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Who Will Win The Electric Truck Battle?

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Who Will Win The Electric Truck Battle?
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This week, the Volkswagen Passat leaves Rebecca a little bored, while the Ford F-150 King Ranch Hybrid powered smiles from Sam, and Dan made an Ikea run with the ideal vehicle: the 2021 Honda Odyssey Elite.

We talk about interest in electrified pickups, Jaguar and Ford commiting to EVs in Europe, and the mailbag updates us on listener Mach-E buying experiences and we got some feedback about our bad attitudes, too. Speaking of bad attitudes, Rebecca is trying to buy a car and getting the run-around, instead.

Episode #088 – Plugged In At The LA Auto Show

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #088 - Plugged In At The LA Auto Show
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The American automotive market is more about trucks and utilities than ever before. Sam and Dan look at a couple of bookends with the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and Ford EcoSport. GM CEO Mary Barra makes the tough call to end production at five factories. Meanwhile at the 2018 LA Auto Show, there was lots of new product many of them with plugs. Some highlights include the 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring, 2020 Mazda3, 2020 Porsche 911, Audi e-Tron GT concept and the new Kia Soul with a battery that should go 250 miles or so. Links Episode #011 – Sam talks with Delphi’s Jim Zizelman about dynamic skip fire as used in the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado Lincoln Aviator Audi e-Tron GT Porsche 911 Kia Soul Sam talks about GM closing plants on the radio All-weather tires   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you… Read More »Episode #088 – Plugged In At The LA Auto Show

Episode #084 -All-in on In-Car Recording

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #084 -All-in on In-Car Recording
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This week, Sam and Dan are both commuting, Dan from his office near Boston and Sam heading back to SFO from the Verge Transport Conference in Oakland. Sam is on his second consecutive battery electric car, driving the 2018 BMW i3S after leaving the Hyundai Ioniq Electric behind in Detroit. Meanwhile Dan joins the party from the 2019 Lexus LS500 after transitioning from the 2019 Subaru Forester. In the news, the guys discuss the latest assessment from Munro and Associates about how Tesla is building the Model 3 and Dan opines on advertising changes at Ford. At the end of the show we add the keynote that Sam delivered recently to the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber Impact event. Links The Tesla Model 3 is too complicated for its own good Another Tesla manufacturing chief leaves Sam’s keynote at the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber… Read More »Episode #084 -All-in on In-Car Recording

2019 Hyundai Nexo – The First Really Complete Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Twelve years ago when I first started writing professionally about cars, the very first review I ever wrote for AutoblogGreen was a fuel cell electric car, the Ford Focus FCV. In the years since I’ve had the opportunity to drive a number of different concept, prototype and production fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) from Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota. While the technology has absolutely advanced over that time, all of them have had some compromises. Until now that is. Aside from the obviously limited network of hydrogen filling stations, the 2019 Hyundai Nexo felt like the most finished fuel cell vehicle yet. Read my full first impressions of the 2019 Hyundai Nexo at Forbes 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

2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Brings Zero Emissions To Small Crossovers

If someone were to ask which automaker offers more electric vehicle nameplates in America than any other, your first instinct would probably be Tesla. But note the qualifier in the question – nameplates. Tesla currently only has three, the Model S, X and 3. Within the next few months, Hyundai Motor Group will offer five across its Hyundai and Kia brands. The Ioniq electric and Kia Soul EV have already been on sale for some time. The Hyundai Nexo arrives in a few weeks and electric versions of the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro crossovers will be here soon. Read my full first impressions of the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric at Forbes 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

Episode #082 – Coupes, Convertibles, Chargers and Separate Development

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #082 - Coupes, Convertibles, Chargers and Separate Development
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This week, Brianna Wu returns to the show to talk about her Porsche Cayman, Sam drives 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Ultimate and Dan shares his feelings on the Ford Mustang Convertible. Lucid follows up on their big Saudi funding round with a deal with Electrify America to provide charging for the upcoming Air electric sedan. The crew also discusses the lack of togetherness between BMW and Toyota in developing the new Z4 and Supra. Links Lucid teams up with Electrify America BMW and Toyota mostly stop talking   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

2019 Audi e-Tron Quattro Makes Global Debut In San Francisco

Tesla has won. Not in the sense that the Silicon Valley electric vehicle maker has taken over the industry because they haven’t and probably won’t. But in the sense that the ultimate goal of the founders was to push the industry to electrification. Regardless of whether Tesla’s share price goes to $4,000 or zero, virtually every major automaker is or will soon be selling very compelling zero emissions vehicles. Joining the party this week is Audi with its new e-Tron quattro which got its global reveal today in San Francisco. Read the full story 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

Episode #081 – New Premium SUVs Including an Electric Audi

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #081 - New Premium SUVs Including an Electric Audi
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After a hectic week of travel for Sam while Dan was making an emergency commercial, the guys are back with a bunch of vehicles they’ve driven. Sam spent time with the BMW 230i and Kia Rio EX while Dan was in the BMW X2 and the VW Beetle convertible for a last hurrah before it rolls off into the sunset. Sam also drove the Cadillac XT4 and Lincoln Nautilus and attended the global reveal of the Audi E-Tron Quattro. Also J Mays emerges from retirement to design something new. Links 2019 Lincoln Nautilus First Drive 2019 Cadillac XT4 First Drive Audi e-Tron Quattro J Mays is Back   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

Episode #079 – Larry Burns Talks About Autonomy

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Wheel Bearings
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. 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

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

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Wheel Bearings
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   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