Cars | The Verge

BMW’s flagship 7 Series gets its ‘Neue Klasse’ upgrade

2026-04-22T08:19:30-04:00

Ever since BMW first announced its "Neue Klasse" next-generation electric vehicle architecture and design language way back in 2021, the question on many fans' minds was when the new technology would reach the automaker's flagship 7 Series.

Well, that moment has finally arrived. Today, at events in New York City and Beijing, BMW unveiled its new 7 Series on the Neue Klasse platform. And while some of the styling choices remain polarizing, the power and technology riding under the surface is sure to give these $100,000-plus machines a strong selling point. Simply put, BMW wants to transform its decades-old advertising slogan as "the Ultimate …

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Mercedes’ first all-electric C-Class is its sportiest one yet

2026-04-20T14:35:57-04:00

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, typically a benchmark in luxury compact sedans, now gets an all-important electric variant. The new C 400 4MATIC is built on an 800-volt architecture designed for efficiency and long-distance travel. Its estimated range is up to 762 kilometers (473 miles) on the WLTP cycle. And Mercedes boasts that it's the "sportiest C-Class ever" but also "smooth like an S-Class."

While Mercedes-Benz has a long history of releasing EVs under its "EQ" branding, the current C-Class is only available in a gas, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrain. So this marks the first time that the C-Class nameplate has been affixed to a p …

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Ford’s EV and software chief Doug Field is leaving the company

2026-04-15T17:12:05-04:00

Ford is shaking things up as it relates to its EV and software teams. Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to helm Ford's multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, is stepping down next month. Getting a promotion will be Alan Clarke, the ex-Tesla engineer who now leads Ford's California-based skunkworks lab. Clarke's new title will be vice president of advanced development projects, and he will continue to helm the effort to develop Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform.

The shake-up comes less five months after Ford announced a massive $19.5 billion writedown on its EV investment, as well as the discontinua …

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The Mercedes EQS returns with massive range and charging gains

2026-04-13T16:10:58-04:00

A year ago, Mercedes-Benz did the prudent thing and paused its EQ lineup of electric vehicles in the US. With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice.

But then, in January, Mercedes quietly reintroduced the EQS brand in the US, with The Drive declaring that the "blobs are back" - a reference to the sedan's much-maligned jelly-bean shape that prioritized aerodynamics over a more traditional profile. But we didn't yet realize how back the EQS truly was.

Today, Mercedes is reintroducing its electric sedan to a wary, cash-strapped market …

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Mercedes adds steer-by-wire — and a dang steering yoke — to the EQS

2026-04-03T11:34:10-04:00

Steer-by-wire, in which a car can be steered electronically rather than through a physical connection between the steering wheel and steering rack, is coming to Mercedes-Benz. The German automaker says it will use the steering technology in its forthcoming refreshed EQS sedan, marking its first foray into the world of steer-by-wire.

Steer-by-wire systems replace traditional mechanical steering mechanisms that include racks and pinions with electronically controlled servos. Commonly used in airplanes, the electronic system takes inputs from the driver and relays them to electronic actuators that then control the direction of the wheels on t …

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These retractable studded tires might save our roads, ears, and lungs

2026-04-13T12:35:42-04:00

If you want to feel truly invincible when driving in the snow, you need a set of studded snow tires. They're illegal in some places, typically restricted to the frigid months of the year in others. Spring for a set, though, and they'll see you through the worst, slipperiest, snowiest driving conditions you can imagine.

They come at a pretty substantial cost, though, and I'm not just talking about a financial one. Yes, quality tires with embedded tungsten tips are generally far pricier than your average bargain rubber with snowflakes on the sidewall. The bigger issue, though, is that they can be extremely loud and are substantially worse for …

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Sony and Honda ain’t feelin’ the Afeela anymore

2026-03-25T13:43:05-04:00

Sony and Honda have lost that lovin' Afeela.

The joint venture announced today that it would be discontinuing the $90,000 Afeela 1 electric sedan, as well as the unnamed Afeela SUV concept, as it adjusts to slower EV demand and policy pullbacks. In a statement, Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) determined there was not a "viable path forward" after Honda recalibrated its EV strategy following steep losses.

Earlier this month, Honda said it would take a writedown of as much as 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments, representing the company's first annual loss in over 70 years as a public entity. The automaker also put the kibosh o …

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Google’s Android Automotive is moving from the dashboard to the ‘brain’ of the car

2026-03-24T11:38:19-04:00

Android Automotive in a Volvo EX90 | Image: Volvo

Google announced a new version of its Android Automotive open-source operating system for software-defined vehicles. Whereas previously Android Automotive operated exclusively in the car's infotainment system, Google is now expanding its "open infrastructure" to the non-safety parts of the car's internal computer system.

As cars have swiftly become "computers on wheels," there is still a lot of fragmentation in the industry, with many car manufacturers using different, mismatched software modules from dozens of different suppliers. Google wants to solve this fragmentation problem by - what else? - becoming the de facto software provider fo …

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All the wrong EVs are getting canceled

2026-04-15T09:00:00-04:00

A Tesla Cybertruck gleaming in the lot of the Tesla showroom in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 29, 2025. | Photo by Simone Lueck / The Verge

These past few weeks have been particularly brutal for the EV industry - and anyone who believes that electric vehicles are the future. Thanks to slowing demand and policy whiplashes, automakers are on an EV murder spree, killing a host of promising new models. The EV graveyard grows bigger by the minute.

And unfortunately, as is often the case, much of the focus seems to be on affordable models that had the potential to attract new customers. Meanwhile, ugly EVs that cost too much and do nothing to move the needle on EV adoption continue to darken our highways.

First, the cheap ones whose bodies have not yet gone cold. The Volvo EX30, a …

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The great EV pullback: all the obstacles, cancellations, and delays

2026-04-15T15:11:21-04:00

The auto industry bet big on electric vehicles, but now those ambitious goals are falling apart. Demand was already slowing down when Donald Trump took office and took an ax to pro-EV policy: the elimination of the federal EV tax credit, kneecapping clean energy, and bulldozing emissions rules. Tariffs have been taking their toll as well. And now US and European automakers are taking a bath on its EV investments, forcing them to readjust their model lineup. Hybrids are the new bet, and the EV future looks further away than ever — at least for the US. China continues to outpace the rest of the world in EV development, and stands poised to win that future.

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