Technology

Nissan plans to cut the dead weight from its vehicle portfolio, refocus the remaining vehicles around three core groups, and produce AI-Defined Vehicles to meet consumer demands as part of its latest recovery plan, officials revealed Monday night.

Federal safety officials reported 36,640 people died on American roadways in 2025, a 6.7-percent decline compared with the previous year. Fatalities are at their lowest level since 2019, the year before the COVID pandemic.

A South Korean software company is pushing AI-powered kiosks that could eventually replace human sales representatives at your local dealership.

While the right-to-repair movement has been focusing heavily on automobiles in recent years, John Deere has remained the arch enemy. As one of the first businesses to leverage software and specialized diagnostic equipment to prevent owners from servicing their own equipment, it has been targeted by a slew of lawsuits and was even placed under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has asserted that electronic safety systems do indeed result in fewer accidents, with the benefits mounting the more those features are bundled together.

If you’re hoping to get a ride in one of the toaster-style robotaxis from Zoox, the odds are about to improve as the company’s announced it will expand its operations in four cities: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin and Miami. 

If you’ve struggled to find a driverless taxi in Dallas or Phoenix, it’s about to get a bit easier with Amazon-owned Zoox announcing plans to expand in those cities.

A team at General Motors patented a technology designed to let drivers know of accidents before they happen — or at least before the driver can see the potential collision — using reflective head-up displays.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into an incident where a Waymo self-driving vehicle hit a child in California.

Over the last several years, I’ve rarely left a parking lot without questioning at least one random person how they felt about their vehicle. These conversations typically include a moment where I ask people about which features they do and do not like — providing a real-world glimpse into some of the most-hated aspects of today’s automobiles.

Matt P. has the skinny on CES today. He writes about what car people should be looking for from the annual tech-fest that's held in Las Vegas.

The 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has kicked off and the trade event remains a relevant venue for automakers. However, CES often serves as a dumping ground for fantastical ideas as much as it does a place to showcase the latest in legitimate technologies. This year seems to be a blend of the industry trying to market future vehicles as AI-enhanced driving robots and companies showcasing their new components — with a fair bit of overlap between the two.

Hundreds of Porsche models sold in Russia have mysteriously shut down. Reports from within the country, backed by countless angry posts online, have claimed that the vehicles now refuse to start. Speculation abounds as to whether this was the result of a coordinated cyber attack or simply an egregious mistake. But one thing is for certain, despite assurances to the contrary, connected cars remain shockingly vulnerable.

Like a lot of people, I am a "Simpsons" fan. Well, at least I was -- I've been inconsistent with newer episodes since 2006 or so. But I still check in here and there -- and I also remember a lot of gags from the old episodes. Like Bart trying to find a small souvenir license plate with his name and coming no closer than "Bort."

Volvo looks to be abandoning lidar. Viewed by some as an essential technology for advanced driving features and so-called autonomous cars, some companies have managed to achieve promising results without lidar. After seeming wholly committed to the technology, Volvo will now be joining the ranks of those that go without.

I had a very minor tale of woe involving Apple CarPlay that I relayed to you today.

Now, I want to hear from you.

If you’re someone that prefers to work on your own vehicle, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that simple jobs haven’t gotten any easier over the years. You are certainly not alone in feeling that way. Automakers are very obviously making formerly simple maintenance routines an absolute chore and the latest example comes from the owner of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N who dared to try and change his own brakes after some hard use.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece suggesting that I don't want to see automakers revoke access to Apple CarPlay -- not unless they come up with a better smartphone-mirroring system.

I still stand by that -- but three separate instances of CarPlay going bye-bye when I needed it suggests that the universe is trying to tell me something. Or, at least, it's laughing in my face.

In the latest instance of people realizing vehicular connectivity is just one massive liability, we have a Norwegian probe into Chinese buses. Norway is presently growing its fleet of all-electric, Chinese-built transit vehicles and the government has become concerned that the connectivity features equipped permit a way for the buses to be remotely shut down. However, this isn’t a problem that’s limited to Chinese-made products — as the odds are good that your own vehicle boasts similar vulnerabilities.

To paraphrase the late, great Charlton Heston, you can pry my Apple CarPlay from my cold, dead hands.

OK, fine, that's a bit extreme. But given GM's seeming desire to replace CarPlay with its own Google-based system, you can see why I, an iPhone owner, have some reservations. Especially if other automakers follow.

Will Toyota be able to successfully use data to change the charging behavior of EV owners?

Automakers want to get rid of AM radio, apparently.

Mostly because it can interfere with some new technologies.

Should they?

There is arguably no OEM that has made more changes to how interiors are executed than Tesla.

Presumably part of it is based on the fact that as a comparatively young vehicle manufacturer (Telsa was founded in 2003; General Motors 1908; Mercedes-Benz 1926), its engineers and designers looked at interiors with comparatively fresh eyes.

The Beauer 3X is a telescopic camper that expands from 43 square feet to 129 square feet, offering a spacious living area at the push of a button.

As part of the debut of the 2026 BMW iX3, we’re getting a glimpse of the updated operating system going into the brand’s “Neue Klasse” vehicles. However, the reveal didn’t just show us an upcoming model. It also serves as the death knell of the much-praised iDrive knob, which future BMW models will not receive.

I live in Maine, which has the oldest median age in the United States, so I see more than my fair share of incidents involving seniors behind the wheel. The subject of how and when to consider pulling driver’s licenses from those people is a touchy one around here, but new General Motors tech could help some seniors realize it’s time to hand in the keys.

Nissan has recently patented a new variable valve timing (VVT) mechanism for use in series hybrids. The unit looks like it could eventually be attached to the brand’s “e-Power” vehicles with an emphasis on reducing emissions upon startup. While less exciting than power adders, the system may help keep combustion vehicles on the road a while longer as government regulators keep raising the threshold on what can legally leave your tailpipe.

The screenification of modern pickup trucks might be complete within the next couple of years if photos in a recent social media post by the boss of Ford are any indication.

With solid state batteries alleged to be the x-factor that will make all-electric vehicles too good to resist, the entire industry has been hyping them up for years. While Toyota is supposed to be the automaker having made the most development progress, Subaru recently announced that it’s already testing them on assembly lines. But they aren’t being installed into vehicles, they’ve instead been equipped within industrial robots.

The J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) has garnered an increase in overall vehicle satisfaction for the first time in years. For 2025, the outlet reported a 851 out of the total 1,000-point scale — the highest score recorded since the study was redesigned in 2020.

The new AI scanners being utilized by Hertz are coming under fire for charging customers for minor defects. Reports have come in that the rental agency has used the system to turn small blemishes into sizable payouts and claims that the system allows the company to go after five times as many customers as before. Fortunately, there are things you can do to defend against the technological trend.

Several car companies are reportedly planning not to offer Apple CarPlay Ultra, which is a comprehensive overall of the current Apple-owned application that encompasses all screens inside the vehicle. Ultra is supposed to allow more thematic changes of the interior display while also allowing for some novel features and improved customization. However, it seems as though not all brands are interested in providing Apple with expanded access to their software.

Aston Martin (and others) will have Apple CarPlay in the dash soon. Is this a good idea?

A while back, Apple announced CarPlay Ultra, a new version of its popular system that expands the display to digital gauge clusters and other in-cabin displays. The first vehicles to feature the tech have begun shipping to the U.S. and Canada, starting with new Aston Martin models.

Delayed QOTD today -- blame travel troubles. Anyway, it's possible automatic start/stop technology could be legislated out of existence.

Would you miss it?

Earlier this week, Lee Zeldin, top boss at the Environmental Protection Agency, announced via social media he will be directing his department to investigate “fixing” the start/stop systems found in modern vehicles.

ZF Friedrichshafen has confirmed development of a new range extender intended for electric vehicles, with manufacturing starting sometime in 2026. The part supplier believes that this will help facilitate the industry’s pivot toward all-electric vehicles and that there will be sufficient demand to rationalize production.

The so-called autonomous mobility subsidiary of Volkswagen America has announced a new partnership with Uber. Slated to roll out across the country over the next decade, this plan calls for the deployment of all-electric, fully autonomous vans from the ID. Buzz – aptly set to be called the ID. Buzz AD.

Steering yokes appear to be the automotive fad du jour and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will begin offering them in 2026. This change will be accompanied by the introduction of steer-by-wire controls, eliminating all physical connections between the driver and the road.

Hertz has begun utilizing artificial intelligence to electronically inspect rental vehicles at select locations, with plans to expand the service. The company believes it will boost efficiency and shorten wait times.

A recent survey from AutoPacific has suggested that drivers aren’t terribly pleased with some of the technology that’s being installed into modern vehicles, particularly the features that are designed to police behavior.

I've had three recent test vehicles, all from different OEMs, in which the wireless cell-phone charger either didn't work or only worked for a few minutes at a time.

Since we keep test cars for only a week at a time, and some of you are out there owning new(ish) cars with wireless chargers, I wanted to ask -- is my recent experience commonplace?

Volkswagen has seen sweeping criticisms for moving away from physical switchgear and has apparently learned a valuable lesson as a result. The brand has promised that future models will be reintroducing traditional buttons, including EVs prioritizing minimalist designs.

As someone who once earned money delivering auto parts, I felt myself getting chills, and not in the good way, editing Matt's post on Ford's plans to give fleet owners more remote control over their vehicles.

I'd have hated this during my time schlepping brake rotors across Aurora, Illinois in well-maintained older Ford Rangers and beat-up old Chevrolet S-10s.

During Work Truck Week 2025, Ford Pro announced a 40 percent increase in connected commercial vehicles over the last two years. The division has been focused on modernizing its fleet operations by leveraging connected features in a way it believes could benefit commercial businesses, with the manufacturer likewise profiting from the resulting telemetry data. It has been a successful endeavor for the brand. But Ford is introducing new features — some of which are inarguably invasive and completely strip away control from the driver.

Mercedes-Benz design chief Gorden Wagener has confessed that massive screens aren’t much of a luxury now that practically every vehicle offers them as standard equipment.

Despite carmakers sinking untold amounts of R&D trying (and mostly failing) to convince us otherwise, many drivers prefer a measure of smartphone mirroring to whatever iConnectStarDriveLink car brands foist upon their wares. In that vein, Apple has made a small but notable change to CarPlay in its latest iOS update.

Today we showed you that drivers seem more likely to take control of their partially-automated driving systems if doing so manually doesn't fully disengage the system.

It feels like we've covered car hacking a lot over the past few years.

Despite numerous vehicle subscription services having gone under in recent years, the industry does not seem ready to throw in the towel. In fact, they’re actually appears to be a swelling sense of optimism that the scheme may make a comeback. With the present economic situation making it more difficult for average people to buy new vehicles, some expect vehicle subscriptions to become increasingly popular as cash-strapped drivers become more desperate to replace what’s in the driveway.

Automakers pitch semi-automated driver assistance features as the future of automotive safety, but a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests otherwise. It found that drivers are much more likely to engage with distractions while using the systems, such as checking their phones, eating, or other activities.

If you’ve ever shopped for a radar detector, you’ve probably heard the name Valentine. One of the most well-known brands in the industry just lost its founder and namesake leader. Mike D. Valentine passed away at the age of 74 at his home.

We took some time this morning to show you what new Apple CarPlay features await iOS users as iOS 18 launches.

It’s that time of year again. Apple fans are gearing up for the release of the new iPhone, Apple Watch, and more, but the company also officially rolls out its annual operating system update around this time. This year, it’s iOS 18, and with it comes a host of upgrades for Apple CarPlay that will bring new assistance and accessibility features.

Once again, we're covering an automaker working on putting ads in your car.

There is a new Ford patent for a system that would play personalized ads inside of cars, which would vary based upon numerous factors. Advertisements would take into account things like whether or not a vehicle was in motion, whether or not the people inside the vehicle are speaking, and even the driver’s present location. It even seems to respond to how vehicle occupants react to the chosen marketing materials. If that sounds rather invasive to you, then you’re probably not alone.

The United States is planning to relaunch a program to normalize vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology that would allow all modern vehicles to communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure in real time. Government agencies are claiming the resulting network would drastically improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about V2X. The U.S. attempted a similar program years earlier before it lost momentum.

After a delayed and limited roll-out of the new Northstar engine (in two power configurations) for the 1993 and 1994 model year, Cadillac enjoyed a wave of positive press. With an entirely new product portfolio in place by 1994, the Northstar-filled (except Fleetwood Brougham) Cadillac lineup was ready to roll through the remainder of the Nineties. Cadillac immediately set about tweaking their V8 for 1995, and it was around that time some issues began to poke holes in the Northstar’s trophy collection.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just praised seven out of eight crossovers it tested with rear automatic braking. This comes as the group has pivoted its focus toward pedestrian safety. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) also published a paper expressing safety concerns over automated driving systems. The takeaway from that piece was that alleged self-driving systems added nothing in terms of safety, but that partially automated safety systems (like automatic braking) were a net positive.