In this week’s show:
1) The current NTSB requirements for black box data is woefully short of all the data required to determine the actual situation of a modern-day crash. Manufacturers are not required to hand over additional data. Should owners be able to pull the data themselves to turn over to the police? Should they be able to pull data from a used car prior to purchasing it?
2) Tesla’s stock has soared recently to the point that the company is now valuated higher than GM and Ford, combined! It doesn’t help that Ford and GM have seen their own valuations dropping in the recent months.
3) The Boring Company’s 0.8 mile tunnel is completed under Las Vegas between convention centers. It’s likely not going to reach 140mph like previously advertised, it might use skates to move cars or not. Details are few and far between.
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autonomous, batteries, battery, boring company, bus, Car, CBC, Charging, concept, Convenience, Cyber Truck, Cybertruck, Diesel, Eco, Efficiency, electric, elon, elon musk, Employees, epa, EV, eVolution, FICA, Ford, FSD, fuel cell, Full Self Drive, General Motors, gm, Government, Gratification, hybrid, ID.3, id3, Incentives, las vegas, LE, Lexus, LimePod, lyft, Micromobility, mobility, Model S, model X, motorcycle, nissan, Oregon, Plug-in, porsche, Portland, Range Anxiety, RAV-4, RAV4, review, robots, rv, RVing, Software, solar, Starlink, tax, Tax Credit, Technology, Tesla, the boring company, Toyota, Tracking, TriMet, trump, tunnel, update, Updates, volkswagen
This week:
1) States face roadblocks on path to lower tailpipe emissions.
2) BMW remains committed to ICE cars for at least 30 more years.
3) The Prius is no longer Toyota’s top-selling hybrid.
4) Sony shocks CES by unveiling a car.
5) The Fisker Ocean might actually be areal thing.
6) Tesla’s Gigafactory 4 has to tread lightly in the forest.
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autonomous, batteries, battery, BMW, bus, Car, CBC, Charging, concept, Convenience, Cyber Truck, Cybertruck, Diesel, dieselgate, Eco, Efficiency, electric, elon, elon musk, emissions, Employees, epa, EV, eVolution, FICA, FSD, fuel cell, Full Self Drive, General Motors, gigafactory, gm, Government, Gratification, hybrid, ID.3, id3, Incentives, LE, Lexus, LimePod, lyft, Micromobility, mobility, Model S, model X, motorcycle, nissan, Oregon, Plug-in, porsche, Portland, Prius, Range Anxiety, RAV-4, RAV4, review, robots, rv, RVing, Software, solar, Starlink, tax, Tax Credit, Technology, Tesla, Toyota, Tracking, TriMet, trump, update, Updates, volkswagen, VW, What Drives Us
audio only,What Drives Us episode
1) Tony reviewed the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Be sure to check out his two separate reviews:
Ride-along review: https://youtu.be/ed4CUB73QWE
Walk-around review: https://youtu.be/hty_KFkWZMY
2) At the beginning of the 2010s, Lithium-Ion batteries were projected to herald in the era of the electric vehicle. We discuss accessibility of battery components and the drop in prices.
3) Volkswagen has released conceptual animations of very cute little battery charging robots. You park your car anywhere in a parking garage and the robots will not only bring a mobile battery pack, the pack will plug itself into your car.
4) December saw a flurry of Tesla software updates. We pick them apart.
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autonomous, batteries, battery, bus, Car, CBC, Charging, concept, Convenience, Cyber Truck, Cybertruck, Diesel, Eco, Efficiency, electric, elon, elon musk, Employees, epa, EV, eVolution, FICA, FSD, fuel cell, Full Self Drive, General Motors, gm, Government, Gratification, hybrid, ID.3, id3, Incentives, LE, Lexus, LimePod, lyft, Micromobility, mobility, Model S, model X, motorcycle, nissan, Oregon, Plug-in, porsche, Portland, Range Anxiety, RAV-4, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, review, robots, rv, RVing, Software, solar, Starlink, tax, Tax Credit, Technology, Tesla, Toyota, Tracking, TriMet, trump, update, Updates, volkswagen, What Drives Us
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
Russell’s rant
I still hate the financial press, a lot.
Tony
If we just avoid going political
Mark
Workhorse W-15 with 80 EV miles of range gets an order for 500 units.
Tony
Panasonic has a new solar roof for the Prime
Paul
Russell’s happy news
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2017, battery, Bolt, Chevy, concept, electric, epa, EV, feature, featured, features, Geneva, hydrogen, Hyundai, LE, Plug-in, prime, Prius, solar, Tesla, truck
audio and video,Featured,Features,What Drives Us episode
With thanks to 0101Zero for this week’s title. Here’s the links to this week’s stories…
Russell’s rant
Breathing gets more difficult
Repeat after me, there is no such thing as clean diesel
Car companies insist on being evil, all of them
Mark
Tony
Toyota recalls all 1100 US Mirais for software defect
Paul
Tesla market cap rises to 2/3 of Ford’s value, but does it mean anything?
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autonomous, Bolt, Chevy, Diesel, Eco, electric, epa, EV, feature, featured, Ford, gm, LE, LED, mirai, recall, review, Tesla, Toyota, trump, usa, zero
audio and video,What Drives Us episode
This week’s news…
russell
Finally some sense…which, probably won’t last past the 20th
russell
Tonight we lose viewers in Oklahoma
Tony
China halts over 100 coal power projects
russell
The joke that continues to be called faraday future
Mark
Is a Lithium-Ion battery shortage coming?
Paul
Prius Prime Being Dumped On By Some Toyota Dealers
Mark
Chevy’s month by moth rollout plan for the Bolt
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2017, battery, Bolt, Chevrolet, Chevy, china, Eco, epa, EV, faraday future, featured, features, future, LE, LED, prime, Prius, Toyota, usa
Article,Featured,Features,Review
I wanted to write this while my impressions were still fresh because the one thing I felt that I never explicitly said during our special episode was…anger. It made me mad. I felt used. Faraday Future, from here on, FF, used me for a sucker and I had to sit there and take it. Why? Well, let’s talk about it.
2017, autonomous, batteries, bus, Charging, connected, Eco, epa, EV, faraday future, feature, features, ff91, first, Ford, future, LE, LED, limousine, nevada, oil, Prius, reveal, rv, zero
audio and video,Featured,Features,What Drives Us episode
Russell
Honoring Chelsea Sexton on the anniversary of the EV1 release, for her amazing work in promoting EVs. And, she’s going to be featured on a new Nat Geo special on TV.
Mark
EPA pushes to accelerate EV adoption before Tump’s term begins
Tony
Toyota announces a more efficient powertrain
Russell
Send us your Russian Outlanders
Ford, please delete your account
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2016, battery, Bolt, ceo, Chelsea Sexton, Chevy, Eco, electric, epa, EV, featured, features, Ford, hybrid, LE, sex, Toyota, trump
audio and video,Featured,Features,What Drives Us episode
Mark
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid shown in SoCal
Tony Schaefer’s New York Auto Show look at the Pacifica Minivan
Russell
Russell
Evan
http://www.thedrive.com/news/6007/tesla-model-s-declared-the-most-loved-car-in-america-again
Russell
The Bolt wins two awards even though it’s not for sale and only a (literal) handful of people have driven yet, GM’s PR reach once again exceeds its grasp
Russell
Hyundai just shot themselves in the face
Mark
Bobcat Rodeo over already? Faraday fails to pay contractors, work stops at North Las Vegas Site
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2017, auto show, Bolt, CARB, Chevrolet, Chrysler, electric, epa, EV, faraday future, featured, features, first, future, gm, hybrid, Hyundai, law, laws, LE, minivan, nevada, new york, new york auto show, pacifica, regulations, Tesla, tony schaefer, Toyota, tractor, trump
audio and video,Featured,Features,What Drives Us episode
Paul
Mark
Russell
You bastards owe me an apology
Front company takes another financial hit
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2016, android, android auto, apple, audi, battery, bus, cheating, Chevy, Eco, electric, emissions, epa, EV, faraday future, featured, fuel cell, future, hydrogen, LE, LED, model 3, Plug-in, prime, Prius, Tesla, Toyota, Volt, VW