Month: January 2026

https://www.autoblog.com/news/texas-rolls-out-digital-speed-limit-signs

Drivers in the state of Texas can no longer assume they know the roads well enough to stick with the speeds they’ve always done, as new variable speed limits are rolling out across the state. Digital speed limit signs are being installed to change the legal limit on certain roads after a deadly February 2021 crash, originally attributed to icy roads, raised safety concerns. A multi-car pileup took place on I-35W during an intense winter storm, and temperatures had fallen below freezing for over 36 hours with speed limits remaining at 75 mph, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s report. Six died, and 36 were injured in an accident that spanned 1,100 feet on the North Tarrant Expressway.

Expect to See More Digital Signs Across the State

Naturally, a vehicle’s braking distance and handling change when the weather turns inclement and reduces traction, and these new variable limits aim to reduce the risks that drivers face when their vehicles become more difficult to control. The initiative began with a pilot program two years ago, after legislators approved the use of variable speed limits to change posted limits depending on road conditions. The idea is that people will be encouraged to drive more slowly when the weather turns bad, when there’s traffic up ahead, or when other hazards present themselves (roadworks, accidents, et cetera). Similar signs already exist in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Florida, and several other states, using real-time data to adjust the limits in the hopes of improving safety and flow.

Related: Hennessey Reveals Why He Keeps Chasing Dangerous Speed Records

"If we’re not able to alter or modify the speed limit to reflect the current conditions, safety is in jeopardy," State Representative Terry Canales, author of the bill to authorize variable speed limits, told the Texas Tribune. The signs will start to appear on freeways already connected to the Intelligent Transportation System, which uses cameras and sensors to monitor conditions, readjusting the limits once conditions are deemed safe, reports Chron.

Meanwhile, in Arizona…

As Texas works to ensure speed limits suit the conditions, a new bill proposed by Arizona State Rep. Nick Kupper could remove them entirely — but only at certain times. The Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving (RAPID) Act endeavors to give the Arizona Department of Transportation the authority to create "derestricted speed zones" on certain rural interstates during daylight hours, with an 80-mph limit remaining in place after dark. The derestriction would also not apply to commercial vehicles, including semi trucks, and urban areas with populations over 50,000 people would remain restricted, too. A long list of requirements would need to be met, but like the implementation of variable limits in Texas, the idea is that this would help improve traffic flow and safety, though some argue that irresponsible individuals would abuse the Autobahn-like measure.

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December 30, 2025 at 01:26PM

https://www.autoblog.com/news/toyota-says-americas-evs-could-power-40-nuclear-reactors

The Irony of Toyota’s Big Announcement

Toyota just dropped an eye-opening postulation about battery electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid capabilities. The manufacturer says the roughly four million EVs currently on American roads could collectively pump approximately 40,000 megawatts back into the power grid, equalling what 40 nuclear reactors generate. Your idle EV could help stabilize grids by leveling spikes in demand, limit outages, and technically even reduce your energy costs.

The only issue with this is that Toyota is championing V2G technology without currently offering a single production vehicle in North America that supports bidirectional charging. A Japanese-spec bZ4X prototype equipped with V2G has been doing the rounds for the pilot, but American buyers can’t buy it. Toyota is essentially promoting technology they haven’t yet committed to selling.

Why Bidirectional Charging Is a Big Deal 

This is how it works in theory: EV owners charge batteries during cheap off-peak nighttime hours, then either power their homes directly or sell stored energy back to the grid during expensive peak periods. Think of it like the stock market: buy low and sell high, though that isn’t the prime goal here.

Bidirectional charging can stabilize the grid during extreme weather or outages. When thousands of vehicles act as distributed storage, utility companies can avoid firing up expensive backup generators during demand spikes. What’s more interesting is vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-load technology, which allows drivers to directly give energy back to their homes or appliances.

Final Thoughts

While Toyota experiments, other manufacturers have already delivered. The Ford F-150 Lightning’s 9.6 kW of V2H power is enough to run an average house for three days during outages. Nissan pioneered this space in 2013 with the Leaf, theoretically letting owners earn money by feeding power back during peak demand. General Motors standardized V2H charging across its 2024 electric lineup, while Hyundai and Kia are running European pilot programs with the Ioniq 5. Tesla‘s Cybertruck now delivers 11.5 kW of home backup through its Powerwall system.

Despite Toyota’s grand projections, implementation faces obstacles. Most grids aren’t configured for bidirectional charging, and the home charging equipment costs thousands of dollars, turning off users who own vehicles with V2G capability. Then there’s battery degradation from working those extra cycles, and the fact that the regulatory framework governing electricity sales varies wildly from state to state. While the current costs associated with setting up bidirectional charging still skew the economics against it, the time when it all makes sense and Toyota’s vision comes to life isn’t so far off. 

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January 1, 2026 at 10:49AM