For better or worse, Elon Musk is the poster dude for electric vehicles and vehicle autonomy. Whatever company that enters this space will be immediately (and maybe unfairly) compared with the man and with Tesla. But competition is exactly what these vehicles need. The sooner we get reliable full autonomy in our cars, the sooner we’ll make a real impact on the human cost of driving.

General Motors is looking to be that major competition with the unveiling of its Cruise AV—a production-ready car with no steering wheel or pedals. It’s the first of its kind. Up until now, cars have been retrofitted with autonomous features, like lane-assist or distraction awareness. The Cruise AV has been built from the ground up as a car that doesn’t need a driver. The AV will be hitting the roads as early as next year, and if you pass it, you’ll be looking at the future of motoring. It looks alien, but if the tech works, it’s bound to be safe(r) than what you pass it in.

Also on the show this week, Dan and I report from CES, Elon finds himself at a sex party, and Mars probably has water that it’s hiding from us.

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What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: GM

WHAT ELSE IS ELON MUSK UP TO?

• SpaceX and Uber are teaming up to make flying cars
• This human-controlled robot is like IRL Pacific Rim
• SpaceX wants to make a helpful version of Skynet