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ADAS Distractions

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
ADAS Distractions
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As Nicole and her spouse are riding the rails in Europe, Tanya Gazdik is back with the Land Rover Defender 130 and the Mercedes-AMG SL63. Sam has thoughts about Ineos Grenadier and Robbie has something he can’t discuss until next week. Tanya and Sam drove the Polestar 3 this week and share their first impressions. Elektrobit’s Dr. Mortiz Neukirchner has developed a taxonomy for software defined vehicles. More vehicles are getting in-cabin radar sensors to make sure no one is left behind. The IIHS says ADAS is leading to driver complacency. Maserati needs marketing help and Waymo may be turning to Hyundai for its next robotaxi. Links Software defined vehicle levelsIn-cabin radar for rear seat detectionIIHS study says drivers more distracted using ADASIIHS ADAS safety ratings Polestar 3 first driveMaserati Marketing, does it exist?Waymo and Hyundai may collaborate on robotaxis Wheel Bearings has launched a… Read More »ADAS Distractions

Get Your Recalls Fixed

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Wheel Bearings
Get Your Recalls Fixed
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This week we drive the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe and Volvo C40 Recharge. Sam also shares thoughts on the refreshed 2025 Hyundai Tucson and the Santa Fe hybrid. We also have an interview with Michael Fischer, Project lead for the Honda EV Hub in Ohio Links 2025 Nissan ArmadaVW ID.4 Gets ChatGPTTop 10 Cars for Gen ZMazda S or Model 62025 Volvo XC90Drunk Philidelphia Women Charged with Homicide While Using BlueCruiseDefence attorney blames BlueCruise28th Takata airbag death in USCox Battery operations centerAAA driving cost survey Honda EV hubBYD Shark 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

Hyundai Is Busy

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Wheel Bearings
Hyundai Is Busy
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Robbie is sick this week and his voice is shot, so it’s just Sam and Nicole. Nicole has been driving the Subaru Ascent while Sam had the Lexus RX450h+ plug-in hybrid. Hyundai made lots of news this week at its investor day as well as during a drive program in California. Its new 3-row electric crossover, the Ioniq 9 will launch production in 2025 at the new Savannah, GA factory and in 2026, Hyundai will launch an extended range EV (EREV). But before the Ioniq 9 arrives, Hyundai will be producing the Ioniq 5 at the new factory beginning in October. Along with a mild styling refresh and bigger batteries, the Ioniq 5 is getting an SAE J3400/NACS charging port. 3 weeks after the regular Ioniq 5, Hyundai will start production of the Ioniq 5 XRT for those that can’t wait for the Rivian R3.… Read More »Hyundai Is Busy

Volvo’s Mikael Ljung Aust on Driver Understanding

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Wheel Bearings
Volvo's Mikael Ljung Aust on Driver Understanding
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Here’s a conversation that Sam had with Volvo senior technical leader Mikael Ljung Aust on the driver understanding system in the new EX90. The interview was originally published in the Patreon feed back in 2022 and then we forgot to publish here until now. With the first reviews of the EX90 coming in shortly, we felt it’s a good time to catch up. 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

No Fancy Brunch

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Wheel Bearings
No Fancy Brunch
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While Nicole is off enjoying a fancy brunch with friends visiting from out of town, Robbie and Sam are again joined by Stephanie Brinley. Robbie has been driving the Ford Ranger Raptor while Steph spent time with the latest Honda Civic Hybrid and Genesis G70. Sam spent the week with the Kia EV6 GT-Line. In the news, Fiat is now integrating charging cables into the nose of EVs. Chargepoint showed off its solution for handling EVs with CCS or J3400/NACS charging ports, the new Omni Port and Robbie got to try it out. Dodge announced pricing for its e-muscle car, the Charger Daytona and we got to hear what it sounds like. Tesla has dropped the reservation system for the Cybertruck and deliveries are available almost immediately. Volvo has bumped the pricing for the new EX90 and a bunch of features missing at launch. GMC… Read More »No Fancy Brunch

Declining Value Proposition

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Wheel Bearings
Declining Value Proposition
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Nicole is on the road this week so we have Perry Stern joining us a guest. Over the past couple of weeks Perry has been driving the Porsche 718 Boxster and the new 2025 Toyota Camry which now comes exclusively with hybrid power. Robbie took a road trip in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Sam had the Honda Ridgeline Trailsport before his vacation and then the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ SUV to drive around northern California. In the news Ford has done a mid-cycle update of the Maverick and finally has an all-wheel-drive hybrid available but the price has climbed by an average of $2,400, still modest by current truck price standards, but no longer the screaming deal it was just two years ago. Audi has launched a new electric only A6 and once popular brands Recaro and BBS have both filed for bankruptcy protection. A… Read More »Declining Value Proposition

Manila Vanilla, It’s Yellow

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Wheel Bearings
Manila Vanilla, It's Yellow
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This week, Sam is enjoying a much-deserved vacation, so we have Jill Ciminillo, managing editor for Pickup Truck + SUV Talk as a special guest. Jill drove the Acura TLX while Robbie had some time with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which he can drive but can’t pronounce. Nicole was in the Toyota bZ4X which she loved, aside from one rather large issue. In the news, the Cadillac Sollei concept made its debut as a 2-door convertible in a color we all question, but with stunning design details. Rivian opened a COutpost outside Yosemite with free coffee (yes!) and the Honda Civic Si is back with a manual transmission only (yes again!). Acura is ditching Sirius XM, which isn’t’ as big a deal as it seems, but Stellantis may cut underperforming brands from its portfolio, which definitely is a big deal. Volvo is the latest… Read More »Manila Vanilla, It’s Yellow

It’s About The Style

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Wheel Bearings
It's About The Style
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This week Nicole is driving the Ford Maverick and Sam has the new Fiat 500e Nicole went to the Busan Motor Show in Korea last week to deliver an award to Kia. While there she got to see the new Kia EV3 and the little Hyundai Casper EV. GM Design has been posting images from the design archives on Instagram including a concept for a second-generation G8 that sadly never made it to production. Cox Automotive gave a mid-year update and EV leasing is growing dramatically. Automakers are pushing back on NHTSA’s new automatic emergency braking rules. VW is turning to Rivian to try to solve it’s software problems and BMW has a new plug-in hybrid M5. While someone that owns the rights to the Delorean brand has shown an electric concept, a UK company is restomodding original examples. Rimac has shifted from electric supercars… Read More »It’s About The Style

Plug-in Hybrids Are Or Are Not Fine

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Wheel Bearings
Plug-in Hybrids Are Or Are Not Fine
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Robbie has the updated the Ford Mustang Mach-E with a lithium iron phosphate battery, Nicole has the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra N-Line and Sam has the 2024 Ford Ranger XLT. Ford is attacking the Pikes Peak Hillclimb with another EV, this time the Lightning Supertruck. Rivian has done its first major update the R1 series with new motors, battery packs and electronics. Nicole spoke with some Fisker employees about the s**tshow in Manhattan Beach. Two three-row, electric SUVs started production in the US, the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90. IIHS crash tested full-size SUVs and the results were not great. Friend of the show Jonny Lieberman wrote a rant against plug-in hybrids and Robbie made a video about them. Finally, Sam has a conversation with Michigan’s chief mobility officer Justine Johnson Wheel Bearings listeners get an extra 3 months for free when they sign up… Read More »Plug-in Hybrids Are Or Are Not Fine

The Girl In The Trunk

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Wheel Bearings
The Girl In The Trunk
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As Robbie and his wife celebrate 18 years of marriage with a vacation in Japan, we’re joined this week by our friend Jill Ciminillo. Jill shares her thoughts on one of the most affordable new cars still offered for sale in the US, the Nissan Versa SR. Nicole hwas been driving something nearly large enough to hold a Versa inside, the Chevrolet Suburban High Country and Sam has the Infiniti QX55 with its silly dual screen infotainment system. We also have a first drive review of the new 2024 Chevrolet Traverse and a discussion of why Mercedes-Benz won’t be adopting the next-generation Apple Carplay. That rolls into a discussion of GM’s decision to drop Carplay support from its EVs. NHTSA is looking into why there were two fatal crashes of vehicles running Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise system. Tesla has fired its whole Charging team. By 2029… Read More »The Girl In The Trunk