Episode #079 – Larry Burns Talks About Autonomy

 in Larry Burns / Sam Abuelsamid  tagged autonomous / autonomous cars / autonomy / electric vehicles / electrification / EV / general motors / interview / podcast / waymo by

Episode #079 – Larry Burns Talks About Autonomy

 
 
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In this special episode of Wheel Bearings, Sam sits down with Larry Burns, retired SVP of R&D and Strategic Planning at General Motors to talk about his new book, Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Car—And How It Will Reshape Our World. Since retiring from GM in 2009, Burns has been an educator and consultant including working with the Google Self-driving car project and Waymo since 2011. The book is a great read for anyone interested in learning more the history of the DARPA Grand Challenge and development of automated vehicles in the past decade.

Episode #078 – Refreshed Jeep, Affordable Car and Some Unaffordable EVs

 in Dan Roth / Sam Abuelsamid  tagged 2019 jeep cherokee / 2019 ram 1500 etorque / 48V mild hybrid / audi pb18 e-tron / crossover utility / electric vehicles / electrification / elon musk / fuel economy / jaguar / jaguar e-type ev / kia rio / pickup truck / podcast / reviews / suv / tesla by

Episode #078 – Refreshed Jeep, Affordable Car and Some Unaffordable EVs

 
 
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            This week Dan records his end of the show from the new Kia Rio which proves an affordable new car doesn’t have to be cheap junk. Sam is at home after having driven the 2019 Jeep Cherokee and the 48V mild hybrid Ram 1500. The guys discuss the wisdom of Jaguar building electric restomod E-types, Audi’s new Pebble Beach electric supercar concept and whether Elon Musk has outlived his usefulness to Tesla Links First Drive of the 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque Jaguar commits to building electric E-Types Audi PB18 e-Tron concept  

2019 Ram 1500 eTorque, Getting Mildly Hybridized

 in Automakers  tagged 2018 Ram 1500 eTorque / 48V mild hybrid / reviews by

At the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Fiat Chrysler’s Ram Division unveiled an all-new generation full-size light-duty pickup truck with a bit of a surprise. Along with the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, the 2019 Ram 1500 is adopting a 48V mild hybrid system, the first such systems on high volume vehicles in North America. In an American market where consumers regularly respond to surveys that they want better fuel economy, but rarely act with their dollars to that effect, adding a 48V system and branding it as eTorque may well be the route to truck buyers hearts. Read […]

Episode #077 – Hybrids, Some Affordable, Others Not Plus Casey

 in Casey Liss / Dan Roth / Sam Abuelsamid  tagged 2018 ford expedition max platinum review / 2019 honda insight touring / electric vehicles / electrification / EV / honda clarity / honda insight / hybrid / lexus lc500h / podcast / reviews / vector / volkswagen golf R by

Episode #077 – Hybrids, Some Affordable, Others Not Plus Casey

 
 
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Lots of electrified vehicles this week as Sam discusses the Lexus LC500h and Honda Clarity Fuel Cell while Dan gets his hands on the new Honda Insight and the Ford Expedition Max Platinum. Casey Liss is also back to talk about the VW Golf R. Everyone’s favorite 80s and 90s near vaporware is trying to make a comeback as Vector offers up a couple of old prototypes to kickstart a revival. Links Casey On Cars – 2018 VW Golf R 2018 Lexus LC500h – Is the Hybrid Tour Still Grand? Accidental Tech Podcast  

2018 Lexus LC500h, Is The Hybrid Tour Still Grand?

 in Podcasts by

When I first drove the Lexus LC500 nearly a year ago, I came away with the impression that it was an incredibly striking and surprisingly engaging grand tourer. This impression was reinforced when I had a chance to lap the big V8-powered coupe at Road America earlier this year and found it to be remarkably capable when thrashed on one of the country’s greatest race tracks. Since Lexus is the premium brand of Toyota Motor Corporation, it should come as no shock that there is also an electrically-augmented version of the LC with an h suffix. Does it live up […]

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Episode #076 – EPA Rollback, Autonomous Safety, Car & Driver Layoffs, and lots of Listener Questions

 tagged 2018 ford expedition max platinum review / 2018 ford raptor review / 2018 honda accord hybrid review / environmental protection agency epa fuel economy standard rollback relax / society of automotive engineers sae autonomous vehicle safety test standards av by

Episode #076 – EPA Rollback, Autonomous Safety, Car & Driver Layoffs, and lots of Listener Questions

 
 
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This week, Sam describes his time with the impressive Honda Accord Hybrid – perfected just in time for the sedan market to dry up – and Dan gets charmed by the Ford Raptor and Expedition Max. We talk abut the looming fight over relaxin or even rolling back fuel economy standards, SAE working to define safety tests for autonomous vehicles, and the layoffs that just happened at Car & Driver. Sam found and fixed an error with our feedback form, and so we spend a good amount of time answering a backlog of listener emails, too. Links EPA Rollback AV […]

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring, A Stylish Midsize Sedan With A Mild Thirst

 in Honda  tagged honda accord hybrid / review by

  Despite the ever growing number of hybrid electric models available in the U.S. market, the share of these dual powered vehicles has remained stubbornly flat, at least in part due to relatively low fuel prices. Despite only accounting for about 2% of total sales, Honda is expanding availability of electrified propulsion in its vehicles with more options to come in the near future. With the new Civic-based Insight just starting to hit American Honda dealers, the brand’s currently best selling hybrid remains the midsize Accord which I just took on a road trip to northern Michigan. Read the rest […]

Episode #075 – Diesel, Plug-in and Inevitable Conclusions

 tagged 2018 ford f-150 powerstroke / chris svensson / crossover utility / diesel / electrification / fiat chrysler automobiles / Ford / fuel economy / hybrid / kia niro phev / plug-in hybrid / podcast / reviews / sergio marchionne by

Episode #075 – Diesel, Plug-in and Inevitable Conclusions

 
 
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Since we last turned on the mics, Sam has been in the Ford F-150 King Ranch diesel and the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid. Dan has been sampling Subaru’s new big SUV, the Ascent. The automotive world loses big names to the inevitable. Links FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne Dies Ford Designer Chris Svensson succumbs to cancer

2018 Ford Mustang GT With Performance Pack Level 2 Is Fast And Livable

 in Ford / Podcasts  tagged Ford / mustang / reviews by

Cars are apparently a dying breed at Ford Motor Company with one distinct exception, the Mustang. While domestic Mustang sales have declined since the debut of the current generation for the car’s 50th anniversary in 2014, the expansion of its global availability has kept overall numbers high enough to justify its continuing existence. Plus as chairman Bill Ford likes to say, the Mustang is the heart and soul of the company. As a Mustang fan since childhood, I was pumped for another opportunity to drive one and experience the latest batch of tweaks. Read the rest at Forbes

Episode #074 – The Last Ford Car, Big Van Road Trip and Climbing Lord March’s Driveway

 in Dan Roth / Sam Abuelsamid  tagged 2018 ford mustang gt performance pack level 2 / 2018 hyundai kona / 2018 hyundai veloster / argo ai / autonomous / autonomous cars / electric vehicles / electrification / Ford / ford transit / ford transit 350 xlt passenger wagon / fuel economy / goodwood festival of speed / hyundai / kona / mustang / recaro expert houndstooth / veloster by

Episode #074 – The Last Ford Car, Big Van Road Trip and Climbing Lord March’s Driveway

 
 
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This week Sam drives what may end up being the last Ford car to Pittsburgh to learn about how Argo AI is helping Ford build the future of transportation. Dan takes a road trip in the biggest of Ford’s passenger carrying vehicles. A lot of very cool vehicles climb Lord March’s driveway at the Goodwood festival of Speed. VW will build some of its new generation of EVs in America. Small Hyundai’s are really good. The guys discuss the meaning of crossover in an attempt to answer a listener question, too. Links Behind the curtain at Argo AI Self-Driving Mustang […]