Honda’s 2023 Accord Touring will be its first car with Google apps built-in

Honda is joining the ranks of automakers embracing Google’s services. As teased last year, the company has announced that the 2023 Accord sedan’s high-end Touring trim will be the brand’s first car with Google built-in as standard. You’ll have out-of-the-dealership access to Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Play Store on the vehicle’s 12.3-inch infotainment display. You can tweak the climate control, navigate or download a favorite music app without relying on your phone.

There’s no mention of pricing for the Google features. GM offers three free years of Google built-in access for vehicles like the GMC Yukon, but requires a $15 monthly subscription after that. You won’t lose all functionality after that, though. The Accord Touring will also support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with a 15W wireless charger to keep your phone running.

Honda hasn’t said which other cars will adopt the functionality. It won’t be surprising if the Prologue EV and other future models use the technology, however. A handful of rivals already use some form of Google built-in, including Volvo, its Polestar offshoot, GM’s brands and Renault. Ford will also use the platform starting in 2023.

Google has strong incentives to bring its apps to as many cars as possible — to an extent, it’s racing against time. Amazon Alexa is already available in some cars, and manufacturers are gaining more control over it thanks to Custom Assistant. Apple doesn’t (currently) have a standalone platform for cars, but its new generation of CarPlay can effectively take over your dash. If Google doesn’t win enough partners, it risks losing influence in the automotive world.

Not everyone is happy about expansions like these. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to investigate Big Tech’s expansion to cars. She’s concerned Google and others might stifle competition by requiring service bundles and otherwise discouraging the use of third-party apps. Honda won’t be affected by this political pressure in the near term, but it may get more control over app selection if regulators decide to act.

Boom finds a new design partner for its Symphony supersonic jet engine

Boom has revealed more details about Symphony, the engine for the Overture jet with which it aims to bring back commercial supersonic air travel after the retirement of Concorde. Most importantly, the company has secured a new partner to develop the engine after it parted ways with Rolls-Royce in September. 

FTT, a division of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, will help design Symphony. Some of FTT’s engineers were behind the F-22 and F-35 fighter jet engines, so they have experience in powering supersonic aircraft.

Symphony is a medium-bypass turbofan engine that will have the same basic architecture as current commercial aircraft engines. However, Boom says its new propulsion system is designed to help Symphony achieve 35,000 pounds of thrust and speeds of Mach 1.7. Boom claims that Overture will be able to fly between Newark and London in under four hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in around six hours.

Boom expects Symphony to deliver a 25 percent increase in time on wing (i.e. in-flight time) and claims it will have significantly lower maintenance costs than other engines. The engine will be the first that’s optimized for fully sustainable aviation fuel, Boom says, and it will operate at net zero carbon. Symphony will also have a single-stage fan that’s designed for quiet operation.

Despite the switch in engine partners, Boom says the jet is still on track for certification in 2029. Production is set to start in 2024 at a factory in North Carolina with the first jet scheduled to leave the factory in 2026. Boom now expects test flights to start in 2027, a year later than previously planned. 

The company already has customers lined up. American Airlines placed an order earlier this year for 20 jets, with an option for another 40. United Airlines, meanwhile, has ordered 15 Overture planes with an option for another 35.

The Morning After: Juul will pay $1.2 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits

Juul has agreed to pay $1.2 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits – including 8,500 personal injury cases. If you think that’s a huge amount for a relatively young company, it’s got substantial financial backing: Marlboro owner, Altria, invested $12.8 billion in Juul back in 2018.

In 2018, Juul was the leader in the US e-cigarette market, but after a string of controversies, it slipped to second place behind Vuse. The US Food and Drug Administration ordered e-cigarette brands to stop selling flavored pods if they can’t prove they can keep them out of minors’ hands, and it attempted to ban the sale of Juul items.

Still, California sued Juul in 2019, accusing the company of targeting minors in the state, failing to verify the age of its customers and failing to warn users of their exposure to chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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NASA’s Artemis 1 Moon mission has returned to Earth

The Orion crew vehicle landed in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA’s Artemis 1 mission has returned to Earth following a successful trip around the Moon. On Saturday, at approximately 12:40 PM ET, the uncrewed Orion vessel landed off the coast of Baja, California. Its almost 26-day journey included a new spaceflight record and some stunning photos of Earth’s natural satellite.

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A new self-driving tractor prototype has an electric motor

Another tractor can run on manure gases.

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CNH Industrial has unveiled what it says is the “first” electric light tractor prototype with self-driving features. The machine promises zero emissions, quieter operation than diesel models and, according to CNH, lower running costs. Sensors and cameras on the roof help the vehicle complete tasks, dodge obstacles and work in harmony with other equipment. You can even activate it from your phone.

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Engadget Podcast: AI chat and avatars dominated our socials this week

Plus: This year in drones and action cams.

This week, many of us saw our social media feeds taken over by colorful, surreal pictures of people we follow, except they don’t quite look like themselves. Lensa AI generated the imagesI, the latest in what feels like a now-annual trend to use a new app to create mockups of your face in various scenarios. This week’s Engadget Podcast discusses the fascination with them, and Engadget Editor-at-Large James Trew joins the team for a check-in on the state of action cameras.

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Chevy’s first hybrid Corvette leaks ahead of summer 2023 arrival

The E-Ray could pair a V8 with an electric motor to offer all-wheel drive.

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Fans on CorvetteBlogger and Corvette Forum discovered GM briefly made the 2024 Corvette E-Ray hybrid available through Chevy’s online visualizer tool. The design combines the wide body of the C8 Z06 with the regular model’s exhaust pipes. There are some new colors (Cacti green, anyone?) and model-specific wheels. The biggest changes, as you might guess, are in the engine. Images of the engine bay suggest the E-Ray will use the regular C8 Corvette’s LT2 V8 engine. The absence of a charging port suggests this is a conventional hybrid rather than a plug-in.

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Jeep parent company Stellantis blames EV costs for upcoming layoffs

Jeep parent company Stellantis on Friday said it would indefinitely shut down a manufacturing plant in Illinois and lay off approximately 1,350 employees early next year. The facility – located in Belvidere, a city 75 miles northwest of downtown Chicag…

Chevy’s first hybrid Corvette leaks ahead of summer 2023 arrival

Chevrolet has inadvertently offered a peek at its first electrified Corvette. Fans on CorvetteBlogger, Corvette Forum and elsewhere discovered that GM briefly made the 2024 Corvette E-Ray hybrid available through Chevy’s online visualizer tool. The design mates the wide body of the C8 Z06 with the regular model’s exhaust pipes, and introduces minor cosmetic tweaks like new colors (Cacti green, anyone?) and model-specific wheels. The biggest changes, as you might guess, sit inside.

Images of the engine bay suggest the E-Ray will use the regular C8 Corvette’s LT2 V8 engine. As Jalopnikexplains, past reports have suggested this Vette will use an electric motor on the front axle to provide all-wheel drive. It might offer a combined 605HP. The absence of a charging port suggests this is a conventional hybrid rather than a plug-in, although a glimpse of the interior shows a button to control regenerative braking. You’d also see adaptive cruise control in the lineup for the first time.

The slip-up hasn’t revealed much about options. A ZER Performance Package will add Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, underside strakes and possibly carbon-ceramic brakes. You’ll have your choices of aluminum and carbon fiber wheels, at least.

Chevy briefly confirmed the E-Ray’s existence to CorvetteBlogger, noting in a statement that “the holidays came early” and asking enthusiasts to stay tuned. There’s no mention of pricing, but the visualizer said the hybrid would arrive in summer 2023. The brand previously said to expect the semi-electric Corvette next year, but didn’t narrow the timeframe.

This is just the start of Chevy’s plans to electrify its iconic sports car. A full Corvette EV is in development, and future hybrids are rumored to include the 800HP ZR1 in 2024 and 1,000HP Zora in 2025. Like it or not, the American status symbol won’t be exclusively piston-powered for much longer — not that GM has much choice when numerous states plan to ban gas car sales by 2035.

Fisker offers a peek at its long-range, four-door Ronin convertible EV

Fisker has offered a new look at the upcoming Ronin, which it claims will have the longest range of any production electric vehicle. A render of the four-door convertible has popped up on the company’s website.

The image shows the Ronin from a front corner view. It has a light strip that wraps around the front. As Autoblog points out, there’s no grille, but it appears as though the front bumper has some air intakes. The Ronin has a low profile and large wheels, along with dihedral front doors that are open in the render, but there’s no indication as to how the rear doors open just yet.

Henrik Fisker, the founder of the automaker, said earlier this year that the Ronin will have a 660-mile range under the WLTP testing standard used in Europe. The EPA range is likely to be lower, but all going to plan, Ronin drivers should be able to travel quite a distance before needing to recharge the EV.

As things stand, Fisker plans to show off a near-production-ready Ronin concept in August, with production slated to get underway in 2024. Fisker is said to be keeping the starting price under $200,000.

At the other end of the scale, Fisker started taking reservations earlier this year for the five-passenger Pear, which starts at $29,900 before incentives. The company expects to start building that EV in 2024 as well. Last month, Fisker began production of the Ocean SUV. It will ramp up production slowly, but it expects to build approximately 42,400 units next year.

Jeep recalls over 62,000 Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrids over engine shutdowns

Jeep’s first foray into electrified vehicles hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as planned. The brand has recalled 62,909 Wrangler 4xe off-roaders over a fault that leads to unexpected shutdowns of the 2.0L plug-in hybrid engine. The powerplant may switch off when the diagnostic system reacts to a loss of communication, possibly leading to a crash if the failure occurs mid-drive.

The flaw affects Wrangler 4xe variants from the 2021 through to 2023 model year vehicles produced before August 17th, 2022, when Jeep started shipping units with updated control software. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) says there have been two crashes and one injury potentially linked to the problem, as well as customer assistance instances, warranty claims and field reports.

Jeep will fix the affected Wranglers by updating calibration software for their hybrid control and transmission processors. It expects to formally notify owners starting January 12th. The NHTSA started investigating reports as early as September 2021, but it wasn’t until November this year that the investigation wrapped and Jeep’s parent Stellantis decided to launch a voluntary recall.

The glitch is unlikely to represent a major setback to Jeep’s electric vehicle push. However, the timing is less than ideal. It comes just a few months after Jeep unveiled Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Willy PHEV models, and previewed its all-electric Avenger SUV. The Stellantis-owned badge is just now trying to establish its EV reputation, and a recall won’t help matters.

GM opens its first Level 2 community charging stations in two states

GM has installed its first Level 2 charging stations in Wisconsin and Detroit as part of a community charging initiative unveiled last year. A dealership in Marshfield, Wisconsin put up stations at locations including parks, a library and a sports complex, while another installed them at a healthcare/wellness center in Owosso, Michigan. The aim is to help dealers install up to 40,000 chargers in community locations (including underserved rural and urban areas) across the US and Canada. 

“Nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a GM dealership. Our dealers are… well positioned to determine locations that expand access to EV charging, including at small businesses, entertainment venues, schools and other popular destinations,” said GM VP Hoss Hassani. 

GM says it will give dealers up to ten 19.2kW chargers that deliver “the most power available to a Level 2 charger.” Those can be placed at “key locations” in neighborhoods, such as apartments, colleges and businesses. Crucially, the units won’t be limited to GM drivers, so EVs from other brands can use them as well.

GM selected Canadian manufacturer FLO as the charging station provider, with manufacturing to take place at FLO’s Auburn Hills, Michigan facility. While not nearly as quick as fast chargers, the 19.2kW 80-amp stations could get you from a 20 to 80 percent charge in under three hours — not bad if you’re spending time at a library or park, for instance.

Earlier this year, GM also unveiled plans for a coast-to-coast fast-charging network with 2,000 350kW chargers across 500 Pilot and Flying J locations. Its Ultium Charge 360 program currently integrates 11 EV charging networks to give customers access to over 110,000 charge points across North America. Its current EV lineup includes the BrightDrop electric delivery vans, Cadillac Lyric and Celestiq, GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs, Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox EVs and the Bolt lineup. In an interesting twist, GM recently revealed that it has serviced over 11,000 Tesla EVs since last year.

Update: 12/7 2PM ET: This story has been updated after publishing to clarify details on charging rates and the number of charging points available.

Apple’s rumored electric car may not be fully self-driving after all

Apple isn’t done scaling back its plans for an electric car, apparently. Bloombergsources say the EV, codenamed Project Titan, is no longer a fully self-driving machine. It will reportedly have a conventional wheel and pedals, and will ‘only’ drive its…