This bold Renault concept traveled 626 miles at a speed of 60 MPH on a single charge: TDS.

      Adrien Cortesi/Renault

      

      

      

      

      

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      Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

      The Downshift serves as The Drive’s morning overview of all the essential auto industry news you need to be aware of. News is condensed into a few sentences and includes links for further reading if desired. It pairs well with a warm drink of your choice, especially while the snow is falling, as it is outside my window right now.

      🚨 This is the final Downshift of 2025. Beginning tomorrow, I and other members of The Drive will be taking a break for the holidays. While you can still anticipate new stories and reviews on the site through the end of the year, regular TDS updates will resume the week of Jan. 5. Additionally, a shoutout to our colleague Joel, who usually handles these updates, as he underwent back surgery yesterday. Wishing you a swift recovery, boss!

      To you, the reader, thank you for your interest in our work and for following TDS this past year. We launched this daily news summary halfway through 2025, and it has rapidly become a key feature of the site; this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and an excellent beginning to 2026. Now, let’s get started.

      🏃‍➡️ Renault reports that its Filante long-range EV concept achieved a distance of 626 miles at an average speed of 63 mph, utilizing the same 87-kWh battery pack as its Scenic E-Tech SUV. The prototype apparently had 11% battery charge remaining by the end of the trial, which would have allowed it to exceed 700 miles. Given its innovative design and relatively light weight of 2,200 pounds, this vehicle may not see mass production, but similar to the efficiency concepts from Mercedes, we hope some of the research and development will contribute to improving future EVs.

      💰 Mercedes has reached a settlement with 48 U.S. states to conclude a prolonged investigation into alleged emissions cheating involving diesel vehicles, agreeing to pay $150 million. As part of the agreement, the automaker will compensate eligible owners and lessees with $2,000 if their vehicle needed emissions repairs, according to Reuters. The company claims this marks the conclusion of U.S. legal proceedings related to its Dieselgate issues.

      🔎 Representatives from the California Public Utilities Commission are looking into how Waymo's robotaxis were unable to navigate San Francisco during the blackouts this past weekend that disrupted many traffic signals.

      🔩 Toyota is recalling 55,405 Camry Hybrid and Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles due to a loose bolt in the hybrid system’s inverter that “could lead to a loss of motive power or could pose a fire risk while the vehicle is in operation,” according to the manufacturer’s bulletin. The recall remedy is still under consideration, as noted by Reuters, citing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While I’m not a powertrain engineer, I would suggest that tightening that bolt could be a practical first step.

      💺 The Lucid Gravity, not-a-minivan electric SUV, has issued its first recall, which affects just 66 vehicles. It appears that the driver’s and passenger’s seat-back covers were improperly handled at the factory. This could be problematic as it impairs the functioning of the side airbag system.

      ⚡ Ford is working on a new “universal” electric vehicle platform, aimed at smaller and more affordable models, though the automaker's European division is uncertain if it would be suitable for its market, according to Automotive News. This may seem unusual, but Ford recently partnered with Renault to utilize its EV platform in Europe.

      🎮 The Hyundai Elantra N TCR race car will be featured in Gran Turismo 7 in an update next month, as announced by the automaker. The PlayStation driving simulation launched in 2022 without new Hyundai performance models, but has since expanded over the past year to include the Ioniq 5 N and Elantra N road car.

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