 back in June. The outlet went further, suggesting the move was not just a pause but the permanent removal of the electric SUV from the assembly line.

Troubled Start For Local Production

Genesis has been building the Electrified GV70 in Alabama since February 2023, and it remains the only EV that it produces in the United States. Sales, however, have been underwhelming. Between January and July this year, just 1,367 units were assembled, a decline of 18.3 percent compared with the same period last year. March was especially weak, with only 93 vehicles completed.

The automaker has confirmed that production of the Electrified GV70 has indeed been halted in Alabama, but it insists it is only a temporary measure and that manufacturing will resume soon.

Official Response

“Genesis has temporarily paused assembly of the Electrified GV70 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) as we optimize our production plans,” a Genesis spokesperson told Carscoops. “Electrified GV70 production is planned to resume for the US market, with details to be announced at a later date. The Electrified GV70 remains available at US retailers at this time without disruption. Along with the GV60 SUV, Genesis will continue to offer an EV lineup that meets the needs of US consumers.”

While Genesis says the electric SUV isn’t going anywhere, it clearly faces pressure to spark more interest among buyers. Toward the end of November, the model was refreshed for the 2026 model year, gaining a larger 84 kWh battery pack to replace the previous 77.4 kWh unit. The upgrade suggests Genesis isn’t ready to walk away from the electric SUV, even if sales have yet to match expectations.

A federal EV tax credit worth up to $7,500 ends Sept. 30. But the IRS has just clarified that shoppers don't need to actually have the keys in hand by the deadline to get the credit.

(Image credit: Charles Krupa)

The MIT Sailing Pavilion hosted an altogether different marine vessel recently: a prototype of a solar electric boat developed by James Worden ’89, the founder of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT). Worden visited the pavilion on a sizzling, sunny day in late July to offer students from the SEVT, the MIT Edgerton Center, MIT Sea Grant, and the broader community an inside look at the Anita, named for his late wife.

Worden’s fascination with solar power began at age 10, when he picked up a solar chip at a “hippy-like” conference in his hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. “My eyes just lit up,” he says. He built his first solar electric vehicle in high school, fashioned out of cardboard and wood (taking first place at the 1984 Massachusetts Science Fair), and continued his journey at MIT, founding SEVT in 1986. It was through SEVT that he met his wife and lifelong business partner, Anita Rajan Worden ’90. Together, they founded two companies in the solar electric and hybrid vehicles space, and in 2022 launched a solar electric boat company.

On the Charles River, Worden took visitors for short rides on Anita, including a group of current SEVT students who peppered him with questions. The 20-foot pontoon boat, just 12 feet wide and 7 feet tall, is made of carbon fiber composites, single crystalline solar photovoltaic cells, and lithium iron phosphate battery cells. Ultimately, Worden envisions the prototype could have applications as mini-ferry boats and water taxis.

With warmth and humor, he drew parallels between the boat’s components and mechanics and those of the solar cars the students are building. “It’s fun! If you think about all the stuff you guys are doing, it’s all the same stuff,” he told them, “optimizing all the different systems and making them work.” He also explained the design considerations unique to boating applications, like refining the hull shape for efficiency and maneuverability in variable water and wind conditions, and the critical importance of protecting wiring and controls from open water and condensate.

“Seeing Anita in all its glory was super cool,” says Nicole Lin, vice captain of SEVT. “When I first saw it, I could immediately map the different parts of the solar car to its marine counterparts, which was astonishing to see how far I’ve come as an engineer with SEVT. James also explained the boat using solar car terms, as he drew on his experience with solar cars for his solar boats. It blew my mind to see the engineering we learned with SEVT in action.”

Over the years, the Wordens have been avid supporters of SEVT and the Edgerton Center, so the visit was, in part, a way to pay it forward to MIT. “There’s a lot of connections,” he says. He’s still awed by the fact that Harold “Doc” Edgerton, upon learning about his interest in building solar cars, carved out a lab space for him to use in Building 20 — as a first-year student. And a few years ago, as Worden became interested in marine vessels, he tapped Sea Grant Education Administrator Drew Bennett for a 90-minute whiteboard lecture, “MIT fire-hose style,” on hydrodynamics. “It was awesome!” he says.

© Photo: Sarah Foote