Heavy-duty pickup trucks from brands like Ford, Chevrolet, and Ram aren’t considered passenger vehicles under federal regulations. So while an F-150 or Ram 1500 has to meet fuel-economy and crash-safety standards, a Super Duty or Ram HD doesn’t. But the feds aren’t the only ones conducting crash tests.

Because it’s backed by the insurance industry, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has an incentive to be tough on automakers when it comes to crash performance. Its safety evaluations for light-duty passenger vehicles—encompassing crash tests and performance evaluations of related features like headlights and crash-avoidance tech—already go above and beyond the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regimen. Now it’s also casting a wider net by testing heavy-duty pickups and other commercial vehicles.

To get things started, the IIHS evaluated the performance of seatbelt reminders and seatbelt pre-tensioners in three Class 3 pickups (signifying a GVWR between 10,001 and 14,000 pounds) and six cargo vans, as well as confirming that seatbelt force limiters and front and side driver airbags are standard equipment. This may seem basic, but federal regulations don’t require any of these features.

The test group included one HD pickup from each of the Detroit Three: a 2026 Chevy Silverado 3500HD, 2025 Ford F-350 SuperCrew, and 2025 Ram 3500. The vans tested (all 2025 models) covered pretty much everything currently available, including a Chevy Express 2500, Ford Transit T250, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, and Ram ProMaster 2500, along with an electric Rivian Delivery 500 and Chevy BrightDrop 400, even though the latter has been discontinued.

No crash tests were performed, but test drives were conducted to see if seatbelt reminders actually did their jobs. To pass, vehicles needed to have a visible warning light and an audible tone that could be heard over background noise. The IIHS requires warnings to continue for at least 90 seconds, compared to the federal standard of four to eight seconds. This is especially important in commercial vehicles because drivers are likely unbuckling frequently when making stops, the IIHS notes, adding that one of its studies showed that persistent reminders increased seatbelt use by 30%.

The Ram 3500, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Chevy Express, and Rivian all failed the seatbelt reminder test. The ancient Express also lacked effective seatbelt force limiters. Everything else was a pass, though. Not a bad start.

The IIHS plans to expand testing to cover other features such as headlights and automatic emergency braking, as well as larger Class 4-6 trucks, helping to close the safety gap with passenger cars and reduce injuries and fatalities. In 2023, 6,535 people were killed in crashes involving medium- and heavy-duty trucks or light vans, accounting for 16% of U.S. road fatalities that year, according to the IIHS. So the insurance-backed nonprofit’s testing program arrives not a moment too soon.

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• InsideEVs contributor and charging expert Tom Moloughney put Hansshow’s latest Tesla Supercharger extension cable to the test.
• In real-world testing, the 8-foot NACS to CCS1 DC fast-charging extension cable fell short of expectations.
• The cable is aimed at non-Tesla EV owners who often need to double park when using V3 Tesla Superchargers

Tens of thousands of Tesla Superchargers are now open to non-Tesla EVs in the United States, which can make life a lot easier for everybody, especially on long road trips. However, Superchargers were designed for Teslas, which have the charge port on the left rear of the car, whereas other EVs might have it somewhere else. 

It’s not the end of the world, but some EV owners are forced to double park at Superchargers because Tesla’s third-generation stalls have a pretty short cable designed exclusively for Teslas. 

To fix the issue, a company called Hansshow is selling an extension cable that also doubles as a DC fast charging adapter, promising to make life a lot easier for some EV owners. The second-generation version of the product was put to the test by Tom Moloughney, charging expert and InsideEVs contributor.

Tom put the first-generation product through its paces and found that it was a safety disaster waiting to happen,. He also tested the prototype for the second-gen model, which fixed all of its predecessor’s problems. Recently, he got his hands on the final version, but after a testing session that was unexpectedly cut short, he discovered that the prototype worked better than the finished product.

The cable is available in 5-foot and 8-foot lengths, and is rated for 1,000 volts and 350 amps. To really put it to the test, Tom wanted to keep the 8-foot version under stress for an hour straight, charging his Rivian R1S and Ford F-150 Lightning from a low state of charge, where both EVs ask for 500 amps at the beginning of the session. 

However, that plan didn’t work out. The Rivian stopped charging after 17 minutes while using the extension cable, despite the surface temperature of the cable never going over 100 degrees. A second attempt did not work, either.

The cable was plugged into the F-150 Lightning, and after eight minutes of charging, the session automatically stopped again.

Moving over to another Tesla Supercharger stall didn’t help, either. Weirdly enough, the pre-production version of the cable, which looks exactly like the finished product, worked flawlessly in Tom’s charging sessions multiple times. It’s not clear why this latest product has missed the mark.

What’s more, there’s the price to consider, with the 8-foot version retailing for $729. That’s a lot of money, especially if you can’t rely on it. Additionally, owners who use something like this need to know that they’re doing it at their own risk, as all EV makers advise against using extension cables or charging adapters that are not manufacturer-approved. In case something goes wrong during a charging session, your warranty will likely not cover damages.

• After skipping the current model year, the ID. Buzz will join Volkswagen’s model year 2027 lineup. 
• It now gets a new dedicated trim for camping, with a bunch of cool features straight from the factory.
• Volkswagen has finally added true one-pedal driving to the ID. Buzz 

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz will rejoin the German automaker’s model year 2027 lineup in the U.S. with two new trims, updated software, and revised color and wheel options. 

The electric minivan skipped MY2026 for the U.S. market, going from MY2025 to MY2027 due to low demand. Volkswagen Group of America CEO Kjell Gruner told InsideEVs at the New York Auto Show this year that the MY2025 had arrived late, so the MY2026 cars would have had a short run anyway.

Photo by: Volkswagen

Camping fans can now rejoice as Volkswagen is now bringing the Tourer 4Motion trim stateside. This model will get a bunch of features straight out of the factory, including a fold-out mattress and a platform, along with window blinds and ventilation panels. 

There’s also an “Overnight Mode” which will use the high-voltage battery to run functions like climate and the battery even when the vehicle itself is switched off. It will also come with a folding table and chair set.

Photo by: Volkswagen

Another important addition is one-pedal driving, which will allow drivers to bring the vehicle to a complete stop using regenerative braking and without touching the brake pedal. MY2025 vehicles did not have true one-pedal driving, which was a big miss.

The ID. Buzz now also gets the automaker’s latest ID.S 6 software with improved user experience on the infotainment, including a revised navigation screen layout and a new vehicle settings page for easier access to functions. There’s also an updated App Store that will allow owners to download third-party apps like YouTube and Spotify.

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Source: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

There’s one more change that makes a lot of sense. The dual-tone paint is a huge part of the minivan’s personality, and now you can’t have the ID. Buzz otherwise. The ID. Buzz will now only come with dual-tone paint schemes, along with a new Candy White over Cherry Red paint option and available white wheels inspired by the Type 2 microbus.

Finally, the trim line has been revised to just four models: Pro S RWD, Pro S 4Motion (new), Tourer 4Motion (new), and Pro S Plus 4Motion.

Volkswagen hasn’t released pricing just yet, but the MY2025 ID. Buzz starts at $60,000 before destination charges. If the automaker brings the price within the low $50,000 range, it could go a long way in making the iconic vehicle more appealing.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com

Audi management is keenly aware of recent missteps and aims to quickly rectify issues in rapid succession based on feedback seen and heard from around the world at every level. The first salvo in this offensive? Filling a family-sized hold in the lineup with the new Q9 SUV.

On Monday, the 2027 Audi Q9 three-row crossover SUV’s interior was revealed with upscale materials, life-sized cup holders, what can only be described as truly over engineered technology, and seating for the entire family. The Q9 will be unveiled on July 28 ahead of arriving in the U.S. near the end of the year. It will take aim at the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and BMW X7, the former of which was just facelifted and the latter of which is about to be redone in similar fashion as the BMW 7-Series.

While the exterior hasn’t been revealed, yet, I can say visually and while standing next to the Q9 the thing is large. Long, wide, and tall, this is easily the largest production Audi in history and should measure right up against the GLS and X7.

All four doors can open electronically with a pull of a real exterior door handle. The driver’s door can be setup to shut when the brake pedal is pressed, when the driver’s seat belt is fastened, or it and any other door can be electronically opened or closed at the push of a button on the touchscreen, though it takes three taps to get there and you must hold the digital button until the door’s opened or closed, and the doors each have sensors in them so they won’t open into anything. Safety first!

Those doors also feature electronic controls from inside the cabin. A button opens and releases the door. There’s no mechanical backup like in a Porsche Cayenne Electric, rather, each door has a small capacitor that stores energy. That capacitor can open the door in case of an emergency to ensure no matter what, unless the door’s no longer on the vehicle or is so smashed it can’t physically open, it has the ability to unlock and open regardless of the vehicle system’s power supply.

Inside the Q9 feels like a return to form in many ways for Audi. There’s basically almost no shiny piano black plastic anywhere (hallelujah!). Trim on the center console ranges from open-pore wood to carbon fiber weave, which all look and feel lovely. Most plastics are matte instead of shiny to minimize finger prints like the old days. Stitched leather lines the dashboard, and is augmented with wool-like cloth trim that spans the lower section of the dashboard to hide inset speakers that are part of the 4D surround-sound system. A strip of ambient lighting arcs across the base of the windshield and acts as a communicator changing colors in various situations. If automatic emergency braking where to kick in it would flash red to alert the driver, and when turn signals are engaged the corresponding side will flash green to keep your eyes up away from the gauge cluster and closer to the road. It can even be synced to the beat of the music, if you are into that kind of thing.

The triple-screen setup pairs a digital gauge cluster with a touchscreen canted slightly towards the driver all under one curved piece of glass that looks right out of the A6 E-Tron. It’s accompanied by a standard front passenger touchscreen display with YouTube, web browsing, and video watching capabilities including the ability to pair Bluetooth headphones. There’s a real volume knob on the center console alongside, unfortunately, a only a handful of key function buttons that are all one single piece of plastic. The rest of the controls including climate control, vent controls, and infotainment functions are all housed in the touchscreen display. There are two cooled wireless smartphone chargers at the front of the center console, each with Magsafe compatibility and up to 100 watts of power output along with two USB-C ports. Perhaps above all else, the front cup holders, which have a flip away cover, are American sized and can hold a Stanley cup for those in need. In fact, the rear-seat cup holders can hold Stanley mugs as well, which my daughter will be thrilled to hear (feel my pain, please).

Audi’s trick, and highly over engineered yet functional, one-piece stalk that incorporates the gear selector, turn signal, and wiper controls into one unit is here in the Q9 (and is still fantastic).

Families will take note that the rear doors open a full 90 degrees. The Q9 will be available in six- and seven-seat configurations with the ability to hold up to three car seats across when optioned with the second-row bench seat thanks to three tether anchor points. The outboard second-row seats slide and tilt forward making it so car seats (that are unoccupied, of course) don’t have to be removed to access the third-row. The third-row is adult sized with plenty of room for my 5-foot-10 frame to sit (albeit a bit knees up) comfortably behind a 6-foot-5 adult in the second row. While we don’t have final measurements, yet, there’s real cargo room behind the third row, and with that row folded the space for cargo (or activities) looks immense.

The available Bang & Olufsen 4D surround-sound system has 24 channels, 22 speakers, and 2 actuators in the front seats. Those actuators induce motion and vibrations into the seats to make it so you physically feel the music. It’s like the sound vibrations are being put into your body.

Everyone seated in the Q9 will have quite the view of the sun and the stars. Most of the roof is glass to the tune of 16 square feet. An electrochromatic-like function using Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology can be optioned, and it can make the entire panel of glass, or just certain sections, opaque to block the sunlight and up to 99.5% of UV rays. Further, embedded lighting can be optioned with 84 LEDs placed inside the glass panoramic roof to make it a true statement piece.

Audi provided The Drive with travel, accommodations, some German pretzels, and access to the vehicle for the purpose of writing this story.

If a casual car shopper only went off recent headlines, they might easily think that the U.S. auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles has been a boondoggle, a $50 billion failure of products, policy and imagination. In reality, there are now millions of American EV drivers who are perfectly happy with their gas-free existence and, statistically speaking, probably aren’t going back. 

It can be hard for people to understand this if they don’t experience it every day. I can think of few images that would prove that point better than hundreds of thousands of Toyota EVs on American roads. After all, if the world’s top-selling car company—and a name that’s become synonymous with trust and reliability—got serious about EVs, wouldn’t that be the ultimate proof that battery-powered cars could work for everyone? 

I had hoped the 2026 Toyota bZ would make that case. It seemed like it could redeem its predecessor, the bZ4X, widely maligned for its subpar range, charging performance and software. If the bZ fixed those things, perhaps it could prove what many people already think: that Toyota makes the best EVs for most buyers right now. 

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Source: Patrick George

After a weeklong test, I can tell you the bZ is a better car and a better EV than the bZ4X ever was. But now one thing, instead of three things, holds it back—even though the ingredients are all there for Toyota to fix it for good.

[Full Disclosure: Toyota loaned me a 2026 bZ for a week of testing.]

2026 Toyota bZ: Specs And Features

I’ll give Toyota this: it’s certainly giving EVs a bigger shot right now than it did even a few years ago. 2026 brings significant updates to the Toyota/Lexus/Subaru electric family, as well as new members in different sizes. The cars all get updated batteries, better performance across the board, more range and improved charging speeds. 

Of all of those new options, the bZ remains the all-rounder choice. It’s a compact-midsize crossover in the same price and size class as the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and others. It can be had in XLE and more well-appointed Limited trims. As before, the bZ comes in single-motor front- or dual-motor all-wheel-drive, and the overall styling is basically the same. But a lot is different under the skin. 

Photo by: Patrick George

The base bZ now gets a new, smaller 57.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack, but most models will use a 74.7-kWh unit—slightly bigger than what was in the bZ4X. Range stretches from a sub-par 235 miles in the XLE FWD model to an impressive 314 miles in the XLE FWD Plus model with the larger battery. That’s much more competitive across the board; the bZ4X topped out at just 252 miles of range. Updated electric motors deliver more power, too. The AWD models deliver 338 horsepower to the old car’s 214, and front-drive models get a 20 hp boost to 221 hp. 

Perhaps most importantly, charging is improved, too. Gone is the old CCS port, replaced by a developed-in-house Tesla-style NACS unit. Maximum fast charging speed is still the same at 150 kilowatts—and still midpack by modern standards—but the charging curve has been improved. Unlike the O.G. bZ4X, this car can also fast charge multiple times in one day. Previously, that weakness kept the bZ4X from being a competent road-trip machine.  

The bZ now has native compatibility with Tesla Superchargers.

Photo by: Patrick George

In my conversations with Toyota engineers, they made clear that they took to heart the feedback of bZ4X owners and would-be buyers—and that they don’t see any value in sitting out the global EV race. The result is a vastly improved car on paper, but that’s only part of the story.

2026 Toyota bZ: Driving Experience

My bZ tester was an XLE FWD Plus model with the bigger battery, but a modestly equipped one at that. It’s pretty fun to drive, just like the old bZ4X was. My tester weighed in at 4,057 pounds, making it almost a lightweight by EV crossover standards. That, coupled with a finely tuned chassis, gives the bZ a kind of agility and lightness that you don’t get with competitors from Chevy or even Hyundai and Kia. Engineers put real thought into how this car handles, and it shows on the road.

Still, I’m no great fan of the torque steer inherent to front-drive EVs. Based on my time in its sibling, the Subaru Solterra, I do recommend the AWD bZ instead unless you’re absolutely looking to maximize your range. It has better, more balanced driving dynamics and the extra power is quite welcome. Toyota claims the FWD bZ does 0 to 60 mph in eight seconds, but I’m convinced it’s quite a bit quicker than that. Like most EVs, it feels quicker than its on-paper performance figures suggest.

Besides losing the “4X” on the badge, this new car is nearly identical on the outside to the old one. It’s a different story inside. The center console has been revised to offer more space, the driver-facing display is in a new and more visible spot, the dashboard was completely redesigned and the area around the central display is now much less cluttered. It’s a subtle improvement, but a likeable one, and the bZ remains comfortable for long-distance driving—just still heavy on black plastics and a dark, industrial vibe. 

Photo by: Patrick George

On the plus side, the bZ is refreshingly easy to use. Normal, by EV standards. Those door handles? Nothing new here. They’re just door handles. Buttons and physical switches abound. It’s all very easy to figure out. At a time when the auto industry is reeling from the unintended consequences of cutting-edge design, the bZ’s RAV4-like controls are strangely welcome. If you want an EV that’s not fussy to operate from a physical control perspective, give this one a look. 

You will sacrifice interior space to some rivals. You get 28 cubic feet of storage behind the second row of seats (or 26 cubic feet if you opt for JBL speakers) and 94.4 cubic feet of overall space, but no frunk. The bZ’s cousin, the new RAV4, has it absolutely trounced in terms of interior volume. Hyundai and Tesla’s EVs do much better on this front, too. 

Overall, I still like driving the bZ. Maybe it’s the shark-like design, or the familiar yet humble badge, or the lack of a tech learning curve. But it just feels like a good, normal family crossover that happens to be electric, and I tend to vibe with that.  

The bZ isn’t as spacious inside as a Toyota RAV4 or Tesla Model Y.

Photo by: Patrick George

2026 Toyota bZ: Range, Efficiency And Charging 

In ideal weather conditions, a bZ XLE FWD Plus like this one would be the distance king of the family at 314 miles of range. But we have not had ideal weather conditions in upstate New York this winter, and when I tested the bZ, the temperatures were sometimes in the negatives. Not great for EV performance, no matter which company built the car.

Still, the bZ saw range losses I’d consider normal for such conditions. A 100% charge sometimes meant 267 miles or about 245 miles. The car’s range is adjusted on the fly when you play with the climate system and as outside temperatures change. For efficiency, my tester went as high as 2.7 miles per kWh in the cold, about on par with my own Kia EV6 right now. 

I didn’t get a chance to fast-charge the bZ during my test. But based on my tests of the updated Solterra and Lexus RZ, I have no reason to believe it won’t go from about 15% to 80% in about 25 minutes on a Tesla Supercharger. That’s a good 10 to 20 minutes better than various iterations of the bZ4X could achieve.  

These are not ideal EV-testing conditions.

Photo by: Patrick George

2026 Toyota bZ: Tech Features

Here’s where things start to fall down a bit. If you get a 2026 RAV4, you’re treated to Toyota’s new Arene connected software platform. It’s a total overhaul of the infotainment system and the software and hardware stack behind it. You get more customizable displays, better graphics, a faster and more intuitive interface, and a proper home screen with mapping, audio, and range displays. For a company that’s behind the curve on software, it’s quite good. 

But the bZ (and the C-HR and bZ Woodland) are, for now at least, stuck with the previous software system. That means you’ll live with more rudimentary displays, you have to subscribe to use the “cloud navigation” system, and worst of all, there is still no EV route-planning. And if you need to find an EV charger, you have to do so with Toyota’s smartphone app. To the company’s credit, the app is now very good—features include remote starting and charging management. But it’s ridiculous that the built-in navigation system is so limited. Want to navigate from New York City to Los Angeles? The bZ will tell you how to get there with the ETA of a gas car, because charging is on you to figure out.  

The bZ couldn’t actually do this trip in the stated time, as it would need a charging stop. But while a pop-up warns you you’ll need to charge, it won’t find a charger along the way for you.

Photo by: Patrick George

A Toyota spokesperson couldn’t say why the bZ, CH-R and bZ Woodland don’t have Toyota’s latest software, but he confirmed the new Highlander will. “As always, we will listen to the voice of the customer to evaluate these features for future model years,” he said. That’s a sign of progress. But until it spreads across the board, I have a hard time recommending a new EV in 2026 without any sort of route-planning. 

I’ve heard some owners defend this lack of a feature by saying they don’t road-trip often (which is also statistically true) or that they know where their plugs are (and certainly, so do I). But the problem is that for the same amount of money, you can get any number of EVs now that will help you find plugs and plan a long trip at the press of a button. And wouldn’t you want that instead? 

Apple Maps is supposed to offer route-planning capability in the bZ, but I couldn’t get it to work.

Photo by: Patrick George

Supposedly, the bZ has route-planning and range info through Apple Maps when you fire up Apple CarPlay. But I never got that to work. And even if I could, leaning on Apple for such a key function feels like a cop-out.

My sincere hope is that Toyota adds the Arene software to its family of EVs, and soon. At least the new Highlander EV has it, so that’s a sign of progress. 

2026 Toyota bZ Vs. The Competition

The bZ brings style, solid range, usability and (presumably, anyway) Toyota’s renowned reliability to a very competitive segment. There’s the Model Y, the O.G., which is now better than ever but saddled with quite a bit of brand baggage. 

Chevrolet’s Equinox EV and Blazer EV match the bZ on many specs, but have an Android Automotive OS-based software system that’s far superior to this one. The Hyundai and Kia EVs still have the bZ beat on fast-charging speeds. And while the Ford Mustang Mach-E is showing its age a bit, it can still hold its own and it’s even more fun to drive. 

2026 Toyota bZ: Price and Verdict

To its credit, the bZ is also a better deal than its predecessor. It starts at $36,350 (including destination) for the entry-level XLE FWD trim. That’s more than $2,000 cheaper than the base bZ4X was. The XLE FWD Plus, like my tester, starts at $39,350. An XLE AWD goes for $41,350 and the loaded Limited will set you back $46,750. Again, competitive, but enough to make you mourn the $7,500 EV tax credit. 

So, where does that leave the bZ now? Yes, it’s better than ever. But I’m struggling to tell you why to buy one, unless you can score an incredible deal or just really, really love buying from Toyota. And for many people, that badge alone is enough. If the bZ had route-planning and better software, it would be, too. 

As of now, buying one means getting a decent-range EV from a trusted brand, but also some frustrating compromises. With any luck, a computer transplant from the RAV4 is in order. When that happens, maybe Toyota’s EV game can finally take off as it should have by now.

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