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Lucid Motors starts recruitment efforts in China

Lucid's first European retail location – the Lucid Studio at Odeonsplatz in Munich, Germany – is a luxury retail space that invites customers to experience the brand and its products in the heart of the iconic old town area. The company expects to open additional studios and service centers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland in 2022, and has the ambition to expand into additional key markets across the European continent in the coming years.

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It appears that electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors is looking to have a piece of the EV pie in China. The country could present a notable opportunity for Lucid, seeing as China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market. 

On December 13, local reports noted that Lucid Motors had begun recruiting for a range of positions in China. The open positions include roles in several divisions, such as hardware engineering, digital information, law, supply chain, logistics management, retail, and other fields. A total of 14 positions were posted by the EV maker, and all were based in Shanghai. 

While Lucid did not indicate the specific number of recruits it was seeking for each of its open positions in China, most of the listings required proficiency in both Chinese and English, or at least two years of working experience in Chinese companies. This suggests that Lucid is treading carefully and that the company is focused on localization in the Chinese EV market. 

So far, Lucid has posted three hardware engineering-related jobs for China. These include a post for a Sr. Product Manager, China Introduction; Product Manager, Public Charging – China; and Product Manager, Residential Charging – China. Another three positions are specifically geared towards the company’s localization efforts. 

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Lucid is currently led by CEO Peter Rawlinson, who previously worked for Tesla when the EV maker was still developing the Model S sedan. While Rawlinson has maintained that Lucid is targeting traditional luxury brands rather than Tesla, Lucid is following a similar playbook as its more experienced counterpart. This could be seen in the fact that Lucid’s first vehicle is the Lucid Air sedan, a high-end luxury all-electric vehicle that’s expected to start at less than $90,000. 

Amid reports that the company has started adopting a rather assertive strategy to save its orders, Lucid recently attracted some negative comments from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In a post on Twitter, Musk noted that Lucid is “not long for this world.” This seemed to be a follow-up to a previous statement when Musk commented that companies like Lucid are tracking towards bankruptcy unless they are able to cut costs significantly. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”

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Credit: The Boring Company

The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes. 

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.

The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.

Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.

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“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.

“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.

The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.

Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.

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“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement. 

“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”

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Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.” 

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.

Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.

Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.

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Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.

“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.

The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.

Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.

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For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.

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Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas. 

The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”

If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.

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Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.

Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.

An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.

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