Weekend News Roundup December 22, 2023

Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker to gain approval to sell a Level 3 automated driving system in the United States; the first customer-owned S-Class and EQS sedans in California and Nevada equipped with the Drive Pilot system hit dealer lots this month. Drive Pilot allows you to take your hands of the wheel and eyes off the road in traffic jam situations up to 40 mph, so you can read a book, watch a movie on the Hyperscreen, more easily talk to your passengers or even use your cellphone, depending on local laws. - Daniel Golson Read More

When you buy a new car, lemon laws and manufacturer warranties generally protect you from a lot of headaches and potential reliability issues. Unfortunately, a lot of people can’t afford to spend $50,000 on a new car, which often means taking a risk on a used one that’s outside its warranty. What initially seems like a great deal can quickly turn into a maintenance nightmare. - Collin Woodard Read More

As it turns out, the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV that stranded InsideEVs’ Kevin Williams in Virginia isn’t the only Blazer EV with problems. This time around, it isn’t a press car. Instead, it’s a Blazer EV that Edmunds bought with its own money less than two months ago. With only 1,600 miles on the odometer, it’s now been at the dealership for two weeks with numerous issues. - Collin Woodard Read More

Hyundai’s stunning N Vision 74 concept is heading for a limited release production run in 2026, according to a report from Korea’s ET News. The hydrogen-and-battery-electric hybrid sports car was unveiled in July of 2022, and has been running laps around the minds of enthusiasts everywhere ever since. The N Vision 74 will allegedly hit showrooms in 2026, though only 100 examples will be built, and thirty of them will be reserved by Hyundai for racing. - Bradley Brownell Read More

It’s been a long year. The Titan submersible getting crushed? That was only six months ago even though it feels like it had to have been at least two years ago considering all that has happened since then. Elon Musk, especially, has been in the news constantly and rarely for anything positive. Yes, he finally managed to deliver 10 Cybertrucks, which is great news for Joe Rogan fans, and he cut prices on most of Tesla’s lineup, but he also made it abundantly clear over the last year that even if you like Teslas, you shouldn’t be giving him your money. - Collin Woodard Read More

We all do dumb stuff when we’re young. Speeding. Crashing the occasional car. Staying out way too late the night before your college final. Usually, though, we don’t do anything so reckless that it sends multiple people to the hospital. And yet, that’s what happened Saturday night in Colorado Springs, Colorado when an SUV rolled over in a parking lot, crushing five people, KKTV reports. - Collin Woodard Read More

A heavily intoxicated driver hit and killed a pedestrian on Saturday night in Dallas, Tex. The driver, Nestor Luján Flores, proceeded unimpeded — despite the victim’s body occupying the passenger seat — for over 38 miles to a town called White Settlement on the west side of Fort Worth, where he stopped in the parking lot of a Jack In The Box. A worker in the restaurant called police to investigate after the grey Kia Forte had been parked for three hours. Police responded shortly after 11 p.m. to find the driver slumped over his steering wheel of the destroyed car. - Bradley Brownell Read More

The Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev. has installed a new self-service screening lane in an effort to speed up the TSA check process. This pilot program — part of the Science and Technology Directorate’s Screening At Speed initiative — will begin in January in an effort to determine effectiveness and efficiency. Airlines are seeing more travel than ever as people flood through airports around the country at higher than pre-pandemic rates. If the program is successful, we’ll see self-service scanning at airports around the country, if not the world. It’s unlikely this technology will just stay in Vegas. - Bradley Brownell Read More

When InsideEVs’ Kevin Williams got his hands on a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, he had big plans for it. Starting in Columbus, Ohio, he was going to take it on a 471-mile road trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, testing out its real-world range, charging speed, comfort and driving experience. Considering that vehicles built on General Motors’ Ultium platform have had plenty of problems since it was first rolled out, he knew it might not be a hassle-free trip, but as he pointed out, the Blazer EV was recently named MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year, so it couldn’t be that bad, right? - Collin Woodard Read More

Being pulled over by the cops sucks. Depending on who you are, it can be an easy or harrowing experience. No matter who you are though, one of the most annoying aspects of being pulled over is the police asking you, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” Luckily, starting January 1, drivers in California won’t have to hear it anymore. - Lawrence Hodge Read More