Mercedes debuts new entry-level C 300 electric with 416 hp instead of C 400’s 483 hp.
Zero to 62 mph takes 4.5 seconds, and range falls from 473 to 429 miles.
C300 is $5,500 cheaper in Germany, but even more affordable RWD models land soon.
Mercedes pulled the covers off its first-ever electric C-Class sedan back in April, but so far we’ve only seen one flavor. That was the C 400 4Matic electric, a bi-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the compact luxury car. Now it’s joined by a more affordable C 300, but the specs are so close it feels like one of those cars is pointless. But which one?
First, let’s quickly recap the C 400 specs. It makes 482 hp (490 PS / 360 kW), gets to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.0 seconds, can charge at 330 kW, and claims a 473-mile (762 km) range from a 94 kWh (usable) battery.
Now the C 300. You still get two electric motors and all-wheel drive, plus the same 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. But output falls to 416 hp (422 PS / 310 kW) and the 62 mph trip takes 4.5 seconds, so half a second longer. That’s still plenty of power and performance though, and even the range holds its own, despite a drop in battery capacity to 85 kWh.
180 Miles Added In A Bathroom Break
Mercedes says it’ll manage 429 miles (690 km), and while the max charge rate is slightly slower, from 330 to 320 kW, the C 300’s ability to add 180 miles (290 km) of range in 10 minutes isn’t that far off the 202 miles (325 km) the C 400 gains in the same time.
If you want that plush air-spring ride, a passenger-side screen, and more than 18 inches of wheel, you’ll have to hit the options list in both cars, so there’s no big difference in spec that we can see. But in Germany, where C-Class electric prices have been announced, the C 300’s €62,951 ($72,700) sticker saves you €4,760 ($5,500) versus going for the €67,711 ($78,200) C 400. In the US, the C 400 is expected to cost around $65,000.
Worth The Premium?
The C 400 pulls rank in every key area, but to be honest, we’re surprised how close the C 300 gets. It’s still brisk, still has a really usable electric range, and also the security of all-wheel drive. For plenty of buyers who can look past the kudos of the C 400’s badge, the C 300 looks like the better value option.
But that’s not the end of the C-Class electric story. Mercedes says even more affordable single-motor, rear-wheel-drive cars will follow, and at the other end of the spectrum, AMG is working on a tri-motor rival for BMW’s electric M3 with at least 671 hp (680 PS / 500 kW). Which would you pick – C 300 or C 400?
Kevin Warsh, now chair of the Federal Reserve, testifies during his Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 21, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday for the first time in three years as inflation continues to dog the economy, largely driven by soaring gas and fuel oil prices while the war in Iran drags on.
The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to increase its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, reaching the new range from 3.75% to 4% and making the cost of borrowing more expensive for Americans.
The committee released an upbeat statement touting economic growth at “a solid pace.”
“While uncertainty remains elevated owing, in part, to geopolitical developments, domestic spending has been resilient. Productivity growth is strong, and capital investment is robust. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little,” according to the statement released Wednesday afternoon.
“Inflation remains elevated. Today’s policy action will support a timelier return to the Committee’s 2 percent goal. The Committee will deliver price stability,” the statement continued.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, four months into his tenure, described Wednesday’s unanimous decision to raise rates as “sober.”
“The plain fact is that inflation is too high, and has been for too long,” Warsh said during a press conference following the Fed’s meeting.
“This summer’s inflation readings do not tell me that underlying trends have meaningfully improved. … Too many categories are still posting increases above 3 percent on both a six and 12-month basis,” Warsh said.
Trump campaign for lower rates
President Donald Trump publicly pressured and name-called Warsh’s predecessor Jerome Powell for months for not lowering interest rates.
The public attacks escalated into a federal probe of Powell and the Fed for costly renovations at the Fed’s headquarters in Washington. The administration eventually dropped the investigation.
Trump criticized the rate increase on his Truth Social platform Wednesday afternoon, saying the U.S. rates “should be 1%, or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World — BY FAR.”
“Our Country is BOOMING with new Investment! If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year. The word “Deficit” is nothing more than a fancy word for LOSS. We are “carrying” almost every country in the World, and that cannot go on any longer. LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!,” he wrote.
Warsh declined to answer questions from reporters about Trump’s previous calls for lower interest rates.
“Part of the independence of the Federal Reserve is we stay in our lane,” Warsh said.
The interest hike comes less than a week after the government’s latest consumer price index revealed the cost of food, energy, housing and other goods and services rose 0.4% from July to August. The cost of all items over the past year has risen 3.4%.
Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chair of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, criticized the decision, saying in a statement that “interest rates should be coming down, not going up.”
The Missouri Republican praised the Trump-led “big beautiful bill” tax law passed last summer for delivering “larger paychecks” to Americans, and he blamed former President Joe Biden for past higher inflation.
“After years of elevated borrowing costs, a rate increase is the opposite of the relief families and small businesses need. As President Trump works to restore stability in the Middle East and bring down energy prices, the Fed should recognize the progress,” Smith said in a written statement Wednesday afternoon.
Soaring gas prices
Spiking energy prices caused by the war in Iran were the main driver behind higher costs. Gasoline alone rose 3.9% over the month of August.
As of Wednesday, Americans were paying an average of nearly $4.37 a gallon at the pump, according to AAA. Diesel prices reached a record high of $6.31.
The price of a barrel of oil surged above $100 in recent days, including Wednesday afternoon, when it reached $105, as fighting flared in the Middle East.
The United States and Iran continue launching rockets in the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s petroleum traveled prior to the war. U.S. Central Command claimed Sept. 8 that it “destroyed” five Iranian crude oil carriers as part of its naval blockade aimed at damaging Iran’s economy.
The conflict spilled over in July into another key waterway for Saudi Arabian oil exports. Iran-backed Houthi rebels restarted an assault on commercial vessels in the Red Sea for the first time since 2024, and are fighting for control of the Bab al-Mandab strait. The group also directly struck targets in Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, beginning in July, and is threatening more strikes, according to Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree. The United Nations Security Council is warning of the likelihood of a humanitarian crisis.
When asked by a reporter at Wednesday’s press conference how incremental rate hikes will help when geopolitical events do not show signs of improvement, Warsh said the Fed “cannot affect any individual price, whether it be oil prices, whether it be foodstuffs at the grocery store.”
“But what we can do and will do is ensure that any change in relative prices don’t broaden out, don’t have second and third order effects on the economy. That’s what we’re tasked to do, and that’s what we will do,” Warsh said.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posed for photos at a Nunn campaign event held at JR’s Southpork Ranch at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 17, 2026. Nunn was one of three House Republicans who broke with the Trump administration's in a Sept. 15 vote to rein in the Iran war. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
WASHINGTON — As the November midterms approach, vulnerable U.S. House Republicans voted late Tuesday to require congressional approval for President Donald Trump to continue his war in Iran.
Seven Republicans broke ranks and joined all Democrats to pass a War Powers Resolution sponsored by Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat. Tuesday’s vote marked the third time since June that the House passed a measure to curb Trump’s military powers in Iran. The war has dragged on for over half a year.
The vote came as diesel prices reached a record high of $6.31 per gallon in the United States, and gas hovered at an average of nearly $4.37 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA.
Global oil markets have been rocked since Iranian officials effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a major petroleum trade route. The conflict has since expanded, and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are slowing traffic through another major trade passage, the Bab-al Mandab Strait.
The resolution passed, 220-204, despite Republicans’ narrow majority in the chamber. GOP House members who voted for the Iran War Powers Resolution for the first time included Zach Nunn and Marianette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Nunn and Miller-Meeks both face tough reelection bids in Iowa. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates both races as “toss-ups.”
Mace lost her South Carolina gubernatorial primary bid in June and is not seeking reelection to the House.
‘Open-ended war’
Nunn posted on social media Tuesday that, as a U.S. Air Force veteran who flew missions in the Middle East, he could not support “another open-ended war,” though he still believes the Islamic Republic “must be held accountable for killing Americans, supporting terrorism, threatening the Strait of Hormuz, and pursuing nuclear weapons.”
Presidents have a 60-day period to pursue military action with congressional approval, but that window has passed, he added.
“Iowa has already paid a devastating price, including two service members killed by an Iranian drone in Kuwait,” Nunn wrote on X late Tuesday night. “Congress owes them, their families, and every American in uniform clear objectives and constitutional oversight. … We can defend Americans, pressure Iran, and pursue peace while ensuring Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibility.”
Miller-Meeks posted Wednesday morning that with her 24 years served in the Army, she remains skeptical of Trump’s actions in Iran.
“I said it in March: the mission had to stay focused and limited, because Americans do not want another forever war. I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump,” Miller-Meeks wrote on X.
“The Iranian regime and its nuclear ambitions have been defanged,” she continued. “The President needs to present a plan to Congress and the American people for how this ends so we can focus on bringing our soldiers home and lowering prices.”
Third House vote
Nunn, Miller-Meeks and Mace joined House Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who have now each voted three times to rein in Trump’s actions in the Iran conflict. Massie voted yes an additional time in April, but the measure failed to pass the House then.
Massie on Tuesday introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his handling of the war in Iran.
The Trump administration maintains War Powers Resolutions are unconstitutional and has dismissed the measures passed in both chambers. Similar War Powers Resolutions to stop Trump’s hostilities in Iran cleared procedural votes in the Senate in May and June. The Senate has voted on such measures 13 times.
Congress overrode a veto from President Richard Nixon to enact the War Powers Resolution statute, at the time aimed at reining in Nixon’s actions in Vietnam.
Some dealers are offering the Kia EV9 for $16,000 under sticker.
One of the cheapest new models in America costs just $40,694.
Higher-end variants and Long Range models also have big discounts.
Kia had high hopes for the EV9, and this wasn’t surprising as Americans love three-row crossovers. However, sales dropped 33% last month to a disappointing 1,789 units. That pales in comparison to the 12,693 Tellurides sold in August and even the smaller Niro.
While that’s bad news for the automaker, dealers are slapping huge discounts on the EV. If you’re willing to do a little research and some travel, you can score more than $16,000 off a brand-new EV9.
Shottenkirk Kia of Fort Bend has one of the cheapest EV9s in America as their Light RWD model has been marked down by $16,041. This lowers the sticker price from $56,735 to $40,694. That sounds like a bargain considering the Telluride Hybrid begins at $46,490 before a $1,545 destination fee.
Liberty Auto Plaza in Libertyville, Illinois also has steep discounts on their EV9s. An EV9 Light Short Range has been slashed from $57,480 to $42,480 thanks to a $15,000 discount.
If 230 miles (370 km) of range isn’t enough, the dealer also has an EV9 Light Long Range with a similar $15,000 markdown. This means the 304-mile (489 km) crossover can be yours for $44,785 instead of $59,785.
If you’re in the market for a classier variant, Crain Kia of Bentonville has a $66,820 EV9 Wind for $52,370. This is due to $10,000 in customer cash from Kia and a $4,450 dealer discount.
It’s a similar situation at Arapahoe Kia, where an EV9 GT-Line AWD is nearly $16,000 off. Thanks to a combination of Kia customer cash and a $5,991 discount, the model is priced from $58,489 before fees.
Hyundai opens European orders for the new Staria Electric.
It packs an 84 kWh battery and offers up to 430 km of range.
The electric van is priced from €57,450 ($66,800) in Germany.
The Hyundai Staria Electric arrived in Korea earlier this year alongside the rest of the facelifted lineup, and the spaceship-shaped van has now made it to Europe, where Hyundai is positioning it against the VW ID. Buzz. The Staria is the bigger vehicle in every dimension that counts, with more room inside for people and their luggage.
Picking the Staria Electric out from its gasoline and hybrid siblings takes a look at the nose, where a redesigned front bumper hides the grille behind a smooth panel, adds a charging port, and puts active shutters in the lower intake. Aero wheels and a dedicated badge on the enormous tailgate finish the job.
At 5,253 mm (206.8 in) long, the Staria towers over the VW ID. Buzz and the Kia PV5. It also out-measures the standard Ford E-Tourneo Custom, VW e-Caravelle, Peugeot e-Traveller, Citroen e-Spacetourer, Opel Zafira-e Life, and Fiat E-Ulysse, though the long-wheelbase versions of those go further. It’s the same story with the new Mercedes-Benz VLE executive shuttle.
Generous Equipment
In Europe, the Staria Electric is available in three trim levels, called Trend, Prime, and Calligraphy. The base version comes standard with full-LED headlights, dual 12.3-inch displays, heated front seats, parking sensors, a reversing camera, a few ADAS and a three-row nine-seater layout.
The optional assistance package adds navigation, highway assist and a V2L adapter, while the premium package adds electric sliding doors and tailgate, sliding windows, sunshades, acoustic and heat-insulating privacy glass, plus a wireless charging pad. All of those come standard in the Staria Electric Prime which adds leather upholstery and ventilated front seats while offering an optional sliding roof for the first row and fixed panoramic roof for the second row.
The pictured Staria Electric Calligraphy is the only version with a seven-seat layout, built around a pair of comfort seats in the second row with heating, ventilation, and relaxation functions. The flagship also gets ambient lighting, a Bose sound system, a 360-degree camera, a suede-style headliner, Nappa leather, and the Passenger View and Talk system.
Outside, the Calligraphy separates itself with a different front bumper housing larger projection headlights, Parametric Pixel LED taillight towers that climb to the roofline, and an exclusive Galaxy Maroon paint option.
Space For Nine And Their Luggage
Cargo capacity runs to 1,303 liters (46.0 cu ft) behind the third row in the nine-seater, with a 24-liter (0.85 cu ft) frunk for the charging cables. Towing capacity is 2,000 kg (4,409 lbs) and maximum payload is 750 kg (1,653 lbs).
Under the skin, the van is powered by a single front-mounted electric motor producing 215 hp (160 kW / 218 PS). Energy is stored in a 84 kWh battery pack allowing WLTP range of up to 430 km (267 miles) between charges. Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, the Staria Electric can charge from 10-80% in approximately 20 minutes when connected to a DC charger, while it also gets a standard heat pump and battery heating system.
German Pricing
In Germany, the the Hyundai Staria Electric starts at €57,450 ($66,800) for the entry-level Trend trim, €63,650 ($74,000) for the mid-tire Prime, and €66,950 ($77,800) for the flagship Calligraphy. The assistance and premium packages add €2,100 ($2,400) each, while the panorama package adds €1,300 ($1,500).
By comparison, the smaller VW ID. Buzz Pro with the long wheelbase and the 86 kWh battery starts at €57,887 ($67,300) in the same market. On the other hand, the VW e-Caravelle starts at €66,080 ($76,800) with the short-wheelbase and the 70.9 kWh battery.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin speaks with Fraboni's deli co-owner Bennett Fraboni on Sept. 3, 2026. (Photo by Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner)
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) walked through the shelves of pasta, olive oil, tinned fish and frozen pizzas at Fraboni’s Italian deli in Monona on Thursday as part of her statewide tour assessing how President Donald Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran are affecting small businesses.
In May, the owners of the third-generation family business said that tariffs and increased gas prices had caused the cost of fresh tomatoes to increase about 40%. That price hike included domestically grown tomatoes because tariffs that increased the cost of imported tomatoes pushed up demand for domestic tomatoes, while higher gas prices made even nearby crops more expensive to ship. Store co-owner Bennett Fraboni added that his deli had done its best to avoid passing the increased cost of products on to its customers.
“We always hope that it’s going to be a temporary increase, and that we can swallow it ourselves and not have to pass it on,” Fraboni said.
The deli, which has operated in the Madison area since 1971, sells Italian grocery items and operates a popular sandwich counter. Fraboni said that as the economy has fluctuated over the past year, he’s seen the two sides of the business move independently. When money is tight, he said, people are less likely to go out to eat, so sandwich counter sales slow but the sales of grocery items increase as people look to cook at home more.
Baldwin said that hearing these stories from businesses across the state is especially frustrating because U.S. economic struggles are “self-inflicted.”
Traveling the state during the Senate recess, she has heard from small business owners about the challenges they are facing because of tariffs, trade wars and Trump’s war of choice in Iran, she said. “In many ways, they describe a very chaotic environment — volatile — and recognize that a lot of these things that are causing challenges for our small businesses are choices that this administration has made.”
Democrats across the country are pushing a message about “affordability” and highlighting voters’ worries about high prices. While Congress doesn’t usually have a simple policy solution for lowering the prices of household expenses, Baldwin said if Democrats take control they can immediately act to end Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war.
“The type of policies that this president has engaged in are extremely harmful to the consumer and to our small businesses and to our farmers who are producing these products,” Baldwin said.
Jeep has quietly updated the performance specs for the Recon.
It produces an extra 20 hp, but the range remains pretty bad.
Model starts at $65,000, but some dealers already list discounts.
The Jeep Wagoneer S was an overpriced flop and dealers are still struggling to get rid of 2025 models. A quick search online reveals a number of massive discounts including one model that stickered for $67,590 being listed for $40,855. That’s a savings of $26,735 and it even includes an $855 documentation fee.
Unfortunately for Jeep, the Wagoneer S is closely related to the upcoming Recon. It starts at $65,000 before a $1,995 destination fee.
The hefty price tag puts the model in an awkward spot as it will arrive shortly after the smaller Rivian R2. It costs $57,990 in Performance guise and will be followed by a more affordable Premium – which begins at $53,990 – later this year.
While we’ve already compared the two models, it appears some Jeep dealers are worried about history repeating itself. As a result, they’re already slapping discounts on the Recon ahead of launch.
These aren’t anything to write home about and they’re nowhere close to the massive markdowns we’ve seen on the Wagoneer S. However, Jeff Wyler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Columbus shows a $720 discount on their Recon Moab.
Over in California, Van Nuys Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has a $500 discount on their Moab. This means the $67,590 MSRP has been knocked down to $67,090 before a $122 document and electric filing fee.
Bomnin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Doral also has a $500 discount on their incoming Recon, but the savings is more than offset by massive fees. This includes a $999 dealer fee as well as a $499 electronic fee.
As for the handful of other vehicles listed online, they’re largely priced at MSRP. That being said, it’s too early to read into anything as the crossover hasn’t even launched yet.
Recon Has More Power Than Originally Announced
Digging a little deeper, we discovered that Jeep quietly updated specifications for the Recon. When the model was introduced in 2025, it was rated at 650 hp (485 kW / 659 PS) and 620 lb-ft (840 Nm) of torque.
The company has now bumped the output up to 670 hp (500 kW / 679 PS). This will enable the crossover to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in as little as 3.6 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).
Besides having an additional 20 hp (15 kW / 20 PS), Jeep has tweaked the range estimate. It originally stood at 250 miles (402 km), before being lowered to a maximum of 230 miles (370 km).
Jeep now lists the range as 222 miles (357 km) for the Recon Moab and 240 miles (386 km) for the Overland trim. The latter will arrive sometime after launch and details remain to be seen.
Tesla’s entry-level AWD Cybertruck now costs $74,990, up from $69,990.
Price of Premium AWD trim also increases by $5,000, taking it to $84,990.
The increase arrives as Cybertruck sales remain far below Tesla’s ambitions.
Usually when a product isn’t selling as well as hoped, companies make it more affordable to persuade drivers to give it consideration. Tesla seems to have found that approach too conventional. Despite the Cybertruck struggling to attract buyers so badly it makes Ford’s Edsel look like a smash hit, two versions have just become $5,000 more expensive.
The Dual Motor AWD now starts at $74,990, up from $69,990, while the Premium AWD climbs from $79,990 to $84,990. Nothing else about the models appears to have changed.
The Dual Motor Cybertruck still claims 325 miles (523 km) of range, can tow 7,500 lbs (3,400 kg), and reaches 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.1 seconds. The Premium promises the same 593 hp (600 PS / 441 kW), electric range and performance, but is able to tow 11,000 lbs (4,990 kg).
Tesla doesn’t break out Cybertruck deliveries, but third-party estimates paint an uncomfortable picture. Cox Automotive reckons US sales fell 48 percent in 2025 to 20,237 units, while first-quarter 2026 sales dropped 45 percent year over year to 3,519, Investor’s Business Daily reports. Those numbers look tiny beside CEO Elon Musk’s earlier suggestion that annual demand might eventually support more than 250,000 Cybertrucks.
Cybertruck pricing has been a roller coaster from the start, the first production models debuting in late 2024 with MSRPs far higher than originally promised. Tesla introduced a cheaper Dual Motor for $59,990 in February 2026 as a short-lived promotion, but that later returned to $69,990 and has now reached $74,990. That’s a $15,000 journey in only a few months for fundamentally the same truck. Tesla briefly offered a single-motor Cybertruck during 2025, but it was quickly axed due to weak demand.
Cyberbeast Now Within Reach
The flagship Cyberbeast is the one Cybertruck trim to escape this latest increase. A tri-motor, 845 hp (857 PS / 630 kW) monster capable of reaching 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, it’s still listed on Tesla’s website at $99,990. That means the Premium AWD now sits only $15,000 below the range-topper, making the Beast look like a better deal than last week.
Tesla has already scrapped the Model S and Model X to clear the way for production of the company’s Optimus robots, and between that and the Cybercab robotaxi, it feels like Tesla is focused on a new path. The Cybertruck is just being left to fade away, a rather embarrassing failure that serves to remind us that not everything Elon Musk touches turns to gold.
Maybe slapping $5k on the price will really help make the Cybertruck more profitable because it covers rising production costs and Tesla figures it won’t really affect sales. Or maybe it’s just one of Musk’s impish experiments, you know, just to see how much worse things can get.
Hyundai’s new electric Ioniq V starts at the equivalent of just $17,800 in China.
Top-spec Long Range version claims 404-mile range yet still costs only $20,800.
China’s V not available in US or Europe gets huge screens, Lambo-look styling.
When Hyundai launched the original Ioniq Hybrid in America in 2017, it started at $22,200. Almost a decade later, Chinese buyers can order an entirely new, fully electric Ioniq sedan for less. The wedgy Ioniq V has entered pre-sales at just 119,900 yuan, which equates to only $17,800 at current exchange rates. That’s nearly $3,000 less than the cheapest new car in America right now, which also happens to be a Hyundai, the Venue.
That’s for the Standard Edition. Upping the spend to 129,900 yuan ($19,300) gets the Smart Driving Edition, while 139,900 yuan ($20,800) buys the Long Range model, Auto Home reports. Those are some startling numbers when viewed from America or Europe, and remind us how cutthroat the competition is in the Chinese car market.
The Ioniq V is a China-focused model developed under Beijing Hyundai, and despite what the prices suggest, it’s no cramped subcompact. At 4,900 mm (193 inches) long with a 2,900 mm (114-inch) wheelbase, it occupies roughly the same footprint as a Hyundai Sonata or a Toyota Camry. The Sonata measures 193.3 inches long on a 111.8-inch wheelbase; the Camry 193.5 inches on a 111.2-inch wheelbase.
The Ioniq V wraps frameless doors and fastback proportions around some properly cyberpunk styling, and the paint chart runs eight colors deep, well past the silvers and grays Western buyers get stuck with. Cyber Gold, Gamma Green and a funky Dimensional Purple are all on the list.
Inside, there’s a vast 27-inch 4K display running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8295 chip, plus a head-up display. Hyundai has also thrown Chinese AI models from Baidu and ByteDance into the infotainment system, while Momenta supplies the driver-assistance technology. Hyundai’s site additionally boasts nine airbags and extensive active safety equipment.
404 Miles Of Range, But Not Really
Power comes from a single electric motor with either 188 hp (191 PS / 140 kW) or 225 hp (228 PS / 178 kW). CATL supplies 53.5 kWh and 66.8 kWh LFP batteries, producing four claimed CLTC ranges spanning 323 to 404 miles (520 to 650 km). Those optimistic Chinese-cycle numbers don’t translate directly into equivalent EPA range, naturally, but even if they’re 20 percent lower the value proposition is difficult to ignore.
There’s no guarantee the Ioniq V will ever reach Western showrooms, much less at anything resembling Chinese pricing. Or that Hyundai will ever create the N version to capitalize on that Lamborghini-esque design, even though our own renders suggest it would look fantastic. But $17,800 for a brand-new electric sedan this stylish sounds like a great deal whichever side of the Pacific you’re on.
Ferrari challenged Luxeed to name the designer behind its new RX.
The SUV’s styling borrows heavily from Ferrari’s Purosangue playbook.
It starts at $44,550, undercutting many Western performance EVs.
Earlier this year, China’s Luxeed brand made a claim it didn’t expect to have to back up, announcing that the RX, its answer to the Xiaomi YU7, had been penned by a former Ferrari designer. Ferrari’s Chinese arm read that and asked the obvious follow-up question, which was, fine, what’s his name? Luxeed has supplied one, and while it was at it, the company also put a starting price on the electric SUV.
The name came from Zhao Changjiang, executive director and executive vice president of Luxeed, in a Weibo post rounding up the brand’s latest progress. The designer is Werner Gruber, and the resume holds up. He spent time at Ferrari and worked on the LaFerrari, the FXX-K, and the Portofino, which is a strong set of credits. While the RX certainly has plenty of similarities to other performance SUVs like Ferrari’s own Purosangue and the Xiaomi YU7, there’s no denying it looks nice.
Luxeed was created through a partnership between Chery and Huawei, and pre-sales of the RX kicked off in China earlier this week. Prices start at 299,800 yuan ($44,550), making it more expensive than the YU7, which starts at 253,500 yuan ($37,700), yet compared with the prices we pay for high-performance electric SUVs in the West, the RX remains relatively cheap.
Several versions are available, provided with 81.1 kWh, 100.25 kWh, and 100.42 kWh battery packs. Entry-level models feature a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 371 hp, while power-hungry buyers can also order the RX with dual motors producing 586 hp and all-wheel drive.
A Chassis From AMG’s Former Boss
It’s not just impressive performance that could win over buyers. The RX also comes equipped with 38 sensors, including four LiDARs, enabling autonomous driving between addresses. Importantly, the system officially remains at Level 2, so drivers will need to remain attentive and ready to take over control at a moment’s notice.
As it turns out, Gruber isn’t the only European industry veteran to have a hand in bringing the RX to life. In the same social media post, Zhao said that former Aston Martin chief executive and ex-AMG boss Tobias Moers tuned the chassis in a new role as chief dynamic performance advisor for the Luxeed brand, and added that former BMW engineers have joined the effort as well.
Hospital costs in Wisconsin are about 26% higher than in Illinois, according to a new study comparing the two states, but a hospital trade association questions the report’s methods and disputes its conclusions.
The reason for the difference isn’t certain, says the report’s co-author, University of Wisconsin economist Anthony Lo Sasso. But he says it could be because most metro areas in the state have one dominant hospital and healthcare system.
For hospitals, “it’s not a monopoly market, but it’s a consolidated market,” Lo Sasso said in an interview.
Illinois metro areas appear to have more evenly matched competing healthcare systems — in Chicago, but also in smaller communities around the state, he suggested.
Lo Sasso said the consolidation in Wisconsin appears to give hospital systems more power to negotiate smaller discounts with health insurance plans.
Lo Sasso is based at the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs. The report was produced jointly with Capital Policy Analytics in Washington, D.C., and was released by the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy at UW-Madison.
The report uses data hospitals and health insurers report to the federal government. Hospitals must report their charges for each service. Insurers must report the rates for each service that they’ve negotiated with hospital systems.
In both states, the report focuses on the rates paid by two health insurers, UnitedHealthcare and each state’s Blue Cross plan — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, and in Wisconsin, Anthem Blue Cross. Both United and Blue Cross have a substantial group of fixed, negotiated rates in both states, the report found.
While Wisconsin has “a handful of large, vertically integrated systems with extensive control over physician supply, service lines, and affiliated health plans,” the report states, Illinois “maintains a more competitive landscape.”
The Illinois sample included 67 hospitals throughout the state, while Wisconsin’s consisted of 58 hospitals. The study compared the charges for services in 26 billing codes that were found in both states.
“We use 26 high-volume procedures,” Lo Sasso said, that included heart surgery, maternity, orthopedic surgery and trauma procedures. He said the hospitals in the study were “highly representative of each state.”
The report states that Wisconsin hospitals’ 26% higher prices were consistent through a variety of analyses. In addition, at one hospital chain with operations in both Illinois and Wisconsin — Advocate Health, which is Advocate Aurora in Wisconsin — Wisconsin prices were 23% higher, the report found.
Christian Moran, senior vice president for finance and payment at the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said he didn’t believe the report adequately supported its conclusions.
The hospitals included were “not a representative sample,” accounting for less than half of all Wisconsin hospitals, he said. He also took issue with the use of two dozen billing codes when there are more than 700 codes to choose from.
“I just don’t believe it’s appropriate to draw conclusions based on that sample and without looking at the broad array of things that are driving healthcare costs,” Moran said.
A surge in sales helped Tesla secure a 55 percent market share in July.
The Tesla Model Y alone accounts for 37 percent of all EVs sold in the US in July.
Through the second quarter, Chevy had a 6 percent share, followed by Hyundai.
Tesla remains far and away the biggest seller of electric cars in the United States, and despite rivals’ efforts, very little progress has been made in eroding the EV leader’s commanding market share.
July brought 77,266 new EV sales, up 3.2 percent from June and down 41.5 percent from the same month last year. Electric models made up 5.6 percent of all new-vehicle sales. The year-over-year drop has a simple explanation. In July 2025, the federal EV tax credit was still alive, and buyers rushed to cash it in before the Trump administration killed the incentive in September.
Of last month’s electric cars, 42,435 were Teslas, according to Cox Automotive, good for 55 percent of the market. Tesla’s volume climbed 4.9 percent from June. The Model Y did the heavy lifting, as it always does, accounting for 37 percent of every new EV sold in the country. Basically, the nameplate outsold every rival automaker’s entire electric portfolio.
Tesla’s share throughout the entire second quarter was slightly lower at 50.5 percent, with the company selling a total of 124,800 EVs in the US during this period, down 13.1 percent from last year, when 143,535 were sold. In Q2, the brand with the next-largest slice of the EV pie was Chevrolet at 6 percent, followed by Hyundai at 5.8 percent, Cadillac at 4.9 percent, Toyota at 4.8 percent, and Rivian at 4.6 percent. Ford’s share remains a disappointing 3.9 percent, although its July sales were up 18.9 percent from June.
Hyundai posted the strongest month-over-month gain among the major brands in July, up 36 percent. Kia also moved higher, largely on the strength of the EV9.
Sales Surge Pinches Supply
As EV sales climbed in July, the average days’ supply of new EVs fell 6.2 percent month over month to 80 days, and 1.7 percent below where it sat a year earlier. Electric inventory now runs four days above ICE models, down from a nine-day gap in June. Volkswagen carried the heaviest load at 147 days, with Porsche at 138 and Nissan at 133. Subaru ran leanest at 46 days, then Hyundai at 52, and Lexus at 58. Used EVs moved the other way, rising 14.2 percent from June to 46 days, above ICE models for the first time since February 2026.
Used EV sales rose 7.9 percent month over month to 36,810 in July, 10.1 percent better than a year ago. Secondhand electrics took 2.4 percent of the market.
The Price Gap Hasn’t Closed
Electric cars remain the more expensive choice on both the new and used side. Average transaction prices for new EVs rose 1.2 percent in July to $56,126, against $49,649 for the average combustion model, and 1.6 percent higher than a year earlier. Incentives shrank over the same stretch, from 13.1 percent of ATP, or $7,290 per vehicle, in June to 11.8 percent, or roughly $6,626, in July. Used electrics average $37,832 against $34,865 for gas equivalents. Those prices slipped 1.2 percent from June but hold 8.3 percent above where they were a year ago.
Karma is gearing up to launch their overdue Gyesera sedan.
It was supposed to be fully electric, but is now range-extended.
Car is set to arrive in December and cost a laughable $139,995.
We haven’t heard much from Karma Automotive lately, but the brand didn’t quietly slip into the night. Quite the opposite as they’re returning to Monterey Car Week with the 2027 Gyesera Grand Coupe.
The model was originally announced in 2024 and was intended to be a fully electric vehicle with a 120 kWh battery pack, 590 hp (440 kW / 598 PS), and over 250 miles (402 km) of range. The car was supposed to be launched in late 2024 or early 2025, but that clearly never happened.
Now, the Gyesera has been rebooted as a range-extended vehicle. The model – which traces its roots back to the ill-fated Fisker Karma launched in 2011 – promises to combine exclusivity with a razor-sharp design as well as “luxurious refinement for four passengers.”
The car features an undisclosed engine, a 28.1 kWh battery pack, and an electric motor. This gives the Gyesera a claimed output of 566 hp (422 kW / 574 PS) and 546 lb-ft (739 Nm) of torque. Buyers can expect to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in less than 3.7 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 146 mph (235 km/h). The company went on to say the model will have an electric-only range of 80 miles (129 km) and an overall range of up to 380 miles (612 km).
That’s a slight improvement from the Revero, which had 536 hp (400 kW / 543 PS) and a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of 4.5 seconds. The model also had a shorter overall range of 360 miles (579 km).
Additional details are limited, but the 2027 Gyesera features a lightly revised design with exposed carbon fiber, updated rear badging, and the company’s new “Target Lighting” philosophy. We can also see a ventilated hood as well as 21- and 22-inch wheels.
Karma didn’t say much about the interior, but it’s essentially an updated version of the Revero. Highlights include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch infotainment system, and individual rear seats that are separated by a full-length center console. The car also comes equipped with Bridge of Weir leather, a JL Audio system, and a wireless smartphone charger that is inconveniently hidden in the center console.
In honor of the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Karma will introduce a Gyesera in a “PB75” livery that features an Electrum Gold exterior with Stellar Red stripes. They’ll be joined by black 22-inch wheels in front of red brake calipers. Inside, there will be black and red leather seats as well as platinum accents.
If everything goes according to plan, the Gyesera will arrive at dealerships this December and start at $139,995.
Besides the Gyesera, Karma is bringing along the Amaris GT and Kaveya. The former is “expected” to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2027, while the latter is penciled in for the first quarter of 2028.
Assuming the 1,000 hp (746 kW / 1,014 PS) Kaveya isn’t vaporware, it will cost around $400,000. Of course, that’s a big if, as Karma originally said the entry-level variant would arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025.
With the R2 trickling into the hands of owners, Rivian is revamping the R1T and R1S. The changes started earlier this year with the elimination of the entry-level Dual Standard variants and is continuing for the 2027 model year.
As part of an effort to sharpen their flagship status, the R1 lineup has been simplified into three “curated” trims. The R1 Premium has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in as little as 4.5 seconds. Customers can also order a $5,000 performance upgrade, which increases the output to 665 hp and 829 lb-ft. This lowers the 0-60 time to 3.4 seconds.
The R1T Premium has a range of 300 miles, while the R1S can travel 329 miles between charges. If that’s not far enough, a $7,000 long range battery increases the distance to 410 miles on the R1S and 380 miles on the R1T.
The R1 Performance family has a tri-motor powertrain producing 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft of torque. This drops the 0-60 mph time to as little as 2.9 seconds, while both models are rated at 371 miles of range.
While the Dual and Tri names were phased out, Rivian kept the Quad moniker for the range-topping R1. It has 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft of torque, which enables the models to hit 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. Buyers will also find a range of up to 374 miles, depending on which tires and wheels they opt for.
Small Changes Inside And Out
Besides revamped trim names, Rivian has updated the cabin. The Performance and Quad have three Signature interiors known as Slate Sky, Black Mountain, and Ocean Coast. They have colorful seats as well as walnut, ash, or weathered driftwood trim.
Speaking of the cabin, Rivian has finally listened to consumers and delivered the “most requested interior feature to date.” It’s second-row captain’s chairs in the R1S and they cost a whopping $4,000 on the entry-level Premium. However, they’re only $1,500 on the Performance and Quad.
The new six-seat configuration sees the crossover outfitted with heated, second-row captain’s chairs that are separated by a small pass-through. The seats are also notable for featuring integrated cup holders that fold down.
On the styling front, there isn’t much to report but the R1T and R1S gain a new color known as Esker Silver. The R1T Premium also rides on a new 20-inch Adventure wheel, which is wrapped in all-season rubber.
The 2027 Rivian R1 configurator is already live and pricing starts at $79,990 for the R1T and $83,990 for the R1S.
Kia has released US pricing for its most affordable EV.
High-spec trims offer up to 321 miles of EPA-estimated range.
Small SUV undercuts key rivals like the Equinox and Leaf.
Kia has revealed pricing for the 2027 EV3, the cheapest EV it sells in the US. The starting figure lands under $30k, and the SUV carries design and tech cues from the flagship three-row EV9.
The entry-level Kia EV3 Light starts at $29,890, roughly $10k less than the discontinued Niro EV ($39,600). It also slips under rivals including the Volvo EX30 ($40,345), the Chevrolet Equinox EV ($34,995), the Hyundai Kona Electric ($32,975), and the Nissan Leaf ($29,990).
At the top of the range, the flagship EV3 GT reaches $45,890. That figure overlaps entry-level RWD versions of larger electric crossovers such as the Tesla Model Y ($39,990) and the Ford Mustang Mach-E ($37,795).
The EV3 Lineup
Kia EV3 GT Line
The EV3 range runs through Light, Wind, Land, GT-Line and GT trims. The cheapest Light comes only with a single electric motor making 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) and a 58.3 kWh battery good for 221 miles (356 km) of EPA range. Standard kit includes dual 12.3-inch screens, a six-speaker stereo, 17-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, and an ADAS suite.
The mid-spec Wind and Land step up to the larger 81.4 kWh battery, which pushes range to 321 miles (517 km), and both can be optioned with the dual-motor AWD setup producing 261 hp (265 PS / 195 kW). On equipment, the Wind adds a battery heater, SynTex upholstery, heated seats and a 10-way power driver’s seat, while the Land adds 19-inch wheels, ventilated seats, taller roof rails, a power sunroof, a smart tailgate and more.
Kia EV3 GT Line
The higher-spec GT-Line and GT come in AWD only, with the GT lifting output to 288 hp (292 PS / 215 kW) alongside a sportier suspension and steering tune. Both use the 81.4 kWh battery for 280 miles (451 km) of EPA range. The EV3 handles 350kW DC fast charging through its NACS port, so a 10-80% top-up takes around 31 minutes.
The GT-Line and GT models are visually distinguished by different bumpers, though only the more powerful GT gets the machined 19-inch wheels with Neon Green brake calipers. Both include Harman Kardon audio, V2L capability, a heat pump, and power-folding mirrors, with the GT adding a 12-inch head-up display and sport seats with suede inserts.
Finally, also offers the Nightfall Package, which brings black 19-inch alloys, matching exterior accents, bridge-type roof rails, and a dark gray interior. Below are the prices for every EV3 trim in the US, excluding a $1,495 destination fee.
Battery costs fell 37 percent, dragging EV sticker prices down with them.
Hybrid prices climbed 16 percent while EVs moved the other way.
China’s battery glut and export surge did most of the heavy lifting here.
Electric vehicles have historically been more expensive than ICE-powered vehicles, but new data has revealed that last year, the average global prices for EVs were below those of hybrids. As you’d probably expect, this is largely due to the growing number of budget EVs from China hitting the roads across the world.
By looking at average sticker prices without accounting for subsidies, and weighting them based on sales volume, Mobility Global determined that last year, EVs typically averaged around $37,000, reports Nikkei Asia. This is down 9 percent from 2020. Over the same period, average hybrid prices rose 16 percent to $39,000.
This comes primarily thanks to falling lithium-ion battery costs, which have fallen by 37 percent between 2020 and 2025. The battery pack typically accounts for 30-40 percent of an EV’s overall cost. BloombergNEF attributes much of that decline to a capacity glut in China, which controls roughly 80 percent of the battery market.
Importantly, a growing number of EVs are also adopting lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, free from cobalt, which frequently experiences significant fluctuations in prices. While LFP batteries have traditionally been considered less energy-dense, their performance has been improving. Renault and Volkswagen said last year that they would adopt the chemistry.
The ongoing global expansion of EV firms from China has played a crucial role in reducing average prices. In 2020, fewer than 100,000 electric cars were exported from China, whereas last year, that figure soared to 1.64 million units.
As noted by Nikkei Asia, emerging markets could follow in the footsteps of nations including Norway and China, where EVs are hitting the roads at a rapid pace. Across Southeast Asia and South America, for example, electric models are typically cheaper than the average hybrid. In Thailand specifically, Chinese brands currently make up almost 30 percent of new car sales.
ICE Prices Went the Other Way
Pricing data shows that while average EV prices have decreased over the past five years, average ICE prices have actually increased slightly. As this has happened, prices of plug-in hybrids have decreased considerably, likely also reflecting falling prices of lithium-iron batteries.
Adding fuel to EV demand in recent months is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has driven a significant surge in oil prices. When gas gets more expensive, the math on an electric car starts to look better to a lot more buyers.
Electric vehicles account for just 1.6 percent of new car sales in Japan.
A slew of generous subsidies aims to boost demand for EVs in the country.
Local subsidies in Tokyo vary depending on the make of the EV or hybrid.
Tokyo’s metropolitan government wants more residents behind the wheel of electric cars, and it’s rolling out fresh purchase subsidies worth as much as 1.3 million yen ($8,160) per vehicle to make it happen. How much a buyer actually pockets depends on which manufacturer built the car. Both individuals and businesses are eligible for the program, with no limit on the number of vehicles that can qualify.
Under the new scheme, subsidies for EVs and hybrids each climb by 300,000 yen ($1,880), pushing them to 1.3 million yen ($8,160) and 1.15 million yen ($7,220) respectively. Tokyo is keeping several existing incentives on the table too, among them a 100,000 yen ($620) payout for cars that come with vehicle-to-load capability.
On top of that, a 100,000-yen ($620) subsidy covers the installation of charging and discharging equipment, and another 150,000 yen ($940) goes to anyone signed up with an electricity provider running on 100 percent renewable energy. EV and hybrid buyers can qualify for a further 300,000 yen ($1,884) if their home or workplace uses solar power.
Those wanting to maximize their savings will need to carefully decide which brand they want to buy a new EV or hybrid from. According to a report from Nikkei Asia, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda models are all eligible to receive a 400,000-yen ($2,510) subsidy, while this incentive drops to 300,000 yen ($1,880) for models from Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla. Vehicles from BYD can only receive a 100,000-yen ($620) subsidy. Daihatsu models currently receive no additional manufacturer-based subsidy.
Additional incentives are offered depending on vehicle sales. For example, manufacturers who have sold at least 60 new zero-emission vehicles in Tokyo prefecture in 2025 can get an additional subsidy. An incentive worth up to 200,000 yen ($1,250) is also available as part of a “green transformation category.”
These incentives can be stacked with those offered by Japan’s federal government, which also offers incentives valued at up to 1.3 million yen ($8,160). However, like the savings offered in Tokyo, those from the federal government vary, with vehicles using Japanese batteries eligible for the most significant savings. By comparison, those from BYD get a minimum subsidy of 150,000 yen ($940). That creates a 1.15 million yen ($7,220) gap between BYD and models qualifying for the maximum national subsidy.
Toyota’s bZ4X is among the models that qualify for the full 1.3 million yen ($8,160) national subsidy. Stack that on top of Tokyo’s maximum incentive and the total discount could hit 2.6 million yen ($16,320), trimming the car’s 4.8 million yen ($30,150) sticker to roughly 2.2 million yen ($13,820).
It is hoped these subsidies will help encourage EV sales across the country. Due in large part to the price differential between EVs and combustion-powered cars locally, EVs accounted for just 1.6 percent of Japan’s new car market in 2025.
Tesla Expects A Rush
Thanks in part to these subsidies, Tesla is preparing for a surge in demand for its vehicles. The automaker sold more than 10,000 vehicles in Japan in 2025, comfortably beating its previous record of roughly 5,900 in 2022, reports Nikkei Asia. Demand has accelerated further this year, with around 12,000 vehicles sold in the first six months of 2026 alone. Tesla has also stopped selling its traditional premium models, including the Model S, to focus on the mass-market Model 3 and Model Y.
Handling that kind of growth takes infrastructure, so Tesla is growing its delivery network from seven locations to 11 by the end of the year. The automaker has also doubled its potential import capacity to roughly 48,000 vehicles a year, which leaves plenty of headroom above even this year’s accelerated pace.
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Free, simple tools can help people measure the change in inflation and see whether their pay is keeping up.
Experts Wisconsin Watch spoke to said that if your wage hasn’t changed and inflation rises, your real earnings decrease.
Workers can use inflation calculators to seek a raise if their real wages have dropped.
Inflation hit a three-year high in May, leaving a growing number of Americans struggling to afford necessities. The rate has since slowed a bit, but most prices aren’t likely to come down. Analysts say “affordability” could be one of the deciding issues in this fall’s midterm elections.
But while we all notice the spike at the gas pump and the cash register, many people may not realize they can use simple, free tools to quantify the change and figure out whether their pay is keeping up.
Wisconsin Watch talked to two experts about how and why to use inflation calculators. Here’s what they told us.
What is inflation and how do we measure it?
Inflation is a measure of how much prices have risen in a given period. Some increase in prices is to be expected — the Federal Reserve aims for 2% inflation when it sets interest rates. When prices rise quickly, consumers and businesses may struggle to buy what they need.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases monthly inflation reports showing how prices have changed over the month and the year. The most widely used of those measures is the consumer price index, which shows the change in “prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.” In other words, it’s the weighted average of the change in prices of many of the things American consumers buy. According to the bureau, this rate reflects the spending patterns of more than 90% of the U.S. population.
The bureau also publishes a variety of more specific inflation rates, including for different geographic areas and for different types of expenditures, including food and beverages, housing and medical care. It also calculates a second version of its national inflation figure, called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which is based on the spending patterns of households where at least half of the income comes from wage or clerical work.
The latest consumer price index numbers, released on July 14, indicate prices rose 3.5% over the last 12 months. The numbers also show prices fell 0.4% in June, when adjusted for seasonal changes. The drop over the month came from falling gas prices, though the average cost of a gallon of gas in the U.S. remains about $1.10 higher than it was before the war in Iran began, according to a price tracker from NBC News.
Inflation today is far lower than in 2022, when it hit 8%, the highest in more than 30 years. But 3.5% is still well above the 2% target, said Menzie Chinn, professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Inflation is not as big of a concern in terms of its absolute value as it was maybe four years ago, but it’s higher than we would want, and going forward we certainly don’t want inflation to be running at this pace,” Chinn said.
Meanwhile, wage growth has slowed, falling behind price growth. Nationally, wages and salaries rose 3.4% between March 2025 and March 2026, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Concern about prices rising is not just prices rising, but it’s against the backdrop of how fast wages are rising. How many people are keeping up, and what components of the population are keeping up?” Chinn said.
The inflation rate may eventually come down, meaning the rate at which prices are rising slows. And some individual prices, including gas prices, could come down too. But prices overall seldom fall.
“The price level is probably never coming down, unless we have a severe downturn of some sort,” Chinn said.
What are inflation calculators and how do I use one?
Inflation calculators let you enter a dollar value and see how the buying power of that dollar value has changed over time. One easy way to understand this is to think about what a dollar could have bought 50 years ago. Today, that dollar is essentially worth less because you’d need more than a dollar to buy the same goods. An inflation calculator can show you exactly how big the change is: You’d need $5.88 today to buy what a dollar would buy in 1976, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator.
A screenshot of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator shows how far pay goes for someone who makes $50,000 and last received a raise in 2024. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
For a more practical example, enter your wage or salary at the time of your last raise, indicate the month and year of that raise, then select the latest month for which data is available. That tells you how much that wage or salary is worth in today’s dollars.
You can also do the calculation backward to see the contrast in a different way. For example, if you earn $50,000 and you last received a raise two years ago, your pay today only goes as far as $47,038.95 at the time of your last raise. In other words, your “real salary” has fallen by 5.9%.
“If your wage is stuck and inflation is going up, your real earnings are going down,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee economics professor John Heywood, who directs the school’s graduate program in human resources and labor relations.
You can also use these tools to check whether a given price has been rising faster or slower than inflation. Say your rent was $900 a month in June 2024, and it rose exactly in line with the index for all prices. It would now be $956.65. If it’s risen more than that, it’s outpaced inflation.
Here are links to a few useful inflation calculators:
How can I use the information I get from an inflation calculator?
Inflation calculations can be a helpful tool for workers seeking a raise. Heywood suggests workers seeking raises gather information on both how their real earnings have declined over time and how their earnings compare with those of people in comparable positions in the industry and geographic area, and present that data to their human resources department.
“My impression is that at large corporations and at corporations that sort of follow best practices, they don’t want their workers to be paid less than their rivals or have their earnings go down, because they’re always in a competition for keeping and retaining talent,” Heywood said.
“If you can show, for example, that your wage hasn’t kept up with inflation or with your comparables, then a sensible HR department says, ‘Here’s somebody we might lose,’ and might very well be willing to increase somebody’s hourly or salary rate,” he said.
If you’re represented by a labor union, your union representatives are likely doing these kinds of calculations regularly.
“It’s part of making sure that their members don’t have their earnings eroded by inflation,” Heywood said.
To hold workers’ buying power steady, Heywood said, many union contracts include automatic cost of living adjustments. Six months into the contract period, for example, workers’ wages will rise by the same percentage that prices rose during those six months.
Clauses like those were far more common before the soaring inflation of the 1970s and 1980s, Chinn said, noting that raising wages automatically in response to inflation can sometimes make inflation worse. As economists battled to get prices under control in the 1980s, they became more skeptical of these automatic wage increases.
“It’s good for the workers, it protects their buying power, but that means the cost of making stuff rises … which then feeds into next year’s demands,” Chinn said. Thus even a temporary shock to the economy can last much longer.
But not raising pay comes at a cost too. “If they don’t get that automatic adjustment, it’s more likely they won’t get to maintain the real wage,” Chinn said.
Automatic cost of living adjustments are still common in some industries. “The auto industry uses it, (along with) aerospace, defense, postal workers, letter carriers, and a lot of local public unions,” Heywood said. “It hasn’t gone away.”
What’s the inflation forecast?
Many economists are predicting 2.5% to 3% inflation over the next year, Chinn said. He thinks those predictions are probably about right.
“That’s assuming that we’re not having a big resumption of the war with Iran that completely blocks off indefinitely the Strait of Hormuz,” Chinn said. “That assumes no big collapse in the stock market and no big jumps in a trade war going forward.”
Natalie Yahr reports on pathways to success statewide for Wisconsin Watch, working in partnership with Open Campus. Email her at nyahr@wisconsinwatch.org.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — For the second time in as many weeks, a War Powers Resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s war with Iran failed to pass the U.S. Senate Thursday.
The vote breakdown, 49-50, fell along familiar lines as previous War Powers votes, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine supporting the measure.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted no, as he’s done in just over a dozen similar measures.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., continues to be absent while in medical rehab.
A similar War Powers Resolution to rein in Trump’s military conflict in Iran passed in the U.S. House on July 23, but failed in the Senate — both led by Republican majorities.
War heats up
The regional war reignited yet again this week after Trump ordered retaliatory strikes Tuesday, along with Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, on Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq. The strikes on “multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites” were in response to Iranian drone attacks on U.S. forces in the region, according to U.S. Central Command.
Trump told Fox News on Wednesday, “We are going to beat the f—– s—- out of them.”
The United States launched a “heavy wave” of strikes on Iranian military sites beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern Wednesday “in response to yesterday’s attempted missile attacks on U.S. forces,” according to U.S. Central Command.
The cost of oil jumped to just over $90 a barrel Wednesday in response to renewed fighting and a continued chokehold on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s petroleum traveled prior to the U.S. and Israel launching the war in late February.
This means Americans are again paying more for fuel. According to AAA, the U.S. national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $4.09 Thursday.
Before the volley of strikes began again, Trump had announced a pause, after the U.S. and Iran traded rocket fire for nearly two weeks following the collapse of ceasefire talks.
Service members killed
The president on July 22 attended the dignified transfer, in which the remains of soldiers are transferred from an aircraft arriving from the theater of operations back to the United States, for four U.S. service members killed as a result of the conflict with Iran.
Three of the service members were killed July 17 and July 18 in an Iranian strike at a U.S. airbase in Jordan, and a fourth was killed during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone July 19 at a U.S. base in Iraq.
The most recent deaths of U.S. soldiers in the conflict bring the total killed to 18, while the number of injured increased to 653.
But the Pentagon does not recognize the four most recent deaths among those in the Iran war, dubbed by the administration as Operation Epic Fury.
Instead, the Pentagon is categorizing the latest deaths and injuries as casualties of “overseas operations starting July 7, 2026.”
The administration is asking Congress for an additional $67 billion for the war in Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Senate appropriators July 21 that the war has already cost $37.5 billion.
Mercedes’ electric GLA looks less spectacular without its optional passenger touchscreen.
Every GLA EV from the base 200 to the top-spec 350 makes Superscreen upgrade an option.
Tempting €1,160 Superscreen display really costs €4,183 once mandatory extras are added.
Mercedes unveiled its all-new electric and hybrid GLA yesterday with a cabin dominated by a spectacular wall of screens. But head over to the German configurator with €48,599.60 ($55,640) and dreams of ordering a basic GLA 200, and Mercedes has a little reminder that you didn’t spend enough.
What looks like one enormous pillar-to-pillar display is actually three separate screens housed behind a continuous glass panel. The digital instrument cluster and central touchscreen are standard, but the passenger display above the glovebox isn’t.
Leave the third-screen option unticked and Mercedes fills the resulting void with a glossy black panel illuminated by dozens of three-pointed stars. It actually looks pretty smart, though being confronted by a constellation of Mercedes badges every time you climb aboard will always remind you that you didn’t spring for the full setup.
And the 221 hp (224 PS / 165 kW) GLA 200 isn’t alone in making you feel like a skinflint. The 268 hp (272 PS / 200 kW) GLA 250 and even the 349 hp (354 PS / 260 kW) GLA 350 also miss out on the passenger display as standard. It’s possible however, that a top-dog AMG 45 version coming later and using the new 671 hp (680 PS / 500 kW) CLA 45’s triple-motor powertrain, might get it for free.
Superscreen Bait And Switch
The MBUX Superscreen option is listed at €1,160.25 ($1,330) on the German GLA configurator, and you can have it on every model including the lowly GLA 200. It’s not cheap, but also not likely to make too much of a difference to your monthly payment, so we can imagine a few buses being tempted. Click to add it, though, and the configurator demands you also add the €226.10 ($259) three-year Digital Entertainment package plus the €2,796.50 ($3,200) Advanced Plus Package with Digital Extras.
The latter adds more tangible luxuries including flush door handles, heated seats, four-way lumbar adjustment, ambient lighting and wireless smartphone charging. Add all three packages together and your supposedly €1,160.25 Superscreen has actually relieved you of €4,182.85 ($4,789).
Zero Benefit For Drivers
The third infotainment display can stream video, with audio routed through headphones or the GLA’s speakers. But Mercedes prevents drivers from enjoying an unauthorized movie night behind the wheel. If the car detects the driver looking at video playing on the passenger screen for more than two seconds, it blanks the image. When the passenger seat is empty, drivers can choose from various backgrounds to stop that expensive display sitting there doing nothing.
Mercedes
We’re guessing most buyers won’t spec the third screen, and it won’t be the end of the world. Those illuminated stars arguably look better than a boring plain black panel, and probably better than an unused screen covered in greasy finger marks. But Mercedes’ glamorous launch images certainly aren’t showing you what €48,599.60 really buys.
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