Futurismo | An Automotive News Podcast

The president and co-founder of BlueSpace.ai offers an alternate path to developing self-driving software, shares lessons learned from her first startup experience, and details the state of driverless deployments in San Francisco.

Thilo Koslowski, board member for Arbe and a longtime industry advisor, says traditional automakers must change their cultures and attitudes now to keep their status in the future. He predicts that 10 percent of legacy automakers will be redefined or defunct because they failed to embrace the digital transformation.

Automotive News reporters Hannah Lutz, Molly Boigon, and Pete Bigelow discuss the latest stories in the mobility realm, including Waymo and Cruise increasing their San Francisco robotaxi businesses and the EV charging problems revealed by a recent J.D. Power customer survey.

SBD Automotive’s domain principal for EV discusses to what extent vehicle owners view their brands as leaders in sustainability, why software is a stronger motivator for EV purchases in China, and how increasing awareness about the environmental costs of battery production might impact adoption.

The executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association discusses the anti-AV sentiment brewing in California, efforts to revive federal legislation, and what self-driving tech’s rollout says about American competitiveness.

The executive director of GM’s hydrogen fuel cell business highlights the automaker’s decades-long history with fuel cell technology, explains when to use fuel cells vs. electric vehicle batteries and shares how GM is taking the technology to other industries. The episode is part of an Automotive News project on hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The vice president of autonomy at Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, breaks down the company’s “measured” approach to using self-driving technology to underpin a revenue-generating business.

The convergence of “megawatts and megabytes” requires a new skillset for electricians who will install and maintain the nation’s emerging network of EV chargers, says Price, CEO of Qmerit. Price highlights the challenges to recruiting and quickly training EV charger technicians, identifies charging differences in urban, suburban, and rural areas, and explains why some automakers likely felt like they had to add Tesla’s charging connectors.

Automotive News reporters Pete Bigelow and Molly Boigon discuss robotaxi problems in San Francisco, Volkswagen’s return to Austin, Texas, Lordstown’s Chapter 11 filing and progress along the Energy Department’s hydrogen roadmap.

The CEO and co-founder of the electric, hydrofoiling boat startup Navier explores the quiet potential of e-boats in marine transportation and how better utilized waterways can carry both passengers and goods, alleviating on-road traffic.

The Green Hills Software CEO and The Dawn Project founder catalogs his concerns about the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot and “Full Self Driving” driver-assistance systems. He further scrutinizes the problems associated with software in safety-critical systems.

The CEO and co-founder of TeraWatt infrastructure discusses the upcoming launch of a fleet-focused charging network, working with utility companies to meet power needs, and raising $1.1 billion to accelerate electrification efforts.

The deputy assistant secretary provides a status report on the DOE’s Hydrogen Hub initiative, the role of the national laboratories in researching new battery technology and progress toward electrification across America.

The head of product at the eVTOL startup breaks down the FAA certification process, discusses the company’s partnerships with Delta Air Lines and Uber, and explains how Toyota, a key investor, has imprinted its culture onto Joby’s plans to scale.

The vice president of homologation, vehicle safety and feature integration at Zoox describes the process the company used for self-certifying that its robotaxi conforms with federal standards and the status of the company’s self-driving deployments.

The vice president of transportation at Smart Growth America explores the role car-centric infrastructure plays in a growing traffic-fatality crisis, and how drivers are often blamed for errors that would be prevented by better design.

The president and CEO of Blink Charging discusses his company’s new contract with the U.S. Postal Service, his time spent launching the Nissan Leaf and global charging needs in an age of electrification.

John O’Leary, Daimler Truck North America’s CEO, and Michael Lohscheller, Nikola’s CEO, both spoke to Automotive News at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim. They discuss charging and fueling infrastructure challenges, the role of hydrogen in long-haul trucking and competition in the industry.

The VP for automotive and smart mobility at research firm Gartner discusses how new functions-as-a-service business models and a Right To Repair Law are changing the way everyone thinks about car ownership.

Joseph Vellone, the head of North America at ev.energy, explains how smart charging can help reduce strain on the electrical grid. He says different regional utilities face different challenges, including weather and grid capabilities.