Gas Prices Hit All-Time High, But You Still Paid More in 2008

Consumer marketing data from Experian shows Tesla's early 2022 production is off to a strong start, with new vehicle registrations outpacing German luxury titan BMW, the segment leader last year. It's a big achievement for Tesla, having its small all-electric lineup outpace the entire German stable of combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles combined.So far, Experian's data only reflects January vehicle registrations in the U.S. According to the data, via Automotive News, Tesla registrations rose 49 percent year-over-year in January, up to 37,162 vehicles. BMW also saw registrations rise, but only to a reported total of 30,563 new vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, which once also gave BMW a run for it's money, isn't doing as hot these days, with just 22,022 registrations, which is even fewer than Lexus for the month.Registrations in January do not directly reflect sales in January, since some vehicles are registered before delivery, when the sale is complete, leaving a gap in the two sets of data. Companies won't release more specific breakdowns until the end of the quarter.The Tesla Model Y, Model 3, and Model S took the top three spots for EV vehicle registrations in January, as well, with the Y and 3 accounting for 60 percent of new EVs sold that month, according to Experian's data. The Model X ranked ninth.The American luxury leader has been skipping around a bit lately, shifting from Mercedes-Benz a few years ago to a recent dominating run by BMW that was almost overturned by Tesla just last year, though BMW ultimately still won out.But that's why Tesla's strong January seems like a big deal—BMW is already slipping for 2022, and the outlook is only getting worse. The ongoing parts shortages, which are plaguing most of the auto market right now, paired with pandemic surges and rising gas prices will make it tough for BMW to keep its crown, if Tesla keeps its pace.It would appear Tesla, funnily enough, has fewer roadblocks to selling its cars at the moment, despite a rocky past. Or, at least not the same problems. With registrations up almost by half so far this year, it doesn't seem like industry supply shortages are taking their toll. January has traditionally been a low-output month for Tesla, with the bulk of its registrations typically coming later in an operating year, so this is a particularly promising start for 2022 for the automaker.

The rivalry between the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 is as fierce as any other, with both having helped kick off the compact, car-based crossover trend back in the late 1990s. But in recent years the CR-V has held an advantage, besting the RAV4 in comparison tests, our compact crossover rankings—and winning our SUV of the Year trophy (twice!). For 2023, the plot twists as Honda reveals the new sixth-generation CR-V. But the current fifth-generation RAV4, which went on sale in 2019, isn't exactly stale. How do the features and specs of these super-popular small SUVs compare? Read on, and you'll see that the rivalry remains.CR-V vs. RAV4: Exterior DimensionsWonder which will fit in a parking space more easily? The 2023 CR-V and RAV4 are similar in size, with the CR-V being a few inches longer but standing shorter than the RAV4. These dimensions vary based on trim and equipment. Wheelbase Length Width Height 2023 Honda CR-V 106.3 inches 184.8 inches 73.4 inches 66.2-66.6 inches 2023 Toyota RAV4 105.9 inches 180.9-181.5 inches 73.0-73.4 inches 67.0-68.6 inches CR-V vs. RAV4: Passenger and Cargo SpaceIn its new form the CR-V (rather predictably) grows larger inside. In addition to more second-row legroom, cargo space increases and is now identical between the CR-V and CR-V Hybrid; the Hybrid previously gave up some cargo space for its batteries. Its interior measurements are generally larger than those of the RAV4. Legroom (front/rear) Headroom (front/rear) Cargo Space (seats up/down) 2023 Honda CR-V 41.3/41.0 inches 38.0-40.1/39.1 inches 36.3/76.5 cu-ft 2023 Toyota RAV4 41.0/37.8 inches 37.7/39.5 inches 37.6/69.8 cu-ft CR-V vs. RAV4: Engines and Fuel EconomyIn the 2023 CR-V, the standard engine remains a 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 producing 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. Those stats match the outgoing model, but Honda says it's updated the engine for better responsiveness and less noise. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is available. Expect a 0-60 mph time of about 8.0 seconds, and fuel economy of 27/32 mpg city/highway with AWD.The 2023 RAV4's base engine is a 2.5-liter I-4 that makes 203 hp and 184 lb-ft, which is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and either FWD or AWD. Although larger and more powerful than the CR-V's engine, it sends the RAV4 to 60 mph in a similar 8.0 seconds and achieves 25/32 mpg with AWD.CR-V vs. RAV4: Hybrid ChoicesBoth the CR-V and RAV4 are available as hybrids. The 2023 CR-V Hybrid, like the previous version, utilizes a setup based around a 2.0-liter I-4 supplemented by two electric motors. The combined result is 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, all sent to the front wheels or all four with available AWD. Expect a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds, and fuel economy to rate at about 40/35 mpg (city/highway).The 2023 RAV4 Hybrid likewise uses an I-4 engine and two electric motors, but in a different configuration. It has a larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder, to which one electric motor is joined. The other motor turns the rear wheels, giving the RAV4 Hybrid AWD without a mechanical connection between the front and rear axles. Our test team recorded a 7.1-second 0-60 mph time from a RAV4 Hybrid. Its fuel economy is EPA-rated at 41/38 mpg (city/highway).Furthermore, the RAV4 is available as a plug-in hybrid. That model, the RAV4 Prime, has a larger battery which pushes total power to 302 hp—dropping the 0-60 mph time to a zippy 5.5 seconds. More relevant is its 42 miles of all-electric range. In hybrid driving, it achieves 94 mpg-e combined. No CR-V plug-in hybrid exists—at least, not yet.CR-V vs. RAV4: Safety FeaturesThe CR-V's Honda Sensing and RAV4's Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) safety suites give each SUV a remarkable amount of driver-assist and active-safety tech. Each is equipped with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. On the 2023 CR-V, sensors for these systems are said to be improved for more natural responses. Meanwhile, for 2023 the RAV4's automatic braking system was upgraded to avoid collisions when turning across an intersection. Every 2023 CR-V has hill descent control and a snow driving mode, which are found only on certain RAV4 trims.Although the 2023 CR-V has not yet been crash tested, Honda likely won't let it lose the IIHS Top Safety Pick + and and NHTSA five-star scores the previous model achieved for many consecutive years, especially considering the SUV now comes with improved front and additional side airbags. In its most recent round of crash testing, the RAV4 achieved IIHS Top Safety Pick designation and a NHTSA five-star overall score.CR-V vs. RAV4: In-Car TechnologyFor 2023 the RAV4 was updated to have an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard, or a 10.5-inch unit on higher-end models, both running Toyota's latest software that debuted in the Tundra pickup. Meanwhile the 2023 CR-V's basic touchscreen measures 7.0 inches, and grows to 9.0 inches on higher trims. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a common feature between them, but only the RAV4 has dual-device Bluetooth connectivity. Both have a 7.0-inch gauge cluster display, but the RAV4 offers a 12.3-inch all-digital gauge cluster.The 2023 CR-V has two USB ports as standard while the RAV4 has three. Depending on trim, two more USB charge points are added in the second row, as well as a front-row wireless charger. Both SUVs are offered with a premium sound system: An 11-speaker JBL setup in the RAV4, and a 12-speaker Bose arrangement in the CR-V.CR-V vs. RAV4: Prices and Trim LevelsPricing for the 2023 CR-V has not been announced, but you can expect its base price to go up slightly (if it's anything like the new Civic launched last year, that bump might be minimal). That's partially due to the fact that the previous entry-level LX trim has been discontinued, leaving EX as the CR-V's starting trim. Expect the 2023 CR-V to start at a few bucks under $30,000, while the Hybrid model will likely go for approximately $3,000 more. The range-topping CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring could command about $38,000.Thanks to the low-frills LE trim which costs about $28,000, the RAV4's starting price will likely be less than that of the CR-V. Similarly, the RAV4 Hybrid starts in LE trim, at just under $31,000. At the high end of the range, the RAV4 Prime XSE costs nearly $45,000.So, New CR-V or RAV4?On paper, the RAV4 has certain advantages over the CR-V: More power, larger screens, additional powertrain choices, and a diverse range of trims. However, in its prior iteration the CR-V earned our praise with its good driving manners, which the RAV4 hasn't always been able to muster. Will the new 2023 CR-V remain so enjoyable that it makes up for any potential shortcomings compared to the RAV4? We'll find out soon when we drive it, and as the CR-V lineup surely expands in the years ahead.

The investment in automotive electrification has ramped up sharply in recent years, with new advances in battery chemistry, motor and controller technology, and charging infrastructure being announced almost weekly. We've generally spared our readers the chemistry lesson required to describe every new battery electrolyte formula to come along, but we've passed along the most novel, interesting, and promising of concepts that promise to advance electrification. Here are highlights from just the past two years.Maybe Pair Capacitors and Batteries?Chemical batteries are great at storing energy. They just can't do it extremely quickly. Capacitors can accept and release huge amounts of energy quickly but can't hold this energy for very long. Capacitors on cars aren't new—Mazda introduced its i-ELOOP energy recovery capacitor on the 2014 Mazda6 sedan. But in November 2019 we reported on a joint research effort by Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to triple the energy storage capacity of ultracapacitors, by replacing the porous activated carbon used in most capacitors with a new powder composed of metal-organic framework compounds comprising primarily of nickel, copper, and molecular carbon that effectively doubles the surface area inside the same volume/mass of powder, which is how it doubles the energy density. Research continues, and although ultracapacitors will likely never replace chemical batteries, this Lambo/MIT ultracapacitor could greatly reduce the mass of the energy-storage battery required, guaranteeing both nimble handling, ferocious acceleration, and track-worthy regenerative braking.Mine the SeafloorA perennial and legitimate argument against complete electrification is the question of ethical and environmentally sensitive sourcing of the various metals and other materials required. So in June 2020 we reported on the discovery of naturally occurring polymetallic nodules that line the Pacific Ocean's abyssal deep seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton zone (lying roughly between Mexico and Hawaii). These potato-sized blobs are typically composed of 29.2 percent manganese, 1.3 percent nickel, 1.1 percent copper, and 0.2 percent cobalt. They form naturally and sit in the silt, where they can be fairly easily scraped up using a drag bucket of sorts. This area is recognized as the planet's largest known source of battery metals and is thought to be capable of supporting production of 280 million EVs. But the metals supply and mining industries are awaiting a green light from various organizations studying environmental impact on fisheries, etc.The State of the Solid-State BatterySolid-state batteries promise to solve myriad nasty battery problems: Liquid or gel electrolytes are flammable and can freeze, so they need costly warming, cooling, and safety monitoring. Additionally, fast charging can result in the formation of lithium metal spikes that can pierce the battery's permeable "separator," short-circuiting the cell. One downside of solid-state is that lithium formation on the anode causes the cell to physically expand, which must be accounted for in the pack design. In December 2020 we reported on California-based QuantumScape's promising new solid-state battery, which claimed to boost range by 80 percent and to function at temperatures ranging from -20 to 80 degrees C, all of which attracted a huge investment from the Volkswagen Group. In the months since, we've reported on Toyota's in-house solid-state battery program, which is likely to see production in hybrid vehicles first, and on Factorial Energy of Massachusetts inking a development deal with Hyundai-Kia, claiming its battery can boost range by 20-50 percent.Gallium-Nitride Semiconductor Chips to Speed ChargingIf the long Chipocalypse, currently still crippling auto sales as we write this, has any silver lining, it might be that as the industry tools up to produce more chips, some of that new production can be dedicated to gallium-nitride, rather than silicon-based chips. This semiconductor material, which enabled the first white LED lights and powered Blu-ray disc readers, is able to simultaneously withstand higher voltages and present a smaller resistance to electric current flow relative to either the silicon (Si) or silicon carbide (SiC) materials. Lower resistance means less heat buildup, which can allow smaller devices to deliver greater power flow and faster switching, which in the case of an EV's onboard power inverter can equate to faster charging and/or greater range. Our July 2021 coverage of Texas Instruments and Odyssey Semiconductors GaN chips noted that engineering samples were to be available in late 2021, which should mean production might commence after a few years of development."Cylinder-Deactivation" for Electric MotorsIt's hard to believe, but the same concept that boosts fuel economy of a piston engine by shutting several cylinders down and making the functioning cylinders work harder can be applied to electric motors, as well. Tula Technologies, the folks who pioneered the Dynamic Fuel Management system in use on more than a million GM trucks and SUVs, has introduced Dynamic Motor Drive. During certain high-speed light-load conditions, where electric motors are not quite as efficient, DMD pulses brief bursts of higher torque to meet the steady-state need, which conserves energy by reducing heat buildup in the rotor core and the power inverter. The power savings are minimal on mainstream permanent-magnet and AC-induction type motors, but they're significant on the cheapest synchronous reluctance motors, which are only used in industrial applications today. The technology promises to eliminate some of the noise and "torque-ripple" vibration that currently disqualifies these motors from EV use. It could also make them more efficient than AC induction and sidestep supply-chain worries inherent in permanent-magnet motors.Lower Cost Via Simplified ManufacturingThis tech story ran in conjunction with our 2022 Lucid Air Car of the Year coverage, describing the nascent Tesla Model S fighter's many innovations aimed at efficient, lower-cost manufacturing. The battery pack, for example, consists of two injection moldings. One incorporates the sides, top, and all power-delivery busbars, and the other includes the cooling plate. Because this only needs to contact the ends of each cylindrical cell, dramatically less heat-conducting glue is needed than in the radially cooled Tesla packs. The Lucid packs can be robotically assembled in a dark plant. The motor's hairpin-style square-section winding consists of just 24 individual wires that are woven for ease of assembly into the stator and the need for only 24 solder connections. And extreme downsizing of the power inverter, final drive units, and more yield impressive weight savings that pay off in cost and range improvements.Lithium-Sulfur Triple ThreatSilicon Valley battery-tech company Lyten came out of stealth in September and revealed a battery chemistry boasting triple the traditional lithium-ion batteries' energy storage per pound. That's because a sulfur atom can host two lithium ions, while a typical NMC-oxide cathode can only manage 0.5-0.7 ions. But during charging, those lithium ions sometimes bring sulfur atoms along with them when they migrate to the other electrode, and this depletes the battery. Lyten's secret is to cage each sulfur atom in one of the millions of tiny boxes afforded by their proprietary 3-D graphene sheets. And because carbon is more conductive than sulfur, power flows better than in previous lithium-sulfur batteries. The company says it has demonstrated 1,400 charge/discharge cycles (sufficient for EV use) and that it plans to select a factory site in Q1 of 2022 to support incorporation of LytCells for use in vehicles by the 2025 or 2026 model year. Most experts we spoke with find that timing to be overly optimistic, but perhaps looming local content requirements the USMCA trade agreement calls for in 2023 will inspire overtime development, as all LytCell materials are abundantly available in North America."Massless" Structural BatteriesOne way to get weight out of battery electric vehicles is to force the batteries to "multitask," by serving as part of the vehicle's structure. Raw, uncoated carbon-fiber strands are great electrical conductors, and because they typically include tiny voids that can easily accept lithium ions, they function well as a battery's negative electrode. Apply a lithium-iron-phosphate/graphene-oxide coating to said fibers, and you've got a structural cathode. Now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden think they've found a suitable polymer electrolyte with a cross-linking monomer that enhances the material's structural rigidity while still conducting lithium ions. The team is targeting an energy density about one-third that of mono-tasking dead-weight lithium-ion. Still, studies indicate that replacing roughly 70 percent of the interior and exterior panels and 60 percent of the body structure of a Tesla Model S (85 kWh) or BMW i3 with SBC, should lower mass by 26 and 19 percent with range dropping by 36 and 17 percent, respectively. Alternatively, doubling the thickness and mass of these SBC panels to bring the cars back to mass parity should boost range by 20 percent in the Tesla and 70 percent in the BMW (while adding foot room). Cost estimates for this brand-new technology are not yet available.Lead image: Mina De La O/Getty Images