Skip to main content

A car could be the star of Japan’s Olympic torch relay

 

Japan has finally arrived at the sad realization that it will have to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics due to the coronavirus chaos, though it hasn’t given up on the idea of starting the torch relay on time later this week.

Recommended Videos

But in an unexpected turn of events, the Tokyo Games organizing committee now says it plans to transport the flame inside a car instead of having athletes, celebrities, and local heroes run with it as per tradition, according to Kyodo News.

The idea is that sticking it in a car will keep the crowds off the street as few people will want to head to the highway to see it whiz by at 70 mph. It’s thought this will help to reduce the number of infections of the coronavirus (formally known as COVID-19), which, at the time of writing, doesn’t appear to have taken hold in Japan in the same way that it has in some other countries around the world.

Of course, carrying an open flame inside a closed car would be a logistical nightmare, and probably result in the vehicle arriving at its destination on fire. That’s why the Olympic flame will be carried not with the torch but instead inside a small lantern, with the car transporting it along each of the 47 relay routes across the country.

It’s not yet clear what kind of car will be taking the flame on its historic cross-country drive. At one end of the scale, it could be a Japanese electric supercar, while at the other end it might be a more modest, locally built Kei car. We hope it’s the latter, though it’s likely to be something in between.

As you might expect, the place at the end of each route has a special event planned to welcome the flame. But it’s not certain if these will go ahead as thousands of people would likely show up, just as they did for the flame’s first public appearance in the country last weekend — hardly what you want if you’re trying to avoid more virus infections. But then, if there’s no torch running, and no torch events, there would seem little point in driving the flame across Japan.

Continuing with the relay events would at least ensure that various places along the route will still gain publicity through local media as Japan uses them to throw the spotlight on different parts of the country. Indeed, carrying the iconic flame across the nation in a car may end up bagging the relay more attention than expected.

If they have to abandon human participants this time around, you’d have thought the committee would’ve brought Honda’s humanoid robot out of retirement, giving the organizers a chance to show off some of Japan’s technological prowess. But then again, the spectacle of Asimo running along while holding aloft the Olympic flame would surely bring chaos to the streets, and more chaos is something we could all do without just now.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Subaru’s electric comeback starts now: Trailseeker EV to debut in NYC
subaru trailseeker ev debut 2026 4  thumb

Subaru is finally accelerating into the EV fast lane. The automaker is officially teasing the 2026 Trailseeker, an all-new electric SUV set to debut at the New York International Auto Show next week. While details are still scarce, the Trailseeker marks Subaru’s long-awaited second entry into the EV space, joining the Solterra — and the expectations couldn't be higher.
The teaser image offers only a glimpse of the Trailseeker’s rear badge and taillight, but the name alone suggests rugged ambitions. It's a clear nod to Subaru’s outdoorsy heritage. But in the EV space, the outdoors belongs to brands like Rivian, whose upcoming R2 compact SUV is already turning heads. The Trailseeker is Subaru’s chance to reassert its identity in an electric age.
Currently, Subaru’s only EV is the Solterra, a joint venture with Toyota that shares a platform with the bZ4X. While the Solterra nails some Subaru essentials — all-wheel drive, spaciousness, and off-road capability — it falls short on key EV metrics. Reviewers have pointed to its modest 225-mile range, slow 100kW charging, and unremarkable acceleration, especially compared to rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5  or Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The hope is that Subaru has learned from these criticisms and is poised to deliver a more competitive product. The Trailseeker could either be a variation of a newer Toyota EV (possibly the next-gen C-HR+), or something entirely new under the shared platform strategy. Subaru previously announced that its next three EVs would be co-developed with Toyota, before launching four in-house EVs by 2028.
Given how long Subaru has waited to expand its EV offerings, the Trailseeker has to deliver. It's not just about adding a second electric model — it's about keeping pace with a market rapidly leaving legacy automakers behind. If the Trailseeker can improve on the Solterra's shortcomings and channel that classic Subaru ruggedness into a truly modern EV, it might just be the spark the brand needs.

Read more
EVs top gas cars in German reliability report — but one weak spot won’t quit
future electric cars 2021 volkswagen id4 official 32

Electric vehicles are quietly crushing old stereotypes about being delicate or unreliable, and the data now backs it up in a big way. According to Germany’s ADAC — Europe’s largest roadside assistance provider — EVs are actually more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. And this isn’t just a small study — it’s based on a staggering 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024 alone.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
So, while the long-term story is still developing, especially for older EVs, Germany’s data suggests that when it comes to simply keeping you on the road, EVs are pulling ahead — quietly, efficiently, and with far fewer breakdowns than you might expect.

Read more
Lucid Gravity shifts electric SUVs into a new orbit
2025 Lucid Gravity front quarter view.

After a very long takeoff roll, the Lucid Air electric luxury sedan arrived in 2020 and reset expectations for EV range, efficiency, and charging. The Air is an excellent first effort, but as a sedan its sales potential is inherently limited. So the 2025 Lucid Gravity — the automaker’s second model and first SUV — may be even more important for Lucid’s future.

Available in two-row, five-seat and three-row, seven-seat configurations, the Gravity aims to attract the much larger cohort of new car buyers who want extra space, or need a vehicle to accommodate their families and Instagram-worthy lifestyles. But those buyers already have plenty of choices, including the Cadillac Escalade IQ, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S, and Volvo EX90, as well as the two-row BMW iX.

Read more