Nate Parsons

1 month ago | cars.usnews.com | Ryan Maxin |Rusha Shrestha |Nate Parsons

RUCKERSVILLE, Va. — At a sprawling facility in rural Virginia, engineers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety busy themselves smashing 4,000-pound vehicles into solid barriers and documenting the results. It’s a pretty cool gig. And it’s only one of the myriad methods the IIHS employs to test the safety mechanisms in today’s vehicles and advocate for systems that make driving safer. AdvertisementKey Takeaways: The IIHS is a nonprofit wholly funded by the auto insurance industry.

1 month ago | cars.usnews.com | Victoria Scott |Kristen Hall-Geisler |Nate Parsons

The proliferation of electric cars on American roads in recent years has brought with it an immense amount of technology and terminology. Many car shoppers are familiar with what a hybrid is (a car that uses both gas and electric power to move), but there are many different types of hybrids underneath that umbrella. A “mild hybrid” design has become commonplace in recent years, especially with luxury automakers.

2 months ago | cars.usnews.com | Kristen Hall-Geisler |Warren Clarke |Nate Parsons

CreditAmerican Honda Motor Co., Inc.|Which Cars Are the Most American? The auto industry has had a rocky 2025 so far, with the addition, and retraction, and addition, and retraction of tariffs on cars and parts manufactured outside the United States. These tariffs are expected to add thousands of dollars to the price of new vehicles, putting a squeeze on both production and consumer demand.

2 months ago | cars.usnews.com | Kristen Hall-Geisler |Warren Clarke |Nate Parsons

Heat pumps are a hot topic these days (pun intended). Many homeowners are opting for this climate-friendlier technology when it comes time to replace or upgrade their home heating systems, but did you know that heat pumps are making their way into cars too? Specifically, they're used in electric vehicles, which don't have an internal combustion engine pouring out excess heat.

2 months ago | cars.usnews.com | Nate Parsons |Alex Kwanten

NEW YORK — The 2025 New York International Auto Show kicks off this week, and automakers from around the globe are showing off their latest and greatest models. Along with cars, trucks, SUVs and vans that are already currently available to buy at dealerships across the country, many automotive companies are adding new models to the mix, and they are using the NYC Auto Show to introduce them to the world.