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Ford has shut down production and shipping of the F-150 Lightning electric truck, citing a battery issue.The automaker is currently investigating a potential problem with the battery, although it said there have been no accidents or injuries associated with it in customer use.There is no timeline for when production of the highly popular EV will resume, Ford said.Ford’s F-150 Lightning pickup truck has proved wildly popular in its first year of production, but customers already standing by to get one may have to wait a little longer. The automaker said today that it has detected a potential problem with the EV’s battery and has shut down both production of the trucks and shipping of those already built but not yet delivered to dealers. No date has been given for resumption of production.The Lightning is built at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, where production started in late April 2022. A Ford spokesperson told Car and Driver that the truck is under a “Stop Build and In-Transit Stop Ship” and explained, “As part of our pre-delivery quality inspections, a vehicle displayed a potential battery issue and we are holding vehicles while we investigate. We are not aware of any incidences of this issue in the field.” Motor Authority reported earlier today that F-150 Lightning pickups already at dealerships will be delivered to customers and are not affected by the order.This is a developing story, and we will update with more details as they become available.Lightning Details, Specs, Tests More

New Toyota CEO Koji Sato yesterday said the company will start prioritizing EVs, per a report by Automotive News.Sato also said the Lexus luxury brand will lead the way, with a next-generation EV platform planned for around 2026.Toyota’s reformed strategy focuses on EVs, but it will continue to develop hybrid and hydrogen powertrains.Toyota appears ready to turn the corner in regards to its previously lukewarm approach to mass EV adoption. That’s at least how it sounds after the company’s incoming CEO Koji Sato yesterday announced plans to start prioritizing EVs, according to a report by Automotive News.Lexus Will Lead the WayAlong with some changes to the company’s team of decision makers, Sato revealed a three-part strategy that puts an increased focus on EVs at the very top. The CEO also tabbed Lexus to lead the charge into the new era, which notably will include the introduction of a next-generation EV platform that should arrive sometime around 2026.Currently, the only fully electric model that Toyota sells in the U.S. is the bZ4X compact SUV, which the company co-developed with Subaru. That partnership is responsible for the upcoming Lexus RZ450e SUV too, representing the luxury brand’s first American EV model. However, it’s noteworthy that Toyota and Lexus have taken this long to launch fully electric vehicles, especially when many competitors have offered some for several years.Changing DirectionToyota and Lexus have previously shared plans to expand their future EV lineups, specifically when both companies showed off a variety of concepts that ranged from an electric Toyota pickup truck to an electric Lexus supercar. The two brands also have said they will offer 30 EV models by 2030. That suggests the companies will combine to release 28 new electric models over the next seven years.LexusToyotaThat ambitious goal sounds more likely now that Sato is taking control of the reins. After all, his ascension to CEO is said to have resulted from the rising criticism Toyota has faced from investors, environmental activists, and others due to its general resistance to EV adoption under outgoing CEO Akio Toyoda.Sato said the company’s change in direction isn’t a reaction to its competitors’ growing market share but rather it being the right time to develop the next generation of EVs with the affordability and efficiency that Toyota is known for, according to AN.The plan to accomplish this is said to focus on new engineering and new manufacturing.The new CEO also said that while focusing on EVs is now the top priority, the company will continue to develop hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen-fueled powertrains.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

GM won’t challenge the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler with a gas-powered off-roader, president Mark Reuss confirmed in an interview with The Drive.Reuss said he didn’t want GM to be “late to the party” and expressed concerns over how a gas-powered 4×4 would affect the company’s average emissions.GM still might build an electric off-roader to slot in below the GMC Hummer EV in terms of size, which may also wear a Hummer badge to create a family of electric 4x4s.Sorry, General Motors enthusiasts, but a Ford Bronco rival isn’t happening. While the meteoric rise of the SUV over the past decade led Ford to reenter the off-road space, GM has decided not to play—at least not with a combustion-engined 4×4 SUV. GM president Mark Reuss confirmed that to The Drive in an interview at the 24 Hours of Daytona, stating outright, “I’m not gonna do a Bronco.”2023 Ford Bronco Heritage Edition.Carlos Lago|Car and DriverReuss’ reasoning is two-fold. Ford’s Bronco joined the Jeep Wrangler in the off-roader segment for 2021, and GM doesn’t want to be seen as “late to the party,” which it most certainly would be given the time it would take to develop a true competitor to those SUVs. Reuss also sees how a potential off-roader might negatively affect GM’s corporate average fuel economy. Reuss claimed, according to The Drive, that Ford had to make the popular Maverick pickup available as a hybrid in order to offset the poor emissions from gas-powered behemoths like the Bronco. GM does still offer its mid-size pickup trucks with serious off-road packages, including the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and GMC Canyon AT4X. But it no longer offers body-on-frame mid-size SUVs like it did in the past with models such as the Chevy Blazer, GMC Jimmy, and various Hummer models that all died off when that brand was shuttered.Off-Road Trucks from GMMore recently, rumors circulated of a revived GMC Jimmy to take on the Wrangler, with reports in 2019 suggesting a body-on-frame off-roader starting around $30,000. But as Ford revived the Bronco to great fanfare, GM has stayed quiet. And this will continue to be the case, at least until GM feels it can create a fully capable EV off-roader.When The Drive asked Reuss if he was opposed to an electric Bronco competitor, his response was, “I didn’t say that.” While one could argue that the GMC Hummer EV, which started production in late 2021, fills that space, that behemoth’s 216.8-inch length and 135.6-inch wheelbase dwarfs the Bronco, which stays under 200 inches long with a wheelbase around 116 inches. In fact, Automotive News reported late last year that GM is considering a midsize Hummer EV to expand the rejuvenated brand. Whatever badge the vehicle wears, we now know that any future off-roader from General Motors will definitely be electric, at least as long as Reuss is in charge.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

• The Buick Roadmaster is a throwback to a time when huge wagons ruled the roads.• Thanks to an LS3 V-8 crate engine, this wagon has gone from old-man spec to Grandpa, Destroyer of Tires.• This auction ends on Sunday, February 19.Car and DriverThe Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon was born old. When it was introduced in 1991, it was already an anachronism. The sun was setting on these wood-paneled ocean liners on wheels, and this Buick was a body-on-frame relic of family transportation from the days before the advent of the minivan, the popularization of the SUV, and the rise of the modern crossover. And yet, today, these Roadmasters are enjoying a newfound popularity, particularly when done up like this example, up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. This behemoth wagon appears stock, right down to its whitewall tires. It is not. Boy howdy, is it not.James LipmanWhat photographer and Car and Driver contributor James Lipman has created here is an M80 in a Werther’s Original wrapper. Under the aircraft-carrier-sized hood of this white whale is a 6.2-liter LS3 E-Rod Chevrolet crate engine. Matched to an upgraded four-speed automatic transmission, the V-8 was factory rated at 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. If you listen closely, you can hear the standard 225-series 15-inch rear tires whimpering in anticipatory fear.More wagon goodnessTurning Roadmaster wagons into hot rods is a whole subculture, one that Car and Driver has previously explored, including this very example. There are certainly wilder builds out there, but Lipman says his dream was to create a Roadmaster than looked factory-spec but packed the power of a crate V-8. The engine upgrade nearly doubles the 180 horsepower of the Roadmaster’s standard L05 V-8. Upgrading both the motor and a more modern four-speed automatic to handle the extra output was relatively straightforward, as GM cars of this era are fairly modular. James LipmanJames LipmanThe rest of the wagon is standard-issue, with recliner-soft beige leather inside, a vista roof, and a rear-facing third-row seat. A slightly lowered front suspension is the only clue as to this Buick’s hidden talents—that and the burly exhaust note. There are blemishes here and there throughout, but overall this is a very well-preserved piece of steer-with-one finger American station wagon history. It’s like a Norman Rockwell painting, if old Norman had come up with a piece called Sick Wagon Burnouts.James LipmanHaving achieved his objective and enjoyed driving this Roadmaster around, Lipman says it’s now time to move on to the next project. At this writing, bidding stands at $22,500. As it sits, this burly Roadmaster needs little other than a new home. But you might want to budget for extra tires. The Way We Were More

Dodge will reveal its final “Last Call” special edition in Las Vegas on March 20.In anticipation, we speculate about what it could be: How about something with 1000 hp?For those who forget, the “Last Call” editions are send-offs to the outgoing gas-burning Charger and Challenger.It’s no secret that Dodge has one final “Last Call” car on the way—the company has been teasing it ever since the seven-part series started with the Shakedown Challenger last August. Well, strap in, because Dodge will finally reveal the eagerly anticipated machine in Las Vegas on March 20.Hellephant? Hella Yes!Since twiddling our thumbs is boring, we decided to dust off our usually dormant thinking caps to brainstorm what to possibly expect from the final “Last Call” car. Dodge won’t spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely. Mopar Hellephant 426 supercharged crate Hemi engine.DodgeProjecting what goodies the last “Last Call” Dodge has in store, we see one of two eventualities playing out. One we think (and hope) could happen is a Charger or Challenger packing the 1000-horsepower leviathan that is the Hellephant crate engine. Of course, achieving the reliability standards needed for a production product, even for a limited-run product, may be proving difficult. Flex Fuel in Its Future?The other potential powertrain involves E85 flex fuel and upwards of 909 horsepower. Road & Track has been speculating since July that Dodge is planning to give a Challenger a V-8 with that much horsepower by using E85. It could also better explain why Dodge has had to delay the car for so long. It was originally supposed to show the final “Last Call” model in October at SEMA 2022. Dodge ultimately scrapped that plan after seven engines exploded during durability testing. “So far, we’ve grenaded seven engines,” Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told reporters, as quoted by R&T, during a background event leading up to SEMA. The Dodge Charger King Daytona and Black Ghost Challenger “Last Call” models both feature a boost in performance. Each ups the power to a Jailbreak-matching 807 horsepower. The pairing is based on the widebody Charger and Challenger’s 797-hp Hellcat Redeye models, with an additional 10 ponies added to the mix. The other four of the previously announced special editions are essentially just visual packages being sold in limited quantities, but Dodge promises the last will be something special.Other “Last Call” CarsA New Demon Crate? Kuniskis explained that it is easy to produce more power with the Hemi setup, hence the King Daytona and Black Ghost each earning 10 horsepower. However, upping power by too much brings issues. “When you take a Hellcat and you want to add more horsepower in street trim, you know for a daily driver or a car you take to the track, you know street and strip, or quite frankly even for Direct Connection, it’s very, very easy to do. Unfortunately, when I sell it as a commemorative edition, I’ve got to put it through the final production duty cycles,” said Kuniskis. DodgeDelays aside, it would be great to see Dodge offer more than simply a power boost. Something akin to the $1 Demon Crate from 2018 with its hydraulic floor jack, impact wrench, torque wrench, tire-pressure gauge, fender cover, and matching skinny front wheels designed for the drag strip. Another car capable of wheelies is a reasonable ask in 2023, right? Either that or something with between 909 and 1000 horsepower will satisfy us.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

Subaru has announced a recall for 1182 units of its 2023 Solterra SUV over the same darn wheel hub bolt issue that plagued the company’s first all-electric vehicle last year.Subaru and Toyota developed the Solterra and the Toyota version of the EV, called the bZ4x, together. Only Solterras are affected this time around because the problems were caused by contractor teams who only worked on the Subaru models.If you have an affected Solterra, Subaru said you should not drive it. Instead, call your local Subaru dealer to have it towed and repaired at no cost to the owner.Subaru has issued a recall for more than 1000 model year 2023 Solterra SUVs over a hub bolt issue that the automaker supposedly fixed last year. The all-electric SUVs were repaired—sorry, were supposed to have been repaired—alongside hundreds of Toyota bZ4X EVs. Toyota and Subaru developed these vehicles together, which ended up visually different and mechanically similar.Before too many bZ4X EVs were sold (258, to be exact), Toyota issued a recall over the possibility that the wheels could fall off. Subaru did the same for the Solterra, but at that time, none had been delivered to customers. Details, Specs, BackstoryThe two automakers developed a repair remedy that involved updating the wheels and replacing the hub bolts with a new hub-bolt-with-washer design.That’s usually the end of the story as far as recalls go. But late last week, Subaru announced that the repair work on some of the Solterras hadn’t been completed correctly. Subaru said it knows the affected vehicles came through one of two port locations and that the teams the company contracted to do the work “did not properly complete the repair procedure resulting in the potential for significantly undertorqued bolts.”Subaru didn’t say how many vehicles were worked on by the specific teams, but “out of an abundance of caution, Subaru is recalling all vehicles repaired at all port locations supported by the third-party contractor.” That means that a total of 1182 Solterras are being recalled. Subaru said that Solterra vehicles without the original hub bolt concern and vehicles repaired at other facilities are not affected. For the record, through the end of January, Solterra had sold a total of 1418 Solterras.The fix, as it was before, sounds easy enough. First off, Subaru said no one should drive an affected Solterra because, again, there’s a chance the wheels could come loose or fall off. Instead, Solterra owners should call their local dealer to have it towed in and inspected and, if necessary, to have the hub bolts retorqued to the correct specification. The towing and repair costs will not be the responsibility of the customer. Owners can look up their Solterra’s VIN to see if it is included in the recall by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls website or by calling the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888–327–4236.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