Futurismo | An Automotive News Podcast

On a special episode of Shift, Automotive News staffers are contestants on a game show about electric vehicle sounds. That is followed by an explanation of the factors driving electric vehicle sound design.

The co-founder and chief technology officer details the latest developments in the company’s driverless operations and shares how customers are replacing Class 8 big rigs with Gatik’s box trucks on repeatable, “Middle Mile” routes.

Drake, Ford’s vice president of electric vehicle programs and energy supply chain, shares her outlook on the EV future amid a slowdown in sales growth and explains why systemic change is necessary to create more opportunities for women in the industry. Drake was a keynote speaker at Automotive News Leading Women conference May 21. She spoke with reporter Hannah Lutz.

The CEO and co-founder of the U.K. automated-driving startup details a fundraising round that includes investment from SoftBank, Nvidia and Microsoft. Further, he explains the company’s ChatGPT-like approach to utilizing AI in the traffic realm.

The founder and general partner of the venture-capital firm details a new $300 million infusion from its namesake automaker, separates hype from reality in the AI boom, and discussions automotive’s convergence toward the energy realm.

The vice president of automotive, transportation and cross-manufacturing at research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. breaks down the disbanding of Tesla’s EV charging team, Elon Musk’s latest robotaxi promises and the company’s fresh “AI and robotics” focus.

The vice president of automotive and manufacturing at Amazon Web Services (AWS) talks about the proliferation of generative AI advances across different areas of the auto industry. Further, she details efforts to ensure women thrive in auto-tech careers.

The author of “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality and The Future of America’s Highways” examines the financial, environmental and human costs of highway expansions, explains the way interstates are funded, and details prospects of highway removal.

The managing director of the connected-and-autonomous vehicle test track details the facility’s evolution into a makerspace for mobility innovation that encompasses a data engine and mixed-reality tech development.

The partner at investment firm Mobility Impact Partners explains how she looks beyond transportation-tech hype when investing and details a viable path for electrification through charging and infrastructure uncertainty.

The vice president of sustainability and business development at American Honda Motor Inc. details the automaker’s new CR-V fuel-cell variant, an H2-focused joint venture with General Motors, and the state of hydrogen infrastructure.

Michigan’s chief mobility officer shares the state's efforts to ensure that transportation is equitable, clean and innovative across land, air and waterways.

The program officer in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office explains how EV and energy policy gets implemented through billions in federal loans, and how that work underpins a clean-energy economy.

March 13 marks the 20-year anniversary of the inaugural DARPA Grand Challenge race which catalyzed interest in self-driving technology. DARPA director Tony Tether, Carnegie Mellon University’s Red Whittaker, Waymo’s Melissa Dumas Grimm and Pronto’s Anthony Levandowski offer reflections on that race and how it steered the course of automated-driving development.

The co-leader of Boston Consulting Group’s Center for Mobility Innovation discusses complications in deploying automated-driving technology and points to limited EV offerings a contributing factor behind a sales slowdown.

The retired General Motors vice president of R&D and adviser to Google and Waymo believes the way digital technology is reshaping our lives will impact both vehicle development and whether we need vehicles at all.

Reichmuth, a senior engineer in the organization’s Clean Transportation Program, examines if plug-in hybrids will lead to reduced emissions amid renewed interest and calls out automakers with inefficient PHEV offerings.

Sanjay Arya, the head of innovation for index product at Morningstar, and Jonathan Geurkink, a senior research analyst for mobility and supply chain tech at Pitchbook, explain what venture capital investment says about mobility tech and why there is optimism about a competitor for Tesla’s supercharger network.

The chief technology officer at Panasonic Automotive details advances on software-defined vehicles and what they mean for consumers.

The partner and co-leader of the consulting firm’s Center for Future Mobility advises automakers on navigating software, autonomy and electrification transitions amid profound changes in technology, workforce and the global world order.