Jalopnik - Obsessed with the culture of cars

What Does Maintenance-Free Car Battery Really Mean?

staff@jalopnik.com (Kiran Menon) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 21:25:00 +0000

Topping your car batteries off with water is a thing of the past, and most are maintenance-free. But that doesn't mean they don't require upkeep.

Why Battery-Swapping EVs Still Haven't Made Highway Fast Charging Obsolete

staff@jalopnik.com (Benjamin Gracias) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 15:25:00 +0000

You pull into a bay, and automatically your EV's battery is removed and another inserted. It seems so easy, so why does fast charging still dominate?

New Bridgestone UltraWeather Beats The Socks Off The Old WeatherPeak In Tire Rack Tests

staff@jalopnik.com (Collin Woodard) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Tire Rack hasn't had the chance to run any segment-inclusive comparison tests, but the improvements over the old tire make it sound much better overall.

5 Features That Make Police Cars Different From Everyday Vehicles

staff@jalopnik.com (B. L. Johnson) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:25:00 +0000

Police cars are built differently for obvious reasons. The specialized equipment and upgrades they receive are what sets them apart from your daily driver.

How Ferrari's F1 Engineers Built The Closest Thing We've Got To An All-Carbon-Fiber Bicycle

staff@jalopnik.com (Brad Brownell) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:25:00 +0000

You can't really have an all-carbon-fiber bicycle - there are some things that material doesn't work for. But Ferrari was in on creating the next best things.

F1 Won't Air Live Battery Levels Anymore Because Fans Don't Care

staff@jalopnik.com (Ryan Erik King) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:47:53 +0000

Without energy levels for context, it can create an anticlimactic viewing experience where it's assumed that every pass is temporary.

How Hill-Start Works On Manual Transmissions (And How To Drive Smoothly Without It)

staff@jalopnik.com (Marko Mikulic) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:25:00 +0000

While it's a lifesaver, Hill-Start Assist can also be unpredictable, which is why knowing the proper technique for manual hill starts is as important as ever.

Volvos And Saabs Were Once Used As "Friction Testers" For Airport Runways

staff@jalopnik.com (Logan K. Carter) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 23:25:00 +0000

Using friction testers in cars, especially in slippery conditions like snow or rain, can help keep planes safe during take-off and landing.

Police Car Tires Are Built Different From The Ones On Your Car

staff@jalopnik.com (Chloe Clougher) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:25:00 +0000

The tires you see on police cars may look like regular tires, but they're not. They are engineered to handle extreme pressure, including hard cornering.

University Of Tennessee Gets Major Funding To Make Car Parts Out Of Grass

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:05:00 +0000

Making car parts out of bioplastics isn't new, but a UT study may bring them back in a big way, with automakers like Volkswagen partnering along the way.

IIHS Claims Waymos Are Safer Than Human Drivers If You Squint Real Hard While Reading The Data

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 22:25:00 +0000

It's easy to get data about vehicle crashes involving human drivers, but the same data on autonomous vehicle operation is much harder to sort through.

3D-Printed Concrete Can Make Construction Climate-Friendly

staff@jalopnik.com (Nicholas Werner) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:25:00 +0000

An MIT team's first result is a model bridge that is 16% lighter than its traditionally made equivalent, with the same load capacity.

The Upsides And Downsides Of Over-The-Air Software Updates For Modern Cars

staff@jalopnik.com (Chloe Clougher) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 01:25:00 +0000

Over-the-air updates are increasingly common as cars get more high-tech, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of updating your car remotely?

What's The Difference Between An AGM And A Flooded Lead-Acid Car Battery?

staff@jalopnik.com (Peter Nelson) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:25:00 +0000

If you're shopping for a new car battery, you'll probably see AGM and lead-acid options in the parts store. But what's the difference between the two?

Trump Killed Electrical Grid Upgrades And Other Clean Energy Projects Because States Didn't Vote For Him, White House Lawyers Admit

staff@jalopnik.com (Collin Woodard) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 12:25:00 +0000

It was nice of the Trump administration to so clearly state that the Republican definition of "government waste" is just "money not spent helping Republicans."

Aftermarket Anti-Theft Device Owners Don't Know How Vulnerable They Are To Hacking

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:25:00 +0000

A security system often installed by used car dealerships can remain dormant in your car but be activated by hackers attempting to gain entry.

Trump Administration Wants New Noise Threshold For Supersonic Planes By Mid-2027, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

staff@jalopnik.com (Ryan Erik King) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

The sonic booms that heavily restrained supersonic air travel could be a thing of the past.

Georgia Cops Keep Getting Arrested And Fired For Illegally Using Flock Cameras To Stalk People, But Surely Those 17 Bad Apples Aren't Representative Of The Entire Bunch

staff@jalopnik.com (Collin Woodard) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:25:00 +0000

Nearly 20 officers have been fired and charged with crimes related to their illegal use of the surveillance technology, and the number continues to rise.

Auto Journalists Harassed By Cops Just A Result Of Flock Cameras Working 'Correctly'

staff@jalopnik.com (Justin Hughes) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:50:49 +0000

Flock claims that its system is 99% accurate. But it's scanning 20 billion vehicles a month, which means it's still making 200 million mistakes per month.

Surprise, Surprise: Flock Cameras Are Collecting More Than Just Your Plate And Car Information

staff@jalopnik.com (Lalita Chemello) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

With the FreeForm search tool, law enforcement can use Flock cameras to find vehicles and people by identifying various visual characteristics.