A new Lucid Air variant will debut on August 19 during The Quail: Motorsport Gathering. In addition, the Lucid Air Stealth Look will be on display during Monterey Car Week.
“In addition to a substantial presence at The Quail, Lucid will host a press conference in its display on the central lawn at 10:05 am PDT for a global debut of a new vehicle variant that could only come from Lucid,” noted the company in a press release. A simple tweet teased the upcoming new Air variant.
Lucid plans to be a major presence during Monterey Car Week. On Wednesday, August 17, Lucid will have a stand at the Monterey Jet Center, displaying the Stealth Look for the Air.
Lucid will also be present during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Part One, on August 17 and 18. The EV maker will offer exclusive rides around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with Ben Collins in his Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance. Collins and his Lucid Air hold the record for the fastest production car in the Hillclimb Timed Shootout during the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Attendees who want a more picturesque driving experience can head off to the INN at Spanish Bay, where there will be a fleet of Lucid Air Grand Touring vehicles. From August 18 to August 20, customers, VIPs, and media can get an invite-only driving experience inside a Lucid Air Grand Touring. Members of media can contact media@lucidmotors.com to experience a Lucid Air and meet key Lucid executives.
EV Tax Credits for Lucid
From August 20 to August 21, Lucid will also appear at Part Two of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Lucid will end its Monterey Car Week with a display at the Concept Car Lawn, even though it plans to deliver vehicles to customers by 2023.
According to Lucid Insider, the company started emailing customers with reservations to confirm their orders. Lucid believes that if customers confirm their orders now, they may be eligible for the $7,500 EV tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. The Senate passed the bill over the weekend.
“The current text of the bill includes a ‘transition rule,’ which may maintain eligibility for Lucid customers who enter into a contract to purchase their Lucid Air before the bill is signed. We’ve decided to help reservation holders take advantage of the transition rule by opening a window to place an order for their Lucid Air. This window is now open, and will remain so until 12 a.m. the morning the bill is passed, which could be as soon as this Friday,” Lucid told reservation holders.
Before confirming their order, however, Lucid reminds reservation holders that deposits are non-refundable.
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Elon Musk
Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.
Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.
The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.
Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at £3 per month.
By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.
Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.
Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.
For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Elon Musk’s Starbase, Texas has been included in an $84.6 million coastal funding round announced by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham confirmed that 14 coastal counties will receive funding through the Coastal Management Program (CMP) Grant Cycle 31 and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program Cycle 14. Among the Brownsville-area recipients listed was the City of Starbase, which is home to SpaceX’s Starship factory.
“As someone who spent more than a decade living on the Texas coast, ensuring our communities, wildlife, and their habitats are safe and thriving is of utmost importance. I am honored to bring this much-needed funding to our coastal communities for these beneficial projects,” Commissioner Buckingham said in a press release.
“By dedicating this crucial assistance to these impactful projects, the GLO is ensuring our Texas coast will continue to thrive and remain resilient for generations to come.”
The official Starbase account acknowledged the support in a post on X, writing: “Coastal resilience takes teamwork. We appreciate @TXGLO and Commissioner Dawn Buckingham for their continued support of beach restoration projects in Starbase.”
The funding will support a range of coastal initiatives, including beach nourishment, dune restoration, shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and water quality improvements.
CMP projects are backed by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, alongside local partner matches. CEPRA projects focus specifically on reducing coastal erosion and are funded through allocations from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax, and GOMESA.
Checks were presented in Corpus Christi and Brownsville to counties, municipalities, universities, and conservation groups. In addition to Starbase, Brownsville-area recipients included Cameron County, the City of South Padre Island, Willacy County, and the Willacy County Navigation District.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company wins key approval for Nashville Music City Loop
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have jointly approved The Boring Company’s lease application and enhanced grading permit for the Music City Loop.
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system, clearing a key hurdle for the privately funded tunnel project that aims to connect downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport in approximately eight minutes, the Office of the TN Governor wrote in a press release.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to accommodate growth, and in partnership with The Boring Company, we are exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own,” Gov. Lee said in a statement.
“The Boring Company is grateful for the leadership and hard work of federal, state, and local agencies in bringing this project to a shovel-ready point,” The Boring Company President Steve Davis said. “Music City Loop will be a safe, fast, and fun public transportation system, and we are excited to build it in Nashville.”
With lease and permitting approvals secured, The Boring Company will move forward with the Loop system’s construction immediately. The first segment of the Loop system is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
The Music City Loop will run beneath state-owned roadways and is designed to connect downtown Nashville to the airport, as well as lower Broadway to West End. The project will be 100% privately funded.
“The Music City Loop shows what’s possible when we leverage private-sector innovation and American ingenuity to solve transportation challenges,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “TDOT’s lease approval will help advance this ambitious project as we work to reduce congestion and make travel more seamless for the American people.”
The Boring Company described the Loop as an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground transportation system that will meet or exceed safety standards. The Vegas Loop, for one, earned a 99.57% safety and security rating from the DHS and the TSA, the highest score ever awarded to any transportation system.
Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
