What Drives Us episode

#395 Robots Displace Humans

29 Jan , 2021   Video

5:15 Toyota Mirai
10:30 Rivian Amazon van undercover
18:05 Hyundai buys Boston Dynamics
24:20 Tesla News – Giga Berlin – China superchargers – Tesla Parade
30:20 Bollinger strangely still rendering
33:33 EV West crate motor
37:00 Zoox autonomous shuttle vehicles
44:30 Personal deliveries are an environmental nightmare and so is packaging / recycling
58:40 Kandi EV cheapest in America
1:00:45 Shoutouts!

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What Drives Us episode

#388 Listen to Her

1 Nov , 2020   Video

We learn to listen to Georgia and, we discuss vanadium flow batteries, electric buses, Tesla FSD and more.

00:00 Show Start

04:10 Solar has Become the Cheapest Energy Source

13:55 Vanadium Flow Batteries

21:50 This Week in Tesla

29:40 Electric School Buses

45:20 Vote Because your Rights Depend on It

58:00 Shout Outs and Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

#386 We Do Not Condone Shocking Wildlife

15 Oct , 2020   Video

00:00 Show Start

03:50 Turning Interstates into Solar Farms

13:55 Municipal Microgrids

22:45 This Week in Tesla

28:55 Rivian Releasing R1T and R1S Early 2021

36:00 Can the US be a Green Hydrogen Powerhouse?

44:05 Rivian Delivers 1st Amazon Delivery Van

51:00 Shout Outs and Go Home

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What Drives Us episode

Transport Treehouse #2

10 Aug , 2020   Video

Infrastructure Week, part 1: Kitty Adams

Our first guest for Infrastructure week is Kitty Adams, She is the Executive Director and Founder of AdoptACharger.org. Ms. Adams has facilitated the installation of hundreds of EV chargers in 10 states, and has participated in a number of CEC and CARB workshops regarding alternative fuel vehicles and EV charging infrastructure. She was successfully awarded CEC grant funding to install EV charging at the California State Parks, and most recently a GFO as part of a team to design a micro grid in a disadvantaged community. She has presented at the Electric Power Research Institute Symposium, and has consulted on EV charging projects and policies nationwide.

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What Drives Us episode

# 378 EV RV IDK LOL

7 Aug , 2020   Video

00:00 Intros

05:30 – Rivian to Ship R1T and R1S in 2021

17:20 – Upcycling Old Tires to Improve our Roads

23:00 – This Week in Tesla

34:10 – Boring Company Connecting LA and Vegas?

43:20 – Ready.Set.Van has New Tesla-Powered Van

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What Drives Us episode

#377 Tonka Toy Van Down By The River

30 Jul , 2020   Video

00:00 Intros

07:40 Hybrid Fleets Would Reduce Emissions Now

15:55 Electric Brands Introduces Module EV Bus

22:00 Tesla Willing to License Software and Technology

26:00 Hyundai Ramps up EV Production Plans

37:40 The Real Cost of “Public” Parking

43:15 Community Solar for Those Who Can’t Solar

49: 30 Fossil Fuel Companies Funding the Police

1:01:15 Shout-outs and Go Home

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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

WDU Special – We Talk with Tom Bodett

23 May , 2020   Video

You know him from Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me or maybe “We’ll leave the light on for you.” but we know Mr. Tom Bodett as a green energy advocate who walks the walk. His self-installed 37kW solar array, advanced heating pump system and his new Tesla Model Y all speak of someone who cares. Spend some time getting to know Tom better.

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audio only,What Drives Us episode

#352 EVs Everywhere!

7 Feb , 2020   Video

1) Russell teases that he’s been invited to a Toyota AWD event. More details in a future show.

2) Simon Wecker, a guy in Berlin, Germany, pulled 90 cell phones – all with Google Maps active – through empty streets. Why? Because Google interpreted all that data to mean that the streets were congested with 90 cars, all barely moving along. The result was empty streets thanks to Google routing everyone around Wecker and his wagon of phones.

3) Hyundai is doubling their Kona EV production be adding a second factory. This is in response to the Kona’s massive demand, which Hyundai is not able to keep up with.

4) The new US Building Codes will call for new homes in the US to be manufactured “EV Ready”.

5) Rivian and Amazon are designing and building a custom EV Amazon delivery van. It’s kind of cute.

6) We’re relatively excited to see that there are EV trucks coming to market. Americans love their trucks so if we want to win them over we’re going to need electric trucks.

7) Toyota is introducing new technology to safe stupid people from themselves. This new software will detect when someone mashes the accelerator rather than the brake and make sure the car doesn’t surge forward. Because, let’s face it, unexpected acceleration was really human error all along.

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What Drives Us episode

#339 Inside the Tokyo Auto Show

2 Nov , 2019   Video

  1. Jon B attended the Tokyo Auto Show and brought back photos and videos. A lot of interesting things going on.
  2. Harbour Air (Vancouver, CA) plans to be the world’s first fully-electric airline.
  3. According to Mary Barra, General Motors will spend more money in the next 5 years developing new EVs than in ICE development.
  4. The Toronto Transit Commission has added 60(!) new electric buses.
  5. Volkswagon is planning a massive switch from ICE vehicles to EVs that will see five plants around the world immediately change from ICE to EV manufacturing. Their goal is 1,000,000+ EVs per year in 2023.

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