Sam walked a metric ton of miles around CES and then again at NAIAS, and we talk about what he saw and heard. We talk about the presentation by Ford’s Mark Fields at CES, Detroit Auto Show highlights, and we answer some of your questions, too.
‘Twas the night before CES, and in Dan and Sam’s houses, we jumped onto Skype with clicks of our mouses…to talk about what happened during 2016 and make predictions about what 2017 has in store. Of course we talked about Tesla, Faraday Future, autonomous technology, emissions and fuel economy standards, and more. We finished up with a bunch of great questions, too. Check it out! Add the RSS Feed to your favorite podcatcher – https://wheelbearings.media/feed/podcast Subscribe in PocketCasts – http://pca.st/tMO4 Subscribe in Google Play – https://goo.gl/fazd4D Subscribe in iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wheel-bearings/id1174442079 Follow the show on TuneIn – http://tunein.com/radio/Wheel-Bearings-p930642/
This week, Dan is disappointed by the Volvo S60 Cross Country and Sam is somewhat impressed by the Cadillac XT5. Will the minivan see a resurgence thanks to autonomous ride hailing? Will every new minivan in the future be self-driving? Will Uber’s self-driving cars work better in Phoenix than San Francisco? Will Ford follow its second-generation autonomous Fusions with Transit Connects? Will expensive parking charges be enough to get Tesla drivers to move their cars once they are done charging? Autonomous Ride-Hailing May Hail the New Era of the Minivan VW to Reveal Autonomous Electric Microbus Concept in Detroit Uber Moves Self-Driving Volvos to Phoenix Ford Rolls Out 2nd-Gen Autonomous Fusions Parking a Tesla at a SuperCharger Gets Expensive View at Medium.com Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing… Read More »Episode #8 – Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking
After a brief delay due to some personal scheduling issues (ok it was all Dan’s fault!) [it was totally my fault – D], Dan and Sam are back with another vibrant discussion about the week in vehicles and transportation. In the garage we talk about GM’s shifting crossover strategy with the 2017 GMC Acadia and Honda growing the Ridgeline into a real truck. Then the talk turns to cars that talk to each other, the Google cars project transforming into Waymo and Uber behaving badly yet again (big surprise there!). Finally, in Q&A Sam gives tries to give a brief explanation (or at least as brief as Sam can be) of how the Volkswagen diesel emissions cheat worked and why engine accessory electrification saves fuel. NHTSA Moves Ahead with the V2V Communications Regulation Uber Behaves Badly In San Francisco Waymo Is Spawned From the Google… Read More »Episode #7 – Arrogance Is No Way To Get People To Accept Self-Driving Cars
This week Sam doesn’t let a cold stop him from talking with Dan about the Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid and the Kia Cadenza. The news starts with Mobileye’s efforts to build high-definition maps for autonomous cars, the latest automatic transmissions from General Motors and Ford. The discussion then veers off into George Hotz open-sourcing his Comma One hardware and software before tackling the latest prognostications from Ford futurist Sheryl Connelly. The show wraps up with some listener e-mail from Zack and Jonathan. With Self-Driving Cars, We’re All Cartographers Ford’s futurist foreshadows consumer trends to watch in 2017 Here is the 2017 Ford Trends Report George Hotz is giving away the code behind his self-driving car project Chevrolet’s First 9-speed Auto Debuts in 2017 Malibu Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost… Read More »Episode #6 – Making Maps, How Many Speeds is Enough? Who Do You Trust?
This week Dan and Sam shift from SUVs to cars as we discuss the 2017 Ford Focus Titanium and Audi A4 Quattro. Then Dan wonders aloud whether we need another oil crisis to get us moving toward cleaner, more efficient vehicles, and energy in general. On the topic of efficiency, Lucid Motors announced this week that they would locate the factory to build their 1,000-horsepower electric luxury sedan outside of Phoenix. In a final nod to the efficiency and technology theme, Sam talks with Ford’s Michael O’Brien about the upcoming EcoSport small SUV and Mary Gustanski, vice-president of engineering at Delphi about 48-volt electrical systems and autonomous vehicles. Lucid Motors is the latest Silicon Valley EV Upstart Ford EcoSport Revealed Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting… Read More »Episode #5 – Do We Need Another Oil Crisis? How About A 1,000HP Electric Luxury Sedan?
In Episode 4, Dan and Sam talk about a pair of updated SUVs, the Nissan Rogue Hybrid and Mazda CX-9 before getting deep into why GM delayed the launch of SuperCruise on the Cadillac CT6. While SuperCruise will monitor the human operator to make sure they continue paying attention while not driving, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto provide means to keep the driver entertained. As much as we might want to use smartphone based infotainment, it’s likely to be a dead-end technology. Finally, your humble hosts tackle some listener emails about visibility and opining on cars we haven’t yet driven.
In this round, Dan and Sam drive the Volkswagen Beetle Dune and the Mazda3 Hatchback. Sam went the Los Angeles Auto Show/Automobility LA where he saw the reveal of the second generation Mazda CX-5, the Jaguar i-Pace and sat down with Ali Vahabzedeh, founder and CEO of on-demand, commuter van-ride service Chariot. They also discuss what drivers think AutoPilot means. 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
This week, Dan and Sam discuss the Volvo XC60 and Hyundai Elantra Eco in the garage. From there we dive into Hyundai’s next big thing, the Ioniq dedicated electrified vehicle platform that launches in December. The electrification talk then spreads into Ferrari before we turn back on reviving classic brands like Cord. We finish up with a discussion of whether the car market has peaked. 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
Welcome the premier episode of the Wheel Bearings podcast where Dan Roth and Sam Abuelsamid talk about what they are driving and the stories they think are important in the world of cars and the future of transportation.
We kick off with a discussion of the Chrysler Pacifica, Jaguar F-Pace, Nissan Armada and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Then we get into the new Mercedes-Benz engine family with 48-volt electrical systems and the cancellation of George Hotz’s Comma One.
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