Latest news with #NicoDeMattia
The Drive
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Tesla Cybertruck $16K Range Extender and Original Promised Range Is Officially Not Happening
Last October, Tesla announced it was adding a range extender option to the Cybertruck. It was mostly an attempt to finally give its controversial truck the range Elon Musk promised when it launched, but ultimately failed to deliver. Unfortunately, those promises seem like they'll remain unkept, as Tesla has reportedly squashed the range extender option without ever delivering a single one. According to a Cybertruck customer email seen by Electrek , Tesla confirmed that the range extender option is dead for good. The customer put a deposit down on the range extender, as an add-on for their truck, but will get their $2,000 back. 'Thank you for being a Cybertruck owner,' the email read, according to the outlet. 'We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck. As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full. The amount will be returned to the original payment method used for the transaction.' Tesla This is the end of a seven-month saga, but it's worth remembering how we got here. When Tesla first announced the Cybertruck, its top-end, tri-motor Cyberbeast model was supposed to have a range of 500 miles. It ultimately rolled out with 320 miles. To rectify that, Tesla announced a range extender way back in 2023, and priced it at $16,000 last fall, which left customers scratching their heads. Unlike most EV range extenders, Tesla's wasn't a small gas-powered engine. Instead, it was just an additional battery pack that ate up space in the already compromised bed. However, it only bumped range to an initially claimed 440 miles (470 miles for the dual-motor version), which was still lower than the truck's original 500-mile claim. Its added range figures were then quietly updated to 445 miles for the dual-motor truck, and 415 miles for the Cyberbeast. Tesla initially said the range extender was coming in early 2025, and it was taking reservations along with a $2,000 deposit. Unsurprisingly, it was delayed. In late 2024, Tesla pushed the delivery date goal post back to 'mid-2025' but kept taking reservations. Last month, we reported that the range extender option for new Cybertrucks disappeared from Tesla's website entirely. Despite no official announcement from the automaker, its disappearance led customers to believe that their long-range dreams were dead. Based on today's news, those expectations appear to be true. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
The Drive
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
2025 Toyota GR Corolla Dad Review: More Hot Than Hatch
Relatively speaking, the $40,000 2025 Toyota GR Corolla is an accessible performance car that probably didn't need further democratizing, but Toyota did it anyway by introducing an automatic version. Even with an automatic, the rowdy hot hatch is still a rowdy hot hatch. It's fast, sharp, and raucous. Its tiny turbocharged three-cylinder engine's boost builds like an '80s rally car's, its steering is meaty and accurate, and its suspension is firm . It's a car that likes to be wrestled around and gets better and better the faster and harder you drive it. But it's still a hatchback. So it needs to be practical, sensible, and usable every day. We were curious as to how this People's Performance car fares with the littlest people among us: children. So, as a dad to two young boys, I put its practicality to the test for a week to see how Toyota's hot hatch handles dad duty. Nico DeMattia Car Seat Installation: 👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️ Kid Comfort: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️ Kids' car seats have a tendency to make any car's back seat—even ones in big SUVs—feel small. So when I saw the GR Corolla's rear quarters, I instantly got nervous. It's a cramped space even without car seats (and even by small-car standards), but with them inside, the Toyota's rear became a penalty box. Moving the front passenger seat forward to accommodate, the front passenger becomes instantly miserable, since my wife's knees were uncomfortably close to the dashboard. Loading the car seats in is a pain, too, as the door openings are narrow, as are the GR's seats themselves. So it's tough to get seatbelts through or around to buckle them in. Since I have a three-year-old and a seven-year-old, the little one has a full-on car seat that needs to be opened up like a clamshell and have the belt fed through it. The booster for the bigger kid is much easier; he just pulls the seatbelt across his body and buckles it like the rest of us. But this booster is wider than the rear seatback of the GR Corolla, so it doesn't fit nicely and gets in the way of the buckle. Nico DeMattia Once the kiddos were situated, they were mostly fine, but they didn't have as much legroom as they would have liked. The three-year-old kept putting his shoes on the back of the front passenger chair, and I, too, received many kicks in the back from the seven-year-old. Hard to blame them, though, as they felt pretty claustrophobic, and there aren't even any air vents dedicated to rear passengers. For context, I own an old E90 BMW 3 Series, which felt like a flipping S-Class to them after being in the GR Corolla. Rear Seat Climate Control: ⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️ Dad duty isn't just about carrying kids, it's carrying all of their stuff, too. That means backpacks, sports bags, toys, and any other random crap they suddenly have the urge to bring that day. So trunk space is every bit as important as backseat space. Unfortunately, there's probably more room in the GR Corolla's front passenger seat than there is in its trunk. Not only is it comically small to begin with, due to the all-wheel-drive system eating into trunk floor space, but the 2025 model now has a rear strut brace that eats up some of what's left and gets in the way when trying to fit big items with the seats folded down. It also gets in the way of attaching the car seat's rear anchor, which inspired several, very colorful expletives at Toyota's expense. Sure, the strut brace looks cool and shows off the GR's performance chops, but a hot hatch is meant to be fun and practical. In this department, the GR is the former but not the latter. Nico DeMattia This car won't be all that helpful if your kid happens to be the goalie of their hockey team or play the cello, let alone accommodate big trips to IKEA or Home Depot. Cargo Area Roominess: 👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️ As exciting as the GR Corolla is, it's still a Corolla underneath, so its interior feels mostly the same as the standard car. Its materials are mostly pretty cheap-feeling, and the design is drab at best. However, the GR-specific front seats are great, and Toyota's infotainment system is one of the better ones in the business. Overall, it's fine for the driver, but it isn't going to make any of its other passengers very happy. Nico DeMattia The upside to the mostly hard, cheap plastics, along with standard leather seats, is that it's going to be easy to clean. And where there are children, there is also much cleaning. Kids spill drinks and snack crumbs and dirty the carpets with their shoes. So, being able to easily wipe things down is necessary, and the GR's cabin is great for that. Comfort: 👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️⚪️ Cleanability: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼 Practicality and functionality matter little if the kids aren't smiling, though. That's where the GR Corolla redeems itself. Its hilarious, rip-snorting nature makes up for a lot of its practical downfalls once the kids start giggling. Since the GR Corolla is quick but only modestly powered, you can stab the throttle and give the kids some speed and noise without getting too dangerous. It's the perfect amount of power to safely provide some excitement. Nico DeMattia It looks cool, too. My kids still talk about the 'cool red car' they got to go to school in. They didn't love climbing in and out of it, but once they were in and we were on the move, they loved it. They'd egg me on to drive faster and take corners harder. Whenever the revs climbed and its buzzy exhaust note roared, they'd laugh and ask for more. As a dad/car nerd, there are few things in life more fun. At that point, who cares about practicality? Fun Factor: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼 The latest car news, reviews, and features. Nico DeMattia The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla isn't a great dad car, even if it's sort of shaped like one. It's disappointing to see just how impractical it is, considering it's a hatchback—you may actually get better practicality from a sporty sedan. However, it's a great hot hatch and one of the most fun cars you can get for the money. So if you want a small, fun sports car that can fit some kids in the back if it has to, it might cause a couple of headaches, but the smiles it provides will make up for them. Dad Car Verdict: 👦🏼👦🏼👦🏼⚪️⚪️ 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Specs MT AT Base Price $39,995 $41,995 Powertrain 1.6-liter turbo-three | 6-speed manual | all-wheel drive 1.6-liter turbo-three | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive Horsepower 300 @ 6,500 rpm << Torque 295 lb-ft @ 3,250-4,600 rpm << Seating Capacity 5 << Cargo Volume 17.8 cubic feet << Curb Weight 3,274-3,303 pounds 3,319-3,347 pounds 0-60 mph 4.9 seconds << Top Speed 142.9 mph << EPA Fuel Economy 21 mpg city | 28 highway | 24 combined 19 mpg city | 27 highway | 22 combined Got tips? Send 'em in to: tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
The Drive
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
This $24,000 'E-Wagon' Golf Cart Is Basically a Power Wheels for Grown-Ups
A country club membership can make you feel elite, like you're a class above the plebs who get stopped at the door. But what if you're elite even by country club standards? What if you're at the tippy-top of the financial food chain, a real one-percenter? You can't be slumming it on the green with every dentist and lawyer in regular golf carts. Instead, you need to get a Bodo E-Wagon golf cart, like this one that recently sold at a Mecum auction. OK, so aside from the fact that this is essentially just a rich grown-up version of a Little Tikes car, it's kind of fun. At a very quick glance, it could pass for a real Mercedes G-Class, at least until a human stands next to it, for scale. The proportions have clearly been tweaked for golf cart duty. Bodo has also traded Merc's three-pointed star logo for its own, but of course, anyone determined enough could always just change it out. Especially if they desire that badge as much as, or perhaps more than, the vehicle itself. Mecum The E-Wagon (or 'G-Wagon'—the official name and even solid info on the company that makes it is, perhaps unsurprisingly, hard to find) is a bit more sophisticated than what golfers normally use from tee to tee. For starters, it's fully enclosed, with power locking doors and even power windows. As someone whose allergies would be running wild on a golf course, that sounds nice. Once inside, it has caramel-colored leather seats, heating, air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes with a brake boost, a backup camera, and entertainment screens for backseat passengers. So it ain't just for looks—the E-Wagon is a genuinely luxurious golf cart. It's nicer inside than my actual car. Speaking of actual cars, this E-Wagon is capable of driving on some public roads. Some states allow for low-speed vehicles (LSVs) to drive on streets with speed limits of 25 mph or less. That said, it's actually too fast for states like New Jersey, which only allow an attainable top speed of 25 mph, and this faux Merc golf cart can do 35 mph. But if you do drive it on the road, it has fully functioning headlights, turn signals, and even windshield wipers. Mecum You can drive it pretty far, too. Its 10-kWh battery gives it an impressive 80 miles of range. That's about as much as the original BMW i3. Of course, it only has a 20-horsepower electric motor, and it's considerably smaller and lighter. Still, not bad at all for a fully loaded golf cart. This specific E-Wagon recently sold at a Mecum auction in Glendale, but there are others available at Florida-based dealer Gulf Carts. And not only G-Class replicas, either; you can get Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, and even Ram TRX-themed carts, too. Perfect for those kings and queens of the green who want to flex their pockets at the club. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
