Tesla isn't the only car brand asking you to pay extra to unlock your car's existing capabilities. As The Vergeobserves, Mercedes has introduced a $1,200 per year "Acceleration Increase" subscription that improves the performance of the EQE and EQS in their standard sedan and SUV variants. Pay the annual fee and your 0-60MPH time will improve by 0.8 to 1 seconds thanks to a higher peak motor output and increased torque.

Mercedes is quick to explain that this is strictly a software change. In other words, you're paying to get performance your car could already handle. While you're still getting more value than BMW's $18 per month heated seats, it's an odd move when these cars are already expensive and have speedier models that only require a one-time outlay. Why buy an EQS 450 with the acceleration add-on when an EQS 580 will be faster and include more creature comforts in the bargain?

The German automaker isn't the first to charge extra for added performance. Tesla has long asked customers to shell out for its most advanced driver assists. For a while, it also charged entry Model S buyers a premium to unlock battery capacity. And if you're more inclined toward motorcycles, Zero asks nearly $1,800 to maximize the power of the 2022 SR. The difference, of course, is that those are still one-off purchases where Mercedes wants you to keep paying for the life of the car.

The business strategy is clear. As with the tech world's general shift toward subscription services, Mercedes is hoping for a steady stream of revenue from customers who might otherwise spend little beyond the initial purchase. Acceleration Increase is decidedly more lucrative than periodic navigation updates and maintenance. Unlike those, though, there's no recurring costs to help justify the power boost's existence.

Tesla is recalling more than 321,000 vehicles over a software issue that causes the tail lights on some cars not to work properly. The automaker announced the action on Saturday in a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration filing (PDF) spotted by Reuters. The recall covers 2023 Model 3 and 2020 to 2023 Model Y vehicles manufactured for US customers.

“In rare instances, taillamps on one or both sides of affected vehicles may intermittently illuminate due to a firmware anomaly that may cause false fault detections during the vehicle wake up process,” the NHTSA notice states. “Brake lamps, backup lamps and turn signal lamps are not affected by this condition and continue to operate as designed.”

Tesla will release a software update to address the issue. The company hasn’t had reports of any crashes or injuries related to the bug. The automaker became aware of the problem in late October. In a separate announcement the day before, Tesla recalled about 30,000 due to an issue that can cause the front passenger airbag in Model X vehicles to deploy incorrectly in some situations.

As of this year, Tesla has so far issued 19 recalls in the US. Earlier this month, the company recalled 40,186 Model S and Model X vehicles over a software issue that could cut power steering assistance to vehicles going over potholes. Before that, the company recalled more than a million vehicles over windows that weren't working properly.

Tesla has issued a recall for 29,348 Model X vehicles, because their airbag might deploy incorrectly in some situations. This recall affects 2021 to 2023 Model X cars manufactured for customers in the US. According to the recall notice (PDF) published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the restraint control module calibration on those specific vehicles could cause the frontal passenger airbag to deploy "in an unintended configuration during certain low-speed collision events."

While the notice didn't illustrate the airbag's "unintended configuration," it said that it would result in noncompliance of the law when a child around three to six years old is seating in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt and out of position. Reuters notes Tesla's shares fell by 3 percent after the recall was published, leading to its lowest in nearly two years, but it's worth noting that the company says it's not aware of any "warranty claims, field reports, crashes, injuries, or deaths related to this condition."

Earlier this month, Tesla also recalled 40,168 Model S and Model X vehicles over a software defect that could potentially cut power steering assistance due to potholes and other bumps on the road. And in September, it issued a recall for over a million vehicles because their window automatic reversal system could malfunction and pinch the driver or passenger. 

Like those other recalls, though, owners don't have to turn their vehicles in or go anywhere for a fix at all. The issue can be fixed by an over-the-air firmware update, which the automaker will roll out to all affected vehicles. 

After years of buildup, Fisker has finally started building its ambitious electric Ocean SUV in Austria. The company pledged to start production by the end of 2022, so it has met that target with around six weeks to spare.

If you didn't lock in a pre-order for the EV swiftly, you may still be in for quite a wait before you get your hands on the Ocean. Fisker will ramp up production gradually. It plans to build more than 300 units in the first quarter of 2023, increasing to more than 8,000 the following quarter. For Q3, the aim is to make more than 15,000 units. All told, Fisker expects to assemble around 42,400 units in 2023.

Two of the Ocean trims have sold out in the US for 2023 and the company has received more than 63,000 reservations in total. The limited-edition Ocean One trim, which is based on the high-end Ocean Extreme, required a $5,000 deposit and sold out within 30 days earlier this year. Fisker will crank out 5,000 units of the Ocean One before moving on to other variants.

Peter Reiter Photography

The Ocean Extreme, which starts at $68,999, is capable of traveling 350 miles on a single charge, according to Fisker. The SUV boasts what the company claims is the first digital radar system as a safety feature. The Ocean Extreme has dual-motor, all-wheel-drive with 550 horsepower, which can accelerate the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. It also includes three driving modes, a 17.1-inch rotating screen you can play games on and a solar roof.

The base-level Ocean Sport is selling for $37,499, while the mid-tier Ocean Ultra will set you back $49,999. The Sport has one 275 hp engine that can take the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. The dual-motor Ultra has 540 horsepower and a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.9 seconds.

Fisker claims the Ocean is the planet's "most sustainable vehicle." The SUV is being assembled in a carbon-neutral factory. The vehicle also includes more than 50 kg (110 pounds) of recycled, biodegradable and overall eco-conscious materials.

Toyota impressed many onlookers this week with a sleeker redesign for the Prius. It turns out that the 2023 Prius Prime, the plug-in hybrid model, is also getting the new look as well as some other upgrades. For one thing, Toyota says that a larger lithium-ion battery will improve on the previous model's EV range of 25 miles by over 50 percent (i.e. to at least 37.5 miles). As such, you'll be able to take longer trips before starting to use gas.

Another neat feature is the solar roof. These panels can recharge the battery when the Prius Prime is parked. When you're on the road, the solar roof can provide auxiliary power to functions like air conditioning to lessen the load on the lithium-ion battery. Toyota adds that the solar panels' electrodes are concealed to maintain the plug-in hybrid's sleek look. "A focus for Prius Prime is to allow it to have a similar ethos to the new Prius hybrid model, but with a little something extra — more performance, technology, safety and even a little attitude," the automaker said.

Toyota

The 2023 model is lighter and more rigid than previous ones, Toyota claims, while it has a low center of gravity and larger luggage capacity. The vehicle is two inches lower, an inch wider and an inch longer than the previous Prius Prime, with a hip point that's nearly an inch lower too.

In terms of performance, Toyota says the fifth-generation hybrid powertrain and 2.0-liter engine help deliver a horsepower increase of nearly 100 hp over the last-gen model to 220 hp. The vehicle can seemingly go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds too.

As with the base Prius, the Prius Prime supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Toyota's own Intelligent Assistant enables you to search for directions, tweak audio settings, change cabin temperatures and more with voice commands. To help you figure out how to get to where you're going, the Cloud Navigation system uses the latest available map, traffic and routing information. Alternatively, you can get some help from a live agent via Destination Assist.

Other features include a JBL Premium Audio system with eight speakers and six USB-C ports. A digital key system is available on some trims as part of the Remote Connect service, enabling you to lock and unlock doors, start the engine and more with your phone.

Toyota

Elsewhere, the Prius Prime comes with Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert as standard on all trims. Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking is available as an option on SE variants and as standard on the XSE and XSE Premium grades. Those who opt for the XSE Premium trim will have the option to use a Panoramic View Monitor feature that allows for a live rotating 360-degree view around the vehicle, as well as a hands-free system that can help with parallel parking and reversing into a parking space.

Although Toyota will announce pricing and availability for the base Prius by the end of the year, you'll need to wait longer to find out that info for the Prius Prime. The company says it will reveal pricing and the on-sale date for the plug-in hybrid in the first half of 2023.

Toyota has unveiled the latest Prius at an event on the eve of the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it says the model is the most fuel-efficient entry in the lineup to date. The company designed the 2023 Prius, which will come in LE, XLE and Limited grades, with a low center of gravity, a wider stance and a lower driving position. Its roofline is 2 inches lower than its predecessor's, and it is one inch wider at the rear. Toyota was clearly going for a more sporty, modern look, aided by the larger wheels in the XLE and Limited variants. 

Of course, the new Prius comes with performance improvements, as well. It uses Toyota's 5th generation hybrid powertrain and a new lithium-ion battery, which offers a 15 percent increase in output compared to the lineup's old nickel metal battery technology. That means the company was able to develop a smaller and lighter battery for the vehicle without compromising its performance. But since Prius is still a hybrid and doesn't solely rely on electricity for power, Toyota has also equipped it with a bigger two-liter gas engine. 

The automaker says the Front-Wheel Drive variants have a 194 horsepower output and can go from 0 to 60 mph within 7.2 seconds, faster than the outgoing FWD vehicles' 9.8 seconds. The All-Wheel Drive models have a 196 horsepower output and the capability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds. All models have three drive modes: Eco, which enhances fuel economy, and Power and Sport modes, which increase throttle responsiveness. 

Other features include half a dozen USB-C ports and the Toyota Audio Multimedia system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Toyota's Connected Service Drive Connect also gives owners access to an intelligent assistant that can follow voice activated commands and cloud navigation, which can download the latest available map, traffic and routing information from the cloud. And in case drivers are truly having a tough time finding the way to their next destination, they can also use the Destination Assist feature to talk to a live agent any time of day

For driver assistance, the vehicle has Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, as well as Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking on all variants. The Limited version has a Panoramic View Monitor that provides a live rotating 360-degree view around the vehicle and a hands-free system that can help drivers with parallel parking or backing into a parking space. 

In addition, the 2023 Prius will come with the latest version of Toyota's Safety Sense generation, which enables a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist and cruise control. A new addition to the feature and to Prius as a whole is proactive driving assist that enables gentle braking into curves or when it senses a vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist ahead of the vehicle. 

Toyota has yet to reveal the pricing and availability of the 2023 Prius, but it promises to make another announcement with those details before the year ends. 

Toyota

Hybrid cars aren't just valuable for their fuel efficiency, apparently. Consumer Reports has published annual reliability survey data indicating that hybrids are generally more reliable than their gas-only equivalents. Hybrid cars were the most reliable among vehicle types, with their SUV siblings ranking third. Certain models were stand-outs, including the Ford Maverick pickup, Lexus NX luxury SUV and Toyota Corolla sedan — they all had above-average reliability on top of major fuel savings.

That trustworthiness doesn't always extend to other electrified cars. The publication found that plug-in hybrids aren't as reliable. Toyota's Prius Prime and RAV4 Prime are less reliable than their conventional hybrid versions, and the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid was one of the most unreliable vehicles in the survey. EVs continue to struggle, too. While there are some exceptions, such as the "outstanding" reliability of the Kia EV6, the category is still plagued with glitches — and not just Tesla's build quality issues. Ford's Mustang-Mach-E dipped to below average due to its electronics flaws. Only four out of 11 models with enough survey data had average or better reliability.

A straightforward hybrid isn't always the best choice, either. Consumer Reports warns that BMW, Mercedes, Ram and others offer "mild" hybrids that don't offer much in the way of fuel savings, and are sometimes focused more on adding power. These vehicles weren't included in the hybrid reliability rankings.

The greater reliability of hybrids isn't a total surprise. While they offer improved fuel economy, they're ultimately based on familiar model lines using well-established combustion engine technology. EVs are more likely to be brand new models based on young electric motor systems and don't have years of refinement.

Automakers will have to improve their safety tech if they want to stay in Consumer Reports' good graces, whatever powertrain they're using. As of November, the outlet will penalize models that don't include pedestrian-aware automatic emergency braking as a standard feature. CR will also stop handing out bonus points to vehicles that only have blind spot warnings (they'll need rear cross traffic warnings as well) and forward collision alerts. This will theoretically push car creators to strengthen their default safety packages and potentially save lives.

Kia has unveiled pricing for the 2023 EV6, and it's decidedly more expensive than before — although you might not mind depending on what you were looking for. The new electric crossover starts at $49,795 when you include the $1,295 destination fee, or $7,100 more than the entry 2022 model. You do get more in the bargain, though. The automaker has dropped the cut-down Light trim with 232 miles of range and now starts with the Wind RWD variant, which delivers a claimed 310 miles. That could put the EV6 out of reach for some buyers, but is also an acknowledgment that Light ultimately existed to upsell customers to pricier versions.

Wind now costs $1,000 more than it did last year. You may not have much need to spend extra, at least, when that configuration includes a power liftgate, vehicle-to-device power ports, Meridian audio and ventilated leather seats. You also have the option of a tech package previously limited to the Wind AWD with blind spot and surround views, parking collision avoidance and a remote start parking aid.

Other trims mainly provide added performance and intelligence. The $52,400 Wind AWD adds its namesake 320HP dual motor system with 282 miles of range. Spend $52,700 on the GT-Line RWD ($57,400 for AWD) and you'll get extras like navigation-based smart cruise control, more advanced highway driving assists and lane following help. And it's now clear just how much you'll pay for the range-topping EV6 GT — the performance-oriented car starts at $61,400 with a 576HP motor system, electronically-guided suspension, a limited-slip rear differential, higher-end brakes and 21-inch wheels mated to Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Kia claims the GT can reach 60MPH in 3.4 seconds, so this is your pick if you want to shame sports cars at the local drag strip (and don't mind the reduced 206-mile range).

You still have the Ioniq 5 if you want Hyundai's latest EV tech in a (slightly) more affordable package. The Niro EV is an option, too. However, it's evident the automaker is repositioning the EV6 as a more premium machine.

Volvo took another step towards its 2030 goal of full electrification on Wednesday with the official unveiling of its new flagship, the all-electric EX90. The three-row, seven-seat SUV, which grew out of the Concept Recharge design, will go on sale alongside its gas-powered sibling, the XC90, in model year 2024.

The EX90 will initially come equipped with a 111 kWh battery pack powering a pair of permanent magnet electric motors for 380 kW (517 hp) and 910 Nm of AWD torque. Per the company, the pack can refill from 10 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. Volvo has not yet shared performance figures for the vehicle.

The EX90 will be the first Volvo to offer bi-directional charging capabilities, which enable drivers to use their vehicles as home-scale batteries in the event of power outages — similar to what Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and the Ford F-150 Lightning offer. Volvo plans on selling home charging equipment as well including a wall box and energy management system. What's more the EX90 — like the rest of its EV brethren — will enjoy over-the-air software updates, though Volvo has begun expanding that service out to hybrid and ICE models as well. 

The EX90's exterior is optimized for aerodynamics, boasting a drag coefficient of .29, just a touch behind the VW ID.4 and very respectable for a full-size SUV, electric or not. "We’ve taken inspiration from yacht design to outline the Volvo EX90’s beautiful and sleek proportions,” Volvo's head of design, T. Jon Mayer, said in a press release. “If you look at the front, it’s proud and confident – inspired by a sailboat’s ability to shear through the ocean’s slamming waves. But it’s also rounder overall, which enables the air to flow around the car more efficiently.”

Pedestrians will sail around the car more efficiently as well, thanks to the "shield of safety" that Volvo is working on. Using a mix of LiDAR, optical, ultrasonic and radar sensors, the EX90 will offer a 360 degree view around itself to proactively react to other vehicles and pedestrians even if the driver doesn't immediately notice the issue. The EX90's LiDAR sensors can reportedly spot pedestrians up to 250 meters away. The company believes that the system could reduce the rate of all accidents by 9 percent and cut accidents resulting in serious injury or death by as much as 20 percent. 

"No matter how much experience you have or how much competence you have, at the end of the day, we are all still human," Volvo Head of Safety Jim Rowan quips in the walkthrough above. "We want to help people become better drivers by being there when they're not at their very best." The company plans to further incorporate the LiDAR sensors into its future unsupervised autonomous driving system.

But like the oozing garbage bags one finds on the side of the highway, it's what's inside that counts. The EX90's cabin provides a well-lit Scandinavian minimalist design clad in sustainable and recycled materials, such as "Nordico," a fabric made from recycled PET bottles "as well as bio-attributed material from responsibly-managed forests in Sweden and Finland. All of the interior wood panels are FSC-certified sustainable and if you opt for the wool seat fabric, that yarn will come from vetted suppliers "according to strict sustainability standards on animal welfare, environmental and social issues." In all, more than 50 kilograms of recycled plastic are used in each EX90 interior.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into the illumination inside the EX90, trying to create a warm interior and a somewhat colder expression for the exterior,” Mayer noted. “It’s also connected to how people in Scandinavia might be perceived. There’s a calm and understated confidence that can read as cold at first – but once you get to know people, you find that they're really warm.”

The EX90's in-cabin LiDAR is a world-first, designed to detect the presence of occupants and alert the driver if anyone is left behind in an effort to prevent hot car deaths — Volvo notes that more than 900 kids have died in these circumstances in the US since 1998. Where allowed by regulation, the system will prevent the keyfob from locking the doors should a child or pet be detected inside and display a warning icon on the central infotainment screen.

"No one chooses to be distracted or tired, but we know it can happen," Lotta Jakobsson, Volvo senior technical specialist in injury prevention. "We’re all human and distraction is a fact of life. With the help of cutting-edge technology, we’ll support you when you’re not at your best and help you avoid leaving family members or pets behind by accident."

Developing...

Tesla has at least one more recall in store this year, if not as large as the last one. As BBC Newsreports, the EV maker has recalled 40,168 Model S and Model X vehicles over a software defect that can reduce or cut power steering assistance when the car mistakenly treats potholes and other bumps in the road as steering assist torque. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned the sudden loss of help could be jarring enough to lead to a crash.

The flaw affects model years 2017 through 2021 for both cars, and first appeared with the 2022.36 firmware update. As with some of Tesla's recalls, the fix involves a software patch that has already rolled out. Over 97 percent of affected vehicles already have the new code, Tesla says.

This is the 17th recall Tesla has issued in 2022. It's not nearly as far-reaching as a September recall over faulty power window functionality, which affected almost 1.1 million cars in the US. Combined, however, the glitches have affected about 3.4 million EVs across the company's lineup. They've included problems with seat belt chimes, overheating infotainment systems and a Full Self Driving bug that let vehicles roll through stop signs. The company also had to change its Boombox feature over worries the external audio playback could override mandatory low-speed sounds.

The power steering defect also comes at a difficult moment for Tesla. The company's stock value has dropped sharply in recent weeks as investors fear Elon Musk's Twitter purchase may have distracted the entrepreneur. Tesla stock is hovering around $190 as we write this — lower than it was in May 2021. Factor in a tumultuous third quarter and it's clear the brand has lost some confidence, even if its sales are still very healthy.