What Drives Us episode

#405 Battery Arms Race

28 Feb , 2021   Video

Timeline:
00:00 Intros
04:30 Uber still the most crooked company possible
10:55 Hyundai says it will replace the battery packs in ~82,000 EVs globally 20:40 This Week in Tesla
32:45 Mercedes testing new EV truck
36:25 China and Europe are Winning the EV Battery “Arms Race”
49:05 Shout-outs and Go Home

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audio only,What Drives Us episode

#401 Attack of the Raccoon Sand Worms

10 Feb , 2021   Video

Timeline:
00:00 Intros
03:20 NHTSA to take on battery safety
08:15 AQMD suspends guidelines to accommodate COVID cremations
13:35 You can buy Hasselhoff’s personal K.I.T.T. car
16:10 This Week in Tesla
25:50 Standardize Autonomy Terminology
34:45 SpaceX is now a natural gas drilling company
38:15 SPACs Everywhere!
44:20 Biden to convert federal fleet to made-in-America EVs
50:15 Shout-outs and Go Home

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audio only,What Drives Us episode

#390 Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Tiny Costly Red Machinie

19 Jan , 2021   Video

Expanding Equity In Electric Mobility

The Kandi is ready to sell.

This Week In Tesla

Chicago’s MetraRail introduces dedicated Bike Cars

Convert an original Mini to EV

Mustang Falls short with EPA Ratings Allegedly

Ford Invests in Kansas City Plant

They can’t ditch the proprietary InfoTainment systems fast enough

The doesn’t have a battery. The car _is_ the battery

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What Drives Us episode

#387 Hummers for Humanity

28 Oct , 2020   Video

This week we do a deep dive on the debut of the GMC Hummer EV. We go through all the editions and talk about features and pricing. Also, we discuss disposable packing, cover This Week In Tesla and GM’s new battery plant.

00:00 Show Start

05:10 Hummer EV

30:20 This Week in Tesla

37:36 GM Converts old Saturn Factory to EV

1:12:28 We have Convenienced Ourselves to Death

1:03:00 Shout Outs and Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

#385 Tail Gating on the Moon

2 Oct , 2020   Video

This week, we talk about the ongoing Nikola saga, solid state batteries in Mercedes buses, This Week in Tesla with new catchy theme music, Plastic eating enzymes, a cheap EV in China, and Toyota’s Lunar Cruiser.

00:00 Show Start 05:15 New Allegations with Nikola Motors

13:00 Mercedes Introduces Solid State Battery Buses

20:05 This Week in Tesla

28:55 Plastic Eating Enzymes

40:30 A $5,000 EV in China 49:25 Toyota’s Mars Rover

54:10 Shout Outs and Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

#374 The Fast and the Dead

11 Jul , 2020   Video

00:00 Intros 04:10 Ford Mach-e Battery Reporting

12:45 Dodge Hellcat SUV

17:50 Pandemic Brings Fewer Crashes but More Fatalities

25:25 Suzuki Across PHEV is the RAV4 Prime

31:10 Moving Forward Act moves to the Senate

38:00 Solar-Powered Level-2 Charging Station

42:45 Muni Cutting Bus Routes

55:55 Let’s Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

#371 You Don’t Need To Be A Dick To Rule The World

18 Jun , 2020   Video

This week:

00:00 Introductions

03:45 Best and Worst EV Battery Performance

18:53 Tesla Cancels Solar Roof Orders

41:48 “Transportation Fairness Alliance” is actually an anti-EV shill

48:00 Internal Emails indicate Carlos Ghosn was Set up and Forced Out

57:00 Rumble Motors moving Production to California

1:03:30 Shout-outs and Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

#370 AutoStupid

11 Jun , 2020   Video

  1. As though Sequester in Place wasn’t harming locally owned business enough, riots across the globe have indiscriminately crippled or fully shuttered small businesses. Please support your local businesses.
  2. A study (with a very small sample size using self-reporting) found that drivers with autonomous features tend to be less attentive and perform actions unrelated to driving.
  3. The Ford Escape Plug-in is expected to get 37 miles per charge before the ICE kicks in. It is expected to have a base MSRP of $5,000USD lower than the RAV4 Prime but, due to its smaller battery, will not qualify for higher incentived.
  4. Hyundai has reached a point where they are making great strides in market share for their EVs. Could this be their tipping point? Will we see even more Hyundai/Kia EVs and perhaps even a Genesis EV?
  5. Even with the drop in carbon emissions as a result of Sequester in Place, all major car manufacturers are expected to miss the Paris Agreement targets for emissions. As the targets and deadlines slip by, maintaining a habitable environment gets harder and harder.

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What Drives Us episode

#368 Let’s Return to Better

30 May , 2020   Video

  1. Russell spent some time with a Tesla Model Y and a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Both reviews are available in our “Car Reviews” playlist. Make sure to check out “The Tesla Life” to get Russell’s full Model Y review.
  2. Toyota recently introduced the PROACE van, offering a warranty of 15 years or 1,000,000 miles, whichever comes first. After that time, they promise the battery will still have 75% or more capacity remaining.
  3. People will only return to riding the bus when they feel safe doing so. We spend some time discussing how buslines can maintain ridership by helping people feel safe.
  4. BloombergNEF predicts that by 2040 new car sales will favor EVs over ICEs. Interesting side topic, they also predict that ICE vehicles peaked in 2017.
  5. Volvo has taken the bold step of limiting the top speed of all new vehicles starting next year. This will be done in the name of safety, referencing the amount of vehicular fatalities attributed to high speeds.

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What Drives Us episode

#365 The Rise of the EVs

8 May , 2020   Video

  1. Paul talks about the ground-level pollution created by gasoline powered lawn equipment. It’s better for you and the environment if you swapped them out for something with a plug or battery.
  2. Tony discusses that Lincoln has cancelled their anticipated partnership with Rivian to produce a luxury SUV EV. We would like to think that this is just a temporary thing.
  3. Kacey tells us about Tesla’s latest software update and how it improves stoplight recognition and smart summon mode.
  4. Georgia talks about a JD Power survey indicating people’s heads are still stuck in the sand when it comes to alt fuel vehicles.
  5. Mark talks about Rivian declining to accept a $1 million grant that was guaranteed to them from Normal, IL where they have their factory. Normal promised that if Rivian invests $22 million the town would kick in $1 million. Since then, Rivian has secured Billions in funding and decided the town could put the money to better use.

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