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Best cars for snow and ice in 2023 and 2024

What's the best car for snow? The real answer is "the one with winter tires." What do we mean by that? You could have the finest, most advanced all-wheel-drive system or four-wheel drive in the world, but if you're running all-seasons (the spork of tires), your fancy four-wheeler won't matter much. The odds are, any vehicle on the road running good winter tires will probably perform adequately in slippery, slushy and/or snowy road conditions. (Here's a more complete explanation of why winter tires are totally worth it). In other words, you don't really need any of the cars on this list. With a set of winter tires, countless others will do the job, and even these will be at their best with proper rubber. You can find a variety of winter tires for your car here at Tire Rack. Keep in mind that you will need a full set of four snow tires for safety and performance, no matter what you're driving. The days of your dad putting just two snows on the family truckster to get it moving in a straight line are long gone. Don't get us wrong, getting a car that performs well in snow and ice is still a worthy criteria for car buyers. According to the U.S. Transportation Department, 70% of Americans live in places that get snow and ice. And much of the country has been blasted with arctic air for much of the new year. So let's look at the cars. First, we're highlighting choices for a variety of buyers and price points. Second, we're not just considering snow; we're considering general wintery conditions people will experience driving to work or school. As such, these are all choices with advanced all-wheel-drive systems, usually with "torque-vectoring" systems that not only automatically shunt power front and back, but side to side between the rear axles. Most have extra ground clearance for getting through deep snow, and we prefer those vehicles with more responsive steering, throttles and transmissions that provide a greater sense of vehicle control in slippery conditions.    Acura RDX Read our Acura RDX Review Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system was one of the first to offer torque-vectoring, and besides often being touted for its ability to greatly enhanced dry-road handling, its benefits in the slick stuff can be profound. It's actually surprising that Acura hasn't leaned into this capability further by offering more rugged versions of its vehicles.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt promos, Audi e-gas partnership

GM is offering promotions on the 2017 Chevrolet Volt. As dealers receive the first shipments of the new model year of the Volt, the automaker is giving customers in certain areas (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont) $1,000 cash back on their purchase. GM Financial is also offering lease discounts for a limited time, and trade-ins may be eligible for even more money back. State and federal incentives could add up to make the new Volt quite the bargain for the right customer. Read more at Clean Technica. The UK's potential exit from the European Union could mean tighter emissions regulations, potentially even in the UK. While Britain has fought against the EU on stricter rules, the "Brexit" could leave officials in Brussels free to strengthen air quality laws. The UK, despite giving up its seat at the table, would still be beholden to some rules as a member of the European Economic Area free trade agreement. British voters vote on a referendum to leave the EU on June 23. Read more from Bloomberg Business. Daimler will refrain from investing in battery pack production with other automakers for the time being. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche cites an overabundance of battery production, saying, "Contrary to the expectation four or six years ago when everyone thought that the cells would be a rarity that could even be used as a tool of industrial policy, there is de facto a massive overcapacity in the market today and cells have become a commodity." Daimler recently shuttered its own lithium-ion battery production due to high costs and low demand. Read more from Automotive News. Audi is partnering with the Viessmann Group to increase e-gas production using a new biological process. Audi has been making the renewable fuel through a two-part process of electrolysis (splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen) and methanation (reacting hydrogen with CO2 to make synthetic methane). The new biological process uses microoganisms to absorb hydrogen and CO2 to make methane. The process requires lower temperature and pressure, and doesn't require high concentrations or purity of CO2. Read more in the press release below.

Chevy Bolt officially keeping name, says marketing boss

There might be just a little confusion at first, but the Bolt name is sticking around. After conducting two consumer studies into the name, Chevrolet isn't worried about the similarity of the monikers for the upcoming EV and existing Volt plug-in hybrid. In fact, the brand thinks the resemblance might be for the best. "The decision is made. The name won't be changed." Chevy head of marketing Tim Mahoney said to The Detroit Free Press. The research shows that the compatibility between the two names actually works quite well. With the Volt well established, people apparently already connect the Bolt to the Bowtie, which is just what a brand wants. Both studies indicated the ""same result, it did well," according to Mahoney. Just a few months ago, the future of the Bolt's name wasn't so clear. GM North America President Alan Batey said the company knew there might be confusion, and it was still mulling its options. The Bolt could be a breakthrough in the EV market with a 200-mile range and a possible price of around $30,000 after incentives. Production is set for the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan following a $200 million upgrade there, and the model could be in dealers as soon as 2017. That's just in time to take on the Tesla Model 3 with its claimed $35,000 price and similar driving distance as the Chevy. Related Video: