Andrew J. Hawkins

Kia says it will send ignition cylinder protectors, as well as window decals advertising the new protectors, to thousands of car owners who aren’t eligible for software updates aimed at stopping the rash of car thefts that have gone viral on TikTok and other platforms. The hope is that the cylinder protectors (and decals) will stymie car thieves, many of them teenagers, from using the embarrassingly simple methods they’ve employed to steal hundreds and thousands of Hyundai and Kia vehicles over the past few years.

Direct-to-consumer vehicle sales over old school dealers seemed like the future, especially after Tesla has shown it to be so fruitful. But not every company has been able to replicate Tesla’s success. Case in point: Fisker announced today that it would be pivoting from DTC sales to a dealership model, citing high costs and a lack of physical stores. Brick and mortar is back, baby!

Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about the most important story of 2023: the Tesla Cybertruck’s comically large windshield wiper. Thanks to Out of Spec’s Kyle Conner, we now have confirmation that the wiper has the rigidity of overcooked fettuccini. And perhaps is missing a second wiper blade?? More details are sure to be unearthed, as The Verge remains your primary source for all Cybertruck wiper related news.

The months-long test included over 1,000 charging cycles, with the batteries retaining 95 percent of their energy capacity, according to QuantumScape, a San Jose-based startup backed by Volkswagen and Bill Gates. That’s better than the industry standard of completing 700 charging cycles while retaining 80 percent capacity. Most EVs use “wet” lithium-ion batteries containing liquid electrolytes to move energy around. Solid-state batteries, which have been slow to come to market, promise faster charging speeds, more capacity, and longer range vehicles.