Chase Bierenkoven

President Joe Biden has just legitimized the shift to EV power with his new infrastructure bill. The bill aims for half of all new car sales in 2030 to be comprised of EVs. It's a big step towards electrification and a massive push towards modernizing our country's infrastructure. However, there's a little test for American drives tacked into the bill, buried deep within its 2,000-odd pages. The test will track how much you drive and potentially impose a new per-mile tax.

Building your own overland camper is something of a trend now. I like to sit around on Craigslist and browse about for cars I can't afford. Recently, I've seen quite a few overland-inspired vans and campers up for sale. People are looking for a way out of major metropolitan areas right now, as they have been for the last year. With cases on the rise yet again, people want to get away and enjoy travel while they can. Evidently, some have taken that logic a lot further than anticipated.

Personally, I'm one of those weirdos that likes to be inconvenienced when camping. The van life is, in most cases, the antithesis of that logic. Vans are all about bringing all you can. However, I like sleeping in a tent, cooking over an open fire, and taking as little "fluff" as possible when I get outside. Heck, I camp in a sports car, the automotive equivalent of bringing a camping knife to a camping gunfight. However, this little Peugeot Rifter simplifies the van life, I love it, and so should you.

Mclaren is known for a lot of things: Formula 1, the legendary Gordon Murray-designed F1, the brand's ties to Ayrton Senna, you name it. Thankfully, that all boils down to one convenient word: performance. The brand is known for making things that go, turn and stop. However, there's now a Mclaren recall that interferes with one of those things. A new recall has been reported by the NHTSA stating there's an issue with the brakes on your Mclaren.

America is pushing for EVs. However, her citizens, some of them at least, aren't quite there yet. To be clear, I'm not talking about those in densely populated urban areas. No, I'm talking about the rest of America. In fact, I see a growing trend, not just in the industry, but those in my immediate circle who are ready to make the EV switch. They aren't worried about range anxiety or charging. They want to take advantage of tax incentives as well as do the right thing for the planet.

I'm sure you've heard the story by now. Possibly from me. The market for new cars is absurd right now. The pandemic and the (likely temporary) easing of restrictions means that buyers who were sat at home over the last year finally have the excuse they need for some new metal in the driveway. Moreover, the pandemic sent a cataclysmic ripple through the supply chain, hitting everything from electronics to the auto market. As a result, supply is tight and demand is high. Obviously, that equals scarcity. However, these models are selling far faster than others.

Ford has worked hard to develop a name for durability, especially in regards to its trucks. Now, the Blue Oval has recognized the need for the brand's durability push to be tied to their recent transition to electric mobility. All that sounds like a lot of corporate jargon, but in essence, it's pretty simple. Basically, the Blue Oval hit things with a hammer to make sure they don't go breaking on customers. Honestly, it's probably a smart move to show how strict quality control is at Ford, in light of the whole Bronco fiasco.

Honey, I shrunk the EV. Rather, the Mini Strip shrunk the EV to show what the BMW-owned brand is capable of in the realm of sustainability. It's no secret automakers are looking to make that transition to EVs, and recent infrastructure plans from the White House further legitimize that change. Moreover, the whole thing has been handled in a very typically Mini way, with plenty of distinctive style. In order to do that, the brand hired designer Paul Smith to help out.

I'm sorry, but I've got to be a bit of a downer here. Our climate is ruined. We've failed to put in place any of the necessary measures to combat it, from carbon taxes to higher pollution restrictions. Now, it's about mitigating the effects of our misuse of this planet. The most publicly seen of those measures is the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. But what happens when those massive EV batteries go bad? How do we keep those toxic components from leaching into our already ruined environment? And can we recycle them?

The new Chevy Corvette has caused a massive stir with its most recent "C8" iteration. Not only is Zora Arkus-Duntov currently rolling in his grave at the realization of his dream of the mid-engined 'Vette, but GM simply cannot keep the C8 on a dealership lot for more than the car's 2.7 second 0-60 time. In fact, the Chevy Corvette was the fastest-selling new car in the month of July, beating out hype machines such as the Ford Bronco and Kia Telluride.

The Ford Bronco, or as it should perhaps be known, the Ford Delay, has suffered yet another, well, delay. Unfortunately, issues with the vehicle's hardtop continue to develop. Recently, the Blue Oval has said that the supplier for the Bronco's hardtops, Webasto, has made some errors. Issues have varied widely, but the bottom line is a lot of these tops simply aren't up to snuff, and owners have noticed. Now, Ford is going to replace them.

We've all heard this before, so I'll get it out of the way quickly. Yes, the new Toyota Supra, god of the JDM scene, is more BMW than Toyota. Additionally, the Japanese-German sports car has been suffering a great deal of late. The cheaper 2.0-liter model didn't exactly find a lot of fans when the reviews rolled in, and its big brother has something of a dual-citizenship identity crisis. Now, the Supra has run into another issue. This time, the vehicle's braking assistance is the subject of a recall and adds to a growing list of open recalls on the model.

I'm not sure how to feel about cars like this. On one hand, I know that the Hyundai Kona N will sell like hotcakes. Consumers seem to love a small, fast crossover, as evidenced by the success of the Porsche Macan and Jeep's surprisingly zippy Trailhawk. On the other, why not have a hot hatchback?

The Ford Maverick has been in the news a lot recently. Frankly, the small truck has kicked off something of a renaissance in the small truck market, started earlier by the brand's own Ranger truck. Hyundai followed suit with the Santa Cruise, but "Maverick" is the word on everyone's lips. Moreover, the interior is no exception, and images show that Ford put a lot of effort into it. Then again, Ford has been doing that a lot lately.

I like the ocean. A lot. I grew up watching underwater documentaries in the IMAX with my diver uncles. The idea of the place calms me, and I enjoy being near the water. Despite being landlocked, I surf at every opportunity. It seems Kia has unintentionally found the perfect candidate to tell you about the new Kia Beach EV one-off they've just built for the Boardmasters surf festival in Cornwall, England.

Tesla has an image problem. Well, their autonomous vehicle software does. Much like the Coronavirus, people have become entrenched on one side of the issue or the other. Most believe that self-driving is either the future or a dangerous fantasy. Honestly, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. However, a recent string of crashes while the brand's autonomous software has been in use highlight a concerning issue that'll be very difficult to work around.

The Toyota Hilux has a reputation. Even here in "we-don't-get-anything-cool" America, the little Toyota pickup has a reputation for being nigh unkillable. That is, thanks to three middle-aged British guys that were on TV occasionally. Now, the Japanese automaker is leaning into that reputation for dependability and helping to get the truck into the hands of Brazil's agriculture industry at a shocking price.

I'll cut to the chase here. Right now, it's just about impossible to get your hands on a new car. Well, unless you're willing to make a blood sacrifice or give up your firstborn heir. However, one brand is trying its hardest to find a vehicle to bring in new blood: Nissan. The brand hopes that the new 2022 Nissan Leaf will be that vehicle, and the brand is offering a killer lease deal to get it done.

If the last year has taught us one thing, it's that camping is back in a big way. People were stuck in a house or apartment with nowhere to go and the constant blaring of negative news in their ears. So, we got out. We went camping. It led to a massive uptick in SUV and truck sales, but what if that isn't the only way to get out? What if, you take a sports car camping instead?

Generally speaking, we don't think of sports cars as regular best sellers. They're usually left to the bottom of "top sellers" charts and that's just the way things are. However, Porsche has a knack for eschewing this concept. Now, the German brand has done it again with the Porsche 911.