The Auto World

Ford claims one California lemon law firm billed attorney rates for work done overseas. The automaker says workers earning as little as $13 an hour were billed at up to $950. The lawsuit follows Ford’s failed but ongoing fight against other lemon law firms. Ford’s battle with California’s lemon law industry isn’t over. Not long ago, a federal judge dismissed the automaker’s sweeping RICO lawsuit against several Southern California law firms. Now, the Blue Oval is back in court with a new target and a fresh allegation. This time, the company claims a prominent Los Angeles firm turned low-cost overseas labor into premium-priced legal work. It says it was billed for rates of up to $950 per hour for work allegedly performed by workers earning as little as $13 an hour. Those workers, it alleges, were in Mexico and the Philippines. The suit filed on Thursday, and brought to wider attention by the Los Angeles Times ,...

North America lost more than a quarter of its EV buyers in a year. Europe’s 23 percent surge is masking weakness across the globe. Global EV and PHEV sales are barely ahead of last year’s pace. Global demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles is still growing, but only just. A surge in Europe is barely covering for weakness almost everywhere else, China included. North America is the glaring weak spot, with buyers there pulling back hard, and a 0.9 percent year-to-date gain worldwide shows how little cushion the rest of the market has left. Analysts at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence report roughly 1.8 million EVs and PHEVs sold worldwide in May 2026. That’s 7 percent more than April, and 3 percent more than the same month last year. Stack up the year so far and the total reaches about 7.5 million units, just 0.9 percent ahead of where 2025 stood at this point. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Data Manager Charles Lest...

BMW has opened European orders for the new i3 50 xDrive First Edition. Based on the M Sport, it has an illuminated grille and upgraded interior. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 463 hp. BMW has officially opened orders for the new i3 in Europe, ahead of its launch this fall. Citing high demand, the company is accepting takers for the i3 50 xDrive First Edition. Based on the M Sport variant, the special edition features a handful of extras including an Iconic Glow grille and AC Charging Professional. The latter increases the AC charging rate from 11 kW to 22 kW. More: BMW’s Electric M3 Concept Stands Next To The E30 And Hopes You Approve Bigger changes occur inside as the First Edition adds a heated steering wheel, a tri-zone climate control system, and a 3D head-up display. They’re joined by fancier front seats, an automatic trunk, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system. ...

Lego built a full-scale drivable Koenigsegg from more than 327,000 pieces. The creation reached 69 mph and set a new Lego speed record. A 4,104-piece Technic Sadair’s Spear set arrives in July priced at $449.99. If you’ve ever looked at a Lego Technic supercar and wondered how far the toy company could push the concept, the answer appears to be “all the way up a hill at nearly 70 mph.” To celebrate its newest Ultimate Car Concept Series model, Lego partnered with Koenigsegg to create a life-size, drivable Sadair’s Spear and then sent it up Goodwood’s famous hillclimb course. The run made it the quickest drivable Lego creation the company has ever turned loose, proof that some marketing budgets come with a far longer leash than others. Read: Lego Technic’s $99 Mustang GT Does What Ford’s $46K Version Still Can’t The project coincides with the launch of the Lego Technic Koenigsegg Sa...