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A new type of EV charging station—one with truly rapid fast-charging and cushy amenities—debuts in Atlanta today, the first North American site that’s part of the Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging (HPC) network.This is the start of a planned network of 400-plus stations across the United States that drivers of all brands of vehicles will have access to. The ChargePoint-supplied fast-charging system can charge at up to 400 kW, according to Mercedes, which is more speed than current electric vehicles can use.Even experienced electric-car drivers can be perplexed about EV charging rates, let alone the average car shopper. But everyone agrees that faster is better.Now charging station company ChargePoint has launched the first of a new line of stations that deliver rates so high that no light-duty electric vehicle today can even handle yet. ChargePoint says its Power Link 2.0 DC fast-charging system can deliver up to 500 kW—compare that to the 350-kW rated maximum at some sites operated by Electrify America and other charging networks. Today, only a handful of EV brands (Porsche was the first) can even charge at rates up to 350 kW, let alone 400 kW and up. ChargePoint charging station.ChargePointThe Power Link 2.0 debuts today at the newly opened first North American location in the Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging (HPC) network announced in January. The Mercedes HPC site, in Atlanta, is one of three opening today: the others are in Chengdu, China, and Mannheim, Germany. Ultimately, the luxury maker expects to have 10,000 stations open globally by 2030.The new network points the way to the future of EV charging, with amenities coming that include canopies, security cameras, bathrooms, and onsite staff to ensure safety. That’s a far cry from most of today’s high-speed charging sites, which tend to be located in huge parking lots at big-box stores or retrofitted into interstate travel plazas. Charging Rates: Remember the “Up To”Mercedes says that in practice, charging at the HPC sites will run at up to 400 kW, depending on region and charging standard: CCS or NACS (Tesla) for North America; CCS2 for Europe; and GB/T for China. But it’s not hard to imagine that advances in battery architecture and more real-world experience with charging might let EV makers with 800-volt architectures boost peak charging rates in current and future vehicles under optimal circumstances. Note that, in the same way that “your mileage may vary,” actual charge speed varies based on a huge variety of factors: remaining battery charge (lower is better for faster charging), battery temperature, ambient temperature, and of course the ability of the station and its power supply line to deliver sustained high rates via liquid-cooled cables. The Express Plus system can charge two vehicles simultaneously at high rates from the same station, though the company didn’t define how high those speeds are. The system is made up of what ChargePoint calls a Power Block, housing up to five Power Modules that can be shared among the different vehicles charging. Current is dynamically allocated among the vehicles, which will be at different stages along their charging curves, meaning not every one will require the maximum rate. Mercedes adds that intelligent charge management will let each vehicle charge at its highest capable rate, cutting the time a driver spends plugged in.Mercedes-Quality Charging Has a Nice Ring to ItWhile the first of the new Mercedes HPC network sites is located at the company’s North American headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia, it says it will open more sites across the Southeast and into Texas before the end of this year. The key differentiator for the luxury carmaker is “a pleasant and safe customer experience,” which has been a pain point for EV drivers—including Tesla drivers, though that company has worked to site charging stations near businesses that offer bathrooms and refreshments of some sort. Mercedes says its locations are located both at its dealers and at “main traffic areas,” with nearby amenities that include refreshments, snacks, and restrooms. Canopies at “select” Charging Hubs will offer protection against weather (but why not all, as in gas stations?), and it will install surveillance cameras for safety.All EV drivers will be able to use the company’s HPC charging hubs, but Mercedes drivers can pre-reserve a charging slot via the company’s “me Charge” service to eliminate any waiting. As in other brands, the EV’s navigation system will plan routes via suitable high-speed charging stations. As it does today, Mercedes will continue to offer the Plug & Charge protocol that allows a driver to plug in and walk away, without having to initiate a charge session before it can start. Validation and payment is handled seamlessly on the back end—just as Tesla has done since the start of its Supercharger network a decade ago.User Experience Will Only Get Better Amenities at EV fast-charging sites seem set to become a future competitive advantage as new networks arise. In particular, the upcoming high-speed charge network funded by seven EV makers that was announced in July plans to offer amenities similar to those at airline lounges. Thus far, we have no further details about that entity—even its name—or its plans. While EV early adopters may have been happy to sit in the middle of a grimly lit Walmart parking lot or alongside another big-box store, or park behind a gas-station hut to use a fast-charger, that experience won’t suffice for mass adoption of electric vehicles. Recent JD Power data shows a rise in failed charging attempts this year and lower EV driver satisfaction. So carmakers have reluctantly and belatedly had to realize that unless new EV drivers can have a charging experience at least as pleasant and reliable as what they’d get at a large gas station, they won’t sell cars. Know Your EV ChargingMercedes-Benz is one of a few carmakers setting up its own EV charging network. Tesla, of course, is the giant on that front, with its global Supercharger network—soon to welcome drivers of non-Tesla cars, starting sometime next year. Rivian is setting up its own network as well, and Jeep has said it will install charging stations at trailheads and other remote sites frequented by its drivers.So the German carmaker is futureproofing its new sites, by choosing ChargePoint hardware that can charge at faster speeds than its EVs can handle today. That’s unquestionably smart. The seven years between now and 2030 is a long time in EV evolution. Meanwhile, we welcome any comments from EV drivers around Atlanta who journey to Sandy Springs and test out the HPC network.Contributing EditorJohn Voelcker edited Green Car Reports for nine years, publishing more than 12,000 articles on hybrids, electric cars, and other low- and zero-emission vehicles and the energy ecosystem around them. He now covers advanced auto technologies and energy policy as a reporter and analyst. His work has appeared in print, online, and radio outlets that include Wired, Popular Science, Tech Review, IEEE Spectrum, and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He splits his time between the Catskill Mountains and New York City and still has hopes of one day becoming an international man of mystery. More

The 2024 Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale has set a new lap record for production cars at Ferrari’s private Fiorano Circuit.Ferrari test driver Raffaele de Simone piloted the new XX car to a 1:17.3, making it 1.4 seconds faster than the regular SF90 Stradale with the Assetto Fiorano package.While previous offerings from the Ferrari XX program have been track-only cars, the SF90 XX is the first street-legal XX car.There are plug-in hybrids and there are plug-in hybrids. One is what you might think of as a generic economy car, while the other is a 1016-hp powertrain comprised of a twin-turbo V-8 and three electric motors. The 2024 SF90 XX Stradale is the second. It’s also just set a new lap record for production cars around Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track.On October 16, 2023, Ferrari in-house test driver Raffaele de Simone urged the new XX car to a 1:17.3 time around the circuit. That makes the SF90 XX Stradale 1.4 seconds faster around the same circuit than the Assetto Fiorano package–equipped SF90 Stradale, which previously held the record. Officially, de Simone ran a 1:17.309, but Ferrari only reports lap times to the tenth, so the old record was 1:18.7 and the new record stands at 1:17.0. Both cars wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires for their record-setting laps. FerrariPrevious generations of XX cars from Ferrari such as the Enzo-based FXX and the LaFerrari-based FXX-K were track-only cars for Ferrari’s most exclusive customer base. This year’s introduction of the SF90 XX Stradale and SF90 XX Spider fundamentally change the program, as they are the first street-legal XX cars. Unfortunately, even for fans of the brand with very deep pockets, the XX Programme is still reserved for the manufacturer’s selected elite. Only 799 SF90 Stradale coupes and 599 SF90 Spider convertibles will be produced, and all are already spoken for. Fortunately, we were able to get behind the wheel of one ourselves, and Ferrari let us loose on the Fiorano Circuit to do some thrashing of our own.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

The 2025 Toyota Camry marks the mid-size sedan’s ninth generation.For the first time, the Camry will be offered only in hybrid guise.A revamped cabin borrows much of its new look from the Crown sedan.While SUVs dominate the automotive landscape like some sort of fender-cladded solar eclipse, mid-size sedans soldier on as family-friendly alternatives that are a little more down to earth (literally). The Hyundai Sonata has been given a recent refresh, and Honda released a new generation of Accord last year. Now, it’s time for the Toyota Camry to strut its stuff, and it’s leapfrogging both of its major competitors by going hybrid-only.All Hybrid All the TimeIf you’re familiar with any of Toyota’s other new hybrids like the Crown Signia, the 2025 Camry’s powertrain will seem quite familiar. This latest iteration of Toyota’s hybrid system combines a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with either two or three electric motors. The first two motors live up front and help provide front-driven power, while optional all-wheel drive—a first for hybrid Camrys, and available on all four trims—throws a third motor out back for extra traction. FWD hybrids will make 225 horsepower, while AWD bumps that up by a whopping seven horses, to 232 hp. A continuously variable automatic transmission is standard on both setups. New Look Inside and OutA few C/D editors have wondered aloud whether the Camry’s new look qualifies above a mid-cycle refresh, but there’s something to be said about sticking with what works. Of course, the ninth-gen Camry does look fairly different from the front, where new headlights pick up the same running-light style we’ve seen on the Prius and the Crown. Its beaky front bumper keeps that comparison going. From the side, it’s more traditional Camry, and the rear end’s new taillights look fresh but also familiar.Meanwhile, the cabin features a bit more new stuff. A whole bunch of Crown influence has made its way into the Camry, including the same steering wheel as well as the medium-high center console and the console trim piece that rises and wraps around the passenger. (Thankfully, the Camry does not borrow the Crown’s limited headroom.) It comes standard with a wireless phone charger and five USB ports across both rows. An 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and an 8.0-inch partially digital gauge cluster are standard on the LE and sportier SE trims, but both screens grow to 12.3 inches on XLE and XSE models.Trim Levels and PricingOf the four trims on offer, they are bundled into two distinct halves. The LE and XLE reside on the cushier side, with the latter picking up front-side acoustic glass, larger wheels, fancier headlights, leather seating, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, and ambient lighting. The SE and XSE are the sportier pair, carrying their own unique (and, obviously, stiffer) suspension tuning, in addition to black trim and different wheel designs. The XSE also picks up a giant black trim piece that spans the gap between the taillights, in addition to a body-colored rear diffuser and dual exhaust tips.The 2025 Toyota Camry will make its way to the general public in 2024. Pricing is still a ways away, but for some context, the current Camry hybrid ranges from a hair under $30,000 to a bit over $35,000. Given the flashy kit crammed into the new one, we’d expect prices to rise a smidge but stay affordable overall.We Heard You Like HybridsSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Toyota will discontinue the Venza after the 2024 model year.Its departure will make room for the mid-size 2025 Toyota Crown Signia.The two are quite similar on paper, though the Signia beefs up its offerings a bit.The Toyota Venza was first a dowdy half-wagon, half-crossover. Then, it was reborn as a hybrid-only SUV known in other markets as the Harrier, which is objectively a cooler name. Now, it will exist only in the hushed whispers of days gone by, as a new mid-size hybrid monarch rises to take the, um, Crown.Alongside the debut of the 2025 Toyota Crown Signia hybrid SUV, Toyota has confirmed that the Venza will be discontinued after the 2024 model year. The two vehicles occupy nearly the same slice of an already thin mid-size segment, and thus, there can only be one. It’s sort of like Highlander—the movie, not the larger-but-still-mid-size Toyota SUV.In MemoriamThe Venza’s motivation comes from a three-motor hybrid system that produces a net 219 horsepower. That was sufficient, if only mostly so, to get the smaller Venza around. But the Crown Signia beefs things up; its three-motor hybrid brings combined output up to 243 hp. The Venza was never given a towing rating, so people with stuff to move will probably appreciate the fact that the Crown Signia is rated to tow up to 2700 pounds, despite still relying on a continuously variable transmission.Despite being billed as a mid-sizer, the almost-compact Venza shared a 105.9-inch wheelbase with the RAV4 Hybrid, and we found its cabin relatively compact in practice. Thankfully, while we don’t have official measurements just yet, the Crown Signia’s interior feels more spacious than what it replaces. As cool as it was, the Venza’s trick electrochromic roof—which could change its opacity with the push of a button—will not be returning; the Crown Signia’s top Limited trim has a regular ol’ glass roof instead.Of course, with this growth in footprint and output will likely come an increase in price. The 2024 Venza starts around $36,315 and peters out around $46,000. The Crown sedan is more expensive than that, so it stands to reason that its new, larger SUV sibling will be even dearer.More on the ReplacementSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

Toyota unveiled the 2025 Crown Signia ahead of the 2023 L.A. Auto Show.The Crown Signia replaces the Venza as Toyota’s five-seat mid-size SUV.Its 243-hp hybrid powertrain pairs exclusively with all-wheel drive.If the Toyota Crown’s first stateside appearance in all its high-riding-sedan glory doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps something a bit more mainstream will. And what could be more conventional than a mid-size SUV with high-mpg aspirations? If that’s more up your alley, the 2025 Toyota Crown Signia will come as a welcome surprise.Okay, maybe it’s not a surprise—Toyota let the cat out of the bag with an early teaser—but it’s welcome nevertheless. The 2025 Crown Signia arrives as a mid-size SUV to replace the Venza, which will bow out of the lineup after the 2024 model year. And it’s a pretty sensible replacement, building on the Venza’s positive qualities while enhancing a few things along the way.Under the hood resides a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. That mates to three electric motors—two sandwiched into the front half, and one out back providing rear-wheel traction as needed—to make a combined 243 horsepower, 24 hp more than the Venza’s similar setup. All-wheel drive is standard, as is a continuously variable automatic transmission. While CVTs aren’t exactly known for their towing prowess, the Crown Signia can drag up to 2700 pounds, a useful improvement over the Venza, which wasn’t rated to tow at all.Crowns on CrownsStylistically, the Crown Signia is a carbon copy of the Crown Estate SUV that will be sold in other markets. The front end borrows the thin running lights and separate lower headlights from the Crown sedan, but its taller front bumper carries a greater similarity to the bZ4X. A character line runs along the otherwise low-drama side to a rear end that’s about as conventional as it can be drawn, with some thin taillights and little visual fuss.Crown owners may look at the Signia’s cabin and say, “Hey, that’s my cabin, you stole it!” That’s a good thing, because the Crown’s cabin is pretty delightful overall. The front passenger is wrapped in a cocoon of trim that rises up from the center console, while the driver stares down a pair of standard 12.3-inch displays, one serving as a gauge cluster and one handling infotainment duties. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and there are three USB ports up front and a pair for folks in the back.Toyota will offer the Crown Signia in XLE and Limited trims. The XLE carries a good amount of standard equipment: in addition to the aforementioned tech, the base Crown Signia comes with 19-inch wheels, combination fabric and vinyl seats, a heated leather steering wheel, a power liftgate, and a six-speaker audio system. The Limited tacks on a panoramic glass roof, 21-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heated rear seats, parking sensors, and an 11-speaker JBL audio system.On the safety front, both trims come standard with Toyota’s TSS 3.0 suite of driver-assist features, which includes automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, and Proactive Driving Assist, which can aid braking and steering in curves and in traffic. An optional package for the Limited beefs up that suite further with a surround-view camera, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist, which will permit hands-free operation in certain situations under 25 mph.The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia will make its way to dealerships in 2024. Pricing has not yet been revealed, but considering the Crown sedan is more expensive than the Venza, we’d be surprised if the Crown Signia didn’t come in above both, which would put it somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 to $55,000, depending on trim.Senior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

According to a new report from the IIHS (the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), vehicles with taller and more upright front ends can create an increased risk to pedestrians. The data from the IIHS report matches that of a joint investigation by the Detroit Free Press/USA Today first published in 2018. For the new report, IIHS researchers analyzed 17,897 crashes involving a single passenger vehicle and a single pedestrian.Pedestrian safety data in the United States is pretty alarming, and that feeling is renewed when looking at new data from the IIHS released today. According to the insurance industry safety group, U.S. pedestrian crash deaths have risen roughly 80 percent since 2009, and in 2021 alone, nearly 7400 walkers died after being struck by a vehicle. Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe new IIHS report states that vehicles with “especially tall front ends,” namely those with a hood height larger than 40 inches, are most dangerous to pedestrians. The report also shows that vehicles with a hood height somewhere between 30 and 40 inches, where the leading edge of the car is a blunt profile (think boxy SUV), also increase risk to pedestrians. “Some of today’s vehicles are pretty intimidating when you’re passing in front of them in a crosswalk,” IIHS president David Harkey said. “These results tell us our instincts are correct: More aggressive-looking vehicles can indeed do more harm.” The report notes that the average passenger vehicle in the U.S. is four inches wider, 10 inches longer, eight inches taller, and 1000 pounds heavier than its counterparts of 30 years ago. It also points out that hoods of many large pickups are just about at eye level for many adults. Insurance Institute for Highway SafetyResearchers Looked at 17,897 CrashesTo examine the connection between fatality risk and vehicle size and shape, researchers for the IIHS looked at 17,897 crashes involving one passenger vehicle and one pedestrian. The researchers then used Vehicle Identification Numbers to identify the cars involved, and calculated the front-end measurements for 2958 unique vehicle models from photographs. To limit outside factors, the IIHS excluded vehicles with pedestrian automated emergency braking systems and controlled for other factors that could affect the likelihood of a fatality, such as the speed limit and age and sex of the struck pedestrian.According to the report, for medium-height vehicles with a front end between 30 and 40 inches off the ground, a sloped shape provided more safety for pedestrians than a blunt hood. Compared with low and sloped vehicles, medium-height vehicles with blunt fronts were 26 percent more likely to cause pedestrian fatalities in a crash. In contrast, medium-height vehicles with a sloped front posed a similar risk to pedestrians as low vehicles with either blunt or sloped fronts.More on the IIHSThe study’s lead author, IIHS senior research transportation engineer Wen Hu, commented that manufacturers could make design changes that would minimize pedestrian safety concerns. “Manufacturers can make vehicles less dangerous to pedestrians by lowering the front end of the hood and angling the grille and hood to create a sloped profile. There’s no functional benefit to these massive, blocky fronts.” And IIHS president Harkey said the organization would like automakers to “consider these findings and take a hard look at the height and shape of their SUVs and pickups.”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