Motor News

Tesla held an Investor Day event today in Austin, Texas, hosted by CEO Elon Musk.Much of the talk was about the company’s “Master Plan,” which is now all about sustainability.There’s also talk of updates coming soon to the Model Y and Model 3.”There is a clear path to a fully sustainable earth, with abundance.”That’s not the way most automotive company investor presentations start, but that was the early message from CEO Elon Musk during Tesla’s Investor Day presentation today in Austin, Texas.The event was billed as the third in Musk’s long-term strategy outlines for the automaker, the next Tesla Master Plan. In short, the first TMP, from 2006, was about financing lower-cost EVs by first selling a more-expensive sports car (the original Tesla Roadster). The second, which followed a decade after the first, broadened Tesla’s scope to include solar roofs with battery storage, expanded the company’s product line to “address all major segments,” developing safer self-driving capability that and finding a way to let Tesla owners “make money for you when you aren’t using it.” Not all aspects of these plans have come to pass.Tesla’s New Master PlanMusk’s third Master Plan shifts its focus to the entire world. “Tesla’s purpose is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” the company said today, calling its latest plan a “path to a fully renewable energy future for the earth.”Musk said a sustainable energy economy is within reach, but it will require incredible levels of investment—around $10 trillion—in new technologies to get there. That means 240 total tWh (terawatt hours) of energy storage (stationary batteries and electric vehicles) and 30 tW (terawatts) of renewable power generation. The benefits far outweigh the cost, Musk said, and the next two hours of the presentation beefed up this vision, including the many ways Tesla is working toward this goal—and, of course, how its own fleet of vehicles fit into this overall plan.TeslaUpdated Model 3 and Model YAs far as new details on Tesla’s vehicles themselves, the highlight came not from the official presentation itself but rumors that came out today about a revamped Model Y that is code-named Juniper. The new Model Y will have upgraded exterior and interior and should arrive in 2024, according to Automotive News. Another upgraded vehicle, a new Model 3 code-named Highland, is also in the works.More on Tesla VehiclesWhile Tesla didn’t officially talk about these models during Investor Day, it did explain how it will build EVs on its next-generation platforms in a more efficient manner than it does today thanks to a new process called unboxed assembly strategy, where the new platform and its integrated battery pack allows the unnamed future car to be put together without the traditional automotive frame (box), which will make assembly cheaper and faster.Another change comes from the way Tesla has steadily increased the percentage of controllers it designed itself that can be found in its vehicles’ powertrains. In the original Model S, for example, just 20 percent of the controllers were designed by Tesla. In the Model Y, it’s 61 percent. In the Cybertruck, Tesla says it will be 85 percent, and in the next-gen vehicles, every controller will be Tesla-designed. The main benefit of this shift will be better control of all of the vehicle’s software, Tesla said.An actual Cybertruck was on display at the Investor Day event as well, showing off a new steering yoke design, rear folding seats and a screen for rear passengers.This content is imported from twitter. 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.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More

• The original Acura Integra was intended to be fun and sporty to drive, but also everyday livable.• Relive the glory days of popup headlights and Paula Abdul with this example, which has just 55,000 miles on the odometer.• Bidding runs through March 5.Car and DriverWhen Acura announced that the Integra nameplate would be returning for the 2023 model year, not everyone was convinced. How could this four-door hatchback live up to our memories of the stripped-out Integra Type-R, with its screaming engine and razor-sharp handling? Simply put, the new Integra didn’t have to, because the Type-R was a fun but rare aberration in the Acura range. The reborn Integra really needed to be faithful to something like this: a 1989 Acura LS, up for auction on Bring A Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos).First-gen Integra coverage from back in the dayThe Integra was part of the original Acura brand launch for the 1986 model year, and it quickly landed on the Car and Driver 10 Best list. “We like everything about the three- and five-door Integras—their snappy sixteen-valve engines, their sporty good looks, their usefully roomy interiors, and their fun-to-drive personalities,” we said at the time. Acura was the new kid on the block, but its cars had been infused with essential goodness from parent company Honda, in an age when the big H was at its best.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerThis 1989 LS is a great example of a first-gen Integra. It has a 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder good for 118 horsepower at 6500 rpm, a five-speed manual transmission, and a lovely two-tone interior with well-bolstered seats. The sharply folded sheetmetal still looks good today, and you gotta love the popup headlights. The paint color on this little coupe is Laguna Gold. If your brain went straight to hurling through Laguna Seca’s famous Corkscrew, dial it back a little. This color was also supposed to embody a languid sunset over a Southern California beach. Acura wasn’t just a brand for steely-eyed Brazilian Formula One drivers, it was created to bring driving pleasure to regular folks, too. According to the seller, this one was delivered to a woman in California who drove it until 2022, when she decided it was time to give up driving for good. As it sits, the car has just 55,000 miles on the odometer.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerBecause this Integra was donated to the Kars4Kids charity by the previous owner’s family, there were some title issues. It’s now listed on a Restored Salvage title in Arizona, despite a clean bill of health from the California DMV and CarFax.If this makes it less of a potential museum piece, so much the better. The seller has addressed wear items such as the CV axles, sparkplugs, and tires, and this literally golden-age Acura is just itching to be driven. You’re going to want to go digging through the attic for your old mixtape Memorex cassettes. Ooh, Roxette and Fine Young Cannibals? That’s the one.You can find the new Integra at your local Acura dealership, and it does a fine job of living up to the standard set by the original. However, the new car has neither popup headlights nor a cassette deck. Here’s a chance to rewind the tape back to Acura’s early days.Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

GM scheduled a two-week work stoppage at its Fort Wayne, Indiana truck assembly facility in an attempt to maintain optimal dealership inventory levels. According to a GM representative, production is up over the past month, while demand remains fairly consistent, leading to an increase in inventory. The Fort Wayne plant produces the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. GM’s full-size truck plants in Michigan, Canada, and Mexico will continue with operations through the two-week stoppage in Indiana. General Motors is preparing for a two-week shutdown at its Fort Wayne, Indiana truck manufacturing facility. The Fort Wayne plant that produces roughly 1300 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks each day will be shut down to “to maintain optimal inventory levels with our dealerships,” according to a statement shared by a GM spokesperson. The shutdown is scheduled to begin Monday, March 27, and is reportedly in accordance with provisions of both the national and local UAW bargaining agreements.More on GM TrucksGM confirmed that production is up over the past month while demand remains fairly consistent, leading to an increase in inventory. According to a report by Autoweek, the stoppage is in keeping with comments from GM CFO Paul Jacobson, who said the company wants between 50 to 60 days’ inventory through 2023.Production at GM’s other full-size truck plants in Michigan, Canada, and Mexico are set to continue with operations through the two-week stoppage in Indiana. The Fort Wayne plant constantly reviews and adjusts production schedules to keep inventory levels at dealerships at an optimal level, according to a GM representative.The scheduled shutdown comes at an interesting time for pickup production and automotive manufacturing in general. It stands in contrast to the production struggles that automakers faced in 2021, when supply-chain issues and specifically a microchip shortage caused GM, Ford, and many other automakers to greatly reduce production plans, throwing off the supply and demand curve on the opposite end of the spectrum. More recently in the pickup world, production of the electric Ford F-150 Lightning was halted in February, citing a potential battery issue. “During a standard Lightning pre-delivery quality inspection, one vehicle displayed a battery issue,” Ford said in a statement.Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Mini has shown the first glimpse of the next-generation Countryman SUV.It will arrive for the 2025 model year in the U.S. and starts production this year in Germany at a BMW plant.The new Countryman will offer both a gasoline version and an electric version, and we’ll see if both end up coming to the U.S.A new version of the biggest Mini, the Countryman SUV, is arriving soon and we’ve just gotten confirmation that it will spawn an electric variant. New photos of a camouflaged 2025 Countryman also give a glimpse at the new model’s looks which, unsurprisingly, hew closely to the familiar Mini aesthetic.MiniThe 2025 Mini Countryman will start production this year at a BMW plant in Leipzig, Germany, making it the first Mini model to be built in its parent company’s homeland. It’ll be built alongside several BMW models including the 2-series Gran Coupe. We’re not sure exactly when it will go on sale in the U.S., or if both the gas and EV versions will make it to our shores.More on Mini and BMWWe expect that the electric Countryman will share specs with the BMW iX1, an electric version of the X1 crossover that we don’t get in the U.S. That model offers a dual-motor powertrain with 308 horsepower and a 64.7-kWh battery pack that provides a range of around 230 miles. The gas version, too, seems a sure bet to share the U.S.-spec 2023 BMW X1’s turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine that makes 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.MiniA new Mini Cooper hatchback is also in the cards, but we haven’t heard an update in a while since we saw leaked images showing the new car’s looks in 2021. Look for more news to come on Mini as the brand continues to revise its lineup, including possibly axing the Clubman wagon in favor of the new Aceman EV.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.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

NHTSA has opened an investigation to determine whether EVs and hybrids dating back to 1997 should be required to emit the same audible pedestrian warning sounds that their more recent counterparts have.The federal safety agency previously passed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141, which requires that all 2020 model year and newer electric and hybrid vehicles under 10,000 pounds be equipped with a pedestrian warning sound.If NHTSA decides to pass a new requirement for older models, it could pose a logistical challenge, since an estimated 9.1 million vehicles could be on the list to be recalled for a retrofitted pedestrian warning. Among the ways in which they’re different from traditional internal-combustion-engined vehicles, electric cars and hybrids don’t sound the same. They are quiet—and that can pose a safety problem. There has been a law on the books for several years requiring new EVs and hybrids to be sold with a pedestrian warning sound onboard. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a new investigation to determine if EVs and hybrids dating back to 1997 should be required to possess the same audible warning sounds that newer vehicles do. The investigation is credited as starting from a petition from an individual, filed in July 2022. The complaining citizen asks for the new requirement and cites as backup that 2018 law (FMVSS 141) requiring EVs and hybrids under 10,000 pounds to be equipped with a pedestrian warning sound. The petition asserts that it’s wrong for hybrid and electric vehicles built earlier not to have to meet the same standard as the vehicles built later.More on NHTSAThe law was created as a protection for visually impaired and blind people who depend on auditory cues when crossing streets. NHTSA documents note that this concern dates back at least as far as 2010, with the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, which became law in January 2011.NissanNHTSA estimates that there are more than nine million hybrid and electric vehicles that don’t have built-in audible alerts; all of them could conceivably be subject to a retrofit rule, which is likely to pose logistical challenges both to automakers and the owners of the older vehicles. Take the Takata airbag recall, where nearly 70 million airbags were required to be replaced for safety reasons. Honda and other automakers have spent years hunting down owners of older models to bring their vehicles in for new airbags. The logistical lift needed to track down each of more than nine million owners of hybrids and EVs dating back 26 years could be complicated and ultimately fall short of total completion. NHTSA declined to comment as the investigation is in progress.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.Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Ford has filed a patent with the USPTO for systems and methods that aid in vehicle repossession, as first reported by The Drive.One of the systems described in the patent enables an autonomous vehicle to repossess itself.Other methods suggest limiting vehicle functions (A/C, power windows, power seats, etc.) and even locking delinquent owners out of their vehicles.Avoiding the repo man could get a lot harder in the future, specifically if vehicles can one day repossess themselves. With autonomous driving tech likely becoming more prevalent in the coming years, all it would take is an automaker to introduce a system where that new car, truck, or SUV parked in your driveway can drive itself away if you don’t pay. So far, none have. However, Ford could play spoiler based on a filling with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that details a self-repossessing system along with other repo-related repercussions. Ford first filed the patent with the USPTO back in 2021, but it wasn’t formally published until last Thursday—a discovery originally made by The Drive. Dude, Where’s My Ford?As we already mentioned, the most startling details described in the filing regard autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles that can repossess themselves. For vehicles equipped with the latter, they might simply move themselves a short distance to a location where they can be more easily towed. For vehicles with more advanced autonomous tech, they could drive themselves to the lending company or the repo lot. In situations where Ford’s repo system corresponds with the lender and determines the vehicle’s market value isn’t worth the cost of the repossession, it could drive itself straight to the junkyard. Yikes.Some of Ford’s other repo-related repercussions don’t go quite as far as making people watch their unmanned F-150 Lightning drive directly to the crusher at Uncle Tony’s Salvage. They also act as early warnings and workarounds for folks who own vehicles without autonomous technology or in cases where a vehicle is parked in a garage or otherwise unable to drive itself away or be accessed by a tow truck. They can be as simple, albeit infuriating, as disabling certain vehicle functions. At first, convenience features such as the the air-conditioning, cruise control, power seats, power windows, or the the radio might be deactivated. Another method is described as playing irritating and incessant sounds through the stereo system. We immediately thought of Jim Carrey’s “most annoying sound in the world” scene from Dumb and Dumber. After that, they could escalate to limiting functions to access or drive the vehicle. Essentially, Ford’s repo system could immobilize the car, truck, or SUV and even lock the owner out.Avoiding the Full RepoIt’s worth noting the filing extensively details steps that would be taken before an automated repossession occurs. For example, a series of messages would be sent between the lender and the owner with past-due payments, who would then have an allotted amount of time to respond accordingly. The filing also includes language acknowledging events such as being hospitalized or being out of the country. It’s mentioned that people with financial hardships might be able to work out a payment plan with their lender to avoid repo-related penalties.For now, all Ford’s patent filing confirms is that the company is at least kicking around the idea of self-repossessing vehicles. While it sounds plausible the more autonomous driving tech becomes better integrated and more common, we’d sooner expect to see vehicles be remotely repossessed by having features disabled or through immobilization. Then again, it’s hard to predict the future. 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.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 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

A Hyundai executive tasked with running the company’s N division has expressed interest in putting its stunning N Vision 74 concept into production, according to an interview with The Autopian. Till Wartenberg, Hyundai’s vice president of N brand management and motorsport, was quick to express his passion for the highly popular, wedge-shaped sports car concept. “My personal wish is to produce this vehicle,” Wartenberg told The Autopian. “It’s at first probably an investment, but if we could see this vehicle really out there and people buying it, I would be very happy.”As a refresher, the N Vision 74 was, without a doubt, the most impressive concept car of 2022. Inspired by a vintage coupe concept designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it has a wedge shape reminiscent of a DeLorean DMC-12, albeit sportier and modernized. It gets its energy from a dual hydrogen fuel cell and battery EV drivetrain, and it makes 670 horsepower. It’s important to note that Wartenberg used his words carefully. Nowhere did he actually confirm the N Vision 74 for production or give a timeline for when Hyundai might confirm its existence outside the single example built. It’s simply a desire at this stage, not a real plan. Still, we’re happy to see Hyundai executives in control of decision-making are enthused about cars like the N Vision 74. That makes it all the more likely it will, at some point, be greenlit. We’ll just have to wait and see. Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing. More

We have our first look at the interior of the Chinese Buick Electra E5, as first reported by InsideEVs. The most notable feature is the huge 30-inch curved OLED display mounted on the Electra E5’s dashboard.While the E5 is for China, Buick has confirmed the brand’s first electric SUV will use the Electra name and debut in 2024.When the 2025 Buick Electra E5 comes to America, we expect the brand’s first electric SUV to have a humongous dashboard-mounted OLED screen. At least that’s what it looks like based on interior images that Buick today revealed on its Chinese website, which was discovered by InsideEVs.Big Ol’ OLED ScreenBuick is entering a new era, introducing a revised tri-shield logo and fresh design language, which made their U.S. debut on the 2024 Buick Encore GX. That facelifted model also adopted a large glass panel with dual displays on its dash, setting the stage for other Buicks to do the same. While the Encore GX’s screen will no doubt appease tech-obsessed shoppers, the unit found in the Chinese Electra E5 is more akin to the Cadillac Escalade’s dazzling 38-inch curved OLED display.Although it’s not quite as big as the one in the Caddy, the Electra E5 features a sizable 30-inch curved OLED screen with an impressive 6K resolution; Buick says it can smoothly reflect 1 billion colors. Of course, the E5 also has 5G technology and allows over-the-air OTA updates. Other notable, albeit expected, infotainment features include wireless Apple CarPlay (and likely wireless Android Auto) as well as wireless phone charging. Buick says it has improved voice-recognition software and provides users with myriad configurable settings.Buick Upping Its Luxury Game?We rarely accuse Buick models of missing luxury features, rather we often observe that GM’s tweener brand appears to compromise its interior quality through excessive use of also-ran materials found in mainstream alternatives. The Electra E5 that’s destined for China definitely has high-end content, such as a 12.6-inch color head-up display and ambient interior lighting with 121 color options. However, based solely on the new images we’ve seen, it appears Buick could be upping its game in the luxury arena.While hard-looking plastics still remain below the E5’s beltline, there appears to be upscale brightwork on the floating center console, the doors, and the dash. The other materials on the latter two surfaces also look attractive. If nothing else, the seats appear to be very comfortable, especially their “floating” headrests.It’s obviously too soon to tell how luxurious the Buick Electra E5 will be and how close the American version will be to its Chinese counterpart. Still, based on the images we’ve seen and the information we’ve learned today, the U.S.-bound Electra could help move Buick upmarket when it reaches our shores sometime in 2024—likely as a 2025 model.Extra Buick Elantra CoverageThis 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 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