In a first of its kind, STN EXPO West introduced a new session series focused on the use of artificial intelligence in school transportation. Held July 14, the track focused on AI in dispatch, personnel productivity, budgeting, fleet management, risk mitigation and bell schedules. Prior to the six breakout sessions, a general session “Beyond ChatGPT: The AI Revolution in Student Transportation,” consisted of all AI session speakers and served as an opening panel, helping transportation leaders cut through the hype to define what AI actually is—and isn’t—today.

Moderated by STN Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gray, the panel consisted of Richard Jimenez, director of transportation for Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District; Timothy Purvis of Pupil Transportation Information; GP Singh, the founder of Bytecurve and a strategic advisor to Transit Technologies after selling his company last year; and Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Ph.D., the executive director of enrollment and student services for Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma and founder/CEO of Bloom Bigger Coaching.

The panel dissected AI’s transformative impact, referencing tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude. It spotlighted Broken Arrow’s integration of AI for daily operations, policy analysis, comparative studies on sick leave and overtime (notably for special education aides), and public records requests.

Jimenez shared how AI use at Placentia-Yorba Linda streamlines compliance, special education (IEP/IDEA) processes, legal messaging to parents, and multi-services bid response summarization, reducing manual workloads and enhancing communication.

Tim Purvis, however warned of data exposure risks in field trip and alternative transportation bids, public records requests and contract reviews, reinforcing the “bad data in, bad data out” principle. He advocated for robust policies like Broken Arrow’s Vision and Mission.

Singh clarified that true AI synthesizes multi-source data for actionable insights, distinguishing it from mere automation and recommended retrieval augmented generation (RAG) for fact-based outputs. The panel outlined essential AI safeguards: Exclusive use of IT-approved and licensed tools, multi-factor authentication, and strict avoidance of uploading confidential or personally identifiable information.

The panelists detailed the many ways AI is being integrated into school transportation operations, from predictive maintenance, vehicle diagnostics, telematics, and fleet management to dispatch automation, field trip planning, attendance tracking, and master bell schedule optimization. They also highlighted applications in driver and employee performance, including driver coaching, behind-the-wheel assessments, accident analysis, training plan development, safety modules, and automated performance reviews.

Beyond daily operations, panelists described using AI to support budgeting, identify contract issues, research laws and regulations, analyze public documents and district-specific data, plan travel, develop parent communication templates, and even compare social media claims with more reliable information.

A recurring theme was the importance of “context engineering,” or providing AI tools with detailed, relevant instructions. Panelists recommended using prompts of roughly 300 words tailored to a district’s specific needs. They also encouraged gradual staff adoption, internal model training and continued human review to reduce errors and prevent AI-generated misinformation or “hallucinations.”

Survey data of 23 STN EXPO attendees found that 65 percent of respondents use AI at least occasionally or daily, with ChatGPT dominating use. Eighty-two percent of respondents are using it for writing emails/communications. Whereas 59 percent are using AI for customer/parent communication, 45 percent for policy or document drafting, 41 percent for training or onboarding materials. The percentage falls to 32 percent for data analysis and reporting. The lowest use cases are database/app development (14 percent) and routing/logistics support (9 percent). Plus, the survey found that most districts are still in “Wild West” mode with only 33 percent having formal organization-wide guidance and policies.Lack of training at 68 percent is the main driver for holding transportation employees back from using AI.

Cathy Whitney, transportation coordinator at Glenn County Office of Education in California, shared with School Transportation News after the conference that she is still new to use of AI. She said she doesn’t believe her organization has any policies or guidance on use cases.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it can help and improve on what we’re already doing that may save time and save the funds for other needed items. It’s exciting to see how fast it’s growing and the things that it can do in a very short time,” she added.

However, her biggest fear is getting the wrong information and using it in a report or a way that presents false information. “When I was at the STN [EXPO] conference, they kept saying check and make sure that the information is correct. We already do that in our regular lives every day,” Whitney added. “I think a lot of people are unsure or aren’t good with change and [fear] that AI is going to take jobs away from other people. I think they would have to see the positive side and see how it helps them in their lives and jobs to save time.”

Her takeaway from the sessions was to learn more about AI. “I want to create and gather data by putting information into AI that would [normally] take me hours to do and have it create it in a very short time. I look forward to a future with AI in it,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, Keba Baldwin, the director of transportation and central garage for Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland, shared on the School Transportation Nation podcast that his district has adopted AI policies and is cautious about its AI use cases. He said transportation is unable to use ChatGPT or Claude because they don’t meet the district’s security standards.

In a year’s time, PGCPS has expanded from using AI for help crafting emails to now analyzing data. “I’m thankful it’s helping to cut some of our workload in half,” he said on Episode 319. “But the technology is still developing, and we just want to keep up with it.”

When navigating vendors who say they have AI integrated into their technology suites, Baldwin advised asking the right questions. “At the end of the day, I need to know if their infrastructure can align with my infrastructure to get us the outcome,” he said, adding that some companies might not even meet the district security measures, and student transporters should be aware of that.

“How much time it’s going to take to implement? What’s the customer care on that? Can I call you 24/7?” he said of some other questions to ask. Additionally, he said technology demos are great but remain at surface level. When implementing new technology, he advised directors to get into the weeds of the offerings.

Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the September 2026 issue of School Transportation News.

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Jaguar Land Rover isn’t concerned about vehicles emerging from China with designs suspiciously similar to its own, noting they cannot match the heritage of Range Rover and have so far yet to impact the brand’s sales.

Of all the new SUVs being launched by Chinese brands, none have drawn more comparisons to existing Range Rover models than those from Chery-owned Jaecoo, specifically the J5 and the J7, often labeled as the ‘Temu Range Rover.’ We tested the J5 recently, though it obviously doesn’t compete in the same segment as any Range Rover. Speaking with Australian media recently, global Range Rover managing director Martin Limpert said if anything, having its designs copied is a “compliment.”

Read: They Nicknamed It The Temu Range Rover, Car Insurers Are Pricing It Like The Real One

“If other brands… copy our designs [it] is a signal that within the luxury world our design seems to be inspirational… what is important for us is to stay [as] the original – that’s why we will keep evolving,” Limpert told Car Sales. “It’s probably a bit of a badge of honor – we take it as a compliment.”

Range Rover Still Stands Out

Jaecoo 7

Limpert went on to add that people buy a Range Rover because “they want the best of the best,” and they’re willing to “pay the extra money” for it.

“We are operating from a position of strength… having that British originality, design and engineering ingenuity built over more than five decades and five generations of Range Rover has specifically brought us into a position where we are thankfully synonymous with the choice of [world] leaders.”

As impressive as some new Chinese vehicles are, they obviously lack the heritage and name cachet of some legacy brands. However, recent sales trends show that car buyers in the lower end of the market are buying Chinese cars in growing numbers, often won over by their value. Buyers in the premium and luxury segments are very loyal to the brands they like, however, and it won’t be easy for new entrants to sway shoppers out of car companies they already trust.

Moving forward, Range Rover’s global marketing boss Ryan Miller added that the company will continue to differentiate its models from the competition. One obvious example of this is the new low-slung GT, set to launch soon as the brand’s fifth model.

Waiting an eternity for delivery of a new Ferrari or special Porsche is to be expected. But waiting almost a year for a Volkswagen Polo? That’s reportedly what some buyers of the new electric ID. Polo face after demand for VW’s affordable EV blew past expectations.

VW’s order books have already swallowed more than 30,000 European ID. Polo orders, despite customers initially having to commit without seeing the car at a dealership, let alone taking a test drive, according to German media.

Related: VW’s New ID. Tiguan Finally Stops Pretending It’s An ID.4

“The entire ID. Polo range is sold out. The waiting time is at least ten months,” the head of a major VW dealer group told Automobilwoche.

That makes ordering a bespoke ID. Polo potentially more patience-testing than ordering something vastly more exotic. McLaren Palm Beach, for instance, says a factory-ordered McLaren can take anywhere from “eight weeks to six months,” although it cautions that exact delivery dates can’t be guaranteed.

Order Today, Get It June 2027

Of course nobody is genuinely cross-shopping an ID. Polo and a McLaren. One costs €24,995 ($32,400 / £23,945) and the other around 10 times as much. But the comparison highlights how unusual a 10-month queue is for a mainstream small car.

VW says it’s now increasing output at its Martorell factory in Spain, though customers unwilling to wait may find pre-configured cars sitting at dealerships. A dealer told Automobilwoche that cars ordered now might not arrive until May or June of 2027.

Same Platform, Similar Wait Times

And the VW brand isn’t alone in having this particular problem. Sister company Skoda has reportedly collected more than 35,000 orders for its related Epiq (above), while dealers say Cupra’s Raval (below) is also booked out for months. Both share their single-motor, front-wheel drive MEB+ hardware with the ID. Polo, and are also built at Martorell. All three are part of the VW Group’s plan to bring EV prices closer to traditional combustion-powered small cars in an effort to fend off Chinese opposition.

The related ID. Cross SUV is also reportedly attracting plenty of early interest too, while the facelifted ID.3 Neo is facing waits of two to three months. That’s all good news for VW, and boy could it use some right now. It’s cutting 100,000 workers, shutting multiple plants, and looks likely to kill off the Seat brand after 2030 in an effort to turn around its fortunes.

VW, Skoda, Cupra

Families of students attending Unity Classical Charter School were told to make alternative transportation arrangements after the school’s bus provider abruptly ended its services, reported Queen City News.

According to the news report, Infiniti Transportation notified the southwest Charlotte charter school that it would terminate service effective Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to a message Headmaster Sharon Dougherty sent to families Sunday evening. The company’s final day operating morning and afternoon routes was Monday, Aug. 31.

Unity Classical Charter School serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Students returned for the new school year, Aug. 26. Before Infiniti Transportation ended the agreement, school officials had reportedly received multiple complaints from parents about significant delays, routing problems, an inoperable bus-tracking system and driver performance, according to the message.

School leaders reportedly said they contacted the company to address the reported problems and requested information regarding its qualifications and certifications. The school also sought documentation related to driver screening and training.

“Unfortunately, rather than work with Unity to address these concerns and provide the requested information, Infiniti informed Unity that it is terminating its transportation services to the school,” Dougherty wrote via the article.

Until the school secures another provider, families whose children normally ride the bus must drive them to campus and use the regular carpool lane. Dougherty acknowledged that the sudden cancellation gave families little time to arrange transportation, particularly those who depend on the bus service.

“We are deeply sorry for the disruption this will cause our families and understand the significant burden that this unexpected change places on you,” she wrote via the news report.

The school reportedly said it would be flexible regarding students who arrive late because of the cancellation. Families were asked to notify the school if their children’s arrival would be delayed while they established new transportation arrangements.

School leaders said they are working to identify another transportation provider. The school did not provide a timeline for when bus service could resume.

Infiniti Transportation had not publicly commented on the cancellation or the concerns cited by the school as of Tuesday.

Written with the Assistance of AI.

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About two dozen prospective kindergarten students and their families in Alberta learned how to ride the school bus safely during Pembina Hills School Division’s annual Meet the Bus event, reported Town and County Today News.

According to the news report, the orientation was held Aug. 18 in the student parking lot at Barrhead Composite High School. It was designed to familiarize first-time riders with the school bus and ease any nervousness they might experience before the school year begins.

Transportation assistant Cindy Knapp reportedly said the longtime event gives children an opportunity to become comfortable with the bus in a welcoming environment.

During the event, students and their parents reportedly learned how to wait for and board a school bus safely, as well as how students are expected to behave while riding.

Jeanette Williams, who has driven the Fort Assiniboine school bus for more than 30 years, told attendees that children should remain where the driver can see them. She warned students not to stand too close to the bus or enter one of the vehicle’s blind spots.

“When you get onto the bus, you want to use the handrails and sit down in a seat as soon as you can,” Williams said via the article. “Never stand up and walk around. That’s not safe.”

Williams also addressed why the school bus was not equipped with seatbelts. She explained that its closely spaced, high-backed seats are designed to protect riders through compartmentalization. “The seats are designed and constructed in such a way that they are even safer than if they had seat belts, which is why you need to keep your arms and legs inside the seat,” Williams said via the report.

Editor’s Note — While compartmentalization of students using federally regulated high-back and cushioned seats works in front and rear crashes, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigations show a lack of protection in side-impact and roll-over crashes.

Parents were reportedly instructed to ensure their children arrive at their assigned bus stops at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Williams said routes are planned to allow approximately 30 seconds for each student to board, making punctuality important.

The event concluded with students and their families taking a short bus ride around Barrhead. They then returned to the high school, where snacks were provided.

The ride gave future students an opportunity to practice what they had learned while becoming acquainted with an experience that will soon be part of their daily school routine.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Update: A Toyota spokesperson in the US told Carscoops the company has not changed the timeline it announced back in July, which targets a 2027 launch, likely within the first months of the year. That framing sits at odds with Nikkei Asia’s report of a fresh delay to “2027 or later”. Revised article follows below.

The all-new Toyota Highlander EV was unveiled in February 2026 and was supposed to enter production this autumn. Then, in July, Toyota said the timeline had slipped by at least “eight weeks” for “final adjustments.” Earlier today, Nikkei Asia reported the start of assembly has moved back again by several months, possibly by as much as a year, pushing the electric SUV’s market launch “to 2027 or later.”

More: Toyota’s Third Best-Selling Vehicle Has A Supercar-Style Waiting List

The Highlander EV will be built in Georgetown, Kentucky. According to Nikkei Asia, the three-row SUV is expected to reach the line in January 2027 “at the earliest.” The same publication says Toyota has already notified its supplier network about the revised schedule. A January start would sit inside the early-2027 window Toyota says it has been working toward all along.

Toyota Says It’s About Quality Checks

A representative for Toyota’s North American division clarified that the extra time is allocated to final checks and quality validation before rolling out full-scale production. This aligns with the automaker’s previous stance in July, when a media preview was postponed.

Subaru’s Getaway Is Stuck Too

Toyota has insisted that the holdup has nothing to do with EV demand in the US, and points out that its EV sales are “still growing.” The numbers back that up, to a point, as US EV sales fell 21% year-over-year in Q2, while Toyota’s own EV deliveries more than tripled over the same stretch. Growing from a small base is easier when the lineup keeps expanding, which is exactly what Toyota has been doing in the region.

The Highlander EV shares its bones with the Subaru Getaway, and both three-row EVs will be built on the same Georgetown line. Subaru confirmed its own delay in July, saying production would slip “to allow sufficient time for final adjustments before launch.” Toyota used almost identical wording, which suggests the two are moving in step. Subaru still hasn’t named a new date or said whether deliveries will shift.

Ford isn’t setting modest goals for its $30,000 Fathom electric pickup. The automaker reportedly expects to sell more than 100,000 during its first year, a number no individual EV from anyone besides Tesla has managed in America.

That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which spoke to Ford insiders about the automaker’s ambitious sales target. If buyers turn up in the numbers Ford expects, the little four-door truck would immediately become one of America’s biggest-selling EVs.

Related: New Ford Fathom Prototype Breaks Cover Ahead Of Its 2027 Debut

For perspective, GM sold almost 170,000 EVs in 2025, but needed three brands and multiple models to do it. Tesla remains in another league, shifting around 357,000 Model Ys and more than 190,000 Model 3s last year. Rivian, by contrast, moved just 42,000 units in 2025, though the arrival of its smaller R2 will boost this year’s numbers.

Photos Ford

Ford’s confidence has surprised some industry watchers because America’s EV market is currently going backwards. Electric cars accounted for 5.7 percent of US sales in August, according to Motor Intelligence data cited by the WSJ, versus 10.3 percent a year earlier. August EV sales plunged 48 percent year over year.

The Fathom is Ford’s attempt to prove price can change that equation. Starting at $28,350 before a $1,595 destination charge, it promises more passenger room than a Toyota RAV4, along with familiar conveniences including a touchscreen and power windows.

Minimalist Rival

Those last two features sound unremarkable until you meet its $24,950 rival, the Slate Truck. That minimalist two-seat pickup uses crank windows and skips a factory stereo and touchscreen entirely. And though Ford has yet to release technical specs for the crew-cab Fathom the chances are good that it will equal or better the Slate’s 205-mile (330 km) claimed range and 1,550 lb (703 kg) payload. It should also almost chop the Slate’s 8-second zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) time in half.

To keep build costs low, Ford is gambling on a radically different way of building the Fathom. Its reworked Louisville factory will assemble the front, rear and structural battery-floor sections simultaneously on separate lines, then bolt and bond them together. Ford says the system should build vehicles 15 percent faster than the plant’s previous process, though retooling cost $2 billion.

To make that investment work it needs 100,000 Americans to sign up every year for the Fathom when it goes on sale early in 2027. How do you rate its chances?

Baldauf

A 2-year-old boy’s birthday celebration got off to a memorable start when a school bus full of students surprised him with waves and a birthday serenade, reported People News.

According to the news report, the boy was standing outside his Phoenix home with his parents Aug. 28 when the unexpected celebration took place. He held colorful balloons, including a large silver balloon shaped in the number 2, as a yellow school bus approached.

In a video recorded by the family, the boy’s mother, Logan Seeger, asked him whether he was going to wave at the passing bus. “Yes,” the boy replied before excitedly waving and repeatedly calling out, “Hi,” as the bus traveled past the family’s home.

The students reportedly responded by leaning toward the open bus windows and waving to the birthday boy. Moments later, the group began singing “Happy Birthday” to him while the bus continued down the street. “Thank you,” Seeger called back to the students.

Seeger told local news reporters that the bus driver has regularly interacted with the students and helped create a positive atmosphere along the route. “The bus driver has been so wonderful and engaging with all the students,” Seeger said.

The birthday greeting was not the only recognition the family received that morning. Seeger said neighbors stopped by, while passing motorists rolled down their windows to greet the toddler and acknowledge his birthday.

Seeger said the kindness shown by the students, driver and community made the morning especially meaningful for the family. “It is so wholesome,” she said via the news report. “It brings tears to our eyes and full body chills!”

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Bentley has spent the last few months drip-feeding us info about their upcoming Torcal EV. But the British marque has given the hype machine one last squeeze ahead of its unveiling, confirming that the new platform-shared SUV will officially be the company’s most powerful production car, as well as its quickest-accelerating.

We also got a couple of new teaser photos, which showcase a portion of the hood, front wing, and A-pillar, revealing a mini-Bentayga-esque feel to the overall design, and a shot of the trunk with the winged “B” logo.

Read: Bentley’s Torcal Is Basically A Mid-Grade Cayenne Electric With 850 HP And A British Accent

Power-wise, Autocar has already confirmed that the Torcal is set to offer 850 hp (634 kW / 862 PS), dethroning the 771-hp Continental GT Speed, although the latter remains top dog for combustion-powered machinery. That 850-hp figure isn’t surprising for those who know what underpins the car. The Bentley Torcal is based on the VW Group’s PPE (Premium Platform Electric) base, which underpins multiple electric offerings from both Audi and Porsche. It uses 800V architecture, and we’ve seen up to 1,139 hp deployed in Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo Electric.

With that in mind, their latest tidbit of info appears to be framing the Torcal’s output figures in a way that gets ahead of those wondering why it’s “only” 850 hp. Granted, the word “only” in that last sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting, but in a world of 1000hp+ EVs, could this actually be a bother to clients?

Quick But Comfortable

Bentley says the Torcal isn’t merely chasing numbers, and while it will be the brand’s quickest-accelerating model, they reaffirm to us that it will be comfort-focused, in line with what customers expect. The distinct Bentley “feeling” is something that the company goes to great pains to reinforce.

The skeptical among us, though, will remain somewhat unconvinced. In addition to the car sharing the same platform as the Cayenne Electric, the drivetrain is a bit of a hodgepodge of other VW Group bits. The Torcel will reportedly use the front motor from the Audi Q6 e-tron, and the rear motor from the Cayenne Electric. Meanwhile, the 113 kWh battery will also be shared with the Cayenne.

Of course, we expect the interior to be one of the main differentiators, with Ombre wood trim, 100% Merino wool upholstery (a world’s first), and a curved infotainment system all confirmed for the Torcal. You can also expect a sub-3.0-second 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time, a limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h), air suspension, four-wheel steering, and active anti-roll bars.

SHProshots

The city of Albuquerque called on community members to help fill a city bus with school supplies for students at Albuquerque Public Schools during its annual Stuff the Bus donation drive, reported KOAT News.

The event, held in partnership with the UNM Foundation, was held last weekend. Organizers asked residents to donate school supplies, including heavy-duty backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, and other classroom essentials. Clear backpacks and locks for student lockers are among the items most needed this year.

Last year, more than 100 vehicles reportedly stopped by the event to contribute supplies, helping organizers fill a Sun Van with donations. This year, ABQ Ride has set a larger goal: filling a full-size city bus.

“We want to fill up this 40-foot bus from front to back, from floor to ceiling,” Madeline Skrak, public information officer for ABQ Ride, said via the article. “We’ll try to do our best to accomplish that this year. It’ll be hopefully more donations than our Sun Van that we filled up last year.”

Organizers reportedly said providing students with the supplies they need can help remove barriers as they begin the school year and allow them to focus on learning.

“If you don’t have the right supplies, you might not feel confident or excited about going to school or worrying that you might not have the right tools to be successful,” Megan Lindstrom, executive project officer at the UNM Foundation, said via the article.

Lindstrom said donation drives such as Stuff the Bus are intended to help eliminate those concerns and ensure students feel prepared and confident at school.

As an incentive and thank-you for participating, donors will receive one movie pass from Flix Brewhouse and two golf passes from Hinkle Fun Center. All supplies collected during the three-hour event will benefit students attending Albuquerque Public Schools.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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BMW’s all-electric M3 is just around the corner, debuting a couple of months ago as a concept and set to be sold alongside the combustion model we all know and love. While it’d be easy to assume the EV, perhaps badged the iM3, is only being built for regulatory compliance, the German brand insists that’s not the case.

The boss of BMW’s M division, Frank van Meel, says the electric M3 isn’t being built because BMW has to do it, but instead because it wants to give customers the choice of either an EV or a car using combustion power, hence why it’s still committed to its six- and eight-cylinder engines.

Read: BMW’s New Electric M3 Proves The Concept Wasn’t Kidding

“We are not doing this because it has to be done, but because we are convinced you can build a fast and even better car this way,” van Meel told Motor1 while speaking about the electric M3. “The timing has to be right, though. It only works if we can do it 100 percent the way we want to do it.”

A New Platform

The key enabler for the quad-motor M3 is BMW’s Neue Klasse platform, which allows the car to be developed from the ground up rather than relying on a pre-existing architecture that might have required modifications to support a large battery pack and powerful electric motors. “We said we could only make a high-performance M with four electric motors, torque vectoring, individual control, a central control unit, and our own software,” he added, noting the car has to feel “M-like.”

It’s possible some BMW M enthusiasts may feel like they’re being force-fed a high-powered EV they don’t necessarily want. However, van Meel says the company does “not decide for our customers what they have to drive,” but rather wants to “build cars that we ourselves love” and that buyers can choose whether they want an EV or a combustion-powered car.

The new model, previewed with the M Concept Neue Klasse, draws on the design of the standard i3 but includes all the upgrades you’d expect of an M car, including flared arches, new bumpers, distinctive wheels, and a custom hood. Chances are, the production model will look very similar.

In terms of power, BMW M has revealed that the concept includes four motors, and while horsepower hasn’t been confirmed, the production car is tipped to have between 700 hp and 1,000 hp. Expect to see the first-ever electric M3 presented in its final form next year.

Electric cars have turned horsepower figures into something that looks like a mid-century telephone number. But those four-figure outputs plastered across brochures don’t necessarily represent what your EV can produce continuously. As Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport explains, peak and sustained power are very different animals.

Take the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. Porsche lists its regular output at 778 hp (789 PS / 580 kW). Activate Launch Control and that jumps to 1,019 hp (1,034 PS / 760 kW), while maximum Overboost briefly unlocks 1,093 hp (1,108 PS / 815 kW) for just two seconds.

Related: An Electric Sedan Just Smoked The New Corvette ZR1X To 200 MPH And Back

Porsche says its quoted Taycan outputs are determined using UN Global Technical Regulation No. 21, or GTR 21, which establishes a standardized method for determining the combined system power of electrified vehicles. That’s particularly useful with multi-motor EVs because you can’t necessarily just add each motor’s maximum output together and call it the car’s total.

And that’s where EV power figures get confusing. GTR 21 system power isn’t the same thing as continuous power. Electric motors can swallow huge currents and generate tremendous output briefly, but heat eventually becomes the party pooper. Battery temperature and charge level matter too, as do the inverter, motor and cooling system.

The 220 HP Taycan

That’s why yet another number exists. UN Regulation 85 (ECE R85) includes a measurement for an electric drivetrain’s maximum 30-minute power, essentially establishing how much output it can sustain on average across half an hour. It’s this figure that appears on German registration documents, which can explain why the number there looks surprisingly weedy beside the figures you’ve seen advertised. For the Taycan Turbo GT, it’s just 220 hp (223 PS / 164 kW), while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that brags about 641 hp (650 PS / 478 kW) is listed at 213 hp (216 PS / 159 kW).

Crucially, that doesn’t mean an EV will suddenly become a slug after 30 minutes. It’s a standardized regulatory measurement rather than a prediction of precisely what’ll happen during your next autobahn blast. Real-world sustained output varies with speed, ambient temperature, battery charge and thermal management.

Sprint Versus Marathon

So we’ve potentially got multiple different numbers to get our heads around, and all of them are valid in their own way. The bottom line is that the headline-grabbing peak power is only fleetingly available, much like any fit guy can run a quick 5K, but even an Olympian can’t sprint the whole way. And just like your 5K time, an EV’s continuous power output gives you a better idea of how it’ll cope over a longer distance, say lugging a big trailer up a long incline.

Petrol Played Games Too

EVs didn’t invent temporary horsepower. Though Auto Motor und Sport contrasts electric cars with petrol ones that it says can deliver their rated power for longer periods, plenty have had overboost features delivering brief performance spikes. Ford’s Fiesta ST of the mid-2010s, for instance, was rated at 180 hp (182 PS) in Europe but 197 hp (200 PS) in the US, despite the cars having essentially the same engine. The difference was Ford was allowed to advertise the overboost figure in the US, but not in Europe.

For most driving, peak power is arguably the number you’ll notice in an EV. It’s what delivers that neck-snapping launch or rapid overtake. And there’s no reason to gripe that it’s only available briefly unless you’re hot-lapping your electric car at a track day for hours on end. Because in normal street driving you’re probably only using 30 hp (31 PS) most of the time anyway, which just illustrates how silly the whole power war is.

After a slow start, Toyota and Lexus have significantly expanded their electric lineups. However, one of their most important models will reportedly go into production in the fall of 2027.

According to Nikkei Asia, Lexus will build a next-generation electric vehicle at a new plant in Shanghai. Little is known about the model at this point, but it’s reportedly a crossover that will be “made with leading-edge technology, including gigacasting to mold multiple aluminum body parts together as a single large piece.”

More: Lexus Killed Its Next Electric Sedan, Then Approved Its Replacement The Same Day

The use of gigacasting was pioneered by Tesla and has been slowly spreading across the auto industry. It will be used on the upcoming Ford Fathom and it promises significant weight savings. In the case of the Lexus EV, this could increase the crossover’s range by “several percent.”

While Toyota usually reserves its most advanced production techniques for Japan or the United States, the Lexus is being billed as the “rare exception.” Electric vehicles dominate in China and the company has struggled there as they only sold 182,458 vehicles in 2025. For comparison, the luxury brand moved 370,260 units in the United States that same year.

Lexus is reportedly planning to build around 1,000 units per month in the model’s first year. However, production is slated to ramp up to “tens of thousands” of units annually.

The model appears to be a Chinese-exclusive, which would be a bit of a change for the automaker. A quick look at the company’s current lineup reveals an assortment of familiar models including the NX, RX, GX, and LX. They’re joined by the ES, LS, LM, and RZ. The latter is the brand’s sole electric vehicle in a market that practically demands them.

Lexus TZ pictured

When Acura revealed the Nexera Vision at Monterey Car Week, we were told not to start saving. The dramatic two-seater was primarily a design manifesto for future models, including the next RDX SUV. But it turns out some important people inside Acura would quite like to build it. 

The Nexera is a sporty coupe that features a long, but low hood, butterfly doors, 22-inch center-lock wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes and an active rear spoiler. Its V-shaped hidden lighting previews a signature destined for production models, beginning with the next-generation RDX Hybrid. Acura didn’t reveal what powers the concept, although its packaging – specifically that plunging hood – suggest electric not combustion engines.

Related: The S2000 Revival Honda Won’t Build, Rendered From Acura’s Newest Concept

Though Acura made no production promises, when Motor Trend asked Acura creative director Yasutake Tsuchida whether his vision eventually included producing a sports car like the Nexera, his answer couldn’t have been more encouraging. Or much shorter: “Yes.”

 American Honda president and CEO Eiji Fujimara proved a little more chatty.

“I would like to do this car,” Fujimara told Motor Trend. “I would like to do it with an engine, personally, but we will do what the customer wants, if that’s engine or hybrid or EV.”

NSX Flop Casts A Long Shadow

That’s still miles from production confirmation, obviously. Acura knows better than most that a gorgeous sports car doesn’t guarantee showroom success. The market for these kinds of cars is contracting and the second-generation NSX was technically fascinating but struggled to find enough buyers during its run.

Any Nexera would also arrive as part of a full Acura reboot. Fujimara says the next three to four years are “critical” as the company rebuilds the brand, cuts its hefty incentives and prepares for major changes around 2030.

“PHEVs Don’t Work”

Hybrids will play a bigger role, but not plug-ins, according to Gary Robinson, vice president of auto strategy, who told Motor Trend “PHEVs just don’t work in the market.”

EVs remain in the longer-term plan despite Honda’s recent retreat from them, which involved late-stage cancellations of two electric Hondas and the planned Acura RSX crossover. And it sounds like maybe we shouldn’t bury the Nexera in the concept-car graveyard just yet.

Acura

The Warren Police Department partnered with Fitzgerald Public Schools to collect classroom essentials for students during a “Stuff-A-Bus” school supply drive, reported C & G News.

The donations supported the second annual “Operation Back 2 School” event, which provides backpacks filled with supplies to students in preschool through 12th grade who may otherwise struggle to obtain the materials they need.

Community members reportedly donated backpacks, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, glue sticks and other supplies. Warren police officer Bryce Moon, the department’s community policing officer, said the initiative holds personal meaning for him.

“I know what it was like to struggle with (going) back to school, coming up myself,” Moon said via the article. “I’m in a position to help now, so I love to do it.”

Approximately 600 backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed to students last year. Organizers hoped to increase that number to about 1,000 backpacks this year, Moon told local news reporters

Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Jensen said via the article that providing essential resources can help students begin the academic year with confidence and focus on learning. “If we can provide them safety and resources, then they know that they can come to school feeling confident and ready to start the first day and be the best learner they can be,” Jensen said.

Moon said the drive also demonstrates the value of cooperation between law enforcement and the community. “It just shows us the strong community ties,” he reportedly said. “It’s great when the community and police can come together and give back to the youth.”

Warren Mayor Lori Stone reportedly described the initiative as “community policing at its best,” adding that it strengthens relationships, builds trust and shows young people that the community supports their success.

Organizers continued accepting donations after the Stuff-A-Bus event. Supplies could be delivered to Fitzgerald High School or the district administration building at 23200 Ryan Road, Warren City Hall or the Warren Police Department.

Backpacks were scheduled to be distributed Aug. 23 at Fitzgerald High School. The family event was also set to feature demonstrations from the Warren police and fire departments, bounce houses and other activities.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Related: Applebee’s Brings Back Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive in New Jersey
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Related: Salvation Army Hosts Stuff the Bus Donation Drive in Indiana
Related: Connecticut Fire Department Hosts ‘Stuff A Bus’ School Supply Drive

The post Michigan Police Department Hosts ‘Stuff-A-Bus’ Drive for Students appeared first on School Transportation News.

A Roanoke City Public Schools kindergartener was mistakenly placed on a school bus and dropped off at an apartment complex, prompting his parents to search for him for about two hours, reported WSLS News.

Terry Mills and Daniel Howard arrived Thursday at Round Hill Elementary School expecting to pick up their 5-year-old son, D’Terrion. His parents said he was a regular car rider and did not have a bus pass.

When D’Terrion was not at the designated pickup area, school staff checked buses and reviewed surveillance footage as the family tried to determine his location.

“I’m just still frantic,” Mills said. “At this point, I just, I want to know where my son is.”

According to the school division, D’Terrion mistakenly boarded a bus on his second day of attendance. The bus’ only stop was Westwind Apartments.

After the bus dropped him off, another student accompanied D’Terrion to the apartment complex’s leasing office. An assistant manager recognized that the child was at the wrong location and contacted the school.

The district said approximately 17 minutes elapsed between D’Terrion exiting the bus and the leasing office notifying school officials. His parents said the overall ordeal lasted about two hours from the time they initially began searching until they were reunited with him.

Mills said the family was relieved D’Terrion avoided walking into the street, entering a stranger’s home or getting into an unfamiliar vehicle.

Roanoke City Public Schools said it immediately notified D’Terrion’s parents after receiving the call. The family subsequently met with a school division leader to discuss the incident.

The district said it investigated the situation and is taking appropriate personnel actions. It is also working with its transportation provider, Zum, to reinforce bus and car-rider procedures among students, staff members and drivers.

District officials thanked Westwind Apartments management for helping keep the student safe.

Howard said the family shared its experience to emphasize the importance of closely monitoring young students. The parents are now working with the district to transfer D’Terrion to another school. Officials declined to provide additional information about that request, citing student privacy laws.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Related: Student Found Wandering Alone After Bus Drops Her at Wrong Location
Related: Kindergartner Dropped at Wrong Bus Stop, Found Walking Along Georgia Highway
Related: Rhode Island Woman Claims School Bus Monitor Tried to Drop Off Wrong Student
Related: New Jersey Boy Left Asleep on School Bus, Found Wandering District Bus Yard

The post Virginia Kindergartener Dropped at Wrong Location Following Transportation Mix-Up appeared first on School Transportation News.

The ultra-luxurious U7 sedan from Yangwang has already been updated, barely a year after its market launch, and BYD is boasting about how comprehensive its testing regime has been and how well the new Blade Battery 2.0 performs.

To wrap up testing of the Yangwang U7, which has a starting price of around $95,400 in China, BYD says it randomly selected a U7 from one of its stores and spent 8 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes driving it 18,600 miles (30,000 km), cruising at an eye-watering average speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). This test isn’t dissimilar to the tests Mercedes-AMG performed last year with its GT XX Concept. In that case, the German EV was driven 24,901 miles (40,075 km) in 7 days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes.

Read: Richard Hammond Once Crashed A Rimac, Now Trusted With BYD’s 2,978 HP Hypercar

BYD conducted the test in Nanning, where average daily temperatures exceeded 36°C (97°F) and relative humidity reached as high as 80 percent. The air conditioning was also set to 24°C (75°F) throughout the endurance run.

Beyond the test demonstrating how well the U7 can perform at high speeds and over long distances, BYD also wanted to ensure the battery would hold up. It says the U7 used was flash-charged more than 350 times. At the end of the test, the battery had retained 98.7 percent of its capacity.

This was far from the only test Yangwang conducted for the updated U7. It says it has been testing 758 vehicles across the country, cumulatively covering more than 6.5 million miles (10.49 million kilometers).

The Yangwang U7 was first unveiled in early 2024 and hit the Chinese market roughly 12 months ago. Less than six months after the first deliveries started, it was revealed that Yangwang was preparing to update it, equipping it with new 135.5 kWh and 150 kWh battery packs.

Both versions of the electric U7 have 644 hp electric motors at the front and rear axles, combining to deliver 1,287 hp. The 135.5 kWh version has a CLTC driving range of 497 miles (800 km), while the 150 kWh model can travel up to 625 miles (1,006 km) on a charge. A plug-in hybrid version with a 52.4 kWh battery and 1,341 hp is also available.

Sources: BYD, Carnewschina, Autohome

Bentley has spent the past few months revealing minor details about the upcoming Torcal. Now, we’re starting to learn specifications ahead of the crossover’s unveiling next month.

While we already knew the model would ride on the PPE platform and share a lot in common with the Porsche Cayenne Electric, Autocar recently took a spin in a prototype. During the preview, officials confirmed the Torcal has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that produces around 850 hp (634 kW / 862 PS).

More: Bentley’s Torcal Will Offer Something No Other Automobile Has

That’s slightly above our estimate of 800 hp (597 kW / 811 PS), but it still slots nicely between the 657 hp (490 kW / 666 PS) Cayenne S Electric and 1,139 hp (849 kW / 1,155 PS) Cayenne Turbo Electric. This likely means the crossover will rocket from 0-60 mph in the low three second range and have a limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

SHProshots

The crossover uses a front motor sourced from the Audi Q6 e-tron, while the rear motor hails from the Cayenne Electric. It also borrows the latter model’s 113 kWh battery pack and this is said to give it a WLTP range of approximately 370 miles (595 km). Unsurprisingly, the crossover is expected to weigh around 5,952 lbs (2,700 kg). For comparison, the Cayenne S Electric comes in at 5,695 lbs (2,583 kg).

Other highlights are slated to include an air suspension, four-wheel steering, and active anti-roll bars. The company has also previously confirmed the model will offer a mood selector, Ombre wood trim, 100% Merino wool upholstery, and a curved infotainment system.

More than two years after Fisker went belly-up and filed for bankruptcy, the once-promising company has wrapped up bankruptcy proceedings in Sweden and Norway. Impacted owners will receive a payout, though it’s far less than they initially hoped for.

Local media reports that Fisker’s total Swedish estate was valued at approximately 6 million krona ($632,000), and that vehicle owners who choose to settle will share 2.5 million krona ($263,000) among themselves after priority creditors are paid. This will amount to roughly 41,000 krona ($4,300) per owner.

Read: NHTSA Closes Fisker Investigation After Rollaway Recall Issued

Impacted Fisker Ocean owners had originally been seeking 147,800 krona ($15,500) each, enough to cover warranties, undelivered parts, and other obligations. While owners will only receive less than one-third of this, it’s certainly better than nothing.

As is so often the case with legal proceedings of this kind, the lawyers will walk away with more than the impacted owners. Carup reports they billed 3.4 million krona ($356,000) for their work.

In Norway, Fisker’s local debts totaled 620 million krone or $66.33 million, of which 457 million krone ($48.8 million) is owed to Magna Steyr, which had been handling production of the all-electric SUV.

Although the Fisker Ocean had the makings of a solid vehicle, it fell short of expectations, and financial issues crippled the company. Building and establishing a successful car brand is extremely difficult, as Henrik Fisker has now discovered two times. In 2013, his first car venture, Fisker Automotive, filed for bankruptcy, killing off the plug-in hybrid Karma.

The collapse of Fisker Inc in 2024 left thousands of Ocean owners in limbo. Many vehicles are being kept on the roads thanks to the Fisker Owners Association, which includes crowdsourced repair guides. The electric SUV also continues to receive periodic software updates after New York company American Lease purchased its codebase in 2024.

Earlier this month, Mercedes-AMG set a class lap record for the new electric CLA 45 at the Nürburgring, lapping the circuit in an impressive 7:32.070. With three electric motors and a combined 671 hp and 1,297 lb-ft (1,759 Nm), it’s quite a different proposition than the old one. Mercedes insists it’s still fun, despite the electric shift.

Much like we saw with the all-electric AMG GT 4-Door earlier this year, Mercedes-AMG has tried to capture the essence of its combustion cars in the electric CLA 45. It’s done this by simulating gear shifts and using a soundtrack to simulate the old 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. As recently revealed by Mercedes boss Ola Kallenius, the system can also replicate the sound of a V8.

“When I first drove the CLA 45 with that system, I was like a born-again Christian,” Ola Kallenius told Autocar during a recent interview. “It was the best V8 I’d ever driven: it had all the feeling of a V8 but with more power and torque.”

Read: 2027 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 EV Debuts With 3 Motors, 671 HP And A Vibrator

Mercedes-AMG made no mention of the CLA 45 reproducing V8 sounds when it unveiled the new car, only noting that it replicated a boosted four-cylinder. Of all the EVs we’ve driven that aim to replicate the sound of a fire-breathing combustion engine, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N has done the best job, so it’ll be interesting to see how good Mercedes-AMG’s system is.

The Seats Vibrate, Too

One particularly interesting feature launched with the CLA 45 is the new AMGForce shakers. These have been incorporated into the front seats and are designed to deliver vibrations that mimic those of a combustion car. We’re a little doubtful, however, that, no matter how well Mercedes-AMG may have worked on these systems, it cannot possibly have been “the best V8” Kallenius has ever driven.

In the performance stakes, the new electric CLA 45 has all the makings to be thrilling to drive. The automaker says it’ll hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.0 seconds and won’t stop accelerating until 168 mph (270 km/h) with the AMG Dynamic Plus Package. Thanks to the 94 kWh battery, it also has an impressive WLTP driving range of 416 miles (670 km).

Sources: Autocar