Daily Drive: An EV Van Tease, a CES Hypercar Maybe, and a Huracan Wearing a Badge

It’s the sort of week where the car world puts on a Santa hat and then casually drops a few headlines just as the rest of us are eyeing mince pies. Between a teased electric family bus from Hyundai, a 1,877-hp name you’ve never heard of (yet), and a Lamborghini on police duty in New Jersey, there’s plenty to unwrap. I’ve stitched it all together with a mug of hot chocolate and a little skepticism—the healthy kind.

Hyundai teases Staria EV: A lounge on wheels goes electric

CarExpert reports Hyundai has teased a Staria EV ahead of a likely January reveal. That’s fitting: the Staria already looks like it arrived from the future in a polished shuttle pod, so plugging it in feels inevitable.

The current Staria is one of those vans that turns airport runs into calm, low-stress journeys. Tall glasshouse, sliding doors you can trust your kids with, and seats that don’t punish the knees. When I’ve ferried a full carpool in similarly sized MPVs, what you notice first is ride quality and cabin cleverness. The Staria’s always been strong on both, with cubbies, USBs where you need them, and wide apertures that make child seats and luggage a non-event.

An electric Staria takes that serenity further. Quiet starts, instant torque for merging, and no diesel chatter on cold mornings. Expect it to square off against the VW ID. Buzz and whatever Kia’s cooking up for the Carnival family. Hyundai’s teaser doesn’t spill range or power, but the brand knows how to do EVs with real-world efficiency and easy charging manners, so anticipation is justified.

• What’s teased: Staria EV, likely full reveal in January.
• Who it suits: big families, airport transfer pros, weekend skiers with tall gear.
• What I’ll be watching: third-row comfort, underfloor battery packaging (flat load bay?), and whether Hyundai brings vehicle-to-load for campsite coffee makers.

EV people-mover snapshot

Hypercar hype check: Kosmera’s 1,877-hp CES special

Carscoops flags a startup called Kosmera and its headline figure: 1,877 horsepower. And a warning that it might never leave the show floor. If you’ve done a few CES laps (I’ve worn out more than one pair of shoes on that carpet), you’ve seen this movie: a stunning shape, a spec sheet that reads like science fiction, and a lot of unanswered questions about batteries, thermal management, and crash testing.

The number is eye-catching. But the ownership experience is built on the unsexy stuff: charging curve, aftersales support, parts supply, and whether your track-day brake pads arrive before your next birthday. If Kosmera wants to be more than a screen-saver, here’s what I’ll want to know the moment we meet it in the metal:

• Is the powertrain production-ready, or a prototype stacked with “target” numbers?
• Who’s the battery partner, and what’s the pack’s cooling architecture?
• What’s the homologation plan and timeline beyond the CES spotlight?
• Will customers get a service network, or a concierge and a prayer?

Prove those, and I’ll happily bring a helmet. Until then, healthy skepticism remains the right passenger.

Law, order, and exotic vinyl wraps: A Huracan in uniform and California’s new hammer

Two law-and-order threads crossed my desk today, and they’re worth reading together.

New Jersey’s Huracan Sterrato police car

Per Carscoops, a Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato has joined a New Jersey department—but not to clock triple-digit chases. These exotics usually serve as rolling billboards for safety campaigns and community outreach: think school visits, charity events, and a beacon that draws a crowd so officers can talk about the not-so-flashy stuff (impaired driving, seatbelts, distractions). I’ve seen the effect firsthand at a local cars-and-coffee—kids line up for photos, parents actually listen.

California’s “super speeder” crackdown

Also via Carscoops: California is moving to hit extreme speeders where it hurts even before a trial—specifically, the driver’s license. It’s part of a broader push to curb the worst behavior on those very fast, very open stretches. Two takeaways if you’re West Coast bound for the holidays:

• Alleged triple-digit antics could trigger consequences sooner than you expect.
• Radar detectors don’t help with the paperwork. Cruise control and common sense do.

As ever, the fastest way to ruin a car is a courtroom.

Motorsport corner: Autocar sits down with Cadillac F1’s Pat Symonds

Autocar has an interview with Pat Symonds from the Cadillac F1 effort—a good holiday listen if you’re stirring a gravy and dreaming of wind tunnels. The big-picture intrigue here isn’t just aero; it’s the build-out. Standing up a modern F1 team means people, processes, and a thousand small decisions about how a car is conceived under the new regs. The road-car relevance? Less about “we’ll sell a V6 hybrid tomorrow” and more about software, simulation, materials, and how quickly a big organization can iterate. If Cadillac nails the culture piece, the lap time follows.

Festive detour: the UK’s most Christmassy place names

Autocar also did the most December thing imaginable: a road trip connecting the UK’s festive-sounding locales. It’s the sort of whimsical drive I love around this time—empty B-roads, a thermos in the door bin, the heater’s foot-well setting doing its best impression of a pub fireplace. If you’re attempting something similar this week, a few quick winter tips from the school of been-there-done-that:

• Drop tire pressures only if your door-jamb placard allows for heavy loads—don’t guess.
• Keep a microfiber towel for fogged glass; it beats smearing with a sleeve.
• Charge plan if you’re in an EV: aim to arrive with 15–20% and leave with ~80%—it’s the sweet spot for time.

Quick hits and closing thoughts

• Hyundai’s Staria EV looks set to give families a new, quiet way to haul everything and everyone.
• Kosmera’s 1,877-hp headline is fun; real-world readiness will be the test.
• A Huracan in police livery grabs attention so the message can land; California’s policy aims to land it even harder.
• Cadillac’s F1 push continues to be one of 2026’s most compelling stories to watch.

Bundle up, keep it between the hedges, and if you’re heading out before dawn, bring a second coffee. You’ll thank me at mile 42.

FAQ

• When will the Hyundai Staria EV be revealed?
  CarExpert says Hyundai has teased it with a likely reveal in January. Exact date and specs are still under wraps.
• Is the Kosmera 1,877-hp hypercar real?
  It’s been teased ahead of CES. Until we see production-ready hardware and a homologation plan, treat the claims as targets, not guarantees.
• Is New Jersey’s Lamborghini police car used for high-speed pursuits?
  No—the Carscoops report indicates it’s primarily for outreach and awareness, not chasing speeders.
• What’s changing for “super speeders” in California?
  According to Carscoops, authorities can move to impact driving privileges even before trial in extreme speeding cases. Translation: the consequences can start early.
• What did Pat Symonds discuss about Cadillac’s F1 effort?
  Autocar’s interview touches on the challenges of building a new F1 program and the broader thinking behind it—worth a listen if you follow the 2026 shake-up.