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IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.

Will more efficient tech mean higher prices for Subaru?

If the latest ruling by the California Air Resources Board holds, then Subaru at least must build a plug-in hybrid in the coming years to comply with the Golden State's regulations. Fuel economy looks to improve across the board for the brand, though, thanks to $780 million going into the development of cleaner powertrains for this fiscal year alone. However, buyers might have to pay more for a Subie in the future after this boost in green spending. "Related costs are going up more than expected, bringing the profit margin downward," Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said to the Nihon Keizai newspaper in Japan, according to Automotive News. "We are a small company. We do not benefit as much from economy of scale as bigger companies, so we will have to make up for the increased costs by raising our brand value." At the moment, Subaru's electrified lineup in the US comprises just the XV Crosstrek Hybrid, but the company is reportedly planning to add more. Plus, Subie also wants to make its internal combustion engines more efficient. According to Automotive News, all of the brand's mills are getting direct injection by 2016, and cylinder deactivation and lean combustion cycles are on track for 2020. Earlier rumors also suggested that the automaker might bring the turbocharged four-cylinder boxer to more products, as well. While these more efficient models might cost more, Subaru must carefully maintain the balancing act of introducing the technology and keeping sales growing. As of May 2015, the brand had 42 straight months of year-over-year growth in the US and had record sales in the country last year. The company has already decided to significantly boost production capacity at its Indiana factory in hopes of keeping the good times rolling.

Toyota will introduce several new battery EVs by 2025

Toyota has been a champion of hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but in the near future it will bet heavily on battery EVs as well. The most recent statement from the Japanese manufacturer details there are several new BEVs in the pipeline. Toyota has stated its intent for half of its global 2025 sales to consist of electrified vehicles. Plans include selling 4.5 million hybrids, which perform well in Toyota sales metrics already ͗ Reuters says 80% of global hybrid vehicle sales are Toyotas. But 1 million vehicles will be EVs with either battery or hydrogen fuel cell power. From 2020 on, the carmaker will introduce at least 10 new BEVs, six of which will be based on the electrified version of its TNGA platform, dubbed e-TNGA, and sold globally. There will be a host of electric SUVs and crossovers in different sizes, along with a sedan and an MPV. Toyota says its EV plans must include a stable supply of batteries, as well as improved battery life and durability and proper reuse. It has found partners in China's CATL and electric carmaker BYD to help with battery availability. Earlier this week, Toyota announced that it is planning a jointly developed, all-wheel-drive battery electric crossover together with Subaru, and the resulting vehicle will probably be one of the six new models mentioned above. Subaru is also likely to benefit from the joint development deal, as it is a bit player in large parts of the world, and a partner like Toyota will come in handy when coming up with completely new vehicles.