Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

BMW Says Concept XM Styling Cues Will Be Used In Other Models

For those of you hoping that the Concept XM’s styling would be confined to a single model, we have disparaging news: BMW M boss Frank van Meel told Driving that some of the Concept XM’s design features will be used by other BMW models, including its illuminated kidney grilles. Is it just ahead of its time, or just plain ugly? You decide…

Mercedes Wins Race Against Tesla For Level 3 Autonomy Approval, And We’ve Tried It

Mercedes is now officially the first company to be granted approval for Level 3 autonomous driving. There’s a catch, though: it’s only available in Germany. However, it remains on the horizon for countries like the U.S. and China. What does this mean? Well, unlike the prevailing level 2 systems in existence (including the confusingly-named FSD Beta from Tesla), the system in the S-Class can actually let the driver do something else, like watch Netflix for example.

Department Of Homeland Security To Start Testing Ford Mustang Mach-E Cruisers In 2022

Joe Biden’s recently signed an executive order to mandate the federal government’s fleet of light vehicles to transition to zero local emissions. A part of this plan will see the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) begin field-testing the Ford Mustang Mach-E for use in its law enforcement fleet in early 2022. The Mustang Mach-E is the first EV to pass an evaluation by Michigan’s police force, while it is also undergoing tests by UK constabularies.

VW Investing Billions In EVs, Confirms Project Trinity And Audi Q8 E-Tron Coming In 2026

Volkswagen will be investing €89 ($100 / £76) billion into e-mobility and digitalization. The investments will see facilities across Europe upgraded for EV production, as the German automaker expects a quarter of its sales to come from electric vehicles by 2026. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess stated, “Wolfsburg, our Group’s long-established headquarters, will be central to the transformation, because we can only safeguard our strong position long term if Wolfsburg is successful.”

Hyundai Expects Flying Urban Taxis To Take Off Before 2030

Hyundai is betting big on flying mobility, as it expects vertical take-off and landing vehicles to be prevalent before 2030 and plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028. Rather than design a car that can be driven on public roads, as well as fly, Hyundai’s concept, is strictly for flying point-to-point, with the aim to free up congestion in cities.

The Audi R8 Successor Will Be All-Electric And May Have A New Name

The Audi R8 may not survive with the same name, but its successor will likely become all-electric. Audi Sport’s head of product marketing, Linda Kurz, revealed that the ‘R’ brand would transition to all-electric power. She also added that 80 percent of the brand’s RS lineup would feature some form of electrification, including several all-electric RS models.

Mayhem On Californian Freeway After Disabled Car Leads To Multi-Vehicle Pileup And Plenty Of Close Calls

A scary multicar accident was caught on video in California late last month. It starts off with a Nissan Altima stranded in the outside lane of a freeway, sans hazard lights. At the 39 second mark, the car is struck by another vehicle, which sets off a chain reaction of close calls and several other collisions. A total of six vehicles were involved in the crash, and thankfully, most of the drivers appeared to have escaped unharmed as only two people were taken to the hospital.

What Else Is Making The News?

Saudi Camel Beauty Pagent Rejects Botex’d Entrants 

A beauty pageant for camels in Saudi Arabia has disqualified over 40 contestants for having “cosmetic enhancements,” including Botox. The animals underwent X-ray and ultrasound scans to determine whether they had been tampered with. Around $66 million worth of prize money is at stake in the competition.

T.Rex Gets A Christmas Sweater

An animatronic T.rex at the London National History Museum has been given a festive sweater in the runup to Christmas. It was designed and made by the same company that has previously produced sweaters for Ed Sheeran and the Houses of Parliament.