Cars

Cars

On a recent trip to Vancouver, I rented a 2024 Toyota Prius Prime for nearly two months - the ideal scenario to try out North America's most popular PHEV. Previously, the words "Prius" and "sexy" were rarely used in the same sentence. However, I think the wedge-shaped Prius Prime introduced for 2023 is much sexier than its frumpy predecessors. The sleek shape also pierces the wind better to improve efficiency.

Tisha Johnson, the head of design at the buzzy Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup, told Business Insider that the Slate truck is for drivers who have had enough of overstuffed cockpits and confusing digital controls. "People recognize that they don't use half of what is afforded in the vehicle. And then they ask, openly they ask, 'So why am I paying for this?'" Johnson said.

Ford is in electric-vehicle retreat mode. The company has cancelled more electric models than it's introduced, axing a planned three-row electric SUV, an E-Transit successor, an all-electric F-150 Lightning successor and the current F-150 Lightning. But the company isn't giving up. Instead, it is focusing its efforts on an all-new EV architecture built by its "skunkworks" team, which it says will underpin its future affordable EV efforts.

I feel like Volvo has gotten a bad rap here at InsideEVs. My colleagues, Mack Hogan and Patrick George have had middling experiences with the brand's latest wares, ranging from catastrophic and non-functional software in the EX90 to straight-up not really liking what the EX30 had to offer the market. Still, there is a diversity of opinion here at InsideEVs.

This is measured at ambient temperature, though, not while the engine is running. A running engine is hotter—much hotter—than one sitting at ambient, and as metals heat up, they expand. The engines have very short throws, so it doesn't take much expansion to increase the compression ratio by reducing the distance between the piston and cylinder head at the top of its travel.

At a media event with Mercedes-Benz earlier this month, I heard company representatives use the same phrase - "software-defined vehicle" or SDV - to describe the new CLA, Mercedes' entry-level EV, which starts at $47,250. The CLA will be the launch platform for Mercedes' new MB.OS operating system, which will include an AI voice-assistant powered by both ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Drivers will interact with the new software interface through a screen that stretches across the entire dashboard. There are nearly 40 inches of display, including the driver's seat. It's a lot of screen.

I opened the discussion by admitting that I have reversed my long-standing negative view on Ford and General Motors. Lee immediately agreed, pointing out that GM has been one of the strongest-performing auto stocks this year. The reason is simple. The EV growth narrative has cooled, and the market is refocusing on what actually sells cars in the United States.

This December, Americans are coming together with their loved ones to celebrate what really matters: Toyotathon. During the holidays, when car companies offer sales to clear out their leftover inventory, "well-qualified buyers" can find some of the year's best deals. You can have yourself a Happy Honda Days, make the most of the Chevy Red Tag Savings Event, or splurge during Lexus December to Remember.

While I had this car, I had a nagging feeling that Kia built it down to a price, and you could see that, especially if you started touching the plastics around the cabin. It just doesn't feel premium enough for a vehicle that, as tested, costs more than 50,000 ($58,000) and still doesn't have all the available options. But it does get plenty of other things right.

Our Enviro100AEV carrying passengers as part of the Connector trial is another great milestone for autonomous bus technology in the United Kingdom. This moment builds on years of advanced research, development and testing in multiple projects, and Connector again sets new standards for what is possible today with the technology of the future.

The goal is to find the cars that make electric vehicles more enticing, more attainable or more practical for American buyers, and this is our best field yet. Over this past year, InsideEVs editors and writers tested dozens of cars in cities spanning the globe. From Shanghai and Bucharest to San Diego and Columbus, we sampled the best electric cars on sale.

Most people are surprised to learn that school buses have never been required to include driver airbags or seat belts. In passenger vehicles, these features have been standard for decades. Yet every weekday, more than 175,000 school bus drivers transport 25 million children, covering nearly 6 billion miles per year. Or, the distance to the moon and back over 12,500 times.

Smart reveals that it's testing the #2 two-door electric city car that continues where the ForTwo left off. It will be available exclusively with electric power and debut a new dedicated urban EV platform. It will be fully revealed in late 2026 and it's primarily aimed at the European market where it's expected to cost around 20,000 ($23,500). The Smart car brand isn't what it was. It's now owned 50/50 by Mercedes-Benz and China's Geely.