Cars

Look, if you’re going to build a product that sits below a car’s backup camera and squirts it clean every now and then, there’s really only one name you can give it, and it isn’t Lens Lizard.

The system works to save fuel by cutting off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop at a red light, for example. Automakers were incentivized at add the feature by off-cycle credits from the federal government. But now those credits are gone, and the auto industry is likely to start phasing the feature out. Lee Zeldin claims it will save “$1.3 trillion,” but good luck spending it while the world burns.

On X, Ford CEO Jim Farley posted several photos of the automaker’s Universal EV Project, calling it “one of the most audacious and important projects in @Ford’s history. American innovation is how we compete and win against China and the rest of the world.” The first EV, expected in 2027, will be a four-door, midsized $30,000 pickup truck.

Of all the Chinese automakers, Geely seems best positioned to sell its cars in the US. That may explain why Ford is considering a technology partnership with the parent company of brands like Polestar and Volvo. Reuters reports that Geely could use Ford factory space in Europe to produce vehicles for the region.

There are many important safety reasons to support China’s move to ban hidden, electric door handles from EVs, but also a pettier one: they’re just bad, unintuitive, and inconvenient handles.

The President announced a new $12 billion public-private partnership called Project Vault, meant to establish a strategic reserve of critical minerals. It’s expected to safeguard stores of rare earths and other materials used in batteries, smart phones, cars, planes, and more.

The Japanese automaker has a new SUV coming, possibly an EV. Last week, we saw the rear end; today, we’re getting a glimpse of the interior, which appears to have three rows of seats. We still don’t have any details about the powertrain, although Toyota characterized the new vehicle as “big energy” — whatever that means.

Lisa Drake, who previously served as vice president of technology platform programs and EV systems, is now in charge of the automaker’s energy division. Late last year, Ford downsized its EV ambitions, scrapped the F-150 Lightning, and announced a pivot to hybrids and battery storage systems to meet growing demand from AI data center construction. Drake will lead those efforts, which include “scale Ford Energy’s end-to-end operations, spanning design and development, battery cell and system manufacturing, and end customer sales.”

Two days after Nick Benson asked for donated dashcams in order to document the behavior of federal immigration agents flooding his city, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by federal agent Jonathan Ross.

The Sony-Honda brand unveiled the higher-riding, roomier equivalent to the Afeela 1 at its CES keynote earlier this week, saying it could go into production in 2028. While the luxury EV market is a bit saturated these days, the concept is sure to appeal to anyone who loves Afeela’s approach to in-car entertainment and wants more room than the sedan version offers.

Afeela cars will get themes featuring Sony franchises like Gran Turismo and Astro Bot, including custom wallpapers and e-motor sounds. Driving with the delightful sounds of Astro Bot does feel like it could be fun.

Sorry, had to get the first Afeela pun out of the way ahead of the CES 2026 Sony Honda Mobility press conference. The shows kicks off at 8PM ET / 5PM PT, and you can watch it on YouTube.

James Moylan passed away on December 11th at the age of 80. Moylan spent 34 years at Ford, where, according to Jalopnik, he came up with the “Moylan Arrow” in April 1986. The tiny arrow that helps you avoid pulling up on the wrong side of the fuel pump is so simple that it seems like it could have been there from the start, but it actually made its debut on the 1989 Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer.

Following mounting pressure, European officials have recommended the bloc drop its 2035 ban on new gas cars, instead aiming for a 90 percent reduction in emissions from new vehicles, leaving room for a few hybrids to still hit the market. The change will still have to pass the EU parliament.

Trump was talking about Japanese kei cars, specifically, but Stellantis is hoping his good will extends to Italian quadricycles like the Fiat Topolino. The automaker says it will bring the micro-EV to the US sometime next year, but I’m not convinced American car buyers will be as charmed as the president. Last year, Fiat had to pause production of the slightly larger 500e after record-low sales. At one point Fiat dealers were practically trying to give them away.