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Automotive The federal government is changing course again on how quickly new cars and trucks must become more fuel efficient. The Trump administration has finalized substantially lower Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements through the 2031 model year, reversing the direction established under the Biden administration. The new rules call for an industry fleetwide average of roughly 35 mpg by 2031, compared with the approximately 50.4 mpg projected under the previous standards. For automakers, the change means considerably more flexibility when determining how many gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles make up their future lineups. The argument…

The Volkswagen ID. ERA 8X, a 5-seat extended-range SUV, is set to launch in China on October 12. Credit: SAIC Volkswagen. The 5-seat ID. ERA 8X is SAIC Volkswagen’s second extended-range model in the ID. ERA lineup, joining the 6-seat ID. ERA 9X in targeting China’s EREV market. Built on an 800 V platform, the SUV offers a CLTC battery range of up to 451 kilometers and a combined range of up to 1,602 kilometers. SAIC Volkswagen opened pre-sales for the ID. ERA 8X on Monday, ahead of its official launch on October 12. The mid- to large-size extended-range SUV…

You won’t find the exact same features elsewhere, but you will find persuasive savings. Billy Steele for Engadget We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are the best earbuds for iPhone owners. Simply put, only the company’s own audio accessory provides the deep level of integration and dedicated features that offer the most convenience for its customers who own its other devices. You’re not getting a hearing test, a hearing aid (if you need it) or live translation on a set of Bose or Sony earbuds — at least…

Since everything is perfect in the company’s road car and Formula 1 departments this year, Ferrari engineers have been hard at work on windshield wipers. CarBuzz has just found the Italian automaker’s second wiper-related patent this year, and while we thought the first one was a bad idea, this one is just bizarre. But there is some cost-cutting madness in the new windshield wiper invention. Ferrari Wants To Completely Change Windshield Wiping Ferrari Windshield Wiper PatentFerrari We thought that the windshield wiper was already completely sorted. A motor hooked to a mechanism turns the wiper arm back and forth and…

Volkswagen is taking its best-seller electric. The ID. Tiguan will replace the ID.4 and ID.5 as part of Volkswagen’s revamped lineup in 2027. When is Volkswagen launching the ID. Tiguan? With more than 950,000 models sold since they went on sale in 2021, the ID.4 and ID.5 have been among Volkswagen’s best-selling electric vehicles. As part of Volkswagen’s revamped lineup, the ID.4 and ID.5 are next in line for an overhaul that brings more than just a new name. Following the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, the ID. Tiguan will go on sale in 2027 as a “True Volkswagen,” bringing…

Few engines have earned a more devoted following among home mechanics than the Chevrolet small-block V8 — and for good reason. If you’re new to wrenching and hunting for a project car, the choice of powerplant matters almost as much as the car itself. Steer toward a Mazda rotary and you’ll quickly discover just how radically its design differs from a conventional piston engine. Chase a bargain-priced Ferrari and you may end up with a very expensive piece of yard art. The lesson is the same either way: start with something that has deep roots, a massive community, and parts…

The updated Luxeed R7 starts at 239,800 yuan in China, with the battery-electric version offering a CLTC range of up to 855 km. Credit: Luxeed. The updated Luxeed R7 starts at 239,800 yuan ($35,580), down 20,000 yuan from its predecessor. Luxeed said it invested 500 million yuan in the update, delivering 8 upgrades and extending the battery-electric version’s CLTC range to as much as 855 km. Luxeed, the electric vehicle brand jointly developed by Huawei and Chery (HKEX: 9973), launched an updated version of its R7 coupe SUV (sport utility vehicle) in China on Monday, with a starting price of…

SpaceX is gearing up for a monumental flight today that’s sure to be closely watched by Amazon. If successful, SpaceX will deploy its first Starlink V3 satellites, which tout meaningful upgrades to the ever-expanding Starlink constellation. The 26 satellites will be riding atop Starship, which SpaceX will also attempt to deploy into Earth orbit for the first time. The mission arrives amid Amazon’s ongoing setbacks with launch partners that are keeping its own Leo satellites grounded, and falling further behind its plan to offer a meaningful rival to Elon Musk’s space internet service.It’s been twelve weeks since Amazon’s last successful…

The DHS will use Google’s AI tools to recommend information to be blacked out of FOIA requests. Ascannio/Shutterstock Document redactions have been in the spotlight lately thanks to the US Justice Department’s Epstein file release, which used it to black out text in millions of documents. Now, the government plans to use AI to handle that redaction chore for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, according to GitHub documents seen by The Washington Post.  Those documents state that US Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, will use Google’s AI tools to recommend information that…

Automakers have always chased the next big thing — and not every swing connects. For every touchscreen infotainment system or wireless charging pad that became a modern staple, there’s a forgotten gimmick that seemed brilliant at the time and looks baffling in hindsight. Some of these features were genuinely ahead of their era but let down by the technology available; others were simply solutions in search of a problem. Either way, they didn’t last — and looking back at them tells us a lot about how far the car industry has come. While some features have stood the test of…