Here's another bit for you...

Here's an excerpt that comes close to the mid-beginning. It started out as just an amusing scene inspired by my own memories of learning to drive, and of course the need to explain why on earth she didn't just drive herself. It brings up a few points that will figure in more prominently later in the story.

“Do you want to drive for a while so I can get some rest?” Skeet asked.
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
“I don’t know how to drive. You think if I could have driven myself, I would have gotten you involved?”
“But you build engines. I’ve seen you drive at the test tracks.”
“Those are all Tesla racers. You said yourself I haven’t been out of the compound in three years. Where would I drive to?”
“We have a test track.”
“I’ve never driven road cars.”
“It’s pretty much the same except you occasionally turn right and there’s less chance of electrocuting yourself.”
“You sure?”
“Do you see any big arcs of lightning headed our way?”
“Not that.”
“Do you want to be stuck here making the next great way for us to kill people, or do you want to get to Arizona?”
“What sort of question is that?”
“Well, we’ll make much better time if we can trade off driving instead of stopping for me to sleep. Here.” He pulled the car into the breakdown lane and set the brake. “Hop in the drivers seat.”
She walked around the back of the car to the left side while Skeet scooted over the center console and strapped himself in the passenger seat.
She fastened the harness. “Now what?”
“A street legal drives just like the racers. All your controls are in the same place.”
“The clutch is missing.”
“It’s an automatic. It shifts for you.”
“Weird.”
“They’re easier to drive.”
“Where are all the sensors?” Actually, she’d never driven with sensors before, but she had worked on the finished racers and knew enough to know there should be more than three sensor displays.
“You’ve got everything you need for what you’re doing. All you really need is the speedometer and the water level sensor. You’ve got a hydrogen sensor, but these cars don’t run out as long as they have water to split. Street legals are designed so any idiot can drive them.”
“Where does that leave me?”
“Driving. We’re on the highway. It’s just like racing. Everyone is going the same direction as you. You got no cross traffic, no oncoming cars. Only thing to watch for is the occasional guy passing you, and cars merging back on from the rest stations.”
“Then what do I do.”
“Stay out of their way.” With that and not another word of instruction, he leaned his head against the roll bar and fell asleep, leaving her to fend for herself.