Category: Articles & Commentaries

Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.

Lucid takes to the highways hands-free

Lucid navigation

Hands-Free Driving. Lucid Group, Inc. has begun the rollout of its latest over-the-air software update. The update introduces hands-free driving capabilities along with enhancements to highway navigation, charging experience, and everyday usability and is currently being rolled out only to the Gravity SUV in th North American market only. The vehicles equipped with DreamDrive 2 …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/lucid-takes-to-the-highways-hands-free/

New Toyota key fob video added to our YouTube channel

Toyota video. We just dropped a new video on YouTube of the replacement of the battery in a 2023 and newer Toyota key fob. The fob was introduced in the 2023 bZ electric vehicle and has since spread to other vehicles in the product line. The fob uses the more energy dense CR 2450, which …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/new-toyota-key-fob-video-added-to-our-youtube-channel/

DC charging takes a step up

Charge rate

DC charge rate. DC charging the Kia Niro took a step up in both charge rate and resulting range this week. I didn’t do any preparation for the charge, but its likely the ambient temperature at the time, ~75F, did the trick. The car didn’t hit the claimed 90 kW peak, but did top out …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/dc-charging-takes-a-step-up/

The plug-in hybrid conundrum

Plug-in. Ignorance keeps the plug-in hybrid on the sideline. Let me explain. I had a very interesting, as well as frustrating, conversation with two acquaintances yesterday. One, up to “here” with the price of gas, just traded for a hybrid. The other already drives a hybrid, which came to light later in the conversation. I …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/the-plug-in-hybrid-conundrum/

May fuels prices continue climb: BTS

Monthly sales price of transportation fuel

Fuels prices. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) have released monthly motor fuels prices for May of this year, and the numbers remain discouraging. Amid ongoing supply issues, the average price for regular gasoline was up another 9.2% from April this year and a shocking 42.2% from May of 2025. The New England region again …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/may-fuels-prices-continue-climb-bts/

Electrify America now offering time-of-use pricing

EA TOU pricing

TOU from EA. As an addendum to a post just a few days ago, an email from Electrify America (EA) came through with the message that “A station you visited now offers time-of-use pricing…” Time-of-use, or TOU, pricing makes logical sense — as electric suppliers charge lower rates during off peak hours — this was …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/06/electrify-america-now-offering-time-of-use-pricing/

A roundup of EV charging costs

Cost to charge. We started into to a piece on EV charging costs a few days ago when we got totally derailed by a notice from Kia with a special charge rate for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend from a company called IONNA. Now, not only was the Niro fully charged at the time, it …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2026/05/a-roundup-of-ev-charging-costs/