Volkswagen announced a revival of the iconic Scout brand a while ago, but we’re now starting to see movement on the subject. The automaker recently announced a new Innovation Center in Michigan, where it will house design, engineering, and research efforts for its upcoming EV lineup.

Land Rover has done some funky things with its product catalog recently, splitting each main vehicle line into its own “brand.” While that hasn’t changed much other than its website layout, the company is starting to branch out with electrification that could push the individual models further apart. The Range Rover Electric is coming soon, and the automaker recently opened the wait list for its gas-free flagship SUV.

Be honest. When one thinks of vehicles with four-figure levels of torque, heavy-duty pickup trucks tend to spring immediately to mind. But now we can add a Mercedes-Benz to that roster - and it comes from the most unlikely of segments. 

The North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) awards are a big deal this time of year, as they can significantly boost a model’s fortunes on the market. The automotive journalist-led assessments have requirements on when in the year vehicles can be released to qualify for an award. The Volvo EX30 was on the list until yesterday when NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert notified the group that the automaker had requested its new electric SUV be removed from the running because it won’t arrive until deep into 2024.

Ford has seen more ups and downs with the F-150 Lightning than with almost any other product in recent memory. The automaker struggled to keep pace with early demand and even had to temporarily shutter production to deal with battery issues before announcing a ramp-up to push more trucks to market. Now, it appears the Blue Oval is pumping the brakes on that expansion, as Automotive News reported a recent memo to suppliers previews a somewhat slower year ahead.

It may have been cuter than a first-generation Civic but Honda’s entirely electric supermini didn’t last very long. Introduced in 2020, the Honda e is being pulled from the European market just one year after it was discontinued in its native Japan.

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei has apparently broached the topic of software collaboration with a pair of German automotive companies. According to reports, Huawei wants to bust out of the situation in which it finds itself partnered on such projects solely with brands in China.

At the start of autumn months, the United Automobile Workers (UAW) launched a strike amid contract negotiations with domestic carmakers. Initial demands were lofty, designed to force the industry into making compromises that benefited union labor, and included things like a four-day work week for those on the assembly line.

While dubbed ridiculous by some Americans, Lamborghini now appears to be offering its workers a three-day weekend in Europe. The involved unions claimed it was the first time in the European automotive sector reduced hours while simultaneously increasing wages.

The Chrysler 300 is joining its corporate siblings in being discontinued after the 2023 model year, and the automaker recently announced that the last car has left the production line. Workers at the Brampton Ontario Assembly Plant recently gathered to commemorate the end of the line for the car, giving it a sendoff before the automaker moves further toward electrification.

Electric vehicles might not use any fossil fuels to move around, but they’re still subject to efficiency testing. The Tesla Cybertruck delivers impressive efficiency that bests all of its rivals except for one. Rivian’s R1T has stronger efficiency than the Tesla, even when riding on the larger optional wheels and carrying the heavier battery pack.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has frequently mentioned his desire to see the region pivot to all-electric buses as quickly as possible. The Golden State already has a couple thousand on hand and leadership has issued a mandate that all newly purchased school buses need to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. However, the plan hasn’t gone over well with rural communities and some are starting to make a lot of noise.

Mini recently overhauled its long-running Cooper model, but the upcoming John Cooper Works (JCW) edition won’t bring the commensurate boost in performance for the car that it usually does. The electrified next-gen cars will share a 215-horsepower front-axle-mounted motor, giving them modest range and acceleration numbers.

When all else fails, blame the government. Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat, recently announced layoffs that it blamed on the selective application of California Air Resource Board (CARB) rules. The move could impact thousands of jobs at the company’s Jeep factories in Detroit and Ohio, where it builds the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Gladiator.

As one of the few manufacturers still choosing to play in the midsize family sedan segment, Hyundai continues to update and improve its four-door Sonata. For the upcoming model year, its new price will not be as alarming as its new styling.

On Thursday, New York City officials announced a plan that would require drivers to pay $15 (on average) to enter Manhattan. The scheme is similar to the “congestion charging” that takes place in some of Europe’s largest cities and would make New York the first American locale to enact the concept. Though this isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this being floated for Manhattan. 

The Ford F-150 is one of the most popular vehicles of any type in the world, and it has a heavy presence in fleets of all sorts, from police to parks and recreation departments. The pickup is also used extensively in federal government fleets, including the military, where an autonomous vehicle developer has come up with a gnarly F-150 for use way off the beaten path.

Earlier this year, the rules around EV tax credits seemed to be changing every other week. While things have calmed down since then, we’re about to see more action on the topic, as the Treasury recently released new guidance on battery materials sourcing that will upend credits for some EVs. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of them, as it may lose the partial credit it currently qualifies for.

An expansive, strange collection of all-white Porsche products and memorabilia has sold for a total of $30.5 million, setting records for several desirable models built within the last decade. Listed by RM Sotheby's as “ The White Collection” several months ago, the Texas-based hoard has been framed as mysterious with an owner who likes to stay out of the limelight.

China has reportedly decided to place restrictions on exports of graphite, which could spell trouble for American EV manufacturers. Starting this month, the Chinese government requires permits for certain graphite products being exported. This includes synthetic and natural graphite meeting the necessary thresholds to be used on electric vehicle batteries. 

Eagle-eyed fans of the Blue Oval brand have spied a new trademark filing, one which could hold promise for a future performance – street or off-road – variant of the Lightning pickup truck.

Honda has not been the fastest automaker to the EV table, but it’s slowly announcing new models. The Prologue SUV developed in partnership with GM will be first, but Honda also has vehicles in the works with Sony and others in-house. The automaker recently announced a new EV to be shown at next year’s CES show in January, and what we can see of the design suggests a radical shape.

EV battery technology has progressed to the point that range anxiety is becoming a thing of the past – at least on paper. A new study from Consumer Reports found that real-world driving ranges often fall way short of automakers’ advertised range estimates, but some exceed their on-paper numbers.

Continuing to play fast and loose with the definition of the word ‘coupe’, Mercedes-AMG has rolled out its CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe for the upcoming 2024 model year. At least this one has two doors and isn’t applied to a high-riding crossover. 

Despite being pulled from our market in 2019, the Fiat 500e is coming back. Stellantis announced the model’s return in 2022 and has recently shared its specifications and pricing.

The vehicle remains a pint-sized runabout best suited for urban environments and short trips. But it is more useful than its predecessor with the 42-kWh battery pack yielding 149 miles between charges using the EPA’s testing protocols. That’s superior to the Mini Cooper SE and matches the Nissan Leaf S. Though the Fiat has additional tricks up its sleeve by way of faster charging options and liquid-cooled batteries that should (in theory) result in more consistent performance.

The 2024 Polaris Slingshot marks the next iteration of the three-wheeler that's fun to drive but also tends to be owned by annoying bros who bump music too loud while trawling in traffic.

It’s the end of an era. Maybe not the most impactful or exciting era, but the end, nonetheless. Jeep is killing the Renegade in the U.S. and Canada after several years of declining sales, ending the run of its most affordable model.

Rivian’s truck and SUV are two of the more compelling EV options on sale now, but the automaker wants to streamline its operations to increase volume and reduce costs. Company CFO Claire McDonough recently shed some light on how Rivian plans to get there.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expanding a probe into over 500,000 late-model Hondas that could be suffering from a steering defect. Reports indicate that 2023 Honda CR-Vs, 2023 Acura Integras, and 2022-2023 Honda Civics could be affected. However, no formal recall announcement has been made and likely won’t be until the investigation has concluded.

Ford doesn’t sell the Fiesta, Fusion, or Lincoln MKZ in the United States anymore, but the automaker recently recalled all three for an interesting problem. High temperatures can crack part of the rear door latch, causing the door to open while driving.

Automakers work hard to stop leaks and make sure their products are kept under wraps until the time is right. They’re not always successful, however, and sometimes the leaks come from outside the company. This time, it’s the UAW’s documents giving out more info than Ford probably wants, as it recently confirmed that Mustang production will end in 2028.

But we can all go pound sand in North America, unfortunately. Such are the joys – and challenges – of our global marketplace. Nevertheless, off-road gearheads in other parts of the world will be able to avail themselves of this tremendously square beast, showing up for duty with a 2.8L turbodiesel.

Last night, Tesla finally unveiled the production Cybertruck. Four years after we first saw it -- "we" meaning society. Us TTAC folk weren't at either event.

Following eight reports of vehicle fires, Jeep has decided to recall 32,125 examples of the Wrangler 4xe PHEV in the United States. The vehicles come from the 2021-2024 model year, with roughly 13,000 being situated outside the U.S. While parent company Stellantis has said the vehicles can continue being driven, it's advising customers against charging them and has likewise recommended parking them outdoors away from anything you might not want burned.

The Chevrolet Volt was a surprisingly decent car with an innovative powertrain and attractive styling, but its time came to an end a few years back. The NHTSA hasn’t forgotten about it, however, as the government agency recently opened an investigation into the car and its reported tendency to lose power while driving.

Detroit now has a quarter-mile length of roadway with the ability to charge properly equipped electric vehicles as they drive. While similar programs have been pioneered in Europe, Detroit is the first and only city to do so in the United States. Governor Gretchen Whitmer offered her support when the plan was announced in 2021. 

Elon Musk has no trouble generating words, both the ones that come out of his mouth (and keyboard fingers) and the ones that breathlessly recap the first type. There was the post on X agreeing with an antisemitic statement, though Musk later apologized. More recently, the controversial CEO shared his thoughts (again) on unions, saying that he believes a Tesla employee union would be a mistake, among many other statements.

Automakers have pumped billions into EV development and production, but it will take even more work and money for them to reach the market share goals laid out by the companies. General Motors has invested more than many of its rivals, but the automaker is realistic about the costs it faces going forward. At the same time, CEO Mary Barra said that GM is looking to boost production in 2024 using software and automation.

Alert members of the B&B know we don’t tend to put much stock into “Of the Year” awards, for reasons with which you lot are intimately familiar. Witness the spectacle of Motor Trend awarding the Blazer EV its SUV of the Year trophy as Exhibit A of our feelings.

Nevertheless, an EV with its wick cranked to 641 horsepower tends to get out attention – as it did the crew of Top Gear across the pond.

Roughly 4,000 U.S. dealerships are asking President Joe Biden to reconsider proposed federal regulations they’ve alleged would mandate an unrealistic national shift toward battery-electric vehicles consumers simply aren’t buying.

BMW’s electric lineup can be found under the “i” branding in its overall catalog, but it will need to make changes to prevent a complete mess with its SUV naming convention. The current X3 and X5 have long, alphanumeric names that include drive wheel and other information, and tacking another letter onto the end could create a real mess of confusion. To avoid that problem, the automaker is reportedly looking at a more straightforward naming system for electric models.

Consumer Reports has concluded its annual car reliability survey and the resulting data for 2023 has not been kind to all-electric vehicles. For 2023, CR reported that EVs had 79 percent more problems than automobiles that use internal combustion. Plug-in hybrids were even worse with 146 percent more issues. However, standard hybrids actually outperformed every other group with 26 percent fewer problems than vehicles wholly reliant on gasoline.

Mercedes jumped into electrification with both feet but is now learning that buyers aren’t quite as excited about its more expensive models as it is. The automaker is eying plans to move production of the flagship EQS electric SUV to Germany to make room at its Alabama facility for a higher-volume EV.

Despite Toyota having revealed the redesigned mid-sized Tacoma pickup for the 2024 model year last spring, the company has waited until now to announce pricing. That may have been because the brand’s best-selling truck is accompanied by some unhappy price increases. Though the pickup has also been modernized, potentially softening the blow for some who liked the vehicle’s reputation for reliability and simply thought it was a little rough around the edges.

Volkswagen made big news when it announced a revival of the iconic American Scout name, and the automaker promised to build electric vehicles under the brand at a facility in South Carolina beginning in 2026. Automotive News Europe recently reported that to help rebuild the brand, VW plans to outsource production to Magna Steyr, a powerhouse automotive supplier that builds the G-Class for Mercedes and the Ocean for Fisker.

Updated Monday, December 4, 2023 with a correction to the Quartermaster's reservation status.

Ineos is one of the most unique automakers to hit the market in years, focusing only on building old-school, gas-powered off-road vehicles with more rugged capability than luxury and style. The company’s first vehicle is the Grenadier, an SUV that recently went on sale in several countries. Now, Ineos has begun production of its second vehicle, a pickup truck named the Quartermaster that shares the Grenadier’s boxy, old-school styling.

Most of us figured out long ago that, if we complain enough, it’s possible to get what we want. Off-road gearheads on this side of the pond (including this author) whined expressed an interest in the last-gen Ranger Raptor but that truck stayed on the other side of the pond. Now, we have a date for the ’24 model in America: The first quarter of 2024.

Tesla has revealed the maximum towing capabilities for the long-anticipated Cybertruck by including it in display materials located at some of the brand’s physical locations. As the company lacks a dedicated PR department, the information comes by way of social media accounts and dedicated forums. While this means Tesla hasn’t confirmed the figures, there is sufficient coverage to deem the number plausible. Until the manufacturer says otherwise, Cybertruck will be capable of towing 11,000 pounds.

Volkswagen needs to cut costs and to get there, the automaker is cutting jobs. Company CEO Thomas Schaefer said that VW’s growing costs and waning productivity have necessitated the cuts, which will take place over the next several years.

It’s the end of an era that many of you probably thought ended years ago: The Ford Crown Victoria’s time as a taxi on the streets of NYC is coming to a close, as the last two cars still eligible for duty are aging out.

Tesla recently started opening its Supercharger network to outside EV brands, but the influx of more vehicles to charge has put a strain on the system. To help with the surge, the automaker has started charging congestion fees of up to $1 per minute at busy Supercharger locations.

The Ford F-150 Raptor R is a seriously impressive truck with an equally serious price tag that puts it out of reach for most buyers. An Alabama Ford dealer has a solution, however, in the form of a base F-150 XL with a Roush supercharger and other upgrades.

The jumbo Nissan Armada has a higher entry-level price point for 2024 compared to last year – but it would be tough to solely blame inflation for this cost hike. Rather, customers should know the brand simply decided to bin a (relatively) low volume base trim.

The sprightly and engaging Hyundai Elantra N may be eligible for an engine upgrade in its next incarnation.

Albert Biermann may have retired from running the brand’s performance division. But he’s still serving as Hyundai’s senior technical advisor, continues to influence the brand’s designs and claims the next-generation Elantra will accommodate something larger than the 2.0-liter turbo that’s currently fitted to the N model.

Ford has said it will restart construction on the electric vehicle battery facility it’s building in Marshall, Michigan, after pausing work when the UAW strike kicked off a couple months ago. But the company has also announced that it would be “re-timing and resizing some investments.”

In what could be a tacit admission the transition to electric vehicles is going approximately as smoothly as a Michigan secondary road, it is being reported that suits at the Blue Oval are rolling back some of the requirements demanded of dealers in order to shill EVs to customers.

Hyundai recently rolled out the 2024 Tucson, but the automaker is already talking about the 2025 model. The popular SUV is getting an update for the model year, bringing fresh styling and a more sensible interior with physical buttons.

The Tesla Cybertruck is due for an official release next week, but the slow, steady drip of information isn’t stopping. According to forum users in Southern California, the automaker has two Cybertrucks on display at a mall in San Diego, and they claim to have new specs to share.

In yet another chapter of dealers (and their financial arms) behaving badly, Toyota Motor Credit has been levied $12 million civil fine and also order to fork over $48 million in restitution after a court found the organization played fast and loose with some rules.

While the United Auto Workers’ contract seems to be a done deal for all three Detroit-based automakers, Ford is the only brand that’s issued any formal statements on ratification thus far. But there’s not much to pick apart in the release. The company avoided opportunities to promote itself as the brand that seemed most willing to accommodate the UAW and only brushed against assertions that paying workers more would add to its operational costs.

Last week, a federal judge refused to have the courts reexamine a gaggle of class action lawsuits claiming automotive manufacturers had violated Washington State's privacy laws after allegations that on-board infotainment systems were recording customers’ private text messages and mobile phone call logs. Despite substantial evidence that the above claims are not only true but also just the tip of the iceberg as manufacturers have normalized some of the most egregious data harvesting we’ve seen, the Seattle-based judge said the allegations were not severe enough to be considered a violation of the Washington Privacy Act (WPA).