When EV Regulations Get Ahead Of EV Truck Technology TechMobility Topics podcast

8:26

The year was 2004, the movie, I, Robot , starring Will Smith. One of the major plot themes were the wide availability of robot assistants – especially for the home – disabled, older and/or otherwise infirm in the year 2035. The main computer that controlled the robots initiated an uprising against the humans. In the confrontations that followed, the humans DID prevail, but remember, that was 21 years ago. With more than 50 companies racing to develop humanoid robots for home and factory, home humanoid robots are in the process of becoming a thing. Should I be worried?…

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How Buyers View The Luxury Car Experience 8:57

7 days ago8:57

8:57

According to a recent McKinsey & Company white paper, luxury cars, defined as those valued at over $150,000, account for a small portion of vehicles sold but loom large in drivers’ imaginations. What kind of people drive vehicles like that and more importantly, what are their expectations when it comes to ownership? I have questions.…

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2025 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV review 9:12

7 days ago9:12

9:12

The Toyota Land Cruiser is the longest running series of models produced by the Japanese automaker. Born in 1951, it counts the British Land Rover and original Jeep CJ as soulmates. The new Land Cruiser is the perfect blend of capability and premium features. First introduced in the United States in 1958, the Land Cruiser is the Godfather of Toyota’s incredible off-road heritage. For 2025, the 250 series Land Cruiser enters its second year as an extremely capable off-roader, packed with premium features and at a more accessible price point than the previous generation.…

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DANGER! Distracted Truckers 9:17

7 days ago9:17

9:17

Technology and telematics provider Samsara recently released a report that looked at what causes distracted driving and solutions for it. The report included over 1,500 drivers. Commercial TRUCK drivers. Seems they are not immune to the seduction of digital devices while behind the wheel.

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What is a Pod Hotel? 8:40

7 days ago8:40

8:40

Pod hotels are hotels where guest sleep in tiny compartments with beds inside known as pods. These pods come in all shapes and sizes – square and round, metal and wooden. Many aren’t even large enough to sit up in. So, what’s the point?

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When EV Batteries Go Solid 9:07

7 days ago9:07

9:07

Lithium-ion batteries. This is the chemistry that powers most mobile electrical devices that are not plugged in – from your cellphone to the average EV. The chemistry is actually a metal slurry that comes with a list of downsides which can include shorting out and causing a thermal runaway which results in the difficult-to-extinguish fires you may have seen on social media. But what if a new kind of electric vehicle battery can do away with the bad things of the current batteries, and do it for less money and longer range? This is the goal of a small Massachusetts start-up.…

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Deepfake Reality/Deepfake Fraud 9:05

7 days ago9:05

9:05

Artificial intelligence and deep fake software. The perfect marriage of tools and methods that are easily available to secure and use for anybody. Needless to say, fraudsters and other bad actors of all stripes are having a field day. From online romance scams, to defrauding car dealers and the HR departments of major tech companies. The nightmare is real.…

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e-Bikes for EVERYBODY! 9:23

7 days ago9:23

9:23

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has launched a voucher incentive program for e-bikes. The new program is targeting lower-income residents who lack alternative transportation options that would not otherwise be available. The state is rolling out 3,000 vouchers over a six-month period, which can reach $1,200 in discounts are participating brick-and-mortar retailers.…

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The Fastest Most Accurate Fast Food Drive-Thrus 8:36

13 days ago8:36

8:36

How much time and fuel do we waste in drive-through lanes at fast-food chains? And more importantly, how often can we depend on the place to get our order right? The Washington Post took a look and crunched some numbers.

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Amtrak: Bigger, Faster, Newer 8:59

13 days ago8:59

8:59

Amtrak has revealed a first look at its new Airo trains, and they come with panoramic windows, comfier chars, and more accessibility features. The national rail service is currently constructing eight-three of the new and improved Airo trains, which will operate on around fifteen existing routes in the Eastern US and Pacific Northwest.…

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2025 Lincoln Nautilus Black Label SUV review 9:10

13 days ago9:10

9:10

The seeds for the current success of the Lincoln brand were planted back in late 2006. The vehicle was originally known as the MKX, a mid-size luxury crossover SUV that rode on the automaker’s CD4 platform. The Ford Edge and Flex, along with the short-lived Lincoln MKT were mechanical siblings. By 2019, Lincoln had phased out its use of “MK” model names, choosing “Nautilus” in place of the MKX for the luxury crossover’s mid-cycle refresh of the vehicle’s second generation. The second-generation Nautilus for the US market was introduced in April 2023 as a 2024 model. The all-new 2024 Nautilus arrived with evolved design, an available hybrid powertrain, and new connected features. This includes the all-new Lincoln Digital Experience and Lincoln BlueCruise hands-free highway driving technology.…

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Uber's Wonderfully Autonomous Volkswagens 9:07

13 days ago9:07

9:07

While Volkswagen isn't top of mind when talking about autonomous vehicles, turns out that the German automaker has been working on the technology for almost ten years. VW is ready to deploy its first autonomous ID BUZZ electric minivans on Uber's ridehailing platform in Los Angeles next year.

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Wanted: More Wheelchair Ramps 8:31

14 days ago8:31

8:31

Wheelchairs. When it comes to mobility, of which we talk about plenty on this program, accessibility and accessibility barriers are real issues when it comes to public spaces. An Icelandic designer who made his mark in Silicon Valley and is a wheelchair user himself, has developed ways to overcome the exclusion that is often built into a city.…

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Who is Rural America? 9:06

14 days ago9:06

9:06

It's a simple question with a complicated answer: Who is Rural America? Researchers claim that there is little agreement on how to define rural America. As the US population has become increasingly concentrated in urban centers, rural communities have, at times, been an afterthought. The myths perpetuated about its irreversible decline has little resemblance to reality. So, what is going on out in the country?…

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The Wood That Laughs at Steel 8:48

14 days ago8:48

8:48

A material invented at the University of Maryland will soon offer a radical alternative that has a fifty percent greater tensile strength than conventional steel and a strength-to-weight ratio that is ten times better. It’s lighter, tougher, and actually locks away carbon. It’s called Superwood and after seven years of development, mass production of the material will start this summer.…

TechMobility Topics

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Are We at PEAK SHALE? 9:13

14 days ago9:13

9:13

According to industry veterans, US oil production is at a tipping point at current crude prices. US oil production is expected to DECLINE next year, making it the first year-on-year decrease in roughly ten years, outside of the pandemic. THE CAUSE: Shale oil companies are slowing production because of low crude prices and pressure to return cash to shareholders. The Permian Basin's output growth is slowing too, and other large fields haven't recovered since 2020. Finally OPEC has recently announced production increases that will continue to put downward pressure on crude oil prices, reducing the incentive for US producers to spend the billions required to develop and bring new finds to market.…

TechMobility Topics

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Legal Perils of Acting on Climate Change 8:33

21 days ago8:33

8:33

Can you be sued for not taking strong enough action to tackle climate change? If you can, who decides what that is? And no, I am NOT talking about California! It’s a valid question to ponder.

TechMobility Topics

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No Route, No Rules, All Passion - LET'S DO IT! 9:06

21 days ago9:06

9:06

Its unsanctioned, dangerous, and not exactly legal. It’s called The Speed Project and it has NOTHING to do with wheeled vehicles. This is a unique running event that takes participants to the brink and beyond. Why do it?

TechMobility Topics

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2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe review 8:45

21 days ago8:45

8:45

Genesis, the upmarket Korean nameplate, unveiled the GV80 Coupe in September 2023. Based on the refreshed GV80 SUV for the 2023 model year, unique styling cues include a coupe inspired roofline, redesigned front bumper and grille, flat bottom steering wheel and carbon fiber interior trims. The GV80 Coupe combines the practicality of an SUV, inheriting the design and performance of the base model, with the dynamism of a coupe. With the introduction of the GV80 Coupe, Genesis now enters the rarified air that is shared by such remarkable machines as the BMW X6 Coupe and both the Mercedes-Benz GLC and GLE Coupes.…

TechMobility Topics

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Hyundai Developes EV Battery Fire Suppression System 9:01

21 days ago9:01

9:01

Hyundai Mobis, the parts manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group, has developed technology that can extinguish an electric vehicle battery fire cell fire and prevent thermal runaway.

TechMobility Topics

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The Beanless Coffee Race 8:38

28 days ago8:38

8:38

Coffee. As the cost of it continues to rise due to increasingly volatile climate patterns, the demand for coffee is increasing. The United States actually grows very little coffee within its borders. To meet this demand, enter beanless coffee. YIKES!

TechMobility Topics

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Your City is Sinking! 9:04

28 days ago9:04

9:04

As if you don’t have enough to be concerned about, consider this: the land underneath the largest cities in the United States is sinking, threatening buildings, roads, and rail lines, according to new research. But that sinking, known as subsidence, is not happening in the same way, in each place, or even the same way across one city.…

TechMobility Topics

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The Premium Delivery Alternative to Uber & Doordash! 9:08

28 days ago9:08

9:08

His name is Herb Coakley, former Uber and Lyft driver and founder of Mystro , an app that helped gig workers juggle multiple platforms. Now he’s back with Courial , a premium delivery service that respects the people doing the work and wows the people receiving it. Listen to this episode to learn more!…

TechMobility Topics

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Low Priced EV Truck to Take on Tesla 9:08

28 days ago9:08

9:08

It's called Slate and its a Jeff Bezos-backed effort to bring a low priced (less than $20K) EV truck to American motorists. It's low price means plastic fenders and panels, hand crank windows and bring your own entertainment. Is there a real market for this vehicle? Listen to the podcast to learn more.…

TechMobility Topics

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China's Army of Ghost Cargo Trucks 8:38

5 weeks ago8:38

8:38

Imagine passing a truck on the Interstate at highway speed that doesn’t have a cab for a driver. That is in fact just a flat wall crowned with sensors and cameras. In China, these futuristic yet cheap-looking trucks are part of a fleet of driverless light trucks that can carry 1,000 parcels autonomously over a range of 110 miles. Sound far-fetched? It’s happening in China right now, and some form of it is in America’s immediate future.…

TechMobility Topics

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Are Tiny Home Villages the Answer? 9:06

5 weeks ago9:06

9:06

Tiny houses. With the stock of affordable housing severely diminished in many parts of the country, the rise of tiny houses offers some people an alternative when considering a safe place to live. A twist on that concept is the rise of tiny house villages, often near or just outside small towns in rural America. Could this be a win-win for all?…

TechMobility Topics

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2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV review 9:16

5 weeks ago9:16

9:16

The Mitsubishi Outlander was originally introduced to American motorists at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as the Mitsubishi ASX concept vehicle – ASX standing for Active Sports Crossover. Replacing the body-on-frame Montero Sport in North America, the Outlander went on sale during the 2003 model year. The fourth and current generation of the Outlander debuted in 2021 for the 2022 model year. As part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, the Outlander is based on the Nissan Rogue which rides on the CMF-CD platform. For 2025, the seven-passenger Outlander gets a mid-cycle refresh with revised front and rear styling along with greater levels of luxury in materials and design throughout the interior.…

TechMobility Topics

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Where EV Chargers Are At Parity with Gasoline Stations 9:15

5 weeks ago9:15

9:15

As of the end of 2024, the State of California had 48 percent MORE electric vehicle chargers than gas pump nozzles at 178,549. This compares of just 120,000 gasoline nozzles. However, only 17,000 of the chargers are fast chargers with the rest being the slower Level 2 chargers.

TechMobility Topics

1
Secret Radio Stations in America 8:36

5 weeks ago8:36

8:36

On secret radio stations nationwide, a decades old news service has survived the move to digital. They are called radio reading services and they perform a vital function for the visually impaired.

TechMobility Topics

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Automaker Logistics of Made in America 8:59

5 weeks ago8:59