No 13255, Monday 24 May 2021, Afterdark

Lockdown Day 26 of 40 Stay Safe

Solution to 1A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Right conditions almost to save energy, primarily engineering a car feature (5,8) ?O?E? S?E?R?N? (Addendum - POWER STEERING {POWER}{ST{E}{En...g}RINGs} - See comments)

10 Variation in spell, incoming ball on length, ending in wide (9) TOLERANCE {T{O}{L}{widE}RANCE}

11 Yes child, travel on top of boat (5) YACHT {YA}{CH}{Tr...l}

12 Impostor not quiet, left on top becomes a flop (5) LOSER (-p)OSER<=>{L}

13 Brilliance client somehow overcomes constraint; overturns (9) INTELLECT (IN{LET<=}LECT*}

14 Nothing managed, was unwilling (6) NILLED {NIL}{LED}

16 Truth is basically reassuring, using logic’s essential (4) RULE Acrostic

19 Choose against old, time to get energetic primarily (4) VOTE {V}{O}{T}{En...c}

20 Buzzer’s out, working basically; else scream (6) BELLOW {BELL}{O}{Wo...g}

25 Permit writer at town, but topless (9) AUTHORITY {AUTHOR}{cITY}

26 Car reverses over one; almost meat (5) BACON {CAB<=}{ONe}

27 Elephant on edge, or some injury on top of trunks (5) TORSI {e...nT}{OR}{Some}{In...y}

28 Rule’s strong but suitable to live in (9) HABITABLE {HABIT}{ABLE}

29 Slander sadist, slam for wickedness (13) DASTARDLINESS*

DOWN

2   Perhaps solemnly (or appearing so); who? silly, stupid (8) OWLISHLY*

3   Electric car (posh) only with Romania; it’s a mistake (5) ERROR {E}{RR}{O}{R}

4   Naturally bright or a bit slightly dark (6) SUNLIT {Sl...y}{UNLIT}

5   One who picks a team cycles with voters (8) ELECTORS (-s)ELECTOR(+s)S

6   In other words, you’ll bear the colour (5,4) ROYAL BLUE*

7   Steal drug and money (6) NICKEL {NICK}{E}L L from?

8   Instal new leader... (6) STALIN*

9   ... tell country (5) STATE [DD]

15 Mixed emotions about, about someone like Adam Smith (9) ECONOMIST {EMOTIONS}* over {C}

17 Make out with date here, pic will be distributed (8) DECIPHER {D+HERE+PIC}*

18 Inert medications, part spurious to begin with, having boron and oxygen (8) PLACEBOS {PLACE}{B}{O}{Sp...s}

21 Victor’s woman? Secret (6) WINNER {W}{INNER}

22 Side’s average, totally soulless (5) PARTY {PAR}{To...lY}

23 Bones are hard with adults (6) STERNA {STERN}{A}

24 Character of bad boys having some money's low (6) SYMBOL {SY{M}BO*}{L}

26 Staff not declaring (5) BATON {BAT ON}

Reference List

Energy = E, Ball = O, Length = L, Child = CH, Quiet = P, Against = V, Old = O, Time = T, Out = O, Electric = E, Car RR(Rolls Royce), Only = O, Drug = E, About = C, Date = D, Woman = W, Adult = A, Money = M, Low = L