In The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton wrote about killer alien space crystals that are (spoiler alert) ultimately stymied by Earth's breadth of pH values. In reality, crystals grown in space could be key to a new generation of cancer-fighting treatments that save lives, not threaten them.

Colorado-based startup Sierra Space is nearly ready to launch its reusable space plane, Dream Chaser. It's set to carry into orbit a 3-D printed module designed by engineers at pharma giant Merck. If the test goes well, and if Dream Chaser's gentle reentry process keeps that sensitive cargo safe, this could be the start of something big - despite those crystals being microscopic.

A brief history of space crystals

Space crystals sound like something an astrology guru would hang over their bed to help them sleep, but there's real science here. According to the ISS National Lab, crystals grown in space are simply better: "Scientists hypothesize that these observed benefits result from a slower, more uniform movement of molecules into a crystalline lattice in microgravity."

Research into monoclonal antibodies points towards crystallization as being key for developing more stable, subcutaneous …

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Thanks to our new global tariff war, the wild world of importing and exporting has been thrust into the forefront. There's a lot of logistics involved in keeping your local Walmart stocked and your Amazon Prime deliveries happening, and you might be surprised at how much of that world has already been automated.

While cars from autonomy providers like Waymo are still extremely rare in most stretches of the open road, the process of loading and unloading cargo has become almost entirely automated at some major ports around the world. Likewise, there's an increasing shift to electrify the various vehicles involved along the way, eliminating a significant source of global emissions.

But there's been one sticking point in this automated, electrified logistical dream: plugging in. The humble act of charging still happens via human hands, but that's changing. At a testing facility in Sweden, a company called Rocsys has demonstrated an automated charger that works with self-driving electric trucks from Einride in a hands-free and emissions-free partnership that could save time, money, and even lives.

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• I was so focused on my career that I missed important moments with my kids when they were little.
• My family was so accustomed to my absence, that they didn't think I could change.
• Now, I'm focusing on intentional parenting, prioritizing small gestures, and honest conversations.

I remember having a conversation with an old friend over ten years ago. He was so downcast about the challenges of parenting his 5-year-old son, that he was adamant that he didn't want any more kids. I didn't see where he was coming from.

At that point, I had two daughters who were 6 and 8, and a son, who was still a toddler. Although I felt like parenting was challenging, I wouldn't have traded my kids for the world. Watching them grow made for the most meaningful parts of my life. I just wish I had been present for more of them. Maybe then, I might have understood the struggles my friend was experiencing.

I worked a lot

To ensure my family was comfortable, and the kids had everything they needed, I had to work two jobs that took up a majority of my time. Because I was so focused on growing my career, I wasn't present for many of the important milestones in their lives. Between work, my daily routine, the constant rhythm of raising kids, and being a partner, I didn't have much left to give them physically, or emotionally. I often got home when the kids were already in bed, and left in the mornings when they were still asleep.

My wife who stayed home with the kids would tell me about their days and how they were fairing in school, but I'll admit that most of those conversations slipped through the cracks of my overworked brain. After putting in 20-hour shifts, I wasn't the most attentive person in the room.

I saw my kids and tried to spend time with them on the weekends, but I also needed time to rest and recharge. It often felt like I was playing catch up with them. In hindsight, I wasn't always tuned in the way I should have been, and now I wish I had done things differently.

The years flew by

I looked up one day and my daughters were in their late teens, my son was 12, and we all felt like strangers to each other. After years on the grind, I was slowing down because my career had flourished and I was feeling the need to reconnect with my family. My daughters were getting ready to go to prom, and acting like typical teenagers — being moody, talking back, and occasionally getting in trouble in school and with boys — and I realized I had missed out on raising them the way I had wanted to.

Over the years, my family didn't lack for much financially, but my kids and my wife constantly expressed their desire to spend more time with me. It got to a point where they counted me out of important events because of my constant unavailability.

In recent years I have spent a lot of time convincing them that I was ready to show up, but they have been so used to my absence, that they didn't believe I could change. My word wasn't good enough for because I'd shown them that work had always been the priority.

I'm trying to make amends

After many candid conversations with my wife and kids, and with the benefit of a changing perspective, I see how much more I could have leaned in as a father and helped my wife raise our kids. Today, my daughters are in their 20s, and my son is a teenager, but I'm still trying to make amends. I've made peace with the fact that I can't go back and do things differently, but now I'm more intentional with the time I spend with my kids together, and separately.

I missed out on so much, and I'm still learning what my kids enjoy. I try to get out of my comfort zone with my son, by playing video games, golfing, walking trails and doing things I wouldn't otherwise do on my own. I'm also more curious with the girls, especially with things like makeup, weird skincare routines, shopping sprees, and I'm particularly keen to know anything about their dating lives. I try to show up for my kids, even if it's listening to them talk about subjects I don't fully understand.

Grand gestures and sweeping apologies have never worked for my children. I've learned that they value the little things such as a text, a walk in the park, or sharing a meal. One of the biggest shifts has been creating space for honest conversations. Sometimes they still talk about my being an absentee father, and I try to listen without being defensive, even if it hurts. Despite everything, I'm grateful that my kids still love and accept me regardless of the past. I'm parenting intentionally now and although I'm a little late to the game, I hope that my children feel seen, loved and valued.

Since Slate Auto came out of stealth mode last week, the internet has been abuzz with speculation about the finer details of the ultra-barebones electric Truck, which is set to cost just $20,000 when it enters production next year - assuming our federal EV incentives are still in place by then.

One of those questions was where Slate will build the thing, with a TechCrunch report suggesting a factory in Indiana. Today we can officially confirm the details. Slate Auto will retrofit an existing 1.4 million square foot factory in Warsaw, Indiana, where the company plans to eventually produce 150,000 Trucks annually.

If you missed all the excitement last week, Slate's Truck is a radically simplified EV with 150 miles of range, a barebones machine that could be considered a minimum viable car. It has no touchscreen, no radio, no power windows, and no paint.

Those were some of the concessions required to make an EV that inexpensively in the United States, but some of those seeming compromises enable a uniquely streamlined production workflow.

Because the Truck doesn't have paint, Slate Auto's f …

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Ask just about anybody, and they'll tell you that new cars are too expensive. In the wake of tariffs shaking the auto industry and with the Trump administration pledging to kill the federal EV incentive, that situation isn't looking to get better soon, especially for anyone wanting something battery-powered. Changing that overly spendy status quo is going to take something radical, and it's hard to get more radical than what Slate Auto has planned.

Meet the Slate Truck, a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle that enters production next year. It only seats two yet has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. It only does 150 miles on a charge, only comes in gray, and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring along your phone and a Bluetooth speaker. It is the bare minimum of what a modern car can be, and yet it's taken three years of development to get to this point.

But this is more than bargain-basement motoring. Slate is presenting its truck as minimalist design with DIY purpose, an attempt to not just go cheap but to create a new category of vehicle with a huge focus on personalization. That design also enables a low-cost approach to …

Read the full story at The Verge.

If there’s one thing the auto industry hates, it’s uncertainty. When it takes upward of five or six years to bring a new car model to market, a certain administration throwing caution and global goodwill to the wind with a raft of unpredictable tariffs is decidedly bad news. 

Right now, the US tariff situation is constantly shifting, with limited exceptions being granted for certain manufacturers whose leaders are willing to bend the knee. While there is talk of some potential relief, global auto manufacturers have yet to be given a reprieve from a 25 percent tariff on vehicles assembled outside of the United States. 

This is an unprecedented situation, both in terms of the severity of the action and the swiftness with which it was enacted. It’s already had immediate impacts, like Audi holding foreign-made vehicles at port, and Jaguar Land Rover suspending all shipments to the US. 

It remains to be seen which manufacturers will be most affected, but one thing is clear: car shoppers who’d been sitting on the fence about a new purchase are now rushing to their local dealers.  

People like Andrew Neuberger, an Atlanta-area resident who works in the automotive software space, had …

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• My wife and I have both struggled with weight loss over the years.
• We decided to put $5,000 on the line. The money going to the person who lost the most in 3 months.
• One of us dropped 21 pounds and was able to buy the car they always wanted.

Weight loss is one of those things that has put me on a constant rollercoaster throughout my life. I've gained weight, lost it, and regained it again. Keeping the weight off completely has been daunting.

I've listened to experts saying a high-protein breakfast is the most important meal of the day, others who advocate for intermittent fasting or calorie counting, and even purchased healthy curated ready-to-eat meals. Like anyone else, I've struggled to find what works for me and what doesn't. But no matter what I've done through the years, I've never been able to maintain a healthy weight.

A friendly bet with my wife changed everything though, and now I'm down 21 pounds.

A partner with the same struggles

When my wife and I met eight years ago, we were going through similar weight struggles. She spent a lot of time at the gym and complained that she saw little to no results. With her, I felt like I could always be myself, even show my body insecurities without fear of judgment. She understood my constant weight struggles, as I did hers.

Together, we followed the Keto diet to try to eat more healthfully. For the 6 months we committed to it, we didn't enjoy the food combinations that the diet offered and we ended up giving up.

Between trying to maintain a work-life balance and caring for our three kids, it felt like we had minimal time left for self-development. It got to a point where life was so busy that getting even an hour or two to spend at the gym felt luxurious. We knew the only way weight loss would work is if we incorporated it into our 9 to 5 routines.

A $5,000 bet changed everything

I noticed my wife frequently watching what has become known as "SkinnyTok" videos on TikTok. According to her, this content is how some creators give tips on losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also share recipes that are allegedly "nutritious yet delicious." Another creator particularly emphasized the power of walking 10,000 steps a day. I was curious.

My wife, being the most competitive person I know, suggested that we take three months, cook some of the recipes she had been saving, walk 10,000 steps every day, and add in some cardio workouts. As an extra incentive, the person who lost the most weight would receive $5,000 from our joint account to use it however they pleased. I was in!

The shared challenge was fun

Going into this, I knew two things: my wife would do everything she could to beat me and I would enjoy kicking her booty every step of the way. The significant amount of money on the line provided a lot of incentive, and thoughts of how my body would change for the better was what I needed for any extra push.

To prep, we wrote down ten healthy recipes we wanted to try and synced our devices to track each other's health activities. We started the challenge at the beginning of November and set an end date for February 1. Then it was time to let the best man, or woman, win.

Meeting my daily step count meant that I spent most of my time walking to work and running errands, rather than driving. I kept my energy up by drinking a lot of electrolyte-infused water, eating high-protein food that made me full throughout the day, and doubled down on my walking. I set aside an hour in the evenings for workouts I found on YouTube and stayed focused. Before I knew it, I was ahead of the game. I lost 6 pounds the first month

As I expected, my wife was a bit of a sore loser throughout the process. While she mostly stayed on track, she didn't reach her step counts on some days, or had "cheat days" with her meals. She kept me on my toes but I managed to beat her in the challenge and win the cash, $2,500 of which I used to purchase a car I always wanted, the 1994 Ford Taurus SHO, while the rest of the amount remains in a fixed savings account.

Finding accountability

Money provided an added incentive for my wife and I, but I know there's no price tag on how alive you feel when getting your body in shape. A weight loss journey with my partner meant more accountability on both our parts, increased motivation, and better communication.

Although I won the challenge, my wife is equally enjoying numerous health benefits as she continues to track her steps and maintain a cleaner diet while shedding pounds. I've also noticed that she seems more confident in her body. Some days are harder than others but we continue holding each other accountable by setting small, attainable goals.

The skies around Dallas are about to get a lot more interesting. No, DFW airport isn't planning any more expansions, nor does American Airlines have any more retro liveries to debut. This will be something different, something liable to make all the excitement around the supposed New Jersey drones look a bit quaint.

Zipline is launching its airborne delivery service for real, rolling it out in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Mesquite ahead of a gradual spread that, if all goes according to plan, will also see its craft landing in Seattle before the end of the year. These automated drones can be loaded in seconds, carry small packages for miles, and deposit them with pinpoint accuracy at the end of a retractable tether.

It looks and sounds like the future, but this launch has been a decade in the making. Zipline has already flown more than 1.4 million deliveries and covered over 100 million miles, yet it feels like things are just getting started.

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The 2025 Audi e-tron GT RS Performance has a special way of welcoming you. As you approach, it does the usual show of blinking headlights and tail lights, plus puddle lamps projecting red RS logos on the ground. That's nothing special these days. But when you get to the door and reach for the handle the car literally rises to meet you, springing up two full inches to ease your entry into this ultra-low, extremely long sport tourer.

At least, it will do that if you spend the extra $11,000 for the new active suspension, a very worthy add-on to this $167,000 sports car and just one of the dozens of upgrades Audi made to the big performance machine for 2025. And it's good that those upgrades are so substantial, because from the outside, the car looks barely different than what came before.

Audi slightly massaged the front grille, while the diffuser projecting from beneath the rear bumper looks far cleaner than before. Still, you'd be hard-pressed to tell new from old from a distance — or up close, for that matter. The biggest exterior change is probably the roof of the e-tron GT, which is now available in your choice of shiny or matte carbon fiber. Or, if you're more interested in sunshine than weight savings, you can opt for a new glass roof with nine separate integrated liquid crystal panels that turn opaque at the touch of a button.

That makes for a fun talking point if you feel the need to impress your friends, but the 912 horsepower on tap will surely take care of that. Fire up launch control, and even the most jaded motorheads will be left utterly breathless. The e-tron GT RS Performance rockets from zero to 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds, which is a world-class figure, but what's more impressive is how it just keeps on going. I had a chance to run the car up past 130 mph (on a closed track) and the feeling was right on the border between thrilling and terrifying. The forces squeezing me into the (thankfully quite supportive) sport seat made my animal brain scream for sweet release.

Audi

That wasn't the only mindjob happening here, though. That new active suspension can be set to actually make the car lean into corners while also dipping the nose under acceleration and lowering the tail when you hit the brakes. It's all in an effort to create a more stable, predictable platform, enabling you to drive the car hard without your passengers losing their patience — or their lunches.

The capabilities of the RS e-tron GT Performance are definitely remarkable in any condition. A quick twitch of your right toe is enough to send it leaping forward, and for those special moments, you can get about an extra 94 horsepower by pressing the big red BOOST button on the steering wheel.

Unfortunately, that's about the only thing good about the wheel. For this new e-tron GT, Audi shifted to the type of capacitive touch buttons that everybody hates on the Volkswagen ID.4, which are both challenging to use by touch and yet easy to accidentally trigger. I kept raising the volume on the stereo every time I made a left turn. That's no good.

The rest of the interface is much the same as before, with the 10.1-inch touchscreen angled in the middle of the dashboard. It's running Audi's MMI software though, which is a bit sluggish at times. Still, between the touchscreen, the Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster behind the wheel and the HUD projected on the windscreen, you have no shortage of displays to admire.

The rest of the cabin is largely unchanged as well, which isn't a bad thing. Seats up front are supportive yet comfortable, power-adjustable in all the right ways, heated and ventilated, and sit low enough in the car to offer plenty of headroom. Seating in the back isn't bad either, with a bit of extra legroom provided by a division in the battery pack, creating space for rear passenger feet.

That rear-seat layout is the same as before, but while the battery pack shape is the same, crack it open and you'll find all sorts of newness. Audi changed the chemistry of the cells and that, plus some design revisions, has boosted energy density, which means more capacity in the same space.

The battery now offers 105 kWh of total capacity (95 net), which is up from 93.4 before, while other changes have boosted charging speed. The maximum charging current is up to 320 kW from 270 kW before, and the battery can now maintain that speed at a wider range of temperatures. The result is an 80 percent charge in just 18 minutes. That's about 240 miles worth of range in the time it'll take to make a pit stop yourself. 

All those battery upgrades provide up to 300 miles of range on the 670 horsepower S e-tron GT or 278 miles of range on the faster RS e-tron GT Performance. Those figures represent a gain of between 29 and 51 miles over the old car, depending on which spec you choose. That's a major boost in longevity, and since that new suspension is equally good at being soft and cosseting as it is sharp and exciting, the GT makes for a remarkably good touring car. I spent most of a day idling my way in and out of Las Vegas in one, and I would’ve gladly done many more miles without complaint.

But with all that power and handling, the GT is happiest when it’s pushed to its limits. The only challenge is your budget will be pushed, too. The 2025 S e-tron GT costs $125,500, while the faster RS e-tron GT Performance starts at $167,000. That means all the new battery tech and brain-scrambling power have added about $20,000 to the sticker prices of the previous year's car. And you'll spend even more if you want all the toys.

So, the RS e-tron GT Performance is expensive, but impressive too. We're still barely a decade into seeing what high-performance EVs can do, an engineering journey that will surely take us to new heights in the years to come. But what this car can do today is remarkable, with acceleration so strong that it's uncomfortable, suspension so advanced it can dance, and yet all the comfort and poise befitting an Audi.

Marques McCammon has a lot to prove. He’s president of Karma Automotive, a position he began in 2023, taking the lead of a company that’s had a turbulent history, to say the least. He has an aspirational goal: to make Karma into America’s ultra-luxury vehicle manufacturer. “There is not an Aston, Ferrari, McLaren, or Lamborghini class of vehicle in the US,” he says. 

This would be yet another reboot for a company born out of Henrik Fisker’s failure. No, not that failure, but the one that came before. The Fisker Karma launched in 2012 and was immediately heralded for being one of the best-looking and most-innovative grand touring cars on the planet. 

Praise didn’t lead to success. The brand went bankrupt just a year later, its assets sold off and relaunched as Karma Automotive in 2016. Its primary product is still basically that same car, though it’s gone through a few name changes. What was originally the Karma became the Revero, then fell victim to an alphanumeric rebranding to GS-6 in 2021. Today, it’s just Revero again.

It’s a turbulent history for a car with an interesting architecture, …

Read the full story at The Verge.

There’s an unbelievable amount of work going on right now to boost the performance of lithium-ion batteries. PhDs around the globe are, at this very moment, furrowing their respective brows, trying to eke out a few percentage points of extra energy density, shave a few minutes off of charging times, or add a few months to a given cell’s effective lifespan.

And then along comes a startup called Breathe Battery Technologies with an algorithm that promises to boost charging speeds by upward of 30 percent, all while preserving the lifespan of those cells. It’s part of a software package light enough to run on ancient embedded systems and small enough to be deployed via over-the-air updates. Best of all, it’s not theoretical: Volvo will feature this tech on the company’s upcoming ES90 sedan, and you can already find it on some smartphones.

Here’s how it works. 

Battery basics

Before we delve into the details, let’s quickly run through exactly what’s happening inside a battery. The charge provided by a battery happens when ions flow from anode to cathode, then journey across the electrolyte while carrying electrons with them. When it’s time to recharge, the process is effectively re …

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Last October, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 set a top speed of 233 mph on consecutive runs around a closed track. That’s not the fastest street-legal production car in the world: the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ will, as the name implies, top 300 mph. What’s special about the ZR1, then? Its $174,995 starting price may sound expensive, but it’s a steal compared to the Bugatti, which costs somewhere north of $4 million. The ZR1 is officially the world’s fastest production car available for less than $1 million. 

The ZR1 achieved that speed on a massive test track in Papenburg, Germany, a place where the banking is so steep that the drivers suffered through 1.7 vertical Gs on the turns. That’s just one number out of an endless series of figures that the team behind that record-setting run calculated well in advance, tapping into simulations usually reserved for more utilitarian jobs, like figuring out how steep a grade a Silverado can tow up before blowing a gasket.

Here, the only number that really mattered was top speed — a figure that, in simulation, differed from reality by less than half of one percent. This is how they did it.

Everyday Hero

The Corvette has always been a …

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Before a new car comes to market, it's subjected to many months, sometimes years, of rigorous testing around the world. Sweden often hosts a big part of that journey, its cold northern expanses offering the perfect mix of frigid temperatures and frozen surfaces.

It's there that I myself got to do a little testing of an upcoming new EV from Mercedes-Benz. It's the GLC with EQ Technology, an all-electric version of one of the company's most popular SUVs. With new batteries, new motors and a higher-voltage charging system, it marks a significant departure from, and upgrade over, the company's current EV offerings like the EQE SUV.

But could it be better to drive? That's the question that brought me to Sweden. I'm generally quite comfortable driving on the ice and snow. I've certainly been doing it long enough, living in the northeast my entire life and ice racing for the last 20 years. But, put me behind the wheel of a priceless, hand-built prototype and I'll usually take a few extra minutes before I start to really push things.

Not so when I got behind the steering wheel of the electric GLC SUV. Within 30 seconds, I had my foot flat to the floor, and I, along with a wide-eyed development engineer, were flying down an ice-covered trail bisecting a birch tree stand.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

That's how good the new GLC's traction and stability control systems are. Where most cars will simply cut all the power in a slippery situation like that, especially practical-minded ones like a typical crossover SUV, the GLC was far more giving. When the grip was low over sections of dark, glassy ice, the system reduced the power application and kept me from making a big, expensive dent in a snowbank.

When the grip was there, though, the GLC quickly ramped back up to maximum acceleration, relying on the power of its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive to keep us tracking smoothly and cleanly between the trees. Those motors and the smarts that control them are all part of Mercedes-Benz's new platform, MB.EA. These are permanent magnet type motors, with the front one featuring a physical disconnect to reduce its drag when it's not needed.

The car also features a new heat pump that’s able to absorb thermal energy from the ambient air as well as the car's various internal systems. Mercedes engineers said it will warm the cabin twice as fast using half the energy as their current EVs. Indeed, the interior in the GLC was quite cozy despite temperatures well below freezing.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on the vehicle's range in those conditions. This is just a pre-production prototype, after all. Still, I'm expecting a substantial improvement over the 307 miles the EQE SUV can manage on a charge. The batteries in the GLC rely on a revised chemistry, said to reduce the reliance on troublesome cobalt while also increasing energy density. That means more miles per pound of battery.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

Another thing helping to extend range is a revised regenerative braking system. The GLC will feature multiple different rates of regen, including a one-pedal mode that will bring the SUV to a complete stop. When you do go for the brake pedal, though, you might notice it feels a little weird.

That's because stepping on the pedal doesn't really do anything. Similar to a sim-racing pedal set, the resistance here is simulated. You're not feeling a hydraulic system squeezing pistons, just springs compressing.

It's a different sensation, but not a bad one. The idea is that the car will give you a steady, consistent feel regardless of what you're doing or how you're driving. The car itself will determine how much of your desired deceleration can come from the regenerative power of the electric motors. When it needs more than they can provide, it seamlessly calls in the physical brakes for reinforcement.

In practice, it works brilliantly. The car stops smoothly and cleanly, and there's none of the occasional uneven braking that you get when stomping hard on the stop pedal in an EV. The lack of pedal feedback when ABS engages is a bit disappointing, but then I've heard that pulse causes some people to lift off the brake pedal, so perhaps it's for the best.

Andre Tillmann on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG

When stomping on the other pedal, again, the GLC accelerates strongly. It's quick enough to keep performance-minded drivers entertained. Still, given the low-grip nature of the roads and trails I covered, I can't say just how competent a handler it will be.

I can say that the optional air suspension did a sublime job over truly terrible road conditions. Ruts, washboards, frost heaves, you name it, the car happily soaked it up, even raising the suspension by an inch when some deeper snow and ice necessitated a little more ground clearance. On smoother roads, the GLC was every bit the quiet limousine that you want a luxury EV to be. There was a bit of road noise from the aggressively treaded snow tires, but this thing should be a delightful cruiser on normal tires.

The only problem? We'll have to be patient. The GLC is set to make its formal debut in Germany in September, which means it likely won't enter production until well into 2026. Mercedes-Benz hasn't set a price for the electric GLC yet either. Given the state of the world right now, it's anyone's guess what the incentive/tariff situation will look like for foreign EVs, even those built in the US like Mercedes-Benz's current EQS SUV.

If it's priced right, though, and if it doesn't look too awful once those camouflage stickers and taped-on protrusions are removed, it should be a winner. I already can't wait for another go behind the wheel and another chance to get even more comfortable.

Mercedes-Benz's EV efforts aren't exactly burning up the sales charts. Models like the EQS and EQE haven't convinced the brand's demanding clientele that batteries are the future, forcing the company to scale back its electric ambitions.

Scale back, but not abandon. Benz is about to launch a new generation of EVs relying on technology derived from the epically efficient EQXX. The first is the new CLA. It's coming soon, and after getting some time behind the wheel of a prototype vehicle undergoing final testing in the snowy wilds of Sweden, I'm convinced this could be the car to change Mercedes' electrified fortunes.

And, for anyone who isn't convinced, there'll be a hybrid version, too.

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Mercedes-Benz's EV efforts aren't exactly burning up the sales charts. Models like the EQS and EQE haven't convinced the brand's demanding clientele that batteries are the future, forcing the company to scale back its electric ambitions.

Scale back, but not abandon. Benz is about to launch a new generation of EVs relying on technology derived from the epically efficient EQXX. The first is the new CLA. It's coming soon, and after getting some time behind the wheel of a prototype vehicle undergoing final testing in the snowy wilds of Sweden, I'm convinced this could be the car to change Mercedes' electrified fortunes.

And, for anyone who isn't convinced, there'll be a hybrid version too.

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GARDEN GROVE, Calif.—There's no shortage of companies looking to reinvent the delivery experience using everything from sidewalk drones to electric vans. Some are succeeding, but many more have failed by trying to radically rethink the simple, age-old task of getting stuff from one place to another.

Harbinger likewise wants to shake up part of that industry but in a decidedly understated way. If you found yourself stuck in traffic behind one of the company's all-electric vehicles, there's a good chance you wouldn't even notice. The only difference? The lack of diesel smoke and clatter.

From the outside, Harbinger's pre-production machine looks identical to the standard flat-sided, vinyl-wrapped delivery vehicles that seemingly haven't changed in decades. That's because they really haven't. Those familiar UPS and FedEx machines are built on common chassis like Ford's F-59 or Freightliner's MT45, with ladder chassis and leaf spring designs dating back to the earliest days of trucking.

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• I bought my kids everything they wanted and gave them a $400 allowance.
• When they started to seem complacent about money, my wife and I decided to cut their allowance.
• They had to get after-school jobs to make extra money, and it showed them the value of hard work.

Growing up in an African household with tough parents meant you had to work to earn your keep. Don't get me wrong, my parents were loving, but they didn't play around when it came to teaching us work ethics and the value of money. My five siblings and I stayed in school, and when school was out in the summer, we got jobs from as early as 12. Around this age, our parents required us to stay proactive and explicitly said that we had to work.

Of course, as a young man, there were things I wanted, like the latest shoes and clothes to keep up with my friends. My parents didn't really have any room in their budget for "extras." If I wanted anything that wasn't a basic need, I had to buy it myself. So I worked hard to afford what I wanted. These experiences shaped my money mindset and helped me become the financially responsible adult I am today.

I used to buy them everything they wanted

I didn't understand at the time why my parents wouldn't just buy me the things I wanted, and it was tough for me to have to work so hard while other friends and classmates of mine had more time to just be kids. I swore my kids would have a different experience. I wanted to provide everything they needed without them having to struggle for it. I chose to over-compensate for the things I lacked growing up.

My son and two daughters, now 11, 13, and 15, got whatever they wanted, and things they didn't even ask for sometimes. They would often ask for new clothes and the latest tech gadgets, which I always bought. I would take them on trips and always purchased school supplies ahead of the new year. True to this, my son and two daughters knew the best life. They never lacked anything, at least not in a material sense.

I also gave each of them a $400 monthly allowance, just in case they needed anything else I wasn't giving them directly. I liked knowing they were well-catered to and didn't have any financial concerns. While I provided for them, I also wanted them to learn positive lessons in life and develop the best values.

I tried to instill in them that hard work was important and promised to give more if they helped with chores around the home or ran errands for my office. I told myself that although I was giving them most things money could buy, they were still learning important lessons along the way. However, all good things come to an end, and their good attitudes did the same, eventually.

Over time, they stopped being grateful

One thing my kids taught me was that when given everything, you become complacent. They no longer had the desire to work harder and achieve things.

My son's grades started slipping, and he told me he wasn't worried because he had everything he needed and knew I would hire him to work for me. That was a very disappointing answer.

Both of my daughters also developed a bad attitude and often put up a fight before helping their mother with chores around the house. They started giving me a hard time about picking up school activities and earning extra credit. Sometimes, we volunteered at our local church, which I thought they enjoyed, but they started turning down these opportunities. Soon, I worried that they would go down the wrong path.

We cut their allowance and they had to start working

After reflecting on our situation and how hard it was for me growing up, I had a change of heart. I sat down with my wife, and we decided to cut our children's allowance from $400 to $100 to help them find the right path and inner motivation. If nothing changed, we would revoke the allowances completely. After all, they say that you never know the value of what you have until you lose it.

This decision was met with a lot of resistance, yelling, and screaming, but we stood our ground. To make up the difference in their allowances, the kids had to find after-school jobs. They had to work if they needed extra shoes, clothes, and necessities. Although this drastic change was unwelcome, it was necessary.

I wanted my kids to learn about financial responsibility, develop a work ethic, and understand the importance of savings. These were critical lessons that would take them through every step of life.

It was hard at first, but our dynamic has shifted

As you can imagine, change is never easy, and my kids didn't appreciate the new rules I was enforcing. Helping them stay on track was challenging, especially while they were finding jobs. It felt harsh, but sometimes tough love is needed. Today, my son and daughters have been working for close to a year. Jobs are the new norm, everyone is earning their keep, just as I did when I was younger.

For the most part. They have a better attitude toward money and are not wasteful because they finally see how much it takes to make it. We cut them some slack at times, though, and get them a few things here and there. We answer all their questions about money and urge them to do better. Financial responsibility is an important topic in our home. The next step is getting our kids savings accounts, as we want them to understand how to save for a rainy day.

• When my kids were little, I never imagined we would bump heads.
• I quickly learned that parenting teenagers is hard.
• It took me years not to take what they said to me personally.

Parenting teenagers is not for the faint-hearted. When my kids were born, I had a picture in my mind of how they would turn into great and loving adults. I didn't see us bumping heads at any point because my heart was full of all the great ways I could nurture them.

However, years went by, and my two daughters are no longer the little kids they once were. They are opinionated adults who are fighting for independence, and no one denies them.

Their teenage years were particularly memorable, especially because it was hard to prepare for the onslaught of emotions that came out of nowhere.

Parenting teenagers is hard

Any parent of a teenager knows the pain of being rejected and pushed away by their child. But these were not the biggest challenges I went through.

The one thing that gets to my soul is this: As my children hit their teens, they were so busy with their schoolwork and friends that I hardly saw them for days. When we connected, it would only be because I cornered them down.

For a few moments, we would talk about their days and their challenges, and they would entertain my advice. But these phases were short-lived and overshadowed by screaming and yelling because they didn't like their curfew, new house rules, or the fact that they had to do a few chores.

Of course, these things led to misunderstandings, which led the kids to say things like "I hate you," "You're the worst dad ever," and "I never want to talk to you again." They often wondered why I couldn't be as "cool as the other dads."

These words cut to the core, and I remember never feeling appreciated for my efforts as a father. It always seemed like my teenagers had a pattern; if they were belligerent, something was going on with their friends, and I let them get away with a little bit more.

If they were obedient, I knew they were guilty of something, and I would tighten the reins. The constant "catch me if you can" game made parenting feel personal. I had many moments of self-doubt when I wondered whether I was really doing a good job.

My wife and I would constantly remind each other that we were indeed doing our best, especially when we wanted to connect with the kids, but they built walls we couldn't reach.

One painful memory comes to mind, when my daughters required being dropped off a block away from school. They made it clear that they did not want anyone seeing their dad because I embarrassed them.

It was especially disappointing because I cherished the drive to school. I thought it was one of the best ways to connect, but they didn't see it that way.

I had to learn not to take things personally

It took me years to stop taking what my kids say personally. Some comments cut to the core, but parenting brings the good with the challenging, and it took a lot of inner work to choose to forget them.

Adolescents want things on their terms; that's the nature of their interactions. I would approach situations with this fact in mind.

I found it better to leave them alone when they were not in a delightful mood to talk or answer questions. There's no point in having meaningless conversations. Giving them space encourages them to eventually come to you.

Often, when my teenagers told me they were adults, I affirmed it and said they could do whatever they wanted when they were living independently, but under my house, they would have to follow our rules.

The most important lesson I've learned is patience. Being patient with your teenagers means understanding their temper tantrums and mood swings. It's also about reassuring them through their entire journey.

As growing adults, my children apologize for things they said out of anger. Maybe they are starting to slowly get the concept of time and how it passes by quickly for all of us or gain an appreciation for their parents. My love for them has never faltered despite all the trying times.

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• My parents never gave me a proper sex talk, so I vowed to do better for my kids.
• But my kids asked me more complicated questions about abortion and same-sex relationships.
• I struggled to answer them, but I took the time to step away and come back with better answers.

What I remember about the birds and the bees conversation during my childhood is foggy at best. My parents never really took the time to explain the ins and outs of having sex, and most of what I knew I learned from other people.

My conservative family didn't put an emphasis on conversations like that. When I started asking where babies come from, my mother told me that a woman has a seed in her that a man waters, and then babies are made.

The talk lasted about five seconds, and we were on to the next thing. Thinking about that experience made me want to be a better parent for my kids. In important conversations like that, I decided I would go above and beyond to explain things to their satisfaction.

The sex talk didn't go how I had planned

As a parent, I've always worked hard to make information accessible to my children. I spent a lot of time researching how to have sex conversations as a father, and I was ready for the questions when they came.

The sex talk may be a one-time conversation for most people, but I wanted to have it as many times as my kids saw fit. After all, it was an opportunity to talk about anatomy, safety, conception, pleasure, consent, contraception, intimacy, and more.

Despite all the preparation, when the time came — when they were around 12 — to have the talk with my kids, I struggled. They were asking about sex changes and my stance on sensitive topics like abortion. They wondered about Planned Parenthood, same-sex encounters, and much more.

Their questions were miles away from what I expected. I wasn't ready for what they knew and felt like some of my opinions were too strong to share with my kids.

I struggled to give the answers that my kids wanted to hear and had to really think about what I wanted to say.

I took a step away, and that helped

Instead of answering my kids' surprise, tough questions on the spot, I told them I needed to think and would get back to them.

When I stepped away, I thought about my parents and how they were not able to have the sex talk in a satisfactory way. Most of my anxiety resulted from how I grew up and the conversations I had with my parents, and I didn't want my kids to feel the way I did. I want them to grow up into independent, well-informed adults. The only way to do this is to educate them on the things that matter.

So, I decided to be honest and tell my kids the truth.

After a couple of days of reflecting, my wife and I sat our kids down and answered what we could. We had these conversations many times, addressing everything that the kids wanted to know and guiding them in the way we felt best.

Taking time to consider my answers really helped

In having the sex talk(s) with my kids, I realized it's important for both parents to show up — if possible. My wife saved the day when I was ill-prepared with some answers, and she shared experiences I never had.

I also found that having conversations about consent and respect was most important. In that way, my son understood why boundaries are important with the opposite sex, and my daughters learned to give or deny consent before anything happens.

Finally, I didn't have all the answers at the moment, and it's perfectly OK to think about what you want to say before you say it. Taking time helped me address issues from my kids' point of view rather than a general perspective.

It's OK to be nervous, and trusting my ability to communicate with my kids on complicated issues is key. Honest, compassionate, and shame-free conversations will always get you far with the young ones.

I'm giving myself grace as a parent

The world as we know it has changed, and kids are growing up faster than we care to admit. Finding teachable moments for a parent is the best thing we can do for our young ones.

I now realize that it's a journey; there's no handbook to it. I'm bound to make mistakes along the way.

The sex talk is probably one of the most significant conversations that I'll have with my kids. I may not have done so great with it in the beginning, but I hope they will still come to me whenever they need answers.