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Update: Google self-driving car is really just a transportation pod

Google will launch its own fleet of autonomous vehicle prototypes – with no steering wheels and no gas or brake pedals – as the technology giant begins a new phase of its self-driving car project. Google designed the car and plans to have about 100 test vehicles that are fully autonomous with extra safety features, company co-founder Sergey Brin said during a conference Tuesday hosted by technology blog Re/code in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. > See how Google's autonomous car navigates city streets here The New York Times reported Tuesday night that a Detroit-area manufacturer is building the cars for Google, which declined to name the manufacturer, according to the Times' story.

Lincoln launches ad blitz

Lincoln is launching its biggest advertising campaign, a multimedia initiative that will include a one-minute spot during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The ads, appearing in conjunction with the launch of the 2013 MKZ sedan this month, go live Monday accompanied by events in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

2013 Ford Fusion Energi gets range of 620 miles

The hybrid wars continue -- much less exciting than the MyFord Touch -- after the Detroit auto show, and Ford has thrown it latest punch: the 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid. The Energi is the Blue Oval's fifth electrified vehicle to launch in the past year, and will arrive with a total gas and electric range of 620 miles. That's 120 miles more than the 2014 Honda Accord hybrid and 80 miles more than the Prius hybrid.