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Mercedes-Benz launches EQS orders: €100k+ price, US deliveries in Q4

Credit: Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes-Benz announced today that it has started accepting orders for the EQS all-electric sedan, starting at €106,374.10 for its base model. Deliveries will begin in Germany by the end of September and in the United States in Q4.

In development for several years, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQS on April 15th, aiming to take a stab at the EV giants who have dominated the industry. Luxurious and fast, the EQS will battle with the Tesla Model S for the top spot in the high-end luxury EV sector, but Mercedes customers will have to pay slightly more than Tesla owners will.

The Daimler-owned Mercedes released a press statement earlier today that announced the acceptance of orders for the EQS. Capable of an estimated 478 miles of all-electric range, according to WLTP ratings, the EQS has the potential to be one of the best EVs on the market in terms of miles per charge. Coupled with a top speed of 130 MPH and 516 horsepower, the EQS is a competitive EV.

Mercedes EQS EV spied benchmarking against Tesla Model S and Model 3

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As the EQS will be available to customers very soon, Mercedes-Benz is also rolling out the introduction of Over-the-Air updates, which will send software fixes and new features to vehicles over the internet. Tesla owners are familiar with this functionality as the automaker regularly rolls out new software versions that equip bug fixes and new entertainment features, among plenty of other things.

Mercedes said it would offer customers a “Roaring Pulse” sound experience and several mini-games to kill time while charging. These include Tetris and Sudoku. It will be free for one year but will cost €89 annually to continue. The OTA updates will also expand to more functions in the future, according to the company. It said that:

“The range of OTA functions is being successively expanded. This means that following the purchase and initial new-car configuration, some of the features of the EQS can be adapted according to personal preferences. This also includes enabling the rear axle steering with a ten-degree steering angle. In addition to the conventional purchasing of individual functions, customers can also take out subscriptions. Temporary activations and free trial periods are also planned.”

Edition 1: A special variant for early orderers

Mercedes will also launch the Edition 1 variant of the EQS, an optional upgrade to the vehicle. It won’t be free and will tack on €18,433.10 onto the price, but will add the AMG line, 21-inch wheels, and several interior and exterior cosmetic features.

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  • Interior
    • AMG Line exterior
    • Metallic paint obsidian black
    • Panoramic sliding sunroof
    • 3 cm (21-inch) AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels
    • “Edition 1” badge in the window triangles in front of the outside mirrors
  • Exterior
    • Designo nappa leather upholstery in neva grey/reflex blue
    • Luxury seats including 4-way lumbar support and contour lighting
    • Multicontour seats for driver and front passenger
    • Upper instrument panel and beltlines in nappa-look reflex blue
    • Trim elements in open-pore ship’s deck walnut wood
    • Designer seat belt buckles front and rear
    • Floor mats with “Edition 1” lettering and piping in reflex blue
    • Door sill panels with illuminated “Edition 1” lettering in white

Credit: Mercedes Benz

Add-Ons

There is no shortage of add-ons for the EQS, and Mercedes details them greatly. From Intelligent Park Pilot, an “autopark-like” feature, to Air Control Plus that utilizes a HEPA air filter for air quality, there are several additional options to make the EQS well-rounded. You will pay extra for these features, though, and they could add up.

Intelligent Park Pilot

For €1,844.50, the EQS can be outfitted with Intelligent Park Pilot, which benefits valet functions and can park automatically without a driver controlling the car.

“Pre-installation for the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is part of the Parking Package with remote parking functions (1844.50 euros1). This prepares the EQS for automated valet service (AVP, SAE level 4). Together with the required special equipment and the corresponding Connect service, the vehicle has the onboard technology to park and unpark fully automatically without driver involvement. This is conditional upon car parks being equipped with AVP infrastructure and national legislation allowing such operations. The Connect service has specific features depending on the country.”

Energizing Air Control Plus

For an additional €535.50, Mercedes-Benz will take a “holistic approach” with the EQS to increase the cabin’s air quality.

“Mercedes-Benz takes a holistic approach to air quality in the EQS. The system is based on filtration, sensors, a display concept and air conditioning. The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter has a very high filtration level that enables it to trap particulate matter, micro-particles, pollen and other substances that enter with the outside air. An activated carbon coating reduces sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides as well as odours in the interior. The interior air filter has been granted 2021 “OFI CERT” ZG 250-1 certification from the Austrian Research and Testing Institute (OFI) for viruses and bacteria. Using pre-entry climate control, it is also possible to clean the interior air before getting into the vehicle. The particulate levels outside and inside the vehicle are also displayed in MBUX. They can be viewed in detail in the dedicated Air Quality menu.”.

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Driver Assistance Packages

Mercedes is also highlighting its Advanced and Advanced Plus Driver Assistance packages that will increase safety for drivers and passengers. Basic features like Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist are included in these packages.

Advanced Package

Tacking on €2,082.50, the Advanced Package adds several interesting features that improve safety and functionality for driving.

“The Advanced Package (2082.50 euros1) includes the Assistance Package with the three driving assistance systems Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist. Other components include MBUX Augmented Reality Navigation, illuminated door sill panels with Mercedes-Benz lettering and a stowage compartment under the centre console.”

Advanced Plus Package

An extra €7,021 will add the Advanced Package, plus some other supplemental features.

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“The Advanced Plus package (7021 euros1) includes the Driving Assistance package Plus[5], the Parking Package with 360° camera and DIGITAL LIGHT in addition to the Advanced Package. DIGITAL LIGHT has a light module with three extremely powerful LEDs in each headlamp, whose light is refracted and directed by 1.3 million micro-mirrors. The revolutionary headlamp technology can also project guide markings or warning symbols onto the road. Two assistance functions[6] are new: the EQS can indicate the start of a cooperative lane change and warn or give a directional instruction if Lane Keeping Assist or Blind Spot Assist detects a hazard.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla finally brings a Robotaxi update that Android users will love

The breakdown of the software version shows that Tesla is actively developing an Android-compatible version of the Robotaxi app, and the company is developing Live Activities for Android.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla is finally bringing an update of its Robotaxi platform that Android users will love — mostly because it seems like they will finally be able to use the ride-hailing platform that the company has had active since last June.

Based on a decompile of software version 26.2.0 of the Robotaxi app, Tesla looks to be ready to roll out access to Android users.

According to the breakdown, performed by Tesla App Updates, the company is preparing to roll out an Android version of the app as it is developing several features for that operating system.

The breakdown of the software version shows that Tesla is actively developing an Android-compatible version of the Robotaxi app, and the company is developing Live Activities for Android:

“Strings like notification_channel_robotaxid_trip_name and android_native_alicorn_eta_text show exactly how Tesla plans to replicate the iOS Live Activities experience. Instead of standard push alerts, Android users are getting a persistent, dynamically updating notification channel.”

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This is a big step forward for several reasons. From a face-value perspective, Tesla is finally ready to offer Robotaxi to Android users.

The company has routinely prioritized Apple releases because there is a higher concentration of iPhone users in its ownership base. Additionally, the development process for Apple is simply less laborious.

Tesla is working to increase Android capabilities in its vehicles

Secondly, the Robotaxi rollout has been a typical example of “slowly then all at once.”

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Tesla initially released Robotaxi access to a handful of media members and influencers. Eventually, it was expanded to more users, so that anyone using an iOS device could download the app and hail a semi-autonomous ride in Austin or the Bay Area.

Opening up the user base to Android users may show that Tesla is preparing to allow even more users to utilize its Robotaxi platform, and although it seems to be a few months away from only offering fully autonomous rides to anyone with app access, the expansion of the user base to an entirely different user base definitely seems like its a step in the right direction.

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Lucid unveils Lunar Robotaxi in bid to challenge Tesla’s Cybercab in the autonomous ride hailing race

Lucid’s Lunar robotaxi is gunning for Tesla’s Cybercab in the autonomous ride hailing race

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Lucid Lunar robotaxi concept [Credit: Rendering by TESLARATI]

Lucid Group pulled back the curtain on its purpose-built autonomous robotaxi platform dubbed the Lunar Concept. Announced at its New York investor day event, Lunar is arguably the company’s most ambitious concept yet, and a direct line of sight toward the autonomous ride haling market that Tesla looks to control.

At Lucid Investor Day 2026, the company introduced Lunar, a purpose-built robotaxi concept based on the Midsize platform.

A comparison to Tesla’s Cybercab is unavoidable. The concept of a Tesla robotaxi was first introduced by Elon Musk back in April 2019 during an event dubbed “Autonomy Day,” where he envisioned a network of self-driving Tesla vehicles transporting passengers while not in use by their owners. That vision took another major step in October 2024 when, Musk unveiled the Cybercab at the Tesla “We, Robot” event held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, where 20 concept Cybercabs autonomously drove around the studio lot giving rides to attendees.

Tesla unveils the Robovan at ‘We, Robot’ event

Fast forward to today, and Tesla’s ambitions are finally materializing, but not without friction. As we recently reported, the Cybercab is being spotted with increasing frequency on public roads and across the grounds of Gigafactory Texas, suggesting that the company’s road testing and validation program is ramping meaningfully ahead of mass production. Tesla already operates a small scale robotaxi service in Austin using supervised Model Ys, but the Cybercab is designed from the ground up for high-volume, low-cost production, with Musk stating an eventual goal of producing one vehicle every 10 seconds.

At Lucid Investor Day 2026, the company introduced Lunar, a purpose-built robotaxi concept based on the Midsize platform.

Into this landscape steps Lucid’s Lunar. Built on the company’s all-new Midsize EV platform, which will also underpin consumer SUVs starting below $50,000. The Lunar mirrors the Cybercab’s core philosophy of having two seats, no driver controls, and a focus on fleet economics. The platform introduces Lucid’s redesigned Atlas electric drive unit, engineered to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper to manufacture at scale.

Unlike Tesla’s strategy of building its own ride hailing network from scratch, Lucid is partnering with Uber. The companies are said to be in advanced discussions to deploy Midsize platform vehicles at large scale, with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi publicly backing Lucid’s engineering credentials and autonomous-ready architecture.

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In the investor day event, Lucid also outlined a recurring software revenue model, with an in-vehicle AI assistant and monthly autonomous driving subscriptions priced between $69 and $199. This can be seen as a nod to the software revenue stream that Tesla has long championed with its Full Self-Driving subscription.

Tesla’s Cybercab is targeting a price point below $30k and with operating costs as low as 20 cents per mile. But with regulatory hurdles still ahead, the window for competition is open. Lucid’s Lunar may not have a launch date yet, but it arrives at a pivotal moment, and when the robotaxi race is no longer viewed as hypothetical. Rather, every serious EV player needs to come to bat on the same plate that Tesla has had countless practice swings on over the last seven years.

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Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed

The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.

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Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.

The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.

According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.

Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.

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Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.

The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.

Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.

These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.

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Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.

Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.

The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.

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