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China is set to ban jet fighter-style ‘yoke’ steering wheels like the ones found in the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lexus RZ as part of a raft of new safety rules, which also prohibit other car design features – including pop-out door handles. China’s Ministry of Industry Information Technology (MIIT) has drafted a new regulation that would prohibit the yoke-style wheels amid fears that they pose an increased risk of injuring a driver in the event of a crash. Advertisement – Article continues belowThe issue arises given the small surface area of cushioning a yoke provides between the driver…

The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Simplicity and strength—that’s what the design of the new Toyota Highlander, which will be sold only as a battery-electric vehicle when it goes on sale next year, is intended to embody, according to Chief Designer Masayuki Yamada. It’s a big risk for Toyota, taking one of its best-known nameplates and recontextualizing it as an EV exclusively. That makes it a niche product in the present reality, no matter how the company views it. Maybe that’s why the…

A rough framework would allow Chinese automakers to produce vehicles in the US through joint ventures with American automakers, Bloomberg reported. This mirrors the strategy China’s auto industry employed decades ago when it was just starting out, highlighting the rapid rise of Chinese automakers. (A Ford F-150 displayed at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost) Ford CEO Jim Farley reportedly discussed a potential roadmap with senior Trump administration officials for Chinese automakers to produce vehicles in the US through partnerships with American car companies — a strategy employed when China’s auto industry began decades ago. The…

Gaming laptops aren’t getting any cheaper, and HP seems to have decided that fighting rising hardware costs head-on isn’t the answer. Instead, the company is reportedly exploring something different: letting gamers rent their laptops instead of buying them outright. While the service has actually been available for a couple of months, it’s been brought into the notice again owing to the shift in the market. HP HP seems to be experimenting with subscription-style access to gaming machines, where players pay a monthly fee to use high-end laptops rather than dropping a large upfront sum. The idea is simple on paper.…

If you are considering purchasing a used car, you may be wondering what exactly is checked in a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. A professional inspection helps you discover hidden problems, prevent expensive surprises, and give you confidence in choosing a dependable car that fits your budget and lasts longer. Whether you’re browsing a used-car dealership in Calgary, having a detailed inspection plan is essential. Missing this step can lead to costly repairs later and may put your safety at risk. Why Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspection Matters Buyers, thinking they can spot problems with the naked eye, often overlook inspections. However, there may…

When the small Jeep Avenger was announced for 2023, it represented something once unthinkable in the Jeep world. It was a single-motor EV that only turned the front wheels. Jeep purists cried sacrilege. Rocks at Moab allegedly wept. It was an off-road nightmare come true. But the world didn’t end. In fact, the Avenger is incredibly popular in Europe. That popularity was elevated with subsequent 4xe models introuding hybrid powertrains and actual four-wheel drive. Orders topped 200,000 units last year, numbers we’re sure Jeep would love to have in North America. And now, an updated model is on the way.…

Whiplash. It’s not just a movie about drummers shouting at each other and throwing cymbals around the room; it’s also one of the most worrying and common potential outcomes of even the lowest of low-speed automotive accidents, and, according to the IIHS, an area where current crash testing methods could use some improvements. If we look at the research, rear-end collisions account for 42% of all vehicle-in-motion accidents, which is why we’re calling this the most important safety test. The Insurance Institute is currently in the process of rolling out a new testing system targeting neck injuries stemming from rear-end…

Mazda has a new infotainment system that ditches the commander knob it launched over a decade ago for a massive touchscreen instead. At the time, Mazda Connect was the company’s approach to controlling the infotainment screen in a way that “was developed to be a less distracting and more intuitive in-vehicle operating system.” Now, it’s gone.  Even without a knob, though, the new Mazda Connect with Google Built-In, which debuts in the 2026 CX-5, doesn’t abandon that philosophy, according to Matthew Valbuena, Mazda’s project manager of in-vehicle technologies and human machine interfaces. As Valbuena tells Motor1, the CX-5’s new technology aims…

The electric shift is far from stalling, but seeing a different shift among consumers as hybrids take the lead and battery electric vehicles cool. Speaking at AAPEX 2025 in Las Vegas, Experian executives told attendees that internal combustion engines still dominate the market, but the mix is changing in ways the aftermarket cannot ignore. “In the last 12 months, for new retail registrations overall, your traditional ice vehicles, gas, diesel, still the lion’s share of the market,” observed Kirsten von Busch, director of product marketing at Experian Automotive. But the share of ICE vehicles is dropping. She said that as…

Automotive Stellantis has issued a rare and serious “Do Not Drive” warning for about 225,000 older vehicles in the U.S. that still have unrepaired Takata air bag inflators. This is not a typical recall notice you ignore and deal with later. The concern is that certain Takata inflators can rupture during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, which is why regulators and automakers have tied these defects to severe injuries and fatalities over the years. Stellantis says the goal of the stop-drive directive is to finally close the gap on the remaining unrepaired vehicles after years…