Lucid Group launched a new “Stealth Look” option exterior design theme for its Air electric vehicle that brings a new “darker and overtly sporting personality” to the car.
Available on Lucid’s Air Grand Touring Performance, Air Grand Touring, and Air Touring configurations, the new changes to 35 of the vehicle’s exterior components bring a darker finish to redefine the nature of the company’s first EV model.
Lucid said the most notable changes are the Air’s mirror caps, cantrails framing the Glass Canopy roof, and elements of lower body trim and other finishes encapsulate the “stealth” look with dark satin finishes.
- Credit: Lucid Group
- (Credit: Lucid Group)
In lieu of the typical platinum finish present on previously-built Air modes, Lucid is going with a “dark Stealth Polished finish, reminiscent of the spéculaire black polishing technique employed in fine horology and jewelry,” the company said. These looks extend to the front nose blade, C-pillar flags, and lower door fascia trim. Black gloss and satin graphite accents are available on other parts of the vehicle that further refine and enhance the sharpened appearance.
The Stealth Look will also include unique designs for both the 20-inch and 21-inch wheels. Stealth wheels with satin black wheel inserts will complement the car’s new sleek design.
Make no mistake, chrome is out and black is in. Companies are transitioning to more sleek and modern looks, axing chrome on their cars, which has been a trim accent style for as long as cars have been around. Two years ago, Tesla decided to refresh their vehicle lineup, removing all chrome from the exterior of its cars. Door handles, window trim, and nearly every facet of the vehicle that involved a chrome trim design were removed. Lucid may be following in the footsteps of Tesla with this strategy, but “blacked-out” designs seem to be more popular in today’s industry.
Lucid will not be offering the Stealth Look free of charge. It will be a $6,000 increase in price, and is not yet in production. However, Lucid plans to begin manufacturing vehicles with the Stealth Look in Q1 2023, it said.
“From its inception, Lucid Air was designed for two distinct looks that reflect the duality of its personality: standard Platinum Look, which highlights its luxurious nature; and now Stealth Look, which is simultaneously assertive yet under-the-radar,” Derek Jenkins, Senior VP of Design and Brand for Lucid, said.
The Stealth Look Lucid configurations will make their public debut next Wednesday, August 17, at Monterey Car Week at Motorlux in California.
Interestingly, Lucid is introducing the new Stealth Look at a challenging time for the company. Despite delivering its first vehicles last October, Lucid has struggled to keep production output intact as supply chain issues plague nearly every company in the industry. That, along with a less than favorable cash flow, forced Lucid to cut its 2022 production outlook by 50 percent, stating it planned to build between 6,000 and 7,000 vehicles this year, citing “extraordinary supply chain and logistics challenges.”
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News
U.S. Judge dismisses lawsuit against SpaceX Starship Boca Chica launch site
The ruling found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas.
The ruling, issued Monday, found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.
FAA review withstands legal challenge
The lawsuit centered on whether the FAA properly assessed the impact of SpaceX’s operations on endangered wildlife, including ocelots, jaguarundis, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as noted in a report from The Guardian. The plaintiffs argued that noise, light pollution, and construction activity degraded the surrounding habitat, which also serves as nesting grounds for threatened shorebirds.
The lawsuit cited SpaceX’s April 2023 Starship test, which destroyed its launchpad and scattered debris across a large area. The blast reportedly ignited a grassfire and damaged wildlife habitats, including a bobwhite quail nest.
Judge Carl Nichols, for his part, ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation“to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife.” The decision effectively cleared a regulatory hurdle for SpaceX, which has been working to expand Starship launch activity at its Boca Chica facility.
A continued ramp
SpaceX continues to scale its operations nationwide. Beyond Starship, the company is also seeking approval to nearly double Falcon rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, from 50 annually to 95.
Former President Trump has also shared his intention to increase U.S. launch capacity, setting a target for substantial growth by 2030. Considering that SpaceX is by far the world’s dominant launch provider, Trump’s support for more launches will likely benefit the private space company.
For now, at least, the ruling should allow continued expansion at a time when Starship remains central to long-term goals such as Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis program.
Elon Musk
Pope Leo XIV slams Elon Musk’s pay package due to misinformation (Opinion)
The Pope’s comments seem to be guided by a misunderstanding of what Elon Musk’s pay package entails.

Pope Leo XIV has voiced sharp criticism of corporate pay structures, singling out Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other business leaders as examples of the widening gap between executives and ordinary workers. The pontiff warned that excessive wealth concentration could erode societal values and fuel global polarization.
Pope Leo XIV’s comments seem to be guided by a misunderstanding of what Elon Musk’s pay package entails, and the net positive it would result to TSLA shareholders and the world as a whole.
Pope Leo XIV’s comments
In his first interview since becoming pope in May, Leo XIV, the first US-born head of the Catholic Church, pointed to reports that Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire. As noted in a report from the Financial Times, Pope Leo XIV singled out Elon Musk as an example of the type of wealth that was undermining “the value of human life, of the family, of the value of society.”
“Yesterday, the news (arrived) that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean, and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has any value any more, then we are in big trouble,” the pontiff stated.
Musk was not the only executive who caught the ire of the leader of the Catholic Church. He noted that while Musk’s pay was problematic, it was only an example of the “continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive.”
“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it’s 600 times what average workers are receiving,” he stated.
Borne out of misrepresentation
A look at Pope Leo XIV’s comments surrounding Elon Musk’s wealth suggests that he may not necessarily be familiar with how the CEO earns his net worth. Musk’s wealth is tied to his stakes in his companies, with a good portion of it coming from Tesla and SpaceX. Thus, quite unlike what the mainstream media narrative might suggest, Elon Musk does not necessarily have a giant vault of gold coins he is hoarding somewhere.
If one were to look at Elon Musk’s pay package, which would result in him becoming a trillionaire, one would see that the CEO could only earn his keep if he proves immense value to Tesla and its shareholders.
His payout might be notable, but he would have to lead Tesla into becoming an $8.5 trillion company first. At this level, Tesla would likely be a notable force of good that would provide a net benefit for people worldwide. Ultimately, it appears that Pope Leo XIV’s comments about Musk may be borne from information gathered only through mainstream sources, some of which tend to have a notable slant against the CEO.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk affirms Tesla commitment and grueling work schedule: “Daddy is very much home”
The remarks came as Tesla shares crossed the $400 mark on the stock market.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reiterated his commitment to the electric vehicle maker and its future projects this week, responding to speculation following his $1 billion purchase of TSLA stock.
The remarks came as Tesla shares crossed the $400 mark on the stock market, extending a rally fueled in part by Musk’s TSLA purchase.
Elon Musk’s nonstop work schedule
Amidst the reaction of TSLA stock to Musk’s $1 billion investment, Tesla owners such as @greggertruck noted that “Daddy’s home.” Musk replied, stating that “Daddy is very much home.” He then shared details of a packed weekend of work, which was definitely grueling but completely within character for a “wartime CEO.”
Musk did note, however, that he had lunch with his kids during the weekend despite his extremely busy schedule.
“Daddy is very much home. Am burning the midnight oil with Optimus engineering on Friday night, then redeye overnight to Austin arriving 5am, wake up to have lunch with my kids and then spend all Saturday afternoon in deep technical reviews for the Tesla AI5 chip design.
“Fly to Colossus II on Monday to walk the whole datacenter floor, review transformers and power production (excellent progress), depart midnight. Then up to 12 hours of back-to-back meetings across all Tesla departments, but with a particular focus on AI/Autopilot, Optimus production plans, and vehicle production/delivery,” Musk wrote in his post.
Wartime CEO
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives described Musk as operating in “wartime CEO mode,” highlighting autonomous driving and AI as a trillion-dollar market opportunity for Tesla. Musk reiterated this point late last month as well, when he outlined the several projects he is juggling among his numerous companies. At the time, Musk stated that he was busy with Starship 10, Grok 5, and Tesla V14. This was despite his notable presence on X.
With Tesla Master Plan Part IV being partly released, the company is entering what could very well be its most ambitious stage to date. To usher in an era of sustainable abundance, Tesla would definitely require a “wartime CEO,” someone who could remain locked in and determined to push through any obstacles to ensure that the company achieves its goals.
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