The Toyota Land Cruiser is the longest running series of models produced by the Japanese automaker.  Born in 1951, it counts the British Land Rover and original Jeep CJ as soulmates. The new Land Cruiser is the perfect blend of capability and premium features. First introduced in the United States in 1958, the Land Cruiser is the Godfather of Toyota’s incredible off-road heritage.  For 2025, the 250 series Land Cruiser enters its second year as an extremely capable off-roader, packed with premium features and at a more accessible price point than the previous generation. 

Technology and telematics provider Samsara recently released a report that looked at what causes distracted driving and solutions for it.  The report included over 1,500 drivers.  Commercial TRUCK drivers.  Seems they are not immune to the seduction of digital devices while behind the wheel. 

Pod hotels are hotels where guest sleep in tiny compartments with beds inside known as pods.  These pods come in all shapes and sizes – square and round, metal and wooden.  Many aren’t even large enough to sit up in.  So, what’s the point?  

Lithium-ion batteries.  This is the chemistry that powers most mobile electrical devices that are not plugged in – from your cellphone to the average EV.  The chemistry is actually a metal slurry that comes with a list of downsides which can include shorting out and causing a thermal runaway which results in the difficult-to-extinguish fires you may have seen on social media.  But what if a new kind of electric vehicle battery can do away with the bad things of the current batteries, and do it for less money and longer range?  This is the goal of a small Massachusetts start-up.  

Artificial intelligence and deep fake software.  The perfect marriage of tools and methods that are easily available to secure and use for anybody.  Needless to say, fraudsters and other bad actors of all stripes are having a field day.  From online romance scams, to defrauding car dealers and the HR departments of major tech companies.  The nightmare is real.  

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has launched a voucher incentive program for e-bikes.  The new program is targeting lower-income residents who lack alternative transportation options that would not otherwise be available.  The state is rolling out 3,000 vouchers over a six-month period, which can reach $1,200 in discounts are participating brick-and-mortar retailers. 

How much time and fuel do we waste in drive-through lanes at fast-food chains?  And more importantly, how often can we depend on the place to get our order right?  The Washington Post took a look and crunched some numbers.  

Amtrak has revealed a first look at its new Airo trains, and they come with panoramic windows, comfier chars, and more accessibility features.  The national rail service is currently constructing eight-three of the new and improved Airo trains, which will operate on around fifteen existing routes in the Eastern US and Pacific Northwest.  

The seeds for the current success of the Lincoln brand were planted back in late 2006.  The vehicle was originally known as the MKX, a mid-size luxury crossover SUV that rode on  the automaker’s CD4 platform.  The Ford Edge and Flex, along with the short-lived Lincoln MKT were mechanical siblings. 

 By 2019, Lincoln had phased out its use of “MK” model names, choosing “Nautilus” in place of the MKX for the luxury crossover’s mid-cycle refresh of the vehicle’s second generation.   The second-generation Nautilus for the US market was introduced in April 2023 as a 2024 model.  The all-new 2024 Nautilus arrived with evolved design, an available hybrid powertrain, and new connected features.   This includes the all-new Lincoln Digital Experience and Lincoln BlueCruise hands-free highway driving technology. 

While Volkswagen isn't top of mind when talking about autonomous vehicles, turns out that the German automaker has been working on the technology for almost ten years.   VW is ready to deploy its first autonomous ID BUZZ electric minivans on Uber's ridehailing platform in Los Angeles next year.