We’re in the third inning of a nine-inning game, says Ford’s CEO Jim Farley. What’s he talking about? Electric vehicle adoption. And the automaker has plenty coming down the pipeline before the game is over, he adds. Chief among those products is an affordable EV built to directly take on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Ford has spent the past few years insisting it still believes in EVs, even as it slashed programs, killed the F-150 Lightning, and pivoted hard toward hybrids. That shift is one that plenty of other automakers are also going through, but none seem to have the exact same game plan as the Blue Oval brand.

More: Farley Admits Ford Got The F-150 Lightning Wrong

“We really want to bet on all of it. We’re going to have an all-hybrid lineup. So Bronco… everything you can buy at Ford will have a hybrid. We’ll also have EREVs for towing. We’ll have an all-electric, affordable vehicle to compete with Model Y and Model 3,” Farley said during an appearance on the Spike’s Car Radio podcast.

That last part is the most notable. Ford already sells the Mustang Mach-E, a relatively affordable EV that offers similar benefits to the Model Y. At the same time, the Ford lags behind in several key metrics, including range, performance, charging speed, and more. Farley clearly wants to change that.

To that end, the brand is working on something new and unique. This future Model Y/Model 3 fighter will almost certainly ride on the company’s Universal EV Platform, or UEV, a new architecture developed by a secretive “skunkworks” team made up largely of former Tesla and Formula 1 engineers. According to Ford, the platform can support up to eight body styles, including compact crossovers, sedans, pickups, vans, and larger SUVs.

Ford’s first UEV-based model is expected to be a roughly $30,000 midsize electric pickup arriving in 2027. The Model 3 and Model Y rival would likely follow shortly after, potentially debuting later that year or in 2028.

Subaru has spent the past few years dabbling in EVs, but the Solterra always felt more like a compliance exercise than a serious attempt to challenge segment leaders. The new Trailseeker and Uncharted take the brand to new heights. Now, the Getaway, another EV built in partnership with Toyota, wants to add more passengers to the mix.

Read: Subaru Finally Connects Its Two Best Ideas In One Vehicle

Revealed at the New York Auto Show, the Getaway is Subaru’s first three-row EV and easily its boldest electric model yet. It’s also the most powerful production Subaru ever built, with dual electric motors producing a combined 420 hp (313 kW), which is a lot more than the Highlander’s 388 horses.

According to Subaru, that’s enough to send the family hauler from 0-60 mph in under five seconds, which means it’ll outrun plenty of sports sedans while carrying six or seven people and all of their luggage.

Three-Row Space And Practicality

From a design standpoint, it’s easy to see the clear ties to Toyota’s new Highlander EV, which, like the Getaway, will debut later this year. Subaru says its new three-row SUV offers 45.6 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row.

That’s more than Kia’s EV9 manages. There’s also 15.9 cubic feet of space behind the third row, captain’s chairs or a bench seat in the second row, depending on trim, and allegedly enough headroom and legroom for six-foot adults in all three rows.

Inside, the Getaway gets a standard 14-inch infotainment display, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-C ports in every row, and available luxuries including ventilated seats, heated rear seats (including the third row), and a panoramic roof.

Also: Kia Finally Brings An Affordable EV To America, Fake Gears And All

Every Getaway comes standard with all-wheel drive, 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and the brand’s X-Mode system. The SUV can tow up to 3,500 pounds (1,588 kg). Power comes from a 95.8 kWh battery pack that Subaru says will deliver over 300 miles (483 km) of range. In 2027, a “standard-range” version will arrive with a 77 kWh battery pack, but Subaru didn’t release a range estimate for it.

The Getaway comes with a NACS charging point, which means that owners will have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. The Getaway has a maximum charging speed of 150 kW, which is not very quick compared to most new EVs, but Subaru says it’ll go from 10 to 80 percent in around half an hour.

Expected Pricing Range

The biggest question at this point is what will pricing look like? For now, expect it to start at around the low-to-mid $50,000 range. That’s right in line with the Kia EV9 and a few thousand cheaper than the Hyundai Ioniq 9. Likely, the Getaway will also undercut the new Toyota Highlander by roughly the same margin.

Either way, we’ll know later this year, and Subaru will find out how big an appetite its fans have for what is likely the heaviest and somehow fastest production car it’s ever made.

Kia is one of the fastest-moving brands in the business. Now, a keen-eyed reader believes they’ve spotted something new, a model we’ve already seen overseas showing up much closer to home. The Korean automaker has brought an EV3 prototype across the Atlantic for testing in Mexico.

It’s unclear why Kia would still wrap it in camouflage given that it’s already made its global launch, but the move could point to plans for bringing the sub-compact electric crossover to North America.

Kia EV3 Review: Everything We Love About The EV9 Made More Affordable 

Despite the thick camouflage covering nearly every body panel, it’s easy to match the EV3 that’s already on sale elsewhere, including Europe. The short overhangs, upright stance, and boxy rear section are all visible, along with a high roofline that suggests Kia is prioritizing interior space over sleek styling.

Photos Silvia García / Carscoops

The test vehicle also appears to ride on aero-optimized wheels similar to those seen on other Hyundai Motor Group EVs, while the front end is completely hidden under padded covers designed to conceal the final lighting signature. The reader who snapped these photos, Silvia Garcia, told us that the same vehicle has been around town for at least a few days.

Read: Kia Unveils Four New GT Models With Speed, Minus The Drama

Testing there is especially interesting, as the country already builds several Kia and Hyundai models for global markets. Running prototypes in Mexico could simply be part of evaluating local road conditions. That said, it also lines up with the idea that Kia may be eyeing Canada for the EV3.

European specification Kia EV3

Kia initially focused the EV3 on overseas markets, including Europe. When it debuted in 2024, though, the company did confirm plans for a U.S. launch, targeting late 2025 or early 2026 with a starting price in the in the low-to-mid $30,000s. That, as you may have noticed, hasn’t happened, and nobody at Kia has said much since.

A lot has changed in the meantime: the $7,500 federal tax credit is gone, the American EV market has cooled considerably, and tariffs are making the whole equation messier by the day. The awkward part is that the appetite for affordable electric cars has never been stronger.

The EV3 is built on Kia’s E-GMP platform and is currently offered with two battery options, a 58.3 kWh Standard Range and a larger 81.4 kWh Long Range pack, both driving a single front-mounted motor producing 201 hp (150 kW). Depending on the battery, WLTP range is rated at up to 372 miles (599 km), while fast charging allows a 10 to 80% top-up in roughly 30 minutes under ideal conditions.

Back in January, Kia also pulled the covers off a hotter EV3 GT, this time with a more serious edge. It uses the larger battery and bumps output to 282 hp (215 kW / 286 PS), enough to cut the 0–62 mph (100 km/h) sprint down to a claimed 5.7 seconds.

Special thanks to Silvia García for the photos!

Analysts believe that Tesla is on track to double its global deliveries by the end of the decade. That’s a huge bet, and it relies on more factories, cheaper models, and a broader global footprint that can push annual volume into the millions. That said, there’s a bit of a disconnect. If that’s indeed what the future looks like, the same analysts’ Q1 2026 predictions aren’t exactly screaming momentum.

The automaker just compiled estimated reports from 23 big-time analyst firms, including UBS, Barclays, Wells Fargo, and more. Wall Street expects Tesla to deliver roughly 420,000 vehicles in Q1 2026. For a company evidently on the verge of explosive growth, that figure leaves some room for head-scratching because it’s nearly flat compared to 2025 levels.

More: This Might Be The Tesla Roadster’s Biggest Update Since 2017

That said, the professionals betting on the future clearly see a path ahead. Their consensus is that Tesla will deliver 1,689,691 cars this year. That’s actually just above the 1,636,129 figure it managed in 2025, with a a modest 3.3% increase year over year.

Starting in 2027, their estimates just go up, up, and away, though. Notably, 2027 is the latest year in which all 23 firms provided an estimate, in this case, of 1,880,496 deliveries.

Twenty of the firms predicted (on average) that Tesla will deliver 2,128,187 cars in 2028. Just 13 firms went as far as to provide a consensus for 2029 and 2030. Those figures hit 2,613,623 deliveries for 2029 and then 3,032,000 the following year.

As is the case now, analysts believe the vast majority of the cars that Tesla does sell will be the Model 3 and Model Y by a factor of around eight to one overall. Notably, that mix diminishes to as low as four to one by 2030 in the consensus.

That’s important because it suggests that Tesla will need to continue to heavily invest in the growth and proliferation of both the Model Y and Model 3. Those two will largely bolster the car side of Tesla’s business if this consensus is correct.

What it doesn’t clarify is what falls under those “other models.” With the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X out of the picture, the lineup narrows quickly. That leaves the Tesla Cybertruck as the only other vehicle currently in play, alongside plans for the Tesla Cybercab and, if Elon Musk is to be taken at his word, something he has teased as “way cooler than a minivan.”

The decision to publish this consensus ahead of its Q1 report is also significant and Tesla has done this in the past. It could be that it’s hoping to anchor expectations if results end up lower than some hoped for.

For the past decade or so, the automotive industry has been marching steadily toward touchscreens and capacitive buttons, and the reasoning has always been the same: they look cleaner, they signal modernity, and they photograph well in press materials. At the same time, they’ve often proven harder to use in practice.

Now, one of the world’s most storied automotive names is admitting what many suspected all along: touch controls took over because they’re cheaper, not because they’re better.

According to Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, the shift away from physical buttons has little to do with improving the driving experience and everything to do with manufacturing efficiency. “The touch [button] is something that is made for the supplier’s advantage… Making a touch button is cheaper — 50 percent cheaper.” He also made clear that the trend is not driven by customer preference or any inherent technological advantage.

More: Volkswagen Gives First Official Look At Golf MK9

That’s the blunt admission he made while speaking to Autocar India, and it lines up with what we’ve been hearing across the industry. Capacitive panels reduce parts count, simplify wiring, and allow manufacturers to reuse the same hardware across multiple models. They also eliminate the need to design, engineer, and validate bespoke physical switches for each function. In high-volume cars, those savings add up quickly. But even premium brands leaned into the trend, sometimes at the expense of usability.

Ferrari’s “Phygital” Philosophy

Ferrari, however, now says it’s going the other direction, especially for its first electric vehicle, the Luce, due out later this year. Instead of doubling down on screens, the company plans to bring back more physical switches, dials, and toggles, particularly for frequently used functions. This includes steering wheel controls and secondary systems such as climate settings, areas where tactile feedback can make a noticeable difference.

Vigna calls the approach “phygital,” a blend of physical and digital controls meant to keep the interface intuitive without giving up modern software features. That philosophy will appear in the upcoming EV, the interior of which, has already been revealed, giving us a first look at the new layout.

The Jony Ive Irony

What makes this particularly interesting is that the Luce has been developed with input from design consultancy LoveFrom, led by former Apple designer Jony Ive. That’s the man behind the original iPhone, a product that became historically significant in large part because of its deliberate absence of physical controls.

All said, Ferrari is far from alone in this new understanding of why physical controls are so important. Super-luxury brands like Rolls-Royce never fully departed from such controls. Mainstream brands like Hyundai and Volkswagen are also open about the need to eschew touch controls for physical ones. Now, we just have to wait to see how each company will implement those design briefs.

Every time a drone buzzes over Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory, the internet immediately goes into detective mode. Usually, the result is a grainy shot of construction equipment and a few wild guesses. This time, though, the mystery object might actually be something real. Fans of the brand have torn these shots apart like they’ll reveal whether or not alien life exists.

Drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer recently captured footage of a large vehicle shell sitting inside a wooden crate outside Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas. The structure was wrapped in blue plastic and surrounded by construction materials. That didn’t stop folks from trying to suss out exactly what we’re looking at. Most think it’s Tesla’s Model Y L.

Read: Tesla’s Budget Model Y Gets Grip And Grit For $2K More, But Don’t Call It Standard

That’s the long-wheelbase take on Tesla’s compact crossover, first rolled out in China last year. It matters more than it might seem at first glance. This is effectively Tesla’s only proper three-row crossover heading into the near future. Yes, you can spec tiny rear seats in the standard Model Y, though calling them usable depends on how much you like the people riding back there.

The Model X is about to go away with the death of its flagship stablemate, the Model S. That leaves Tesla with a big gap in the market. A lengthened Model Y would help plug that third-row-sized hole.

Well this is interesting at Giga Texas today … what do YOU think this is? 🤔😎 pic.twitter.com/U9pLvqbf7L

— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) March 23, 2026

The vehicle in the drone footage appears to be little more than a body shell. These unfinished body structures allow automakers to continue development or manufacturing testing without building a full car to do so. It’s a normal part of production and something we’d expect from Tesla if it were setting up to sell the Model Y L in the U.S. market.

As Teslarati pointed out, observers have done just about everything they can to sort this out. Some used AI to create renders. Others compared how the dimensions came together compared to the standard Model Y. Some went as far as to superimpose the Model Y L’s window shapes over the shell.

More: Tesla’s Model Y L Gets Bigger And Pricier With New Six-Seat Layout

The Chinese market Tesla Model Y L.

All signs, at least for now, point toward this being the Model Y L, or something very close to it. One user even shared a rare overhead shot of what appears to be the production SUV, and the resemblance lines up almost too neatly to ignore. The proportions, the silhouette, the overall footprint, it all matches.

That said, there’s no word on when or even if the vehicle could come to the U.S. market in any official capacity. Musk once seemed to indicate that it might not ever end up in the States. These images seem to indicate otherwise, though with Tesla, certainty has never really been part of the package.

It looks the same as my Model Y L. pic.twitter.com/uVf98xpvTE

— @BananaMemeClub (@BananaMemeClub) March 23, 2026

Lead image Joe Tegtmeyer @ X

Volvo is suffering a new setback as the short-lived EX30 is leaving the USA after this model year. The automaker confirmed the news that will see both the normal and Cross Country versions of the electric crossover exit the U.S just two years after launch. Meanwhile, Volvo will continue selling it in Mexico and Canada, which makes the reasoning behind the decision easier to piece together.

On paper, the EX30 made a lot of sense. It was positioned as Volvo’s most affordable EV, starting at just over $40,000, with up to 422 horsepower in dual-motor form and EPA range estimates of around 253–261 miles depending on configuration. It was quick, stylish, and small enough to appeal to urban buyers who didn’t need a full-size electric SUV.

More: Canada Could Give China’s Biggest Carmaker A Backdoor Into The US Market

In reality, the U.S. market just wasn’t ready for it. The EX30 is tied to a Chinese-built EV architecture like the one used in the Zeekr X. That complicated life for Volvo when President Trump enacted steep tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles. Volvo shifted U.S. supply to Belgium to get around the issue, only to end up hit by more tariffs later on.

At the same time, Trump killed the EV tax credit for imported vehicles and then all vehicles. Sales reflected that change. Volvo shifted just over 5,400 EX30s in the U.S. during 2025. A Volvo spokesperson confirmed the situation to The Drive, saying it is “a thorough evaluation of our business and operational strategies and is a direct response to shifting market conditions and financial factors.”

Importantly, Volvo isn’t backing away from electrification overall. The brand will continue selling the EX40 and EX90 in the U.S., and the upcoming EX60 is still likely coming later this year. The EX30 didn’t flop in America because it was a bad car. It just ended up being launched at the worst time possible for a small, imported EV. Most automakers worldwide would struggle with such a task, and it’s why so many have changed their EV plans.

Volvo is suffering a new setback as the short-lived EX30 is leaving the USA after this model year. The automaker confirmed the news that will see both the normal and Cross Country versions of the electric crossover exit the U.S just two years after launch. Meanwhile, Volvo will continue selling it in Mexico and Canada, which makes the reasoning behind the decision easier to piece together.

On paper, the EX30 made a lot of sense. It was positioned as Volvo’s most affordable EV, starting at just over $40,000, with up to 422 horsepower in dual-motor form and EPA range estimates of around 253–261 miles depending on configuration. It was quick, stylish, and small enough to appeal to urban buyers who didn’t need a full-size electric SUV.

More: Canada Could Give China’s Biggest Carmaker A Backdoor Into The US Market

In reality, the U.S. market just wasn’t ready for it. The EX30 is tied to a Chinese-built EV architecture like the one used in the Zeekr X. That complicated life for Volvo when President Trump enacted steep tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles. Volvo shifted U.S. supply to Belgium to get around the issue, only to end up hit by more tariffs later on.

At the same time, Trump killed the EV tax credit for imported vehicles and then all vehicles. Sales reflected that change. Volvo shifted just over 5,400 EX30s in the U.S. during 2025. A Volvo spokesperson confirmed the situation to The Drive, saying it is “a thorough evaluation of our business and operational strategies and is a direct response to shifting market conditions and financial factors.”

Importantly, Volvo isn’t backing away from electrification overall. The brand will continue selling the EX40 and EX90 in the U.S., and the upcoming EX60 is still likely coming later this year. The EX30 didn’t flop in America because it was a bad car. It just ended up being launched at the worst time possible for a small, imported EV. Most automakers worldwide would struggle with such a task, and it’s why so many have changed their EV plans.

Sit down for this, because it might shake everything you thought you knew. The Tesla Roadster is delayed once again. Now that you’ve recovered from the shock of this news, let it be known that this time the delay is only a few weeks beyond the previous demo date of April 1. Every day that Tesla waits to bring this car to production, the less it makes sense, and that seems to be the viewpoint of the automaker itself.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed the latest delay on his social media platform X, writing in part, “New Roadster unveil probably in late April.” That moves it back from April 1, itself already a revision after missing earlier targets in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and “late 2025.” Still, Musk insists it will be “a banger next-level.”

The second-generation Roadster has been pushed back so many times that its timeline now spans multiple presidential administrations, several Tesla product cycles, and an entire industry shift toward autonomy. At this stage, it’s starting to get really weird.

More: This Might Be The Tesla Roadster’s Biggest Update Since 2017

Musk and Tesla executives have hyped the Roadster as the “last best driver’s car,” a halo vehicle meant to prove EVs can outperform anything with pistons. Of course, plenty of EVs have come and gone that already made that point (at least on drag strips or shorter race tracks). The kicker is that while Tesla has delayed this car over and over and over again, its own view of the future has dramatically shifted.

True.

New Roadster unveil probably in late April. https://t.co/NShZxpK5cI

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2026

The company is betting heavily on fully autonomous vehicles, including the upcoming Cybercab, which could, in theory, arrive without a steering wheel or pedals at all. That’s the way Tesla initially pitched it before regulations dampened that possibility. That creates a strange contradiction.

On one hand, Tesla says the future doesn’t require human drivers. On the other hand, it’s still teasing a six-figure performance car built entirely around the idea that driving engagement matters. At this rate, it likely doesn’t show up in production form until Tesla actually masters Full Self-Driving (Unsupervised).

New Roadster unveil hopefully next month.

It will be a banger next-level. https://t.co/sO0iB63l07

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2026

America, you won’t believe the $70,000 Buick you’re missing out on. While the brand’s U.S. lineup has been trimmed down to a handful of boring crossovers, China is getting a futuristic, all-electric luxury minivan with ultra-fast charging, reclining lounge seats, and enough screens to make a business jet jealous.

This is the new Encasa EV, Buick’s latest flagship MPV for the Chinese market, and almost certainly the most advanced vehicle wearing the tri-shield badge today.

The Encasa already existed as a plug-in hybrid, which we showed you back in December, so this new EV version just gives Chinese customers more choice. It rides on GM’s latest dedicated EV architecture and uses a 96-kWh battery paired with a 900-volt electrical system. For comparison, the Hummer EV has two 400-volt batteries that can switch to 800 volts during charging.

Buick claims the setup can deliver up to 373 miles (601 km) of range on the CLTC cycle and support peak charging speeds of 640 kW, allowing the battery to jump from 10 to 80 percent in about 11.5 minutes under ideal conditions. To put that into perspective, that’s faster charging than almost anything sold in North America, let alone a minivan.

More: Buick’s New Electra E7 Looks More Toyota Than Buick

Performance isn’t exactly slow either. Chinese-market specs list a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system producing 646 hp (482 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of peak torque , good for a 0–62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of about 5.1 seconds. The exterior follows Buick’s latest “Land Jet” design language, with a slippery 0.258 Cd drag coefficient, matte gray paint option, and a long, low MPV shape that prioritizes interior space over SUV styling trends.

A Living Room On Wheels

Inside, the Encasa EV goes all-in on the luxury MPV formula that Chinese buyers love. The three-row cabin uses a 2+2+3 layout with reclining second-row seats, multiple display screens, and a massive augmented-reality head-up display reportedly measuring up to 50 inches.

Passengers also get features rarely seen in U.S. Buicks, including air suspension with ride-height adjustment, a built-in refrigerator, rear entertainment screens, and an advanced driver-assistance system based on Momenta’s reinforcement-learning software.

The Encasa EV starts at 489,900 yuan (about $68,000), putting it right in the middle of China’s rapidly growing premium electric MPV segment. Buick once built its reputation on big, comfortable family haulers, but today the brand sells no minivan at all in the U.S., let alone a 900-volt electric one. In China, though, the formula clearly still works.

The automotive industry is undergoing a gigantic shift, and Bentley is changing too. The British luxury brand had big plans to go all electric, but consider that plan delayed big time. Now, it’ll launch just one EV before 2030, and the rest of the lineup will use gas or hybrid powertrains.

This all comes as Bentley reports its seventh straight year of profitability despite a 42 percent drop in that figure year over year, and layoffs hit the company.

The company had previously outlined an ambitious strategy that would see five fully electric Bentleys arrive by 2035. Now, only the first one, an SUV-like EV due in 2027, is still locked in, while the rest of the program has effectively been put on ice.

More: Bentley’s New SUV Will Hit 100 Miles In Seven Minutes

That first EV is expected to be revealed before the end of this year and will ride on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which also underpins several other upcoming luxury EVs. The four additional EVs were originally being developed on the Porsche-led platform that has since been canceled, effectively ending those projects.

Future Lineup Prioritizes Hybrids

Instead of rapidly expanding its EV lineup, the brand will lean heavily on plug-in hybrids and gas engines. It might even keep traditional combustion models around longer than expected. That’s big news all by itself and provides an extra layer of exclusivity for future buyers.

Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said the company has had to rethink its entire product plan as the market shifts. Some of that comes directly from customer demands. Recent plug-in hybrid versions of the Continental GT and Flying Spur were well received, and the company says these electrified V8 models can meet future emissions rules without giving up the performance buyers expect.

According to Car&Driver, he also noted that future models will continue adopting plug-in hybrid systems, and confirmed that retrofitting EVs with combustion or hybrid powertrains is not part of the company’s strategy due to feasibility constraints.

That said, it seems clear why Bentley is being cautious. The company reported its seventh straight year of profitability, but deliveries fell five percent, with weaker demand in China cited as a major factor. Bentley says it remains financially solid, but the changing market means it has to be selective about where it invests next. A 42 percent drop in profit is nothing to ignore, and Bentley is making moves to improve its position.

See: What Bentley’s Smaller SUV Could Look Like Is Already Stirring Debate

Bentley is also cutting some 140 jobs in the UK. That’s only a portion of total layoffs, which Walliser says will likely amount to 275 employees, mostly in office jobs. Some of the changes are due to forces outside of Bentley itself.

The Volkswagen group is no longer going to build the Porsche-led Scalable Systems Platform that was going to underpin multiple Bentley products. Without it, the brand had basically no choice but to abandon its plans. Despite that, it’ll still likely go EV-only at some point… just not anytime soon.

Gas prices are already starting to climb as tensions in the Middle East push oil markets higher. The increases haven’t been dramatic yet, but depending on how the war with Iran unfolds, they could keep creeping up for quite some time. How bad would it have to get for those of you with gas cars to switch to an EV?

According to AAA, the U.S. average recently climbed to about $3.25 per gallon after a sharp weekly jump, as crude markets react to the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. And there’s a good chance this is only the beginning.

Analysts say the biggest risk is disruption to oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important energy choke-points in the world. If supplies stay tight, gas prices could keep rising for weeks or even months.

More: Global Oil Shock Triggers The Largest Ever Strategic Reserve Release As Gas Prices Surge

Recent forecasts tied to the ongoing war suggest crude could stay elevated for a while. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects oil to remain high enough to push U.S. gasoline prices higher in 2026, even if the conflict cools down, with average prices projected around the mid-$3 range.

In more extreme scenarios, oil staying near or above $100 per barrel for an extended period could drive inflation higher and make everyday driving significantly more expensive. In fact, Reuters reports that some big names in the banking and finance industry worry that it’ll climb to $120 a barrel. Some analysts think $150 a barrel is possible.

For reference, when oil prices hit $130 a barrel in 2022, gas prices reached about $5 per gallon. At $150 or more, we could see $6 or $7 a gallon fuel prices. That’s exactly the kind of situation where EVs suddenly start looking a lot more appealing, even to those who wouldn’t normally consider buying one.

So where do you draw the line? If fuel prices keep climbing with no sign of relief, when would you finally consider parking the gas-powered car and moving to an EV?

Every automaker has its own take on how infotainment should work. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay make that experience far more uniform. Up until now, though, Lucid Gravity owners haven’t had access to either. Now, a big software update is coming, and it’ll remedy the situation for the luxury SUV owners.

The update is part of the latest version of Lucid’s software, and it allows drivers to connect their phones to access navigation, music, messages, and apps directly through the vehicle’s infotainment display. Both wireless and wired connections are supported, depending on the device. According to Lucid, the rollout begins in North America first, with other markets expected to follow shortly after.

CarPlay And Android Auto Arrive

The addition of smartphone mirroring may seem like a small update, but it’s a big deal for owners. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are among the most requested features in modern vehicles, and their absence has been a frequent complaint from Lucid customers despite the company’s otherwise advanced software system.

“Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are two of the most sought-after features by our customers,” said Emad Dlala, SVP of Engineering and Software at Lucid. “We are now providing a seamless connection between mobile devices and the Lucid Gravity. We’re excited to introduce these features to Lucid Gravity, which now offers even greater comfort and convenience for owners.”

Read: Lucid Shows Its Pedal-Free Future As It Confirms Subscription For Its Current Cars

From here on, every new Gravity leaving the factory will include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. The Air sedan already lists both systems on its infotainment menu, so the SUV was the obvious next step.

Do Older Gravity Models Get It?

Yes, existing Gravity owners will receive the capability through the OTA update without needing to visit a dealer. This is a key selling point for the brand; not just these pieces of software themselves, but the ability to update the car.

According to Lucid, more than 95 percent of the vehicle’s functions can be refined or expanded through over-the-air updates. Put another way, it hopes to consistently introduce new capabilities without hardware changes. This move will no doubt add value to potential buyers.

Update: Kia America has responded to our request for comment, telling Carscoops that “Kia America has made no formal announcement regarding the Niro EV and it remains as an important element in our lineup of ICE and electrified vehicles.” That statement suggests the discontinuation confirmed for South Korea may not apply to the U.S. market, at least for now.

Original Story Follows

The latest Kia Niro has been around for almost half of a decade. When it launched, it was unique in the segment. It had an unconventional slashed body panel at the rear and came in hybrid, PHEV, and EV versions. The plug-in died recently, and now, as a facelift nears release, the EV version is also going the way of the Dodo.

The automaker confirmed the change for the Korean market. “The Niro EV, which had been produced until the previous model, has been discontinued,” Jung Yoon-kyung, a senior marketing manager at Kia, told The Korea Herald. “We plan to sell the remaining inventory available.” Carscoops reached out to the automaker to confirm the change in the U.S. market as well.

More: Redesigned 2027 Kia Niro Desperately Wants To Be An EV3

If this is indeed the situation for the States, it won’t be all that surprising. The Niro EV has always been a bit of an oddball in the family. Unlike the other EVs in the lineup, it was designed around a gas-burning powertrain. The others, all built exclusively as EVs, feature faster charging, longer range, and better overall packaging. Some even offered all of this for less than the price of the Niro EV. That’s a key piece of the puzzle here.

“Kia is strongly focusing on electrification. Starting with the EV3 and continuing through EV9, we have a range of vehicles with strong electrification capabilities and improved product competitiveness,” Yoon-kyung said. “In order to concentrate more on those models, we decided to discontinue the (Niro EV).” Those models are ones that are already set up for the U.S. market.

Now, Kia can better focus on those vehicles and streamline the Niro lineup at the same time. While we loved the Niro PHEV, EV, and Hybrid at launch, it was clear last year that they were beginning to show their age. This new shift in powertrains signals a tighter focus for the brand.

Lucid’s investor day made a serious splash in several ways. The automaker confirmed that autonomy subscriptions are coming, it’s kicking off a robotaxi program, and it’s launching Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. None of that might be as immediately impactful as the new revelations concerning the brand’s midsize platform and the cars it’ll spawn.

According to Lucid, the midsize platform will support several vehicles. That was already known. What we didn’t know was just about everything else. The first two cars on this platform will be named the Cosmos and the Earth. Both will sit below the Gravity and Air in terms of lineup position and pricing. A third model will come online later, though there are no details on its name just yet.

Lucid says the new platform keeps the same core philosophy as its current cars. That means high efficiency, strong performance, and lots of interior space, but with a much greater focus on cost reduction. Engineers redesigned the vehicle architecture to use fewer parts, smaller battery packs, and simpler manufacturing processes, all of which should lower production costs while maintaining range and performance.

Atlas Electric Drive Unit

One of the biggest changes is a new electric drive unit called Atlas, which Lucid says is smaller, lighter, and cheaper to build than the current motor used in the Air and Gravity. The company claims the design has more than 30 percent fewer parts and significantly lower material cost, helping reduce the overall price of future vehicles.

Battery size is another area where Lucid expects savings. Because the company focuses heavily on efficiency, it says its midsize vehicles can achieve the same range as competitors while using smaller battery packs, which remain one of the most expensive components in any EV. That alone could cut thousands of dollars from the cost of each vehicle.

Pricing And Production Strategy

Lucid tells investors that the Cosmos and Earth will appeal to adventure-seekers. That’s a buzz term these days, but it’s worth looking at how the brand sees these products in the greater market. In a slide featuring a graph of “sporty to functional” and “Advanced to traditional,” it plotted each of its three upcoming midsize offerings.

More: Lucid Shows Its Pedal-Free Future As It Confirms Subscription For Its Current Cars

The Cosmos is slated to be the performance vehicle in the fleet. Lucid places it high on “advanced and sporty” in its graph that appears to feature some very strange cars around it. Lucid claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds or less. The Earth appears just as advanced in the company’s presentation but leans more toward the functional side of the spectrum.

The unnamed third Lucid model will be the most functional of the bunch and about as far from sporty as it can get. Will that be a van then? Only time will tell, but it does look quite large.

That said, expect vehicles on the platform to start at under $50,000 once available. It’s unclear at this point when those models will arrive. If Lucid does things the same way it did with the Gravity and Air, the expensive top trims will drop first with the lower-cost options showing up much later.

A Giant Role

Earth and Cosmos might sound like names that are too big for their britches, but for Lucid, they’re fitting because these cars and this platform could be what makes or breaks the brand. The company’s robotaxi plans rest on the architecture, as do its autonomy hopes. That includes monthly subscriptions, which are what the brand calls the best monetization opportunity ahead.

In addition, by moving into lower price segments and sharing components across multiple models, the company expects to increase production volume, reduce costs, and generate the kind of margins it hasn’t been able to achieve with low-volume luxury cars alone.

If the plan works, Lucid’s future lineup will look very different from today’s. Instead of just a high-end sedan and SUV, the brand could soon have a full range of vehicles, from premium luxury models to more affordable EVs, plus autonomous variants built for ride-hailing fleets.

Lucid is officially joining the robotaxi race, and it’s doing so with all-new products. During its investor day presentation on Thursday, the EV startup revealed a two-seat autonomous concept to insiders. Then, it confirmed plans to charge monthly subscription fees for advanced driver-assist and self-driving features in future cars.

More: Lucid Cuts 12% Of Its Workforce As The EV Shakeout Intensifies

The concept, called Lunar, is a purpose-built robotaxi designed without pedals or a steering wheel. It clearly signals that Lucid is serious about fully autonomous ride-hailing rather than just driver-assist technology. This puts the company on the same path as Tesla’s Cybercab program and similar efforts from other EV makers trying to turn autonomy into a long-term revenue stream.

Beyond the prototype reveal, Lucid shared very little technical detail about the Lunar. What it did emphasize is efficiency. The company is targeting between 5.5 and 6 miles per kWh, a figure that could translate to a theoretical range of around 400 miles.

Reaching that number will depend largely on low-drag aerodynamics and a carefully optimized body. Fast charging is also part of the equation, with Lucid claiming the robotaxi could gain more than 200 miles of range in about 15 minutes.

Whether the Lunar ever makes it past the concept stage is less certain, though. For now, the company already has plenty on its plate preparing its upcoming midsize EV lineup for launch, which carries far more weight for the company’s near-term finances.

Subscription Fees For Self Driving

Speaking of revenue, Lucid calls autonomy subscriptions “the single biggest software monetization opportunity.” As such, it’s going to start charging customers to use DreamDrive Pro, the brand’s in-car autonomy suite, on a monthly basis. Starting in the first half of 2027, owners will have to pay anywhere from $69 to $199 a month, depending on the level of autonomy they want.

Lucid says that it has a “Level 4-ready platform available directly from the factory.” While it hasn’t unveiled it to the public, it’ll ride on the brand’s midsize architecture that underpins a few new products heading to market. Lunar will only seat two individuals, so we expect it to have plenty of room for cargo.

That’ll work well with one of Lucid’s partners, Uber. The two are in talks to use the midsize platform in the way that they do Gravity with its robotaxi program.

Timelines

Lucid went as far as to openly lay out its timeline roadmap as well. This year, it believes it’ll offer hands-free highway driving to customers. Next year, it hopes to offer hands-free highway and city driving. In 2028, it wants to achieve Level 3 autonomy. That’s where drivers still need to be ready to take over but the car can mostly navigate on its own.

Level 4, something Lucid is aiming for in 2029, would allow drivers to take their eyes off of the road. Whether or not all of this comes to pass is up for debate, but at least now we know the plan.

Slate Auto is becoming an example of what a small startup can do with vast amounts of cash. It’s navigated several trials and tribulations and market shifts that other, less well-funded EV startups simply couldn’t survive. Now, it’s handling another as it appoints a new CEO just months before launching its first product, a heavily promoted $25,000-$30,000 electric truck.

The company announced that Peter Faricy, a former Amazon executive, has taken over as Chief Executive Officer, Newsweek reported. He replaces longtime Chrysler veteran Chris Barman, who will remain at the company as President of Vehicles with a focus on engineering, manufacturing, and product development. Keep in mind that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is an investor in Slate Auto.

Read: Slate Teases EV Truck Price As $20K Dream Collapses

The leadership shift comes as Slate prepares to switch from development mode to real-world sales. The startup says customers will soon be able to configure and order their vehicles, with reservations expected to convert into orders by the end of the year.

The Slate Auto pickup is stripped down and simplified to what some would call an extreme degree. For example, it doesn’t have an infotainment screen, it features crank windows, and customers are offered several options to add after initial purchase. The company said it has around 160,000 reservations and believes it can build 150,000 trucks annually at its Indiana manufacturing plant.

The CEO Shift

Slate is going to sell cars direct-to-consumer the same way Rivian, Tesla, and Lucid do. To that end, the shift to Faricy begins to make more sense. He previously worked at Ford before moving through roles at Borders and eventually Amazon, where he spent more than a decade helping build the company’s Marketplace platform into a global ecosystem for third-party sellers.

He later served as CEO of solar company SunPower from 2021 to 2024 and most recently worked with venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners.

According to Newsweek, Faricy will oversee the company’s commercial operations, digital strategy, finance, HR, legal, and IT divisions, while Barman focuses on building and delivering the vehicles. One thing is certain: an undertaking of this magnitude can only benefit from more hands on deck.

Sometimes the most interesting vehicle in a lineup is not the flagship. Porsche understands this well, which explains the broad mix of trims across much of its range. Now the electric Cayenne gains another variant called simply the S.

Unveiled as the third member of the family, it sits between the base model and the Cayenne Turbo Electric. Even so, it still delivers the sort of power and pace normally associated with something far less practical.

More: Porsche Turns Cayenne EV Coupe Into A Hypercar Hunter

On paper, at least, the numbers are strong. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup produces 536 hp (400 kW) in normal operation and up to 657 hp (490 kW) when Launch Control is activated. That’s enough to send the large electric SUV from 0–60 mph (0-96 km/h) in just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). That’s serious oomph for a large family hauler, and Porsche managed it by borrowing a bit from the top trim.

In comparison, the base Porsche Cayenne Electric produces 435 hp. Engage the overboost function and it will run from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, cover the quarter mile in 13.2 seconds, and eventually top out at 143 mph (230 km/h).

Both electric motors are permanent-magnet synchronous units, and the rear one uses direct oil cooling to manage heat under heavy loads. Unlike most EV motor cooling systems, Porsche’s setup extracts heat directly from current-carrying components. That helps the car sustain performance through better efficiency. The rear inverter also uses silicon-carbide semiconductors that can handle a current of up to 620 amps.

Those looking to really make their new Cayenne S shine can add a few different packages, including Porsche Active Ride suspension, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, and the Sport Chrono Package with push-to-pass. Notably, that last one boosts output by an additional 120 hp (90 kW) for up to ten seconds.

Charging And Design

The Cayenne S is not only quick off the line. It is also fast at the charger. It uses a 113 kWh battery pack that can charge from 10 to 80 percent in under 16 minutes when connected to a suitable high-speed charger, matching the base model.

The system supports charging speeds of up to 400 kW. The vehicle features a NACS-style connector on the driver’s side and a J1772 port on the passenger side, while a a CCS adapter is also provided with each vehicle. The automaker has yet to confirm the driving range.

Visually, the S gets model-specific touches such as Volcano Grey Metallic trim on the front and rear fascias and 20-inch Cayenne S Aero wheels. Buyers can choose from 13 exterior colors along with multiple interior customization options. One new personalization option is the “Interior Style Package,” a curated design from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur that mixes black leather with green accents and matching stitching throughout the cabin.

How Much Does It Cost?

The new Cayenne S Electric is now available to order, priced from $126,300 before a $2,350 delivery fee, with U.S. deliveries expected to begin in late summer 2026. That’s $17,300 more than the base Cayenne Electric. Porsche has also confirmed the 1,139 hp Cayenne Electric Turbo, which is due to arrive later this summer at a price yet to be announced.

The last decade has seen the automotive industry tipped on its head, and it hasn’t completely righted itself even now. Ford’s CEO Jim Farley says that shift is part of what led the brand to take missteps as he now sees them around the F-150 Lightning.

Now that the brand is pivoting to an extended range version of the truck, he’s spilling details on how the first Lightning got off to a hot start and then burned out fast.

After losing billions on its first-generation electric vehicles, Ford has scrapped its next-gen electric truck, canceled multiple three-row EV crossovers, and pulled the plug on a next-generation van. All of those choices have come down to what Farley says was an initial mis-reading of the market.

More: Ford’s $30K Pickup Wants To Beat Cybertruck At Its Own Game

In a recent interview with CarAndDriver, he admits about the F-150 Lighting, “I totally would’ve done it differently. I mean, look, we didn’t know what we didn’t know… COVID totally was a false signal. Post-COVID, and during the chip crisis that was a result of it, there was such high demand for all vehicles. If you could build a vehicle, you were going to sell it basically at 30 or 40 percent higher prices than before COVID.”

Despite that big boom in profit, the reality was that production costs were too high to remain sustainable, says Farley. “I guess it didn’t take us long to learn that our internal-combustion-engine prejudice was so high that we hadn’t designed the [electric] cars right. We had a Mustang [Mach-E], we had an E-Transit, we had a Lightning, and people loved these products. The problem was they were never going to pay the cost we put into the vehicle.”

Tesla’s Big Assists

How did Farley come to this realization? As it turns out, Tesla had a hand in it.

“When we ripped apart a Tesla with Doug Field [Ford’s chief officer for EVs, digital, and design, formerly of Apple and Tesla], I was just absolutely flabbergasted,” Farley told the magazine.

“The Mach-E’s wiring harness was 70 pounds heavier and 1.6 kilometers longer. We didn’t know what was going on in [Tesla engineers’ ] minds. But now we understand. They had no prejudice. We had prejudice. We’d gone to our supply-chain person and said, ‘Buy another wiring harness.’ [Tesla] said, ‘Let’s design the vehicle for the lowest, smallest battery.’ Totally different approach.”

Read: Gas Mustang Sales Are Suddenly Surging While Its Electric Twin Is Collapsing

That shift might have played a role in Ford moving to a 48v architecture for its upcoming EV pickup. Tesla famously sent an instruction manual on building such a vehicle to Ford and other competitors. Not only does it help the brand save money on material costs, but it should also help the final product weigh less and have a longer range as a result.

While the first-gen Lightning might be something Ford wishes it could redo, it’s clear that the brand is going into the second generation with an all-new vision.

Electric pickups aren’t exactly inexpensive at this stage in history. Now, Rivian, the first automaker to bring an electric truck to market, is trying to lower the barrier to entry. It’s doing so by extending a short-term deal on its 2026 R1 lineup. Buyers can now get monthly payments starting at $749 for 36 months, along with a $3,000 lease bonus on certain configurations.

Naturally, as with most lease deals splashed across a homepage, the headline number only tells part of the story. To secure that $749 per month figure, you need to opt for the Dual Standard versions of the 2026 R1T pickup or R1S SUV, which start at $72,990 and $76,990, respectively.

The Bit They Do Not Put In The Big Font

Then there is the small issue of $5,644 due at signing, and that is assuming you qualify for Rivian’s $3,000 lease contribution. Miss out on that incentive and the down payment climbs to $8,644.

More: That Rivian Bumper Tap Didn’t Look Like An $11,000 Mistake, But Here We Are

Run the numbers and the effective monthly cost lands closer to $906, or $989 if you do not get the $3,000 contribution. In other words, still competitive for a six-figure-adjacent electric truck or SUV, but far from the tidier $749 the banner suggests.

As we have said before, down payments on leases are best avoided. If something unfortunate happens five minutes after you leave the lot, that upfront cash is effectively gone, even if insurance covers the vehicle itself.

Wait, There’s More

Also keep in mind that none of those numbers include the usual extras due at signing, including tax, title, license, registration, and lessor documentation fees. As ever, the asterisk is doing a fair bit of work.

Just as importantly, these trims represent the most affordable way into Rivian’s electric adventure lineup. If you cannot find a base model, the price only moves in one direction. Furthermore, there’s a deadline looming. To qualify, customers must have their lease approved by March 19 and take delivery by March 31. That leaves a fairly tight window to spec it, sign it, and actually get the keys.

This Deal Doesn’t Apply To More Expensive Models

Don’t expect this payment plan to help out on the more luxurious and desirable R1 vehicles. For example, the Dual Large battery versions start around $1,019–$1,029 per month with a hefty downpayment, while stepping into Dual Max models pushes payments past $1,200 monthly. The performance-oriented trims climb even higher.

More: CHP Mocks EV Drivers After Rivian Stalls In Snow

Rivian lists the Tri-motor versions starting around $1,419–$1,469 per month, again with a downpayment, and it doesn’t stop there. The flagship Quad-motor models approach $1,900 per month, depending on whether you choose the truck or SUV. For buyers considering financing instead of leasing, Rivian is also offering APR rates as low as 1.99 percent for 60 months on some configurations.

All of this is no doubt one more example of an electric automaker doing what it can to make payments manageable in a market with cooling demand. That said, interested buyers need to sign up before March 19th if they want to take advantage of the deal.