Table of contents for April 25 - May 2, 2025 in Newsweek

THE FUTURE IS FURTHER AWAY THAN MANY predicted. While experts previously forecasted that by now the world will be quickly moving toward a battery-electric vehicle and autonomous future—not just for passenger cars, but for helicopters, taxis, shuttles and commercial vehicles—that’s not the case. Instead, predictions of Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, Newsweek’s 2023 World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors Executive of the Year, are reality. The world’s drivers, especially Americans, aren’t ready or willing to give up their gasoline-powered vehicles, driving or independence quite yet. They’re embracing hybrid technology, insisting on driving themselves (with advanced driver assistance systems only sometimes turned on) and learning to embrace enhanced, tech-forward interior ecosystems. “Automakers aren’t abandoning BEVs but recalibrating to meet consumer demand. The shift toward hybrids isn’t a step back as much as…

FORD MOTOR COMPANY’S BRONCO Off-Roadeos go further than any new vehicle dealer showroom. They allow potential and current Bronco owners and brand enthusiasts to experience the capabilities of the Michigan-based automaker’s three Bronco-branded off-roaders, Bronco (two- and four-door) and Bronco Sport. “When we made the decision to reintroduce the Ford Bronco, we knew we had to differentiate ourselves from the competition and simply being a better or more capable vehicle wouldn’t be enough. We had to stay true to Bronco’s authenticity and heritage,” Will Ford, general manager of Ford Performance and great-great-grandson of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, told Newsweek. Bronco Off-Roadeo was born, aimed at fostering a relationship with the Bronco Nation online community and to encourage safe, responsible off-roading. “We saw that opportunity for building a Bronco…

THE OCEAN CLEANUP IS DEDICATED TO removing plastic from the world’s oceans. It’s a formidable task: National Geographic estimates that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic, the equivalent of 269,000 tons, float on the ocean’s surface. Kia is heavily invested in the effort. Since 2022, the carmaker has partnered with The Ocean Cleanup through a variety of methods, helping the organization scale and accelerate cleanup operations. The first three years of the program have been mostly focused on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large collection of plastics in the Northern Pacific Ocean. “Following the global relaunch of the Kia brand in 2021, and the ensuing announcement of our sustainability movement and carbon neutrality goals, we at Kia global HQ sought to proactively extend our approach to helping ensure a sustainable…

“THERE WAS NO BLUEPRINT FOR THE G-TURN—WE STARTED FROM SCRATCH. TURNING THE WHEELS IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IS NOT A NORMAL DRIVING SITUATION.” The casual observer may not think that the new-generation Mercedes-Benz G-Class has undergone a revolutionary transformation from the previous generation. A closer look reveals that sentiment could not be further from the truth. Cast away the body design changes—which markedly increase aerodynamic efficiency—and gaze on the guts of the model, specifically the G580’s battery-electric powertrain and revolutionary drivetrain capabilities. To get there, years before its public debut, the Electric G-Class team formulated a plan. “When we started electrifying the G-Class, it was immediately clear—we would not build an electric G-Class, we would build a G-Class with an electric powertrain. No compromises in off-road capability and we would strongly…

A fire in the French capital sends smoke billowing behind the Sacré-Coeur basilica on April 7, evoking memories of the blaze that destroyed the city’s Notre-Dame. Almost six years to the day of the inferno at the iconic cathedral, 60 fire trucks and 200 firefighters were dispatched to Syctom recycling plant, which handles household waste for nearly a million Parisians. While the fire was prevented from spreading toward any of the city’s landmarks, Geoffroy Boulard, mayor for the affected 17th arrondissement, said the plant was “completely gutted and destroyed.”…

MICHAEL SCHIEBE’S LIST OF current—and past—job titles is extensive. He is the chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-AMG, the performance arm of the company, and head of Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Mercedes-Maybach business units, its super-luxury brand. This list is reflective of the 41-year-old’s ambition to drive significant change for the betterment of each of the company’s properties that he touches. At a young age he, “fell in love with Mercedes,” Schiebe told Newsweek, saying that the W211 E-Class is the model he swooned over the most. Following his mandatory German military service, Schiebe secured a spot in Mercedes’ university program, which allowed him to earn a degree in economics while studying for a future with the automaker, working in different departments and building a network within the company.…

EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW TADGE Juechter’s name, there’s still a good chance that you’ve drooled over one of the many projects he oversaw during his long stint at Chevrolet. The Corvette programs he worked on during his 46 years in the auto industry developed into the stuff of posters-in-childhood-bedrooms dreams. Juechter’s passion for performance started early. “I have always been interested in high-performance machinery, especially sports cars, from a young age. My father drove Porsches and that helped fuel my passion. Arriving at General Motors in 1977, I had no idea how to get to work on Corvettes. I was in manufacturing in the Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant. It took a long succession of jobs within the company to get to Corvette in 1993. It was there I found…

INGRID BEST HAS SPENT THE PAST TWO decades shaping the global wine and spirits industry, but her latest venture, IBest Wines, is personal. A bold leap of faith took her from the corporate boardrooms of Diageo, Moët Hennessy and Bacardi to the vineyards of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she set out to create a brand that reflects her passion for wine, art and culture. Now, barely a year after launching, IBest Wines is not only an award-winning label but has recently secured first-class distribution with American Airlines through Flagship® First – International placement. “Starting IBest Wines was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken,” Best told Newsweek. “After 20 years working at major wine and spirits companies, I had a deep understanding of the industry but also saw the…

THE UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER HAS been calmer than usual under President Donald Trump but still faces challenges from criminal gangs, according to a senior Border Patrol official. The Republican leader vowed to “seal the border” and has taken action including suspending asylum at the border and deploying additional military forces to bolster security. March recorded the lowest southwest border crossings in history—around 7,180, compared with the monthly average of 155,000 from the previous four years, U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures on April 1 showed. Sean McGoffin, chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector, told Newsweek that the agency still has work to do to, however, with cartels developing new tactics to smuggle humans, drugs and other contraband items into the U.S. “We don’t want anything coming…

LIFELONG CAR ENTHUSIAST RJ scaringe sees automobiles as the root of many of the biggest challenges the world faces. When he was in college, he decided to do something about it. Decades later, the success of Scaringe’s vision, a new battery-electric vehicle automaker, is improbable at best. Rivian isn’t just producing vehicles people want to buy, the company is turning a profit. “I started the company to drive as much impact as possible, and to be a positive contributor to this really large change we need to see in how our transportation systems function. That’s everything from how the vehicles are designed to how they’re architected, to electrification,” Scaringe told Newsweek. Through partnerships with Amazon and Volkswagen Group, strategic government assistance and shrewd manufacturing practices, Rivian is beating the odds.…

THERE IS NO CRYSTAL BALL TO predict the future, but a team of designers, scientists, technologists and futurists at Mercedes-Benz’s Future Technologies laboratory is tasked with creating engineering and materials concepts for possible implementation into tomorrow’s vehicles. “At Mercedes-Benz, the spirit of innovation has been at the heart of our DNA ever since Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. Mercedes-Benz combines leading technology with iconic design. Our purpose is to move the world. Therefore, we continuously push technological boundaries and look for new opportunities for innovation,” Eileen Böhme, director of innovations and future technologies at Mercedes-Benz AG, told Newsweek. The division focuses their efforts on four areas: safety, quality, comfort and design. Its workers are tasked with setting new safety benchmarks, extensively testing vehicle component performance, making life easier…

FOR BENTLEY MOTORS, BELONGING ISN’T just a philosophy, it’s a real-life commitment showcased in concrete steps. The company is focused on being an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace where employees feel valued, respected and empowered, Wayne Bruce, the company’s chief communications and DE&I officer, told Newsweek. “Community engagement is a vital component of Bentley Motors’ global mission, deeply embedded within its Beyond100+ strategy. This commitment reflects Bentley’s dedication to social sustainability and its aspiration to become the most socially responsible luxury car brand,” Bruce said. The British automaker has promoted women into leadership positions, invested in talent development and implemented policies that support work-life balance and well-being. All of this is portrayed for the world to see as part of the company’s #BelongingAtBentley social media campaign, which features employees from…

MEET Slate COMING TO MARKET SOON: A NEW American electric vehicle company. Slate is poised to disrupt the new car market with a radically simple solution to the common affordable car. Founded on the principle of redefining cost-effective transportation, Slate aims to beat Tesla to the punch with an inexpensive compact electric vehicle for the everyman. That means that customers have more purchasing power for choices with a Slate than when shopping for a new vehicle at a traditional car dealership. Though it’s a startup, Slate is run by a group of auto industry veterans and American industry leaders, with female leaders as CEO and head of design. Slate will fully reveal itself on April 24. Visit Newsweek.com/autos for more about it starting on the 24th. “A RADICALLY SIMPLE SOLUTION…