Shift: A podcast about mobility
Automotive News
On Shift: A podcast about mobility, Automotive News tech and innovation team leader Pete Bigelow takes an optimistic yet skeptical eye at the new tech and business models planned for the auto industry. Shift is a production of Automotive News, the leading publication covering the auto industry. Check out our reporting online at autonews.com/shift and follow us on Twitter @Automotive_News.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 3, 2022 • 42min
Embark’s Alex Rodrigues maps a path toward self-driving trucks at scale (Episode 142)
Fresh off the company’s first-ever earnings call, the co-founder and CEO of Embark Trucks outlines the route to commercialization, how trucks handle construction zones and why Embark partnered with a major real-estate firm.
Mar 27, 2022 • 51min
Michael DeKort concerned over blind spots in self-driving industry (Episode 141)
The founder and chief technology officer at Dactle and one-time Lockheed Martin whistleblower questions gaming-derived approaches to simulation and details why he thinks there are danger signs ahead for the autonomous-tech industry.
Mar 20, 2022 • 44min
Mary Nichols on the pursuit of a zero-emissions future (Episode 140)
The former chair of the California Air Resources Board discusses the restoration of California’s authority to set stringent emissions requirements, her work with Ford CEO Jim Farley at the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility and whether EVs move the U.S. toward energy independence.
Mar 13, 2022 • 1h 3min
Andy Kunz makes the case for high-speed rail in the U.S. (Episode 139)
The president and CEO of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association details how super-fast trains could help alleviate traffic congestion on the road and in the air, discusses the nation's historic investment in Amtrak and examines rail’s role in global economic competitiveness.
Mar 6, 2022 • 58min
Argonne's Jessica Durham on 'end of life' planning for lithium-ion batteries (Episode 138)
The Argonne National Lab materials scientist outlines how batteries can be recycled without sacrificing profits, how technology borrowed from mining can be used to extract value from old cells, the promise of solid-state, and why the U.S. is on track to meet its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Feb 27, 2022 • 43min
NTSB’s Robert Molloy on the fragile promise of connected vehicles (Episode 137)
The director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Highway Safety Office explains how V2X communications could have prevented a multi-vehicle crash in Pennsylvania, and how connected-car tech could someday save lives on U.S. roads.
Feb 20, 2022 • 52min
Author Peter Norton urges self-reflection from self-driving industry (Episode 136)
The University of Virginia professor and author of “Autonorama: The Illusory Promise Of High-Tech Driving” details a decades-long history of autonomous-driving promises and scrutinizes America's car-dependent transportation system.
Feb 13, 2022 • 46min
Cheng Lu details TuSimple’s ‘Driver Out’ autonomous truck tests (Episode 135)
The CEO of the publicly traded self-driving truck company recounts the latest driverless tests in Arizona, discusses a key partnership with Union Pacific Railroad and explains how TuSimple’s business model differs from those of competitors.
Feb 6, 2022 • 42min
Andrew Maynard on balancing risk with innovation in transportation (Episode 134)
The Arizona State University professor and director of the Risk Innovation Lab discusses the ideas of risk and safety in driving, the advent of new technology like Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” beta system, and the role of regulation in a software age.
Jan 30, 2022 • 34min
Garlin Gilchrist on Michigan’s role in securing GM’s historic EV bet (Episode 133)
Michigan’s lieutenant governor explains the state’s unprecedented $600 million direct grant for General Motors’ EV expansion, discusses the state’s readiness for an electric-vehicle influx and describes government efforts to support transportations startups.
