After roughly five years of work, the Lucid Air is finally close to reaching customers' garages. Lucid Motors said it has started production of the luxury EV and expects to deliver the first Dream Edition models in late October. There will only be 520 Dream units (conveniently a match for the car's 520-mile estimated range). However, Lucid won't be hurting for early customers. Even if only some of the 13,000 reservation holders commit to a purchase, that's a significant volume for an upscale car from a relatively new brand.

Those numbers might climb. The fledgling automaker plans a rapid expansion that will add about 65 acres (2.85 million square feet) to its Casa Grande, Arizona factory. It may need the extra output, too. Lucid plans to mass-produce its first SUV, the Gravity, in 2023, and electric SUVs have lately been in high demand.

The Air starts at $77,400. In addition to its potentially Tesla-beating range, it promises rare perks like Dolby Atmos audio, very quick charging (20 minutes for 300 miles) and a 34-inch cockpit display.

There's no guarantee Lucid will succeed when competing against Tesla, Rivian and rapidly electrifying incumbent car brands. While its strategy is familiar to Tesla fans (its first truly large-scale EV was also a luxury sedan), Lucid is entering a much more established market with competitors that have ample resources and name recognition. With that said, just making it to production is notable feat. EV startups like Faraday Future and Lordstown Motors are still struggling to reach that point, giving Lucid a considerable lead over some of its key rivals.

Volvo and Aurora are one step closer to putting autonomous semi trucks on North American roads. The two have revealed a prototype self-driving semi truck meant for "long-haul" trips in North America, not just quick hops as with past vehicles. The variant of Volvo's VNL looks familiar, but packs a wide array of sensors to detect the surrounding environment and navigate on its own using the virtual Aurora Driver.

The automaker was shy on technical details, but said the big rig expanded on existing VNL safety features like Volvo Dynamic Steering and automated transmission to create a "redundant" system. This truck might not run into much trouble on the highway, in other words. The companies previously said they hoped for Level 4 autonomy, or completely human-free driving in limited situations.

Volvo has already put autonomous trucks into service in countries like Norway and its Swedish homeland. However, they've generally been limited to short, narrowly defined routes. In theory, the new prototype could handle the longer distances and varied conditions necessary to shuttle payloads between North American cities.

Volvo didn't say when it expected the prototype to reach public roads, let alone when you might see a production truck. The company would also need regulations allowing commercial self-driving trucks, not just the testing you see in some states. This is an important step toward Volvo's driverless trucking goal, but far from the last step.

Michigan State Police has put a version of the 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV through its paces over the past week, and the Ford Pro all-electric police pilot vehicle seems to have met the agency's bar. According to Ford, it's the first EV that's passed the Michigan State Police's model year evaluation test.

The agency is one of two that runs annual evaluations of new model year police vehicles. Later this fall, it will publish the results of those tests for law enforcement agencies across the US. Michigan State Police assessed the EV's acceleration, top speed, high-speed pursuit and braking attributes, along with emergency response handling.

The pilot vehicle's success in the tests is a win for Ford. Through its Police Interceptor program, the automaker alters vehicles for police use, usually by bulking up the suspension, brakes and horsepower. Ford plans to use the test results as a benchmark while it considers eventually making "purpose-built electric police vehicles" as part of its pledge to invest $30 billion into EV tech. Meanwhile, the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has ordered two of the EVs to use as patrol cars.

Starting in 2030, California will require all light-duty autonomous vehicles that operate in the state to emit zero emissions. Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, SB 500 represents the latest effort by the state to limit the sale of new internal combustion vehicles with an eye towards reducing greenhouse emissions. In 2020, Newsom signed an executive order that effectively banned the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035. That same year, the state’s Air Resources Board mandated that all new trucks sold in California emit zero emissions by 2045.

“We’re grateful for California’s leadership in ensuring this will be the industry standard,” said Prashanthi Raman, head of global government affairs at Cruise, in a statement to Engadget. “The AV industry is primed to lead the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cities, and it’s why we’ve operated an all-electric, zero-emissions fleet from the start.” Cruise backed SB 500 through its involvement with the Emission Zero Coalition, a group that also includes autonomous delivery startup Nuro.

Per the Environmental Protection Agency, the transportation sector has been the single largest source of greenhouse emissions in the US since 2019, with light-duty vehicles accounting for more than half of that output. However, autonomous cars currently represent only a tiny fraction of the nearly 15 million vehicles on California roads. Moreover, both Cruise and Waymo, two of the most prominent companies testing fully autonomous taxi services in the state, utilize fleets made almost exclusively of electric and hybrid vehicles. This latest move from California then is about preventing autonomous vehicles from becoming major polluters in the future, particularly if driverless taxi services become popular among commuters.

With a little more than three months before the start of the Dakar Rally in January, Audi took its RS Q E-Tron to the deserts of Morocco to test the custom-built hybrid ahead of the endurance competition. Over the two weeks that Audi was in the country, it subjected the RS Q E-Tron to temperatures hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit and sandstorms. The automaker says it tested the vehicle in Morocco specifically to put it through the most extreme conditions possible. The heat and other factors pushed the RS Q E-Tron's electric drivetrain and other components to their limit. 

Audi

"The insights we gained in Morocco are invaluable, but they also show us that we still have a lot to do before the Dakar Rally and there is not much time left," said Andreas Roos, project manager of factory racing at Audi Sport.

Audi and the Volkswagen Group have a lot riding on the RS Q E-Tron. If it can win the Dakar Rally, it would be the first electrified vehicle to do so. While not a pure EV, it features an electric drivetrain with two modified Formula E motors. An energy conversion system with a TFSI engine charges the car's high-voltage battery while driving and braking. Volkswagen has already said it expects the RS Q E-Tron will help inform some of its future production cars.   

A host of features are being added to Google's Android Auto experience, and the company's Automotive OS will come to more cars including, for the first time, Honda vehicles from 2022 onwards.

Google introduced its Android Auto app in 2015, enabling drivers to run a tethered connection between their smartphone and their vehicle’s stereo system to play music from the device, have Maps’ turn-by-turn directions be read aloud, and take calls through the sound system. In the six years since, both Android Auto and the infotainment systems they operate on have gotten a whole lot smarter. On Thursday, Google announced that it will be rolling out even more features and capabilities to drivers, whether they run Android Auto on their phones or directly through their cars.

While Android Auto has been designed to minimize distractions to the driver when on the road, initially connecting the phone to the infotainment or stereo system has to date been a whole thing. You’d have to make sure the Bluetooth radio was live on your phone, then cajole the vehicle into recognizing and pairing with the device, then remember the myriad various oral commands to incite Android Auto into doing what you actually wanted it to. But no longer! Drivers will soon be able to effectively automate the tethering process just by saying “Hey Google, let’s drive.” 

What’s more, Google has redesigned the Auto UI to enable access to a bevy of content sources including Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, JioSaavn, Pandora, Podcast Addict, SoundCloud, and YouTube Music with one-tap accessibility as well as have the system read incoming text messages aloud and allow the driver to respond by voice. Expect to see these new features arrive over the next few weeks in English-speaking markets as well as Germany, Spain, Mexico, France and Italy.

And for international travelers using dual-SIM phones, Android Auto will allow you to establish separate Work and Personal profiles and have their relevant contact lists and calendar appointments display, depending on when and why they’re behind the wheel.

For vehicles with in-car displays, Android Auto (the mirroring version, not what you’d find on the Polestar 2 or the XC40 Recharge) will soon boast a few new features, such as games. Google is partnering with GameSnacks to offer drivers quick and fun diversions to play while the vehicle is parked. Finally, an end to doom-scrolling while sitting in public charging lots. Conversely, Google is making paying for gas less interactive. Just say “Hey Google, pay for gas” to have the vehicle’s infotainment system complete a contactless payment with Google Pay. You do have to select the fuel grade and, you know, actually pump the gas but, still. The feature will be available at Exxon and Mobil gas stations to start with support for Shell, Conoco, Phillips 66 and 76 stations coming soon.

As for the integrated Android Automotive OS (like what you’d find in select Ford, GM, and Volvo vehicles), get ready to see it in a whole bunch of new makes and models. Google announced on Thursday that its latest partner is Honda, which will begin producing vehicles with built-in AAOS come the 2022 model year, and will soon be available in both the Chevy Silverado and the Renault Mégane E-Tech.

London courier and private hire taxi firm Addison Lee has pledged to convert its whole passenger car fleet to electric vehicles by 2023. While the company's website says it has over 4,800 cars operating in the UK capital, its recent acquisition of black taxi service ComCab will make it the largest taxi company in London with over 7,000 vehicles. It already has 650 zero-emission vehicles in its fleet after the acquisition, but to be able to fully switch over to electric, it has teamed up with Volkswagen.

Addison Lee is investing £160 million ($218 million) to replace its existing fleet with slightly larger Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles. The standard ID.4 has a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and has range of 250 miles, making it more suitable for city use than for long-distance driving. Its capable of 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, with speeds reaching 100MPH. 

The firm will start by rolling out 450 EVs by the end of 2021, presumably in addition to the 650 electric cars it already has. Then, the company plans to add 200 electric cars per month until its whole fleet has been replaced within a couple of years. The firm also plans to set up charging infrastructure for its drivers using the new £3.5 million (US$4 million) Future Mobility Fund it has established.

If the company succeeds in transitioning to electric by 2023, it'll be ahead of its competitors like Uber, which previously pledged to replace its existing fleet with EVs by 2025. It also means up to 20,000 zero-emission trips each day in London, which will help the government achieve its goal of a net zero economy by 2050.

With the 2022 EQS making its way to American dealerships this fall, Mercedes-Benz has finally shared US pricing for its first fully electric vehicle. Initially, the automaker plans to offer two different models of the luxury sedan called the EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4Matic.

Both will be available in three different trims: Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle. The base model EQS 450+ costs $102,310, while its counterpart will set you back $119,110. The Exclusive models are priced at $105,710 and $122,510 respectively, while the Pinnacle variants cost $108,510 and $125,310. One thing to note is the above prices don’t include a $1,050 destination and delivery charge you have to pay separately.

To put that pricing in perspective, it means you can buy an EQS sedan for less than you would pay for an entry-level S-Class model from Mercedes. The S500 4Matic and S580, with destination charge included, start at $110,850 and $117,350.

Some of the highlights of the Premium trim include heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system. Moving up to the more expensive trims, you can look forward to features like a head-up display, four-zone climate control, additional USB-C ports and more. No matter the trim, each EQS will also come with two years of complementary fast-charging at Electrify America stations and 24-months of free maintenance.

One of the main reasons to go for the 580 rather than the 450+ is that it will come with the 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen the automaker unveiled at CES 2021. On the more affordable model, you get a single 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen. The 580 also comes with 21-inch wheels, while the 450+ features 20-inch ones.

Google has released a handy Android Auto update for folks with vehicles where the driver sits on the right. The platform's version of Google Maps now shifts turn information and navigation bar closer to the driver.

Whether you have a left-hand drive vehicle or right-hand drive vehicle, the user interface will have more optimal orientation, Google says. As such, Brits, Indians, Aussies, Japanese drivers and those in the other dozens of countries where traffic moves on the left might find it a touch easier to reach the relevant buttons and enter a destination.

Maps will automatically switch the UI's orientation in right-hand drive vehicles, though you'll soon be able to return to the default look if you prefer. It's a relatively small quality-of-life update, but it's a thoughtful one. Google says the latest version of Android Auto also fixes some right-to-left language issues in the Maps app.

Tesla may soon launch its latest FSD (full self-driving) Autopilot to a wide group of drivers, and US safety authorities aren't that happy about it. They have reason to be concerned, according to a new MIT study seen by TechCrunch. The researchers studied glance data and found that drivers become more inattentive when using Tesla's Autopilot system.  

"Visual behavior patterns change before and after [Autopilot] disengagement,” according to the study. “Before disengagement, drivers looked less on road and focused more on non-driving related areas compared to after the transition to manual driving. The higher proportion of off-road glances before disengagement to manual driving were not compensated by longer glances ahead."

Visual behavior patterns change before and after AP disengagement. Before disengagement, drivers looked less on road and focused more on non-driving related areas compared to after the transition to manual driving. The higher proportion of off-road glances before disengagement to manual driving were not compensated by longer glances ahead.

The fact that drivers may not pay as much attention to the road when using Autopilot is not exactly a shocker. What's new is that the researchers were able to see exactly where drivers were looking when the autopilot was engaged versus when it's disengaged.

Off-road glances were directed downwards and toward the center stack region, so they "were presumably non-driving related." Rather, looking in those directions is typically associated with activities like glancing down at a smartphone or interacting with the center-stack infotainment touchscreen. Those were often longer with Autopilot engaged and far more frequent than off-road glances in manual driving, according to the paper. 

Despite the name, Tesla's FSD (full self-driving) Autopilot is merely a driver assist system and far from being fully autonomous. As such, it requires that drivers keep their hands on the wheel and remain fully alert, but Tesla doesn't use cameras or other means to monitor the alertness part. 

The latest version, 10.0.1, supposedly makes more confident decisions on the road, but has so far only rolled out to a relatively small group of beta testers. Tesla plans to roll it out more widely starting September 24th, though, and may release it to all Autopilot FSD EVs, pending a seven day trial that will track owner behavior. 

The new release could pit Tesla against US regulators, however. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) head Jennifer Homendy recently said that Tesla shouldn't release the latest software update until it can address "basic safety issues." She also wasn't thrilled with Tesla essentially beta-testing upgrades on public streets.