Technology

As much of the country is plunged into Arendelle levels of frigid temperatures, ice and snow this week, electric cars may be feeling the sting more than other types of vehicles due to battery and charging issues that come up when temps drop.

Sony executives hyped up the Afeela EV’s high-tech features, touting both its incorporation of artificial intelligence as well as its potential as a platform for entertainment, gaming and other apps.

Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle concepts are essentially a cab atop a skateboard-style EV chassis that allows you to swap out the entire rear portion of the vehicle to suit different uses.

BMW is showing off new in-car video and gaming offerings, as well as an upcoming AI-powered voice assistant and automated parking functions.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled several in-car tech upgrades, including a generative AI-powered virtual assistant and a new Sound Drive audio experience that will be rolling out to its new vehicles soon.

VW will launch ChatGPT in vehicles with its latest infotainment tech: the ID family of electric vehicles, as well as the Passat, Tiguan and Golf.

As Hyundai recently did, Kia also has now announced an anti-theft hardware update. The upgrade is free to owners of affected vehicles at Kia dealerships nationwide.

IIHS and Consumer Reports confirmed that all 20 participating automakers have made good on their voluntary commitment to add automatic emergency braking technology into their vehicles.

The fix involves a reinforcement that protects the ignition cylinder — the thing the key slides into in the steering column — and prevents its removal, which is necessary for the means of theft being promoted on social media.

GM is recalling more than 60,100 Buick Encore GX and Envista SUVs and Chevrolet Trax SUVs over an issue that may cause the instrument panel to go blank.