News
Mercedes’ U.S.-built EQS SUV starts at $104,000, nine trim levels available
Mercedes-Benz has announced the pricing of its six EQS SUV trims that are built in the company’s Tuscaloosa, Alabama, facility in the United States. Starting at $104,400, Mercedes-Benz launched production of the premium electric SUV started production last week, making it the first vehicle on the EQ platform to be built in the U.S.
The U.S.-built EQS SUV has three trim levels and three packages, each showcasing the EQ’s innovative tech and luxurious features that Mercedes-Benz has built a reputation for with its cars. Each vehicle comes with typical standard features, including Mercedes’ entire suite of both active and passive Driver Assitance Systems. The EQS 450+ and 450 4MATIC SUV trim levels come standard with a 12.8″ OLED multimedia touchscreen in portrait orientation. Meanwhile, the EQS 580 4MATIC SUV, which is the most premium trim level across the three groupings, includes Mercedes BMUX Hyperscreen with three displays “merged seamlessly under a single 56-inch curved glass surface.”
Mercedes-Benz launches EQS SUV production in Alabama
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Mercedes-Benz has three packages available, each offering something more than the previous one. Premium is the “entry-level” package, while Exclusive and Pinnacle are the middle and highest levels, respectively. The packages are broken down as such (prices exclude $1,150 destination and delivery charge):
- Premium
- EQS 450+ SUV: $104,400
- EQS 450 4MATIC SUV: $107,400
- EQS 580 4MATIC SUV: $125,950
- Included Features:
- Driver Assistance Package
- Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
- Leather Upholstery
- Power Tilt/Sliding Panorama Roof
- 20″ Wheels (21″ on EQS 580)
- Burmester® 3D Sound System with Sound Personalization and Dolby Atmos
- 10-Degree Rear Axle Steering
- 64-color Ambient Lighting
- Parking Package with Surround View System
- Included Features:
- Exclusive
- EQS 450+ SUV: $108,650
- EQS 450 4MATIC SUV: $111,650
- EQS 580 4MATIC SUV: $130,200
- Included Features:
- All features of Premium Trim
- Head-Up Display
- Rapid Heating Front Seats
- MBUX Interior Assistant Front
- Front Multicontour Seats with Massage
- Four-Zone Climate Control
- Air Balance Package
- Mercedes-Benz Star Pattern Logo Projectors
- Included Features:
- Pinnacle
- EQS 450+ SUV: $110,650
- EQS 450 4MATIC SUV: $113,650
- EQS 580 4MATIC SUV: $132,200
- Included Features:
- All features of Premium and Exclusive Trims
- Executive Second-Row Seat Package
- Second Row Middle Armrest with Wireless Charging
- Comfort Rear Headrests
- MBUX Rear Tablet
- Included Features:
Mercedes EQS SUV owners will also receive two complimentary years of charging through the company’s in-house infrastructure, known as Mercedes me Charge. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz and Electrify America have collaborated to give EQS SUV drivers an unlimited number of 30-minute DC fast charging sessions at no additional cost.
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SpaceX has achieved an incredible milestone by launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite into orbit.
This accomplishment occurred during the Starlink Group 17-50 mission, which lifted off on August 19 at 04:01 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Falcon 9 launches 24 @Starlink satellites from California pic.twitter.com/UscpmAxDls
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 19, 2026
A Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on this flight, successfully deploying them into low Earth orbit approximately one hour after liftoff. The first stage booster, identified as B1097 on its twelfth flight, landed successfully on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
According to tracking data compiled around that date, this deployment brought the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to just over 11,000.
The Starlink program began with test satellites known as Tintin A and B, launched on February 22, 2018. The first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites followed on May 24, 2019, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Those initial satellites marked the start of a rapid expansion that has continued for more than seven years.
SpaceX has conducted hundreds of dedicated Starlink missions since then, routinely launching batches of 20 to 30 satellites at a time using reusable Falcon 9 rockets. By mid-2026, the company had already surpassed 12,000 total satellites launched across all versions, with continuous replacements for units that deorbit as designed to manage space debris.
Looking ahead, SpaceX continues to expand the Starlink constellation to enhance global broadband coverage, capacity, and speed. The network already serves millions of users across more than 160 countries and supports applications ranging from residential internet to maritime, aviation, and emergency services.
Future plans center on next-generation hardware, including larger V3 satellites capable of delivering substantially higher throughput, which require the increased payload capacity of the Starship vehicle currently under development and testing.
In July, SpaceX submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority for a Gen3 constellation of up to 100,000 satellites. These spacecraft would operate in very low Earth orbit shells at altitudes near 325 kilometers and 475 kilometers. The filing requests use of existing Ku, Ka, V, and E band spectrum along with new greenfield W and D band frequencies between 92 and 275 GHz.
SpaceX states that the expanded system aims to deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical broadband to consumers, enterprises, governments, and billions of AI-powered devices worldwide while handling a majority of global internet traffic. Approval and subsequent deployment would depend on regulatory review and the operational readiness of Starship for high-volume launches.
This ambitious scale reflects SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to providing ubiquitous high-speed connectivity from space.
Tesla has opened a new sweepstakes to allow the public to be among the first to take an initial ride in a Cybercab. This all-electric, steering-wheel-less, pedal-less vehicle is the centerpiece of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Robotaxi.
There are two ways Tesla fans can get to Austin to take part in the first public rides of the Cybercab: by riding on the Robotaxi platform by August 23, or by mailing a very specific entry to their Headquarters at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla announced the latter portion of the sweepstakes last night:
🚨 Want to win a trip to Austin to ride in one of the first Cybercab rides ever?
Here’s how:
Tesla has opened up a new sweepstakes to ride in a Cybercab upon its public launch. Here’s the details.
There are two methods of entry into the sweepstakes, and they are as follows:… pic.twitter.com/iJRd4evuWo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 19, 2026
Tesla will give one entry into the sweepstakes if you mail a 3″ by 5″ piece of paper with your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth to their address:
Tesla, Robotaxi Sweeps Event
1 Tesla Road,
Austin, TX 78725
There is a limit of one entry per stamped envelope. You can send as many as you’d like, but they must be in separate envelopes.
The company’s unique strategy to give people the opportunity to ride in a Cybercab before pretty much anyone else outside of the company is a hilarious but spot-on representation of how Tesla operates. In classic fashion, they had the perfect response to the event:
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 19, 2026
Cybercab will launch later this month, it appears, especially as it plans to announce the winners of the sweepstakes on August 25. The car has already been operating internally, as employees have been able to utilize the Cybercab for rides in some capacity, something it announced earlier this month.
Tesla weirdly confirms Cybercab employee rides, a huge milestone
Moving forward, the big goal is to get Cybercab out on the roads and integrated into the public Robotaxi fleet, one that will pick up real-world ride-hailers and give them a ride from Point A to Point B.
No matter which way you cut it, it appears Tesla is close to putting a vehicle with no steering wheel and no pedals on the road to help people travel autonomously.
You can ride along with us in our first Cybercab ride from the We, Robot event in October 2024. The video is embedded below:
🎥: Our FULL first ride in the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
Tesla has revealed plans through permit submissions for a massive Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas.
Tesla plans to build the Supercharger hub in multiple phases, with the second phase potentially introducing wireless induction charging, something the company has been developing for the Robotaxi fleet.
Initially, 48 Tesla Robotaxi-geared Superchargers will be built on a lot just across from the St. Elmo, Texas, Service Center. There are about 80 additional spots that will not be impacted by phase 1 of the construction process.
Filings show that the second phase of the project will turn those 80 additional spots into wireless charging for Robotaxi, but it might be an error. The Key Notes state that item 3 is listed as “V4 Charging Cabinet to Support 80 Wireless Chargers in Phase 2. However, the drawings point to V3 Cabinets that are already tied to Superchargers:
There are roughly 128 total spots in the lot, but it is unclear if they will all be used for charging based on what appears to be some sort of typo in the blueprint.
A new Robotaxi fleet charging hub is coming soon to Austin, Texas!!
Permits have been filed for the installation of 48 (V3) stalls in a vehicle storage lot across the road from Tesla’s St Elmo service center. pic.twitter.com/xwRgSWDqht
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) August 18, 2026
This is among the first Robotaxi charging hubs Tesla has started to develop, as it currently has four others planned throughout various areas: one in Phoenix, one in San Antonio, another in Irving, which will serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another in Las Vegas.
These projects are necessary as Tesla expands its Robotaxi program. Now that preparations have started for the public launch of Cybercab, Robotaxi will likely be expanding aggressively, especially over the next two to three years.
Last night, The Information reported that Tesla was planning to launch Cybercab as soon as the end of August. Hours later, Tesla then announced it was launching a competition for fans to potentially ride in Cybercab during its first public rides.
Tesla’s plan to expand its charging infrastructure in the regions where Robotaxi will initially operate is great preparation for the expanding service. There is still a lot to do, including launching the Cybercab on time.
SpaceX achieves incredible milestone with Starlink program
Tesla is opening Cybercab rides to a select few
