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Sam Abuelsamid

3 Months of ExpressVPN Free

Wheel Bearings listeners get an extra 3 months for free when they sign up ExpressVPN at https://www.expressvpn.com/wheelbearings Thanks to ExpressVPN and listeners for supporting Wheel Bearings Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Walking Through Michigan Central

After more than 36 years of being abandoned and more than 6 years of restoration work, the Michigan Central Station is reopening this week. For years this was my first view of Detroit when crossing the Ambassador Bridge in its seemingly bombed out state. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the ground floor a couple of weeks ago and the place is looking amazing! Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

First Drive: 2024 Chevrolet Traverse, Better In Every Way

Over the last couple of decades, what is often referred to by marketers as the mid-size, three-row crossover has become an increasingly important segment in the U.S. automotive market. After the minivan reached its peak in the 1990s and began a steady decline, families increasingly opted for these larger car-based SUVs. This was despite the fact that in many respects they were functionally inferior to minivans for carrying human cargo. Chevrolet is just now launching the third-generation of its entry into this segment, the 2024 Traverse, and we’ve had our first chance to drive it.  Like a number of other descriptors such as “first-ever” and “best-in-class,” “all-new” is a term often misused and abused by marketers. But in the case of the new Traverse, all-new is pretty close to accurate. There are some non-visible bits that may be carried over but most of the important… Read More »First Drive: 2024 Chevrolet Traverse, Better In Every Way

What Are the SAE Levels of Automated Driving? Think of the Hands, Feet, Eyes and Brain

Back in March 2022, I wrote an article for Ground Truth Autonomy, an informational site from Argo AI about automated driving. Unfortunately, Argo went out of business in October 2022 and with it the site, but thanks to the Internet Archive, the content still lives. I’ve decided to repost my article here – Sam One of the many things I learned in my two decades in the engineering profession is that communication is not a strength of most engineers — at least to those that aren’t engineers. They tend to use way too many technical terms to express concepts in ways that come across as an alien language to non-engineers. That’s why a standard definition of automated driving levels developed by a bunch of engineers inevitably became misunderstood and misused by marketers, policymakers, and even industry leaders. But there are better ways to express what… Read More »What Are the SAE Levels of Automated Driving? Think of the Hands, Feet, Eyes and Brain

Lou Rhodes, president of Chrylser's ENVI division in March 2009 with the Dodge Circuit prototype

Throwback: The Last Time Dodge Almost Went For Electric Performance

We’re coming up on a year since Dodge unveiled the Charger Daytona SRT electric muscle car concept and the Hornet plug-in hybrid crossover. In the coming years, the company now known as Stellantis will be introducing a whole range of battery electric vehicle across all of its brands including Dodge. But the electric transition almost happened more than a decade ago. In the late 2000s, Chrysler showed off a variety of plug-in concepts for Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler following its divorce from Daimler. The automaker even established a new division called ENVI to develop these into production. But then the financial melt-down happened in late 2008 and by spring 2009, Chrysler was going through an expedited chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and emerged under the new ownership of Fiat as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. FCA’s CEO, the late Sergio Marchionne was not a fan of costly EVs… Read More »Throwback: The Last Time Dodge Almost Went For Electric Performance

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In the garage this week, Nicole has been driving two very different vehicles from the Hyundai Motor Group stable, the new Genesis G90 and refreshed Kia Telluride. Robbie has car for dog lovers, the Subaru Crosstrek and Sam was pleasantly surprised by what the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid could do with a fully charged battery. In the news, VW revealed the longer 3 row ID Buzz that’s coming to America. Sam spent some time at the track with Honda getting a ride in an Indycar-powered hybrid CR-V, sampling electric racing go-karts and testing the LogR app with the new Civic Type-R. Lordstown’s electric pickup doesn’t have much Endurance and Tesla claims the cheapest Model 3 now qualifies for tax credits. Finally Ford changes its pricing strategy for Blue Cruise. We also answer listener questions Links Honda electric racing cartsHonda CR-V hybrid racerHonda LogR 2.0 appVW… Read More »Buzz Me

ActivityPub Test

testing to see if the activitypub plug-in works Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Roberto Tries Out The BMW i4

Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Roberto Drives the BMW iX

Last month Roberto got to go Germany to try out BMW’s newest electric vehicle, the new iX crossover. Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia