Autonocast

Alex, Kirsten and Ed get a ride in the Lucid Air prototype, ahead of their interview with top executives from Lucid Motors. Their conversation features such rare occurances as: Ed being enthusiastic about a car, Alex being critical of Tesla, and Kirsten getting a word in edgewise. Truly, proof that we live in a world where anything is possible!

The Lucid Motors Air may not travel through time and it definitely doesn't look like a phone booth, but its creators tell the hosts of The Autonocast that their futuristic luxury electric car was inspired by the Dr Who spaceship called TARDIS. On the latest episode of Autonocast, Alex, Kirsten and Ed get up close with the Air, lounge in its stunning cabin, and marvel at its innovative design. Then they sit down with the Air's proud parents, Peter Rawlinson and Derek Jenkins of Lucid Motors, to find out what inspired one of the most unique contemporary car designs and how they plan to bring it to market.

On the latest episode Alex, Kirsten and Ed laugh at George Hotz's hilarious takedown of GM's investor deck, evaluate GM's in-car marketplace, debate the wisdom of making cars compete with smartphones, and learn about the latest Lyft-Nutonomy on-road AV trial. Throughout the discussion of all these different topics, a single question lingers: is it better to build up a perceived leadership position now and risk disappointment down the road, or is it better to keep quiet and manage expectations in order to surprise and delight when autonomous projects are actually ready?

Alex and Ed caught up with Indy Car racer and automotive intellectual JR Hildebrand at the LA Auto Show, leading to a series of conversations about the intersection of auto enthusiasm and autonomous drive technology. In this episode JR explains how he got involved with autonomous drive system development at the Stanford REVs program, describes what it's like to teach robots how to race and drift, and ponders the evolving relationship between freedom and safety in the context of a potential "war on human driving." At a time when car enthusiasts often feel left behind by the race toward autonomous mobility, JR's passionate defense of human driving and his valuable contributions to the very technology that threatens to replace it show that enthusiasm and autonomy need not oppose each other.

Alex, Kirsten and Ed all got together in person for the first time ever at the LA Auto Show last week, where they recorded a bunch of upcoming interviews that will run in upcoming installments of the show. In this episode, the gang recaps the highlights (and weird-lights) from LA, discuss a viral tweet from one of Waymo's engineers and preview an upcoming discussion about the future of driving enthusiasm with IndyCar racer J.R. Hildebrand. This marks The Autonocast's shift from a single hour-long episode to two half-hour episodes each week, starting with a topical news-discussion episode and finishing with an interview-based episode.

As the gang gathers in Los Angeles for Automobility LA, we bring you a special Thanksgiving episode... in the sense that it almost didn't happen because of Thanksgiving. This week Alex tells us about the Florida Autonomous Vehicle Summit, we discuss the relationship between infrastructure and autonomous drive technology, we theorize about the Nürburgring of autonomy and we compare road deaths to avocado toast.

The latest in a long line of Tesla events was perhaps the most dramatic spectacle the world of automobiles has seen in decades. This week Kirsten explains what it was like to experience the even in person, while Ed and Alex fight over what it all means. Does it make sense for Tesla to build a Semi? Does it matter that they have never delivered on the promise of 100% solar Superchargers? Is it even possible for a car to accelerate from zero to sixty in under two seconds? 

#29: Self-Driving Cars Are (Actually) Here!

This week Kirsten is back from her visit to Waymo's "Castle" test facility, and she fills Alex and Ed in on the Alphabet company's moves towards truly driverless deployment. Also discussed: Avis and Autonation partnering up with Waymo,the future of dealerships, in-cabin cameras for autonomous vehicles, Bob Lutz's dark vision of an end to the car business he loves, and the fragmented future of the automotive media.

The Autonocast is experimenting with new episode formats, and this week our show is half news discussion and half guest interview. First up Alex, Ed and Kirsten discuss the latest developments in the autonomous drive space, focusing on the new alliances between the auto industry and the high tech sector. Then Jim McPherson, who is Twitter famous as the autonomous car-obsessed lawyer behind the @SafeSelfDrive account, joins Alex and Ed to talk about autonomy and the law.

Alex and Ed are joined by Kirsten Korosec of Fortune and The Verge to discuss the latest news from the world of autonomy and mobility tech.

#25: Paul Clayton of FLIR

#24: NTSB Member Christopher Hart

#23: Dr Gill Pratt

#22 - Why Simulation Matters To Autonomy