Hands-off with the first true hands-free car in the US, and it’s not Tesla
Mercedes invited us out to Santa Monica to drive its EQS in some of the worst possible traffic conditions – and we were happy about it, because it let us test its new DRIVE PILOT system, the first actual hands-free “Level 3” autonomous drive system certified to operate in the US.
Autonomous drive systems are ranked from level 0-5, describing how much capability the system has. In general, levels 0-2 are primarily human-driven, and levels 3-5 are primarily autonomously driven.
Most manufacturers selling cars today have some sort of driver assistance system that can be categorized as level 2. Every other system in the US (except driverless taxis like Waymo/Cruise, which are geofenced level 4 systems) caps out at level 2, which means that drivers still have ultimate liability for anything that happens while they are behind the wheel.
(A note: GM calls “Super Cruise” a “hands-free” system, which does let you drive without touching the wheel, but it is still a level 2 system, and drivers must keep their eyes on the road and are still ultimately responsible for the vehicle while behind the wheel.)
But Mercedes Drive Pilot is a level 3 system – the first validated to work in the US. Mercedes described this gulf between level 2 and level 3 as a “moonshot,” a step change in how people can use their vehicles.
What that means is this is the first system in the US that is actually validated to take full control of the vehicle, under certain circumstances, freeing you to do other tasks than driving. The system has been out in Germany for about a year now (and Mercedes claims it has tallied zero accidents while enabled, so far), but is only just coming stateside.
To do this, the vehicle uses a dizzying array of sensors and redundancies (including three types of rain sensors – as opposed to zero) to ensure that it has a good view of everything around it. It takes advantage of vision, radar, lidar, GPS, ultrasonic, and acoustic recognition of its environment (did we miss any?):
However, level 3 is still conditional automation, which means that it only works within Mercedes’ “Operational Design Domain.” This basically means heavy traffic conditions under 40 mph, with a lead car available, good weather, good road conditions, and in well-mapped areas. Also, a fallback driver needs to always be available to take over control whenever the car tells you to.
It has been known for quite some time that your commute is killing you. The more time you spend driving to and from work in traffic, the more exhaust you breathe, the more engine vibration you experience, the more money you spend on car fuel and maintenance, etc., the worse your life is. This is true in many measurable ways.
So anything we can do to take back some of that time, and some of that attention, to give us something else that we want to do instead, is positive. And if you live in that is choked with traffic because it has no public transit (because real-life cartoon villains conspired to destroy it, as retold in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which, amazingly, is based on a true story).
So, given the need for high traffic and good weather, where better to test it than rush hour in Santa Monica where the 10 meets the 405 (seriously, I’ve hit traffic there at midnight on a Sunday night, it’s always bad). This was no choreographed demonstration on a test track, like Seth tried out last year, but a real test with a bunch of real Angelenos doing the same weird things they do every day on the freeway.
Imagine being happy about traffic
The first thing I did was sit in the car and… watch a seven-minute video describing Drive Pilot’s operation and limitations. Mercedes requires that all drivers watch this video before activating the system.
Then I noticed the “augmented reality heads-up display,” which was more extensive than any other heads-up display I’ve tried (and which actually worked with polarized sunglasses, well done Mercedes). The HUD shows a lot of the information that Drive Pilot is basing its decisions on, and the in-car visualization is quite detailed (compared to Tesla’s, it’s not quite as detailed/responsive, but feels less nervous/jiggly). The quality of this visualization, especially being able to see it at a glance in the window in front of you, gives a lot of confidence in the system.
Then, upon getting on the freeway and being stuck at 8 mph, the EQS quickly notified me that Drive Pilot is available by lighting up white lights on the steering wheel. The system is activated by pressing the buttons associated with the lights, then pressing “OK.” After this, the lights turn turquoise, which Mercedes has proposed as a standard “this car is using self-driving” indicator (the car is surrounded by turquoise exterior lighting, as well, so other drivers know).
And once the system is active, I was now officially not driving the car. I could use the car’s screen for whatever function I like, I could read a newspaper (though CA regulations say not to hold anything hard between yourself and the airbag), I could relax (without sleeping).
Mercedes has included several apps, though these basically seemed to boil down to a browser, a media player, YouTube, and some simple games, so far (no Steam or Twitch app, unlike Tesla). We were told the German version has an e-mail app, but that this doesn’t currently exist on the US model. We expect more apps may come later.
So I took the chance to watch some videos in traffic without a care in the world:
I was surprised how comfortable I got, and how quickly
Honestly, it was kind of amazing how immediately comfortable I was with this system. I’ve spent plenty of time in Teslas, driving both Autopilot and FSD, and frankly I generally prefer to drive without those aids turned on. And other manufacturers’ systems all have their pluses and minuses as well.
They have their place (traffic, hours-long straight roads), but they also make a lot of weird decisions. I’ve never had one that I didn’t feel like I had to keep my eyes on at all times (and I do – that’s what level 2 is about).
So when I spent two minutes playing shufflepuck, or 20 minutes (and about two miles of road…) discussing the nuances of the system with my Mercedes rep while the car took care of the driving (if you can call ~6 mph “driving”), I found that I had been paying little enough attention to the road that I wasn’t sure which exits had passed and which were up ahead.
This brings up a potential ownership consideration: You might want to keep the navigation lady’s voice turned on to warn you if you’re going to miss your exit, as one thing level 3 won’t do is change lanes. My Mercedes rep wasn’t sure if the car would issue a fallback warning asking you to take over if your exit was coming soon. This could be nice to see in a future update…
But even with drivers acting as inattentively as myself, Drive Pilot tries to be a courteous road user. With the myriad cameras all around it, it will even attempt to detect lane-splitting motorcycles (it’s legal in California) and move slightly over in the lane to give them a little more room. During my test, one of the motorcyclists even put his hand up to wave and thank “me” for moving over for him. Thanks for earning me some bonus social credit, car.
While level 3 won’t change lanes, Mercedes has added Automatic Lane Change to its DISTRONIC level 2 system, which worked confidently in my test. It will only change lanes when there’s a wide opening, but will make sure you’re in the proper lane for interchanges and exits and will choose faster lanes for passing, then move to the right when not passing (very important in Germany… and almost entirely unheard-of in Los Angeles).
One issue I could see happening is if people forget the difference between level 2 and level 3. While there are a lot of indicators, drivers might get comfortable enough with hands-free level 3 mode that, when activating level 2 mode, they might find themselves treating it like level 3. Mercedes has a lot of redundancies and indicators to remind drivers what mode they’re in, but drivers do tend to pay less attention than they’re supposed to on a level 2 system already, and given how quickly I got comfortable with Drive Pilot, I could see drivers having some lapses while only level 2 Distronic is activated.
Liability – who’s really driving?
Mercedes was careful not to explicitly say that they take liability for things that happen when Drive Pilot is activated. Instead, they repeatedly stated “we stand behind our product.” The question of the trolley problem also came up, and Mercedes dodged it stating that the car wouldn’t get into a situation like that, since it only operates in traffic jams. So we’re still kicking philosophy down the road for the time being (or letting Waymo and Cruise deal with it for now, anyway).
In reality, liability will end up being decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the accident report, how responsive drivers were to fallback warnings, information recorded on the car’s data recorder, and so on. Mercedes also says that drivers must maintain the vehicle to be in proper working condition, including recommended tire pressures, tread depth, kept clean so sensors work properly, and so on (surely every automaker has wanted an excuse to require that their cars stay looking pretty – and Mercedes finally found it).
When Drive Pilot is activated and the car decides that it can no longer drive on its own, it will issue a fallback warning. These warnings are quite obvious – the screen turns red, media stops playing, audio warnings chime, the car tugs at your seatbelt, and so on. At that point, you have 10 seconds to take over. If you don’t, the car will come to a stop as safely as possible (but without changing lanes), turn on the hazard lights and the dome lights, unlock the doors, and call emergency services.
Fallback warnings can happen if any of the previous conditions end (rain starts, sunset happens, etc.), if the fallback driver is no longer deemed as present (eyes looking at the back of the car, seat reclined, asleep, etc.), or if something abnormal intrudes onto the road (pedestrians on the freeway, emergency vehicles, construction zone, etc.).
On the emergency vehicle point, the car has stereo internal microphones to detect siren noises and issue a fallback warning if detected (though you can’t trick them with a YouTube video, as I tried testing):
I got fallback warnings several times on the drive, mostly on purpose. The driver camera at the top of the instrument cluster needs to be able to see your eyes, so looking toward your passenger, into the backseat, or having the steering wheel or any other object in the way will trigger a warning (but you can wear sunglasses – even polarized ones).
I did notice one odd behavior when driving alongside a school bus, wherein the car decided that I needed to take over due to an emergency vehicle nearby. I suspect this had to do with the (non-illuminated) stop signs on the side of the bus – or maybe another nearby Drive Pilot car told us an emergency vehicle was coming, which the system is supposedly able to do. Regardless, it was easy enough to re-activate the system a few seconds later without complaints from the car.
Price & availability
The system will be available on Mercedes’ EQS and S-Class (but who would want that one? it runs on gas, yuck) in the US later this year. Significant hardware is required and can’t be retrofitted, so you’ll need to get a level 3-capable car on purchase. The hardware itself won’t change the vehicle’s price, but using the system requires a subscription, which costs $2,500 for the first year. Mercedes hasn’t yet committed to prices for subsequent years.
Drive Pilot will only work in areas with a high-resolution map available. These maps are precise down to an inch or two, and even account for continental drift.
Mercedes said that the system will initially cover Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego, Las Vegas, and the freeways in between these big cities. A map showing its coverage area will be available from Mercedes soon.
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GM has unveiled the new version of the Chevy Bolt, its popular, affordable EV with an upgraded battery and an otherwise very similar package to its last iteration, and we’re on the scene at the unveiling at Universal Studios Hollywood to get you all the info you need.
The Chevy Bolt was originally released in the 2017 model year. It was GM’s first real, modern effort at an EV, designed to be all-electric rather than a compliance car like the old Chevy Spark EV. (GM did previously design the EV1 from the ground up, but it came along before the lithium ion era of EVs, and was decidedly a compliance car).
It was also a great car. Not only was it a good size unlike the ridiculous land yachts we’re seeing so many of today, it had a phenomenal price, especially near the end of the model’s life. It was good enough to be Electrek’s vehicle of the year for 2022.
But, due to an extended recall and because the Bolt used GM’s first-gen EV platform, rather than its whiz-bang new “Ultium” system, GM retired the vehicle in late 2023, even though it was having its best sales year ever.
But, that wasn’t the end for the model. After declaring the Bolt dead but before ending production on it, GM said that it would bring back an Ultium-based Chevy Bolt (which our publisher Seth Weintraub has taken to calling the “Boltium”).
And now, it’s finally time for the official unveiling, and we’re on hand at Universal Studios Hollywood for a “Bolt Block Party” showing off the new vehicle.
Meet the new Bolt, same as the old Bolt
When Chevy retired the Bolt and said they would bring it back later, we expected it to be similar, but perhaps not this similar. From the exterior, the new Bolt and the old Bolt EUV are nearly indistinguishable.
The front fascia is slightly modified with a black line between the headlights and no black border around the fake grille, and the rear has different taillights (lifted higher, a big demand from Bolt owners), and slightly more paint on the bumper. That’s about it. But we knew all that already, after seeing it charging in public last week.
Now we’re getting information on the interior and specs, which are the juicy updates we were hoping to hear changes on.
GM hasn’t publicized 0-60 times yet, but the Bolt will use the same motor as the Equinox EV, which gives 210hp. That’s about the same as the previous Bolt, and it weighs a similar amount, so we’re imagining similar performance as the 6-ish seconds 0-60 of the previous Bolt – peppy and more than enough for any daily needs, but not a sportscar.
In particular, the original Bolt’s main technical limitation was its low DC charge speed. It maxed out at 50kW, but often was even slower than that. In a world where many vehicles can now charge at 200kW+ speeds, the new Bolt needed an update.
Thankfully, it got one. The new Bolt is now capable of a 150kW charge rate, with a 10-80% charge in 26 minutes. GM says this is about three times faster than the previous generation.
This is due to a new 65kWh LFP battery, utilizing GM’s Ultium EV platform. The previous Bolt used LG cells, and was built before GM developed Ultium. This led the Bolt to be the only vehicle in GM’s EV stable on a different technology, and is what necessitated its retirement and retooling.
The new battery also offers different specs, with 255 miles of range (GM estimate). That’s a bit more than before, which is nice, plus you can charge to 100% every night because it’s LFP. But the DC charge speeds are really the bigger story here. Faster DC charge rates enable more seamless roadtrips.
Further enabling those roadtrips is the Bolt’s new NACS port, allowing it to use the Tesla Supercharger network. An adapter is still available to use on CCS networks, but Superchargers are typically a better experience, and the whole industry is moving in that direction at this point.
Another major change is in the Bolt’s software. The previous one had CarPlay, but this one won’t.
A lot of people are unhappy about that, and I understand the unhappiness. People have gotten used to CarPlay (or Android Auto), and lots of people love it, because it’s so much better than the software from whatever 2010s-era vehicle they came from. Infotainment systems have been horrendous in vehicles for a long time.
However, I argue that these phone-based car UIs aren’t actually that great. They are inherently generic, and unable to be tied deeply into vehicle functions in a way that provides a single coherent interface. That’s why I actually liked the UI in the Blazer EV, GM’s first implementation of its post-CarPlay solution, and continue to think that GM made an acceptable choice here.
So, I do think the Bolt UI will turn out okay. GM may take a little time to iron out some kinks, but in the longer term, I think this solution is better, and will enable over-the-air updates which saves time and trouble for everyone.
The interior has had a refresh with larger display, added ambient lighting, and cupholders which can be rearranged to accommodate larger cups. It also has more dash storage for passengers.
Rear cargo space is the same as the outgoing Bolt EUV at 16 cubic feet with the seats up, or 57 with the seats down. Incidentally, with the seats down, this is actually the same amount of cargo space as the Equinox EV, which is 20 inches longer than the Bolt. Quite a feat of packaging efficiency here.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the price. Chevy says the launch edition will be a limited run at $29,990, and then later will be accompanied by an LT trim with base price $28,995. That’s quite an attractive price, and as of right now, makes it the cheapest EV announced in America.
Electrek’s Take
One interesting thing about this unveiling is its timing – or rather, the timing of another unveiling which happened just about 24 hours ago. That’s when Tesla finally took the wraps off its long-promised “more affordable” EV, which turned out to just be a stripped-down version of its Model 3/Y with a still disappointingly-high $37k-$40k base price.
Tesla’s timing for that announcement could have been an attempt to steal the wind from the Bolt’s sails, but given the pricing of that vehicle compared to this one, we’re thinking that there may not be much cannibalization.
My main disappointment in the Bolt is that the new model is based on the EUV version, rather than the EV version. The previous iteration of the Bolt originally came in a smaller version dubbed the EV, with a six-inches-longer EUV version coming later. The EV actually sold in higher numbers than the EUV throughout the model’s life, but it was also available for longer.
But when Chevy announced it would bring back the Bolt, it said the new version would be EUV-only. At the time I found this folly, and I still do. We need smaller cars, not larger ones. While the EUV is still a more reasonably-sized vehicle than almost anything else on the road, I am still disappointed that it is moving in the wrong direction as far as size goes.
Nevertheless, in the current US environment where everyone seems determined to make using roads as unsafe as possible, the EUV is still smaller than the vast majority of cars available
And the price, well, that’s really the kicker. After republicans raised the price of every EV by $7,500 during an affordability crisis, with unwise tariffs also inflating consumer prices at the same time, it’s getting harder to buy a vehicle.
But the Bolt now joins the fray as one of the most affordable EVs out there, alongside the new Nissan Leaf which will cost under 30k (and even less, once a future lower-spec trim is announced), and significantly cheaper than other low-ish-priced EVs like the Equinox EV, Ioniq 5, and the aforementioned “more affordable” standard Model 3/Y.
That’s a big deal, and it makes the new Bolt a similar calculation as when it earned Electrek’s Vehicle of the Year. But now, it doesn’t even have the main downside it had at the time – its low DC charge rate, and battery questions during what was a messy recall. Both of those problems were solved here, leaving a calculation with few downsides.
We haven’t driven the car yet, though we’ll get a few minutes in it later in the event. But it’s only going to be around the block at the Universal backlot, so we can’t give a full review, but from what we’ve seen today, it looks like quite an attractive value proposition.
We’re still at the event right now for the next few hours, so if you’ve got any questions that you’d like us to check on or relay to GM employees, let us know in the comments and we’ll see if we can get some answers (especially you Bolt owners). And, we just got all this info, so we’ll be updating this article as we digest more.
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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New York-based Cool Down makes a thermal transfer system that moves naturally cool air from your basement into your living space while sending excess heat back down below to cool homes more efficiently. By dispersing that heat into the ground, Cool Down helps keep homes comfortable during hot summer months and cuts electricity bills in the process.
Cool Down’s system has already been shown to reduce air conditioning use by up to 67% per season by leveraging the consistent temperatures found in basements. With the release of its upgraded Smart Control Unit, the company is adding even more functionality and savings for homeowners across different climates.
The new Smart Control Unit introduces a range of intelligent features that make the system more versatile and user-friendly. Homeowners can now see their estimated energy savings in real time, giving them a clear picture of their return on investment and helping them optimize system performance. A new Basic Heating Mode means the system can now be used in winter to capture and circulate heat from areas with wood or pellet stoves, mini-splits, or rooms with south-facing windows. The addition of a Dehumidification Mode allows your AC or heat pump to dry out basement spaces just like the rest of the house, improving indoor air quality and further reducing cooling costs.
For days when comfort takes priority, Power Boost Mode temporarily ramps up cooling and dehumidification performance. Eco Boost Mode maximizes efficiency by preventing the AC or heat pump from switching on, which is ideal for shoulder seasons or mild climates. And for homes without ductwork, Standalone Mode enables Cool Down to operate as a central cooling system on its own, delivering significant cost savings even if it’s not as powerful as a traditional AC.
“The Smart Control Unit is about putting more control – and more savings – in the hands of homeowners,” said Damien Semel-DeFeo, founder of Cool Down. “These new modes allow the system to be customized for any home, climate, or energy-use goal.”
Cool Down offers a practical, low-cost alternative or supplement to traditional cooling systems as electricity rates continue to rise nationwide. The system is professionally installed in just a few hours, integrates with or without existing HVAC equipment, and requires no refrigerants, compressors, or external condensers.
Read more: Trump wants to kill ENERGY STAR – here’s how that impacts you
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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The IONIQ 9 is about to get an upgrade. Hyundai’s new electric SUV was spotted with some serious off-road upgrades, hinting that a new XRT trim is on the way.
The Hyundai IONIQ 9 XRT brings a new off-road look
It may look like it’s straight out of the future, but Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV is actually pretty impressive.
The IONIQ 9 offers a lounge-like interior with space than a Ford Explorer, boasts an impressive driving range, and features an interior loaded with advanced tech and digital screens. What else could you ask for?
How about an upgraded off-road version? We knew the IONIQ 9 was likely due for the XRT treatment after a camouflaged model was spotted last year rocking all-terrain tires, a souped-up suspension, and an added tow wrench on the front bumper.
Hyundai’s design boss, Simon Loasby, confirmed that two new IONIQ 9 variants, including a rugged off-road and a high-performance model, were in the works after unveiling the electric SUV last year.
According to TheKoreanCarBlog, Loasby said, “We are working on two distinct projects—N and XRT—apart from the standard lineup,” Loasby said.
After another IONIQ 9 with similar off-road elements, it seems only a matter of time before Hyundai makes it official.
The new photo from Kindelauto shows a prototype with similar upgrades to the vehicle spotted last year, including large all-terrain tires, a lifted suspension, and more.
A new video from HealerTV offers a closer look at the IONIQ 9 XRT in South Korea. The footage reveals unique tow hooks and an added XRT screen, which hasn’t been seen in the IONIQ lineup yet.
From the side, you can see the XRT model is slightly taller than the standard IONIQ 9 with off-road tires. Like the IONIQ 5 XRT, the larger electric SUV is expected to receive XRT-exclusive front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and 18″ wheels.
Inside, the IONIQ 5 XRT model features H-Trex seating with the XRT pattern, logo, and XRT-badged all-weather mats.
The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 starts at $60,555 in the US with an EPA-estimated range of 335 miles. In Europe, the IONIQ 9 will start at £64,995 ($87,500), offering a WLTP driving range of up to 385 miles.
| 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Model | EV Powertrain | Drivetrain | Driving Range (miles) |
Starting Price (including destination fee) |
| IONIQ 9 RWD S | 160-kW (215-HP) Electric Motor |
Rear- Wheel Drive |
335 | $60,555 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SE | 226.1 kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $64,365 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SEL | 226.1-kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $67,920 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE LIMITED |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $72,850 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $76,590 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $78,090 |
Since the IONIQ 5 XRT is priced below the Limited AWD trim, starting at $55,400 in the US, the new IONIQ 9 trim could follow a similar pricing structure. The current range-topping IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy Design trim starts at $78,090.
Will the IONIQ 9 N be next? Stay tuned for more.
Want to check out Hyundai’s electric SUVs for yourself? You can use our links below to see what’s available in your area.
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