Research Says This Auto Podcast Is Attractive to Wealthy Drivers

We have a good debate about whether the U.S. government made a good investment in General Motors, as the Treasury sells most of its remaining stake, for a loss



There were several questionable "research" studies this week. The first claims that the government shutdown pushed used car prices lower.

This list is less questionable: Five vehicles that people in wealthy areas buy.

Do you think that a Tesla pick-up truck is reasonable. We debate it.

Apparently parking is at a premium, particularly parking spaces with plugs, and that is hampering adoption of electric vehicles.

According Audi's research, Americans don't even want electric vehicles, they would rather have diesels. Really?

Young people still want cars. Particularly ones they can customize. That goes against all the recent data we have seen.

Finally, the holiday season is coming and we both want a yacht pod. They are Italian. Enough said.

Plug In This Automotive Podcast to Hear Some of Our Favorite Worthless Features

Drivers who are renting cars are choosing not to try electric cars. While the industry has added many electric vehicles to rental fleets, the belief is that range anxiety is limiting demand.


While short range may be an issue for electric vehicles, loan ranges appear to be increasing for many buyers, which might be a bad thing for the economy and auto sales.

GM is experimenting with online sales, but dealers are wary of it hurting their sales.

These rarely work

Some cars are zipping off of lots, while others languish. Here is a list of 10 vehicles that are sitting for a long time on dealer lots.

Toyota hopes it's new systems will bring nearly autonomous vehicles to the market much sooner than most other auto makers plan.

There are still some car technologies that aren't really worthwhile. Here is another list.

Finally, Alfred Morris got his car back and it's really better than new.

We Don't Need to Lower the Price for This Auto News Podcast

This episode of the podcast sparks discussion about:

Tesla's strong earnings, helped in part by t-shirt sales.

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You don't see as many Volt t-shirts, so GM is looking to cut the price of the plug-in electric by as much as $10,000.

Tesla jacket

That might make the proposed $100 electric-car tax in New Jersey more palatable.

Nissan is rejiggering its pricing because people aren't finding their cars when shopping online.

There is a group of vehicles that are in demand among people who don't have much money.

And here is a group of cars that probably won't be around on new-car dealer lots next year.

We're Not Lying, This Automotive Podcast Is 'Focused' on Best-Selling Cars

Yet again there is debate about the top-selling car of the year for 2012: Is it the Ford Focus or the Toyota Corolla? We don't care but the debate is interesting.

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Both of those cars are fairly inexpensive to own and run, which is important because the AAA says that the cost of vehicle ownership is rising. Perhaps that is why most people want a better deal more than they want a good-looking car.

But as competition heats up, vehicle interiors are getting more important and Ward's Auto named its best looking interiors for 2013.

A future classic from China, the Wuling Sunshine 

Many classic SUVs have very spartan interiors, but that probably won't limit their appeal to vehicle collectors, who are predicted to take an interest in the segment.

In the future, cars might have motors in the wheels instead of under the hood.

It's not a lie that men more than occasionally bend the truth. Especially about car accidents and insurance.

Finally, Mathew admits that he is a steering-wheel drummer, and a company has introduced a gadget that we need to get him for his pending nuptials.

You Can't Afford Not to Lease This All-Electric Automotive Podcast

We rolled out the car sales jingle this month and for good reason. It was a record breaker for auto sales with big jumps for most companies and a battle among mid-size sedans.

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Low interest rates may have had a role in the sales surge, but they were probably offset by lower incentives and higher transaction prices.

This is the first month that we spend time breaking down sales of plug-in electrics, and Tesla is leading the charge. Their plan to roll-out lease deals may help the electric-car maker hold on to its lead in the market.

Detroit Electric's SP:01 

But it may have more competition soon with Detroit Electric, a brand that hasn't been around for more than 75 years, introducing a new electric vehicle that is very similar to how Telsa started.

Perhaps adding them to rental fleets, as GM and other car companies are doing, could juice awareness and sales.

Finally, please pay attention to the fact that daydreaming and being lost in thought while behind the wheel may be a more likely cause of accidents than talking on your cellphone.

This Automotive Podcast Is Charged Up and Doesn't Fall Short

We have debated the viability of electric cars for a long time. Tesla's lovely and powerful Model S sedan has garnered some great reviews from the motoring press, but when the New York Times tried a real-world test that included the auto makers new high-speed charging stations, things didn't go so well.

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With fuel economy on the top of most shopper's list, car makers are looking at all kinds of ways to make improvements. Next up: plastic windows which might be too strong.

The cost of getting there on time.

We're obsessed with auto sales and with gasoline costs. If gasoline goes up one dollar in price, here's what might happen.


The Chicago auto show didn't have many new models or concepts, but there was enough to pique our interest. And Mathew -- thanks to his mom -- was able to peruse the Washington Auto Show in D.C. and snapped some photos that we will post.

Finally, another trip to the D.C. area proved costly for one driver but at least it didn't start like this.

This Automotive Podcast Is Efficient Enough to Not Get Caught in Traffic

The advertising overdrive that was the Super Bowl featured several auto makers vying for attention. We go through the best and the worst of the commercials, which of course leads us to a discussion of Dodge Ram and Jeep's efforts.

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The goal of those ads is awareness and ultimately sales, and given that sales incentives were down in January, perhaps not as much money was needed for those fancy ads.

Too lazy to plug it in?

One place where more money is going is toward gasoline. While the overall fuel economy of the new-car fleet has gone up, the price of gasoline has pushed up the percentage that families pay to drive each year.

Much of that fuel goes to engines that are idling in traffic, particularly in these cities where you should budget hours for trips that should take minutes.

Fuel economy suffers in all kinds of engines while stuck in traffic, but Consumer Reports says the batch of new smaller turbo engines aren't as efficient as auto makers claim. Perhaps induction charging can help drive demand for electric cars because it eliminates the need for the cord.

Finally, a daft driver in Ireland tries to thwart the boot.

This Automotive Podcast Is Not Just a Cute Concept

It's time for the Detroit auto show where car makers unveil their next new models, inspiring designs and  radical concepts. We run through some of the most significant and sexy vehicles in the show, including the Chevrolet C7 Corvette, VW CrossBlue, Hyundai HCD-14, among many others.

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While Autoblog does a great job of obsessively covering the show, our old friend Joe White does a great job of asking Build It or Bag It?

Ford, which didn't have a bunch of big reveals at the show, is doing a great job of keeping its customers loyal to the brand.

There has been an increase in the debate about moving from a gas tax to a mileage tax and David makes an impassioned argument that it's too soon and there are too many infrastructure improvements and repairs needed to make that change.

Some day in the future there will be enough electric and alternative vehicles, especially if the prices drop like they did for the Nissan Leaf this year. But that day is probably still many years away.

Finally, a judge ruled that corporations aren't people enough to qualify for the HOV lane.

With Two Billion Vehicles We Need More Automotive Podcasts Like This

The age of the U.S. auto fleet is at its highest level ever, and that makes Ford's marketing chief think that sales will continue to be strong, especially as shoppers see how much better and fuel-efficient new vehicles have become.

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If those sales do keep increasing, the world will end up with more than 2 billion vehicles in 2035, twice as many as today.

Los Angeles is perhaps the center of car culture in the U.S., so the L.A. Auto Show has become a place where car makers show off some very cool designs and significant new models. This year the Koreans and the Japanese dominated, with Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru and Toyota all revealing new models or cool concepts. We review the action, and recap my trip to the Seattle auto show.

A car full of the future.

One of the most significant vehicles in L.A. was the all-electric Chevrolet Spark, which also features integration with Apple's Siri. That makes Mathew wonder why Apple isn't making car infotainment systems yet.

Beyond entertainment, the next thing that auto electronics will do is tell you when you are tense and ask you to chill out. Toyota hopes some of its new technologies will prevent drivers from doing unintended things.

Finally, would you like a gas station at your house? If you have a natural-gas vehicle that may be possible and affordable.

Scenes From the Commute: Zap Xebra - Car or Motorcycle?

I came across this interesting little vehicle in an office park garage in the Seattle area. I did a little research and came across some info the the Zap Xebra electric, three-wheeled enclosed motorcycle. Yes, that is a long list of descriptors. It's like a three-toed sloth of vehicles: weird, rare and probably just as slow.

It reminded me of this epic Top Gear segment on the Reliant Robin.

The best part: That cord was plugged into a socket in the garage. Free electricity -- at least for the owner of the car.

A rare, slow Zap Xebra getting a free charge.

Ending Our Dependence on Foreign Automotive Podcasts

Oil is a precious commodity and the U.S. may be on the way to producing enough of it to support it's needs.

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But that might be helped by vehicles like the 2014 Ford Transit Connect sort-of minivan. Even if it's a little ugly. One Ford vehicle that isn't ugly is the Ford Escape which nabbed a new award from Popular Science. Another award -- the Motor Trend Car of the Year -- went to the Tesla S, we think deservedly so.

Young drowsy drivers. 

But is the Tesla a good deal. Most electric cars aren't, unless you keep them for a long time. Here's a list of brands that get long-time love from owners.

Now Paris is going after old cars as a way to clean up it's air, but we think it's too drastic a measure.

Finally, new studies show that young drivers are most likely to fall asleep behind the wheel and women are better drivers than men.

This Charged-Up Automotive Podcast Is Lighter Than a Cardboard Bicycle

The auto industry is having a good year, but that may not last. We look at some of the things that keep auto industry executives up at night and the global industry outlook for 2013.

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Mercedes-Benz and BMW are battling for luxury-brand sales supremacy in the U.S., but Audi may be the brand which tilts the tables.

Cardboard bicycle

The Volt is gaining traction in the marketplace, and apparently at public charging stations. But with success comes some attention and a Volt recall sounds pretty scary to us.

A new gizmo deploys countermeasures to thwart traffic cameras, but will probably be made illegal before it hits the market. Another new technology allows Apple's Siri to start your car.

An inventor has designed and built a cardboard bicycle that is light and cheap, but probably not comfortable.

Finally, one blogger has written a classic rant against all the things that bad drivers do which make good drivers crazy.

Charging Our Driverless Podcast on the Fancy Bus

Paris is usually lovely in spring time, but it's time for the bi-annual Paris auto show and there were some important and alluring vehicles unveiled, including the VW Golf (and GTI), the Jaguar F-type and the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo wagon concept.

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Not the next Tesla Supercharger

Electric vehicles are becoming more important and prevalent, and now Tesla is offering a new charging system called Superchargers. One kind of vehicle that won't be charging there are Toyotas, which pulled the plug on its plan to build pure electrics to focus on hybrids.

Which is worse for air quality? Burgers or trucks. The answer may surprise you.

Speaking of surprises: Buses are going upscale in some cities.

Next thing they will have are driverless cars. Or fonts that you can actually read. Or kids developing apps.

Finally, Carmageddon II is coming in the land of sequels and it might be worse than the original.

The High Cost of Recharging Our Car Podcast Batteries

Higher gas prices and higher mileage rules are likely to push up new auto prices in coming years, and some folks are crying foul.

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Batteries remain expensive which is why electric and hybrids are much more than gasoline models, but things like carbon fiber may help lower costs.

No, not again! The Mustang II redesign.

Ford is betting big on electric vehicles, even pacing a Nascar race with the Focus Electric. It doesn't need to promote the coming Escape crossover, with about 8,000 pre-orders, but that isn't as many as you'd think.

It costs money to build, buy and own a car, and now Ford is considering using money -- old, recycled cash -- to actually make car interiors. Let's hope that works out better than many Mustang redesigns in the past.

Interiors are hugely important to car buyers, and Ward's ranked the top 10 auto interiors, and it's a diverse list.

A good interior can help a car hold its value, and Edmunds listed the models that hold most of their value. No diesels on the list, but they are gaining popularity.

Telsa and its corporate site SolarCity are teaming up to improve solar electricity retention.

Finally, we are car guys, we have Facebook friends -- more than most -- and apparently so do you, since you are reading or listening to us.

An Aggressively Optimistic Automotive Podcast With a Gun Rack in the Back

The auto industry is feeling good, with sales rebounding and profits -- particularly at GM and Chrysler -- coming back. But the car makers are being a little more aggressive with their forecasts and pushing expected sales well beyond what independent analysts are expecting.

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Still, owners have been holding on to their vehicles for a much longer time, up to an average of 70 months, so there is pent-up demand that might help increase sales in 2012.

Charged up about Guns N Volts

GM's profits might get a boost from the folks at GE Healthcare, who are mandating that all company cars are going to be Volt's going forward. The General Electric unit expects significant cost savings by making the plug-in-hybrids mandatory. And the fact that GE makes electric-car charging stations will help lower costs.
Many drivers are looking for ways to plug-in their smartphones into their cars and a new product called Dash from Devium offers a slick implementation.

That is just example of the potential distractions that drivers face, but auto makers and regulators are coming to grips with the fact that consumer tech in vehicles isn't going away.

Technologically advanced ads also help sell vehicles and Mercedes-Benz is letting drivers use their own key fobs to interact with new ads.

Finally, Newt Gingrich is on the warpath against the Volt, but his claim that it can't accommodate a gun rack was quickly proven wrong.

Balancing This Podcast on One Wheel

It's election time, and voters in several cities expressed their displeasure with red-light cameras, voting to either stop using them or prevent their installation.

Ryno is one-wheel of weird.

At the same time, the Supreme Court is debating the legality of placing GPS tracking devices on vehicles. Is it Big Brother or just normal observation using new data gathering devices?

Toyota still can't catch a break, and is now having to recall almost 500,000 vehicles.

There is always some pain in being an early adopter. Portland, Oregon, has learned that with it's electric car and charging efforts.

Now electric cars are efficient and so are motorcycles, but they aren't as clean as you might think, MythBusters found out.

Cadillac is rolling out a new infotainment system, and we think it's awesome.

Finally, we like everything with wheels, even if it's only one. The Ryno is like a combination of a motorcycle and a Segway.

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Tesla Goes to the Mall and Asks for a Government Loan

Tesla plans store in Bellevue, Wash.

Tesla Motors appears to be a great place as its new Model S sedan gets closer to appearing on streets on showroom floors. One of those showrooms will be in the ritzy Bellevue Square mall, where rents are probably extremely expensive, but where many of the electric-car maker's customers and potential customers live.

But with the company's recent defense of the the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program, which it has been a beneficiary of, could make it's mall shopping problematic.

Especially if the rumors that Tesla is looking for more government loans are true.

It's interesting that Tesla would open in the mall where rents are high and test drives problematic, when there are thousands of empty car dealerships across the U.S. causing headaches for local governments.

But Bellevue Square was one of the first places to install charging stations for electric cars, which was very smart considering how many Nissan Leafs are in the area. This will be Tesla’s 15th store in the U.S. and the 2nd store in the greater Seattle area.

Electric Cars Take to the Streets for July 4th

We headed over to the Independence Day Parade in Kirkland, Wash. It was a typical July 4th parade, with lots of kids on decorated bikes, a couple of bands and floats with local sponsors.

The most surprising for me was the number of electric vehicles in the parade and the number of Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) in the parade. There were several as part of an electric vehicle groups, but also some one-offs that were related to politicians.

Perhaps its independence from foreign oil?

Bob Lutz Would Perfect This Podcast Since It's About Autos

Bob Lutz is the man. Really. He confirms this in a very long and interesting essay in WSJ recently, by saying that an autocratic style is the kind of leadership needed to be successful in the auto industry.

Note the license plate. Healthy car.

We wonder if Mr. Lutz takes care of his car better than he takes care of his health. Most men polled in a recent study take better care of their cars than themselves.

We've been seeing more Nissan Leafs on the road these days, and now a Seattle-area blogger has found that the auto maker's optional Carwings data service has a loophole that could allow someone to track a vehicle through an RSS feed.

Toyota is hard at work on the next version of the Prius. Coming in the next edition, the ability to turn on and off the all-electric operation.

Did you just get in an accident? Bad news. At least you can now use your smartphone to file the insurance claim.

Speaking of accidents, some vistors to David's neck of the woods followed their GPS right into a slough, which is the West-Coast word for swamp. I hope they grabbed their smartphones as they jumped out of the sinking Mercedes SUV.

Perhaps those drivers will buy a Hyundai to replace their waterlogged Mercedes. The Korean auto maker is ramping up production further as it seeks to top 600,000 in annual sales.

Finally, we discuss art cars, which are usually old, ugly quirky vehicles that have been tiled or painted or sequined for use in parades in kooky places like Seattle's Fremont Fair.

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This Podcast Can't Drive Itself

Toyota has been pounded by bad luck and bad decisions in recent years.
First came a surge by Korean car companies, then a wave a revitalized competition as Ford and GM got back on their feet, followed by a questionable problem with runaway cars, trailed by an increased in the value of the yen, and then a crushing natural disaster. All this showed up in the Japanese car maker's profit report this week, which was down 77% and could be a sign Toyota will lose its crown as the world's largest auto maker.

Even Japanese buyers are turning away from brands, with foreign nameplates showing a sizable jump in recent months, and even one sale of a Pontiac.

In the city of San Francisco, no demand for domestic nameplates has led to the closure of all GM, Ford and Chrysler dealers, but import brand dealers are doing fine.

GM is doing fine elsewhere, and will spend $2 billion upgrading its plants in the coming years to add new capacity and technology.

Porsche is spending money on real estate, but staying in Atlanta.

Kia is on a roll and expects to gain market share across the globe, and a strong showing in a recent Consumer Reports test will probably help its cause with U.S. buyers.

Electric-car range anxiety is something that drivers will have to overcome to foster wider adoption, and now Google is offering an API to help track commuting and offer alternative times and routes. Ford will adopt it.

Finally, Google is also pushing driverless cars, especially in Nevada. We debate the need for cars without drivers and if you have thoughts tweet us at #driverlesscarYayorNay.

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