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Ever stared at a road sign and wondered how road names work? What does the letter stand for, and why have they all got strange numbers? We explore how it all works and how it changes depending on where you live. Every day we drive along streets with not just road names but letters and numbers too. Where do these letters and numbers come from, though, and what are they based on? Although there are many consistencies between the states and territories, there are also some anomalies worth knowing about if you plan on travelling between them by car. RELATED: ‘Normal in Australia’: The local road signs baffling tourists Here’s the story behind our road names, who decides them and how, and why one state is bucking the alphanumeric trend. History of road names in Australia Australia has gradually been moving toward a British-style alphanumeric road names system for decades, with some states adopting it earlier than others and one not at all. Victoria introduced road nu...

Electric vehicle (EV) depreciation can be severe, but that just means more bargains can be had on the used market, so here are Drive’s picks. A recent report has shed light on the severity of electric car depreciating, revealing on average that EVs shed 25 per cent of their recommended retail value in just 12 months . That might be bad for new-car buyers, but it means customers happy to go for second-hand models still under warranty could snap up a bargain. Drive Marketplace has listings for Nused – or near-new models still with warranty – electric cars to make things a little easier for buyers. Here are the Drive team’s top picks for the best Nused EVs for under $60K. MORE: Electric cars depreciate twice as fast as petrol, according to new data Abarth 500e – Alex Misoyannis, Deputy News Editor In truth, I’d probably go down the road of a Nused  Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Tesla Model 3 here, rather than what I’m about to suggest. Both are great cars, and at...

A little swear can sometimes fly off the tongue, but these drivers could get fined more than you earn in a year for letting one slip out. This year, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (better known as the FIA) has taken a hard line against professional drivers by banning swearing. RELATED: Has Holden ditched its Commodore owners? If you don’t know what the FIA is, you’ll know what it’s the governing body for. The FIA currently governs Formula One, the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship, and Formula E, just to name a few. Known for garnering online criticism for its strict off- and on-track rules, this new fine could be one of the most controversial in the sport. Here’s everything you need to know about the swearing ban. Can race drivers really get fined for swearing? Yes, any of those aforementioned racing series covered under the FIA governing body could receive a fine for swearing under Appendix 12.2.1 of the 2025 International Spo...

Software updates have been announced to address criticism of oversensitive driver attention monitoring technology in one of Australia’s newest Chinese electric cars. Chinese car brand Deepal claims Australia is the only market to hand down major criticism of safety features in its new S07 SUV, which testing by Drive and other media outlets have found to be overzealous and oversensitive. A software update for the electric S07’s driver monitoring and adaptive cruise control systems is in its final stages of development in China before local validation is conducted, and if successful, it is rolled out in Australia. Initial feedback from customers and media has focused on the driver monitoring system, which has been criticised for being too quick to beep at drivers looking away from the road for routine vision or driver information checks – rather than genuine distraction. MORE: Overzealous lane-keep assist tech under the microscope in new safety tests The adaptive crui...

F1, NASCAR and World Rally Champions will go head-to-head with each other – battling Australian off-road and V8 Supercars talent – in some wild machinery at Homebush next month. Twenty of the world’s greatest racing drivers will battle in a variety of racing machinery at the 2025 Race of Champions at Olympic Park, Sydney, with the final line-up now locked in for the event on March 7-8, 2025. Scotland’s Max McRae – son of Alister, nephew of the late 1995 World Rally Champion Colin – and Formula 2 driver Victor Martins from France – were the final drivers announced ahead of the first running of Race of Champions (ROC) in the Southern Hemisphere . The 20-year-old McRae will form part of team Great Britain with fellow Scot, 13-time F1 winner – including two Australian Grands Prix – David Coulthard. Colin McRae – who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2007 – was the ROC Champion in 1998. MORE: Australian F1 Grand Prix winner confirmed for Sydney Race of Champions Martin...

I went off-roading for the first time in the new 2025 Isuzu MU-X and what I learned was eye-opening. Here’s what I found… Having tried almost every type of driving discipline, the last thing I had to cross off my list was off-roading – which is why when the opportunity came to take the updated 2025 Isuzu MU-X off the beaten track, I jumped at the chance. And boy was I thrown in the deep end. RELATED: I drove 100km/h on ice and it was the wake-up call I needed I’m not exactly sure why off-roading is the last thing I’ve undertaken. I think it’s the fear of getting stuck somewhere or maybe how easy it is to damage your car when crawling through some tough terrain. Regardless, Isuzu Australia had mapped out a route through the Black Duck Valley 4×4 Park in East Haldon, Queensland, to take a stock LS-M MU-X through some rough terrain. What’s new for the 2025 Isuzu MU-X? Updates to the exterior of the 2025 Isuzu MU-X are mostly cosmetic, with the front and rear both getting new...

The next frontier in electric-car technology has commenced road testing with German car giant Mercedes-Benz, capable of a claimed 1000km between recharges, with expertise from its F1 engineers. Mercedes-Benz has begun testing the next generation of electric-car battery technology – solid-state, promised to boost range and lower prices – on public roads. The experimental batteries fitted to a Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan prototype claim a range based on European WLTP lab testing of 1000km, compared to the circa-800km of the existing showroom version. The German car giant has not stated when it expects to have the solid-state batteries in showrooms, but said the prototype on UK roads is “the first lithium metal solid-state battery B sample shipment to a global [car maker].” Mercedes-Benz is testing the technology in conjunction with its F1 race team engineers. MORE: Solid-state batteries for electric cars ‘still on the horizon, not here yet’: BMW M Solid-state batteries ...