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We’ve been hearing about the ease with which even the most amateur thief can steal older Hyundai and Kia models for a while now. Fixes for the lack of an electronic immobilizer are slow to come, but a group of owners took matters into their own hands with a class-action lawsuit. The issue was recently settled, netting a significant payment from the automakers.

Many states and municipalities are all-in on EVs, but the shift has some wondering how they’ll make up for the tax shortfall from falling gasoline sales. A popular solution that gets tossed around is to add a tax to EV registrations to help recoup the lost revenues, and Texas recently passed a new law to remedy the problem.

We mentioned yesterday that Tesla is going to advertise more. But does the company really need to?

This one is for the Tennessee fan in your life. This 2000 Nissan Frontier was, of course, built in the Volunteer State, and it's festooned with Tennessee stickers and a paint job that screams "Rocky Top".

Volkswagen has confirmed the debut of the U.S.-spec ID.Buzz for June 2nd — naming it “the first ever International Volkswagen Bus Day.”

The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq5 is difficult to categorize. Sure, it’s an EV, that much is obvious. But what segment does it play in? Is it a crossover or a hatchback or…

It doesn’t really matter. It’s just pretty dang good.

With European regulators having decided that all new vehicles must have driver monitoring systems starting in 2024, the industry is gearing up to supply new products. However, consumers may not like the idea of driver-facing cameras recording their every move from inside the cabin, as there’s a strong possibility that data-obsessed automakers will utilize that information in unpalatable ways. That’s why Magna’s latest gizmo hides the camera lens behind the glass of your rear-view mirror.

I’ve tested Cadillac’s Super Cruise twice this year, and I had my first taste of Ford’s BlueCruise autonomous system last year.

As a journalist who covers the automotive industry, I have plenty of opinions about autonomous driving – mainly, I don’t believe we’ll see full Level 5 anytime soon. As a journalist who’s also been able to actually test AV systems, I have come to the conclusion that for now, at least, using an AV system leaves you with very mixed feelings. Especially if you’re a car enthusiast and not someone who merely uses your car as a means of conveyance.

It’s a great time to be a fan of midsize trucks with an off-road bent. Ford has finally Raptor-ized the Ranger, we know Toyota has tricks up its sleeve for the next-gen Tacoma, and General Motors has numerous dirt-road variants of its Colorado/Canyon cousins.

The latest? What appears to be an AEV variant of the already-capable Canyon AT4X.

Porsche wasn’t the first to jump onto the Apple CarPlay train years ago, but the automaker has fully embraced the technology. The Taycan EV recently gained the ability to map charging locations in Apple Maps, rather than using its in-built navigation system, giving owners more options with Apple’s friendly interface.

The elderly folks in Congress don’t often understand new technology, but they perk right up when somebody tries to take away something they are familiar with. That’s the scene playing out in Washington right now, as lawmakers want to pump the brakes on automakers cutting AM radio from new cars.

Ford is scaling back in China. Yet, at the same time, General Motors' Buick brand survived the brand purges in 2008-2009 in part because of its success in China.

So, what is the best way for non-Chinese makes to succeed in that market?

There once was a time with variety on our roads. Small cars, large cars, tall cars, and trucks once shared the highway in relative harmony. People weren’t ostracized for hauling their families around in a compact car - even a hatchback. But in part due to some creative interpretation and exploitation of federal fuel economy regulations, the SUV and crossover revolution began.

Ahhh the Honda CRX. This little sportster powered more than a few sport-compact dreams back in the day.

Tesla has long avoided advertising, opting instead to use the money to improve its products, or at least that’s what CEO Elon Musk initially said. That said, he’s changed his tune, and purchasing an ad-funded social media likely played a role. Musk recently told shareholders that Tesla would “try out a little advertising and see how it goes.”

Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha have just collectively promised to develop a slew of hydrogen-reliant engines designed to power small vehicles. While this is supposed to encompass construction equipment, small boats, airborne drones, and even motorcycles, the scheme doesn’t seem to focus on automobiles. However, Japanese automakers have already been working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for years and Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has even been championing the development of hydrogen-burning motors for some of the brand's racing applications.

It’s largely counter to what the rest of the world is doing and begs the question of why Japan seems so intent on making hydrogen power work. What exactly makes the scheme so appealing to the island nation?