The new Toyota Prius is one of the most transformational redesigns in recent automotive history. In one year, it’s gone from one of the ugliest cars on sale to one of the slickest-looking Toyotas ever. The stunning new model is also more efficient, an order of magnitude better to drive, a stunning value, and already fetching interest from a younger, broader crowd. Dealers are already talking about five-figure markups. Toyota, though, still doesn’t expect much sales growth.Everything about the New PriusToyota U.S. Vice President of Marketing Lisa Materazzo told Road & Track that the company is expecting annual sales of around 35,000 units for the non-Prime, standard Prius. That’s an improvement over the last full-year figure, but only barely. Toyota sold 33,968 Prius hybrids in 2021, despite the product’s age and Toyota’s considerable supply-chain constraints. With long-term gas price concerns at an all-time high, recession fears in the water, and a far more compelling product, the time seems right for a Prius resurgence. A 1000-unit improvement over one of the marque’s worst years in history sounds remarkably conservative. That’s especially true when you look at the Prius’s two best years, 2012 and 2013, which both saw sales top 230,000 units. “There could definitely be an upside on that 35,000 estimate that we have, and we will make all that we can if the demand is there,” Materazzo told R&T. That figure, then, isn’t the result of expected supply issues so much as a real look at the market. “We don’t have a crystal ball, so it’s hard to say what supply chain interruptions we could have in the short term . . . We’ve been dealing with that for a while and we’ll continue to manage through that. I do think it’s reasonable that there could be upside potential, but ultimately the market will decide that.”Even in the best-case scenario, though, Toyota doesn’t expect to ever come close to the high-water mark for Prius sales. While stronger-than-predicted demand could materialize—and reported dealer markups for first allocations suggest it may—the six-figure sales volumes of 2005–2017 era are likely gone for good. “I do think it’s important to keep in mind that we have more hybrids and more electrified vehicles across our lineup. So there are simply more options for buyers than there were back in 2011, associated with that sales plan,” Materazzo said. Back then, customers looking for a fuel-efficient hybrid were mostly stuck with the Camry or Prius. Today, they can get a RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Prius Prime, hybrid Tundra, or an all-electric BZ4x. A pie cut into that many pieces leaves little room for such a sales standout. Add in the stunning number of hybrid, plug-in, and battery-electric options from rivals—almost none of which existed in 2012—and it’s hard to see how any hybrid could recapture the second- and third-generation Prius’s chart-topping success. A fantastic design and a newfound focus on performance are both huge improvements, but even Toyota knows they won’t be enough to change the way the wind is blowing. This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The eyes of retro enthusiasts, Great Britain division, bugged out when a prototype electric van inspired by England’s classic Morris J-Type (introduced in 1948 and built through 1961) broke cover in 2017. It’s outwardly a faithful tribute to the iconic original—a common sight in postwar Britain and the Commonwealth nations. The re-creation’s maker, Morris Commercial, claimed the reimagined machine would boast not just its inspirer’s adorable, bug-eyed looks and same world-beating volume-to-footprint ratio, but also electric power and a body made from scrap carbon fiber. As with all automotive startups, however, the devil has been going from prototype to production, and the road getting there is long and rocky.Charlie Magee|Car and DriverThough it has but two prototypes to show for itself five years on, one of which we would drive, the story of Morris Commercial spans close to a century. With an international cast of characters, it’s a stemwinder of a tale, albeit one whose last chapter has yet to be written.Brace Yourself for a Bumpy RideMorris Commercial Cars was the world’s largest commercial-vehicle manufacturer in the 1950s. In 1968, the one-time BMC brand was folded into the nationalized conglomerate British Leyland and saw its name retired. From there, it became a winding path: its parent company was renamed, merged, bought out by management, and sold to a private equity firm and then to Russian owners. In 2009, now called LDV and again headed for bankruptcy, the company had its assets acquired by Qu Li’s Eco Concepts, a purchase that generated much tabloid interest. Charlie Magee|Car and DriverMuch More on the U.K. TodayA China-born engineer with family ties to Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), Li, who had emigrated to the U.K. years earlier but traveled extensively between the two countries, quickly sold many of the assets of LDV to SAIC. Li was an outlier in the British industry for being a woman and Chinese, and she faced harsh criticism for having worked closely with the “Phoenix Four.” That was the briefly celebrated quartet of British businessmen who rescued MG Rover from extinction for minimal personal investment in 2000 after BMW pulled the plug, only to drive the firm into bankruptcy while walking away with large piles of cash. Their actions led to the British government’s disqualifying them from holding any corporate directorships. Heightening the Phoenix story’s tabloid appeal, consultant Li was reported to have had a romantic relationship with one of the disgraced quartet, Nick Stephenson. Thanks to her, many of the British firm’s assets were sold in bankruptcy to China, where both her parents worked in the auto industry and where her connections clearly helped. Charlie Magee|Car and DriverBut Li, who has lived in Britain for more than 30 years and holds Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering and materials, claims her goal is to help restore Britain’s vehicle industry. With this in mind, she kept the Morris Commercial name and intellectual property for what she hopes will be her big play. It Looks Sincere from Here While public enthusiasm for the cute EV van known as JE has been enormous, the British popular press has expressed considerable skepticism about the venture. But if Li’s goal was merely to make some quick cash, our recent visit to the company’s headquarters in the sleepy Cotswolds village of Hinton-on-Green, suggest she’s chosen a funny way to do it. Charlie Magee|Car and DriverFor instance, unusually in these days of electric-car fever, Li said the company will not be taking customer deposits until the siting of its small-production factory is confirmed. Before then, it’s “irresponsible to take their money. We also agreed that money will be put aside in an escrow account. We will not touch that money until we come to the point when we can say [choose your vehicle].” Nor will there be an IPO before then. Wise choices, both, we’d say.Charlie Magee|Car and DriverCharlie Magee|Car and DriverWe met with her at the company’s property, on the bucolic site of an old train station, where a series of cleverly conjoined shipping containers provide office space for a skeleton staff of 15. “The facility is quite small moment, but we are in the process of finding a manufacturing location,” she said, suggesting that a pilot production line might be running by the third quarter or fourth quarter of 2023. Limited production is the goal. “We are going for small-volume production, a bit like a Morgan.”We’re working really hard on a shoestring, with very small core team, because when you’re growing too fast, you’ve lost control. You just spend money for no reason. We didn’t do that. We are quite small still, but we are expanding now—[it’s] a little bit scary really, trying to get people and expanding.Charlie Magee|Car and Driver”For me, I think we will have succeeded when we start to deliver to the customer with a reasonable order book and deliver vehicles that people are happy with. A reliable product. But all products need further development. From that point, it really needs bank investment to get to volume production.” From there, Li and Morris Commercial executive John Killick explained, the goal will be to take on substantial outside investment, even possibly selling the company on to others with deeper pockets.With her background in light trucks and vans, Li said, she became convinced that a purpose-built EV was the best strategy. But why use the form of the J-type? “It’s a classic design. I’ve been involved in van production quite a bit, but I don’t really believe vans have to be ugly or have to be white, because I like pretty things.”Picture This Van with a Red Bull Logo Proof of the wisdom of Morris Commercial’s retro strategy, Li said, has come in visits from Red Bull and the Royal Post Office (which bought one-third of the original J-type van’s production), both of which have expressed interest in the van with the old-school looks and modern purpose-built electric architecture.”The gross weight of our vehicle is 2.5 tons, which is lighter than the smallest van in the sector currently. But ours has a one-ton payload, which usually you get from vans weighing 3.5 tons. None of them have this combination with one ton payload with 200-plus miles of range,” courtesy of a skateboard chassis and structure that bears no relation to an internal-combustion-engined van.Boxes That Deliver”We have quite a wide spectrum of industry very interested in our vehicle,” she added. “A lot of them want to be different. Food and drink, coffee shops, et cetera. And we have lots of retail shops interested. Also sports—we have huge following by racing teams, and motorbike racing teams because you can put a motorbike on the back. Florists, bicycle shops, auto parts dealers. Interior designers, who also like something different. It gives them credibility as well as advertising their business. We also have musicians, who could put their drums and the equipment in the back.” A minibus version for transport of passengers is also in their plans.”It’s really interesting, though, [that] tradesmen, actually, are our largest group of pre-orders. Electricians, plumbers, property services, laundry collections, carpet fitters. Particularly if they’re working in London, in the cities [with emissions-free zones].”When asked if she felt her path in Britain’s auto industry had been hindered by the fact of her being a woman, Li said, “Many years ago, I did tooling designs. I had an appointment to visit LDV Vans. That was a few years before I bought it. I went into the factory, and the guy who was seeing me, a senior engineer was like in shock. Because of my name, he didn’t really know it would be a woman he’s meeting. He said, ‘I don’t know how to start this conversation. This is not a fashion factory, this is a manufacturer, metals manufacturer.’ I said, ‘Just start anywhere. I’m an engineer, I should be okay.’ ‘No, no,’ he said, ‘This is not something you would understand.'”I said, ‘Well, maybe you could show me around the factory.’ So, he walked me around the factory. I said, ‘This is a clearing press and a furnace, you don’t need this and that. It’s quite old now, isn’t it? You need electronics to change it for some automation.’ He looked at me. ‘How do you know this?’ I’ve bought a lot of presses, set up presses. After, we walked back and he said, ‘You know everything.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ve been in this industry for quite a while,’ so now he could start to have a conversation with me.””A few years later, I bought the company.” This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Pricing is out for the 2024 Chevy Corvette and its many variations, with the base Stingray coupe starting at $67,895—$2000 more than last year.The hybrid E-Ray starts at $104,495, and the 670-hp Z06 has a $109,695 base price, but opting for any convertible Corvette costs an extra $7000.How expensive can a ’24 Corvette get? Well, the Z06 convertible in 3LZ guise starts at $130,245—and that figure will easily surpass the $150K mark with options.While the 2024 Chevy Corvette’s base price is $2000 higher than last year, the Stingray coupe still starts under $70K, which means America’s mid-engined sports car isn’t out of reach for most people. The hybrid all-wheel-drive Corvette E-Ray and 670-hp Corvette Z06—not so much.Six-Figure VettesChevy released initial pricing for the 2024 E-Ray earlier this year. Along with the 1LZ coupe’s $104,495 base price, we now know its higher 2LZ and 3LZ trims start at $109,995 and $115,445, respectively. Choosing the convertible version of any of those tacks on another $7000, meaning the 3LZ convertible starts at a cool $122,445 before any options.Those looking to set the most heroic lap times will have the Corvette Z06 in their sights. However, to own the rights to its exclusive and exotic naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 requires deep pockets, as in at least $109,695 for the 1LZ coupe (only $400 more than last year). The Z06’s 2LZ and 3LZ trim levels start at $118,595 and $123,245, respectively. Like all other Corvettes, the convertible body style is a $7000 option, which gives the drop-top Z06 3LZ the highest base price of $130,245. Loading up on options will easily push its bottom line past $150K. Everyone who can’t afford the Corvette’s higher-performance models can choose from the Stingray lineup, with the coupe versions of the 2LT and 3LT starting at $74,995 and $79,645, respectively. Considering any of those will still outrun most sports cars on the street and lap those same cars at the track, the 2024 Corvette is an incredible bargain no matter which one people can afford.C8 Corvette StoriesThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Over $104 million in tolls generated from the Pennsylvania Turnpike went uncollected in 2020, according to a report from the Associated Press. An internal report filed in July and obtained by the AP revealed that 11 million out of the 170 million Turnpike rides, nearly 6.5 percent, went unpaid last year. The biggest reason? People just don’t pay the charges. The Pennsylvania Turnpike switched to a purely automated toll collection system last year, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of those 170 million rides, about 145 million—93 percent—are paid by motorists using the electronic E-Z Pass system. The other seven percent are billed via “toll-by-plate,” which uses cameras to take pictures of license plates, and bill motorists through the mail.

At 6.7 million rides, the biggest hit for collections comes from motorists who are billed but simply do not pay. The uncollected fees are written off by the Turnpike after three years. The state set up a system in 2017 that suspends PA registrations for six or more unpaid toll violations, but has yet to implement a system to similarly penalize drivers from out of state. According to AP, Pennsylvania is working on agreements with Delaware and New York to install such a penalty system. Other reasons for the Turnpike missing out on toll payments? A total of 1.8 million rides went unpaid because license plates could not be identified. Roughly 41 percent of those failures were blamed on obstruction to the plate, such as a bike rack or trailer. Just 1.1 percent of obstructed plates were blamed on motorists intentionally blocking their plates from view. Another 1.5 million tolls went uncollected because motor vehicle agencies failed to provide addresses for vehicle owners. And in just over 1 million instances, bills sent out via the toll-by-plate system went undeliverable.

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It’s a combination of trusting the car, according to CEO Elon Musk, and using the touchscreen. Well, that’ll be different. More