WIth so many automakers making commitments to going fully electric in the years to come, one question is what will happen to hybrids once all the dust settles. WIll they still have a place in the automotive landscape?

I believe they will, though it will be a more limited role and only the best ones will survive and thrive. Not everyone will want to go electric in the short-term, so having quality hybrid options is a nice middle ground for this group.

On the luxury end of the world of sedans, one gem that is likely to continue shining is the Lexus ES 300h, a sedan that is a rare combination of roominess, strong fuel economy and an enjoyable ride. It has few true competitors as a midsize hybrid sedan, and is priced well in comparison to the few hybrids it does battle (Audi A6, Benz E-Class).

Changes for 2022 include the addition of the F Sport trim level to the hybrid ES, improved safety features, updates to the tech setup, and slight design changs.

I recently spent a week in the ES hybrid, an F Sport version to be exact, and I’m back with a full report.

I’ve long been a fan of the Nissan Pathfinder, a three-row SUV that has been around for nearly four decades and has often been ahead of the curve in terms of capability, design and technology. I have driven them on long road trips in the past and found them to be very comfortable and among the strongest 3-row SUVs for families traveling near or far.

But with its latest major updates coming in 2016, it was about time for a redesign. With an endless assault from rival SUVs unveiling their latest and greatest, you can’t stay stagnant that long in this business. So the 2022 model year brings us a brand new Pathfinder model — completely redesigned inside and out — that is more in tune with the current state of SUVs.

I recently spent some time behind the wheel of this new Pathfinder, and I’m back with a full report. WIll this new version live up to its past, and does it measure up to the seemingly endless competition in the segment?

The 2022 Toyota Tundra has been completely revamped. Mike Sweers, the executive chief engineer of trucks for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), takes drivers through the top 10 things they need to know about the automaker’s newest pickup to hit the road.

1. Global F-Platform: The Tundra now shares the same Toyota New Global Architecture platform as the Land Cruiser, Lexus LX and Toyota compact vehicles.
   
   
2. Towing Capability: A premium towing machine is about more than capacity. Drivers behind the wheel of the new Tundra will feel unparalleled confidence in their tow
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3. Extensive Testing: The new Tundra was tested in a variety of extreme conditions: low altitude, high altitude, heavy snow and more.
   
   
4. Incredible Power Train: Toyota went above and beyond to deliver the most power and performance possible —like adding a drivetrain 140% the size of competitors’ trucks.
   
   
5. More Power + More Torque = More MPG: By supercharging the new Tundra with best-ever torque output, Toyota delivers maximum fuel economy along with the muscle drivers crave.
   
   
6. Exterior Styling: Embracing the spirit of previous Tundra models, designers took the bits of Toyota DNA truck owners love and dialed them up to 11.
   
   
7. Luxury Inspired: By benchmarking against premium luxury vehicles, Toyota embodies the same high level of quality in every new Tundra model.
   
   
8. Innovative Aerodynamics: With the truck having an active air dam that tucks in and out as needed, drivers reap the benefits of better aerodynamics when they need them and elevated off-road capability when they don’t.
   
   
9. Military-Grade Protection: With the skid plate made from ballistic nylon, it can’t be ripped off the truck or dented into the oil pan even if Tundra owners wanted to.
   
   
10. Composite Deck: No denting, no rusting and easy to repair when damaged, the new composite deck makes for a smarter choice than the old steel bed.
    
    To see a video on the 2022 Tundra, visit Youtube or watch below.

— Press release courtesy of Toyota

Thursday was a roller coaster of a day for Xfinity Series driver Brandon Brown and the Brandonbilt Motorsports team.

Unfortunately for them, they’re at the point of the ride where they’re barreling downhill and may be about to throw up. And it’s at least partially their own fault.

It all started Thursday morning when Brandon Brown tweeted: “I’m excited to welcome @LGBcoin_io aboard my No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro as our 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series full-season primary partner!” and included a link to a press release announcing the news.

“LGBcoin is a new, decentralized meme cryptocurrency similar to other meme coins and tokens such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, that has achieved a market capitalization of more than $300 million in less than six months. The patriotic coin dubbed “America’s Coin” aims to inspire positivity and unity, grounded in a strong belief of the American dream,” the press release reads.

“We are proud to support Brandon this season, to help him continue his American dream,” says James Koutoulas, founder of Typhoon Capital Management, in the release. “If we do our job right, when you think of us, and you hear, ‘Let’s Go Brandon,’ you’ll think and feel, ‘Let’s Go America.’”

At first glance, this was great news. Every team wants a full-season primary sponsor, especially a small family team like Brandonbilt. But immediately, the NASCAR community started to raise red flags.

First, how could a meme coin afford to sponsor a race team for a full season? Is this a legit sponsor or just a “pump and dump” scam full of smoke and mirrors where a check will never clear, as we’ve seen in the past?

BMW recently announced the BMW Concept XM, a new vehicle concept that looks ahead to the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into series production, which is set to begin at the end of 2022. Electrification underpins a driving experience which allows the driver to both glide along in near silence and enjoy the engaging pleasure of high performance driving, M-style. The BMW Concept XM provides a preview of the new front end design for BMW’s forthcoming luxury-class models. It also introduces a highly progressive and distinctive take on BMW X model design, and an all-new form of luxury and sense of space for the interior.
 
The series-production model – the BMW XM – will begin production at the end of 2022 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. BMW M will be introducing its first standalone vehicle since the legendary BMW M1 in the year it celebrates its 50th anniversary.  The BMW XM will be available only as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and exclusively as an M model. 
 
The exterior styling of the BMW Concept XM reflects the vehicle’s exceptional performance attributes: power, agility, and precision, plus an all-electric range of up to 80 km (WLTP) and up to 30 miles (preliminary estimate, not an official EPA value). The newly developed M Hybrid drive system in the BMW Concept XM brings together a V8 engine and a high-performance electric motor to develop a maximum output of 740 hp and peak torque of 738 lb-ft. The first electrified vehicle from BMW M GmbH in the high-performance segment is emphatically pointing the way forward for the future of the brand.
 
“The BMW Concept XM represents a complete re-imagining of the high-performance vehicle segment,” says Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “It underlines the ability of BMW M GmbH to break with established conventions and push boundaries in order to offer fans of the brand the ultimate driving experience. The series-production vehicle – the first pure BMW M model since the legendary BMW M1 – also shows how we are approaching the step-by-step electrification of our brand.” 

“The design of the BMW Concept XM is an extravagant statement by BMW M in the heart of the luxury segment,” says Domagoj Dukec, Vice President BMW Design. “It has a resolutely standalone identity and embodies an expressive lifestyle like no other model in the BMW line-up.”

StradVision, a pioneer in AI-based vision processing technology for Autonomous Vehicles and ADAS systems, has announced that it provides its camera perception software SVNet for LG Electronics’ latest ADAS Front Camera System.    

As a software solution provider, StradVision closely cooperated with LG Electronics to support its development of an algorithm implementing various ADAS functions. For the various safety functions delivered by LG Electronics' ADAS Front Camera System, StradVision offered full customization of Object Detection and Free Space Detection.