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Welcome to The InEVitable! Join MotorTrend’s Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman each week as they explore the future of mobility, the future of the car, and the future of transportation! Where are we going, and how will we get there? Each week, the guys are joined by special guests ranging from celebrities, industry leaders, and car crazy folks. Charge up & join us!
137 Episodes
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MotorTrend’s The InEVitable goes hands-on with one of the most interesting e-bikes ever built — the ALSO. TM-B (Transcendent Mobility Bicycle), born from Rivian’s skunkworks. We talk with ALSO's Director of Product Line, Saul Leiken about what makes this bike unique. This isn’t your typical e-bike. With pedal-by-wire tech, no chain, regenerative braking, and automotive-grade battery tech, the TMB blurs the line between bicycle and EV.
We put Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (FSD v14) to the ultimate real-world test—no easy suburban routes, no perfect conditions. Instead, we dropped it straight into old Los Angeles chaos: ⚠️ Blind corners ⚠️ One-lane mountain roads ⚠️ Garbage trucks, pedestrians, and zero lane markings ⚠️ The infamous 110 freeway on-ramp (with basically NO acceleration lane) This is a true edge-case torture test—and the results are wild.
What does it take to compete with Tesla’s Supercharger network? In this episode of The Inevitable by MotorTrend, we sit down with Seth Cutler, CEO of IONNA, the fast-growing EV charging network backed by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota. IONNA has gone from zero to 100+ charging sites in just two years, with plans to scale to 30,000 high-powered chargers by 2030. But they’re not just building chargers — they’re rethinking the entire charging experience.
From Ottawa’s QNX Garage, we sit down with Karen Xiong (Vector) and Andy Gryc (QNX) to talk about the talent behind software-defined vehicles. We cover career paths into automotive software, what companies actually look for in engineers today (CI/CD, systems thinking, reliability), and why “vibe coding” isn’t replacing safety-critical development anytime soon. Plus: practical tools and skills students can start learning now—from QNX Everywhere to ROS and in-vehicle Ethernet.
In this episode of The InEVitable Podcast by MotorTrend, the hosts sit down with Bradley Arnold, Head of Design at Hyundai Design North America. Bradley shares his journey from growing up around motorcycles to becoming one of the key designers shaping Hyundai’s bold new design language. The conversation dives into Hyundai’s rapid rise in the automotive world, how the brand approaches design and innovation, and what it takes to create vehicles that stand out in today’s competitive market. They also explore the growing importance of off-road vehicles, lifestyle design, EV platforms, and Hyundai’s future strategy, including how designers balance brand identity, engineering constraints, and customer expectations. If you're interested in automotive design, the future of Hyundai, EVs, or how modern cars are created, this episode offers a fascinating look inside the process. Topics include:
Bradley Arnold’s career and design background
Hyundai’s evolution and brand transformation
The rise of off-road vehicles and lifestyle design
EV platforms and future vehicle architecture
How car design teams actually work
What’s next for Hyundai and the automotive industry
Alan Clarke spent over a decade at Tesla — working on Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, and even Tesla’s battery swap program. Now he’s Ford’s Executive Director of Advanced EV Development — leading the Ford Universal EV Platform and the upcoming affordable midsize electric pickup targeting ~$30,000 and 300 miles of range.
After 38.5 years at Honda and Acura, legendary designer Dave Marek finally retires — and joins us to reflect on one of the most influential careers in modern automotive history.
From the golden era of Japanese performance to the birth of Acura… from the original NSX to the Element and Ridgeline… from the HondaJet to EV collaborations with GM — Dave was there for all of it.
This is a masterclass in automotive design, leadership, and the “Honda Way.”
If you love car design history, Japanese performance, or behind-the-scenes industry stories — this episode is for you.
In this special live-drive episode of The InEVitable, Ed Loh takes MotorTrend Technical Director Frank Markus on a real-world test of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Version 14.2.2.3 in a Model Y — while diving deep into Frank’s first-drive impressions of the highly anticipated Rivian R2. This episode kicks off a new MotorTrend series on semi-autonomous driving systems, comparing Tesla’s camera-only approach against upcoming competitors from Mercedes-Benz and Rivian.
Topics covered include:
Tesla FSD v14 real-world freeway and city performance
Mad Max mode, lane changes, and aggressive California traffic
Rivian R2 pricing, specs, suspension tech, and autonomy roadmap
Level 2 vs Level 3 autonomy explained
Vision-only vs radar/LiDAR debate Autonomy in harsh winter conditions
The future of hands-free and eyes-off driving
Does Tesla’s data flywheel give it an insurmountable lead?
Is Rivian’s R2 the true Model Y competitor? And what happens when autonomy reaches Level 3?
Watch (or listen) as the system handles freeways, city streets, four-way stops — and almost parks itself.
On this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, we sit down with Jeff Hammoud, Chief Design Officer at Rivian, to unpack the full design story behind the Rivian R1T, R1S, R2, and R3.
Jeff shares his journey from Chrysler and Jeep to joining Rivian in its earliest days—when there was no logo, no brand, and barely a prototype.
We dive deep into how Rivian’s iconic design language was created, why the trucks look friendly instead of aggressive, and how real-world use cases (like motorcycles, garages, and families) shaped the vehicles.
Live from CES, MotorTrend’s The InEVitable sits down with Justin Moon (VP, Core Product Engineering, QNX) and Dr. Marc Weber (VP, Product Management, Embedded Software & Systems, Vector) to unpack what it really takes to build software-defined vehicles—without drowning in integration complexity.
They explain why “doing it all in-house” can slow OEMs down, how Alloy Kore aims to reduce duplicated effort across vehicle domains, and why safety and cybersecurity can’t be guesses—especially as regulations like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act come into focus. Plus: a plain-English breakdown of hypervisors/virtualization, SDV org structure pitfalls, and what the path to faster, safer series production could look like.
Freeman Thomas returns to MotorTrend’s The Inevitable for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on automotive design, electric vehicles, and what it really takes to modernize an icon without losing its soul.
Now Vice Chairman of Meyers Manx, Thomas explains why the company made the costly decision to pause and completely rethink its electric Manx before launch—redesigning the vehicle around new battery chemistry, safety priorities, and packaging from the inside out. The discussion moves from EV realities to the enduring relevance of fiberglass, California car culture, and why some designs are meant to last forever.
Along the way, Thomas reflects on his career shaping cars like the Audi TT, his work with RUF, the rise of bespoke and experiential vehicles, and the boundary-pushing LFG off-road supercar developed using augmented reality. The episode closes with an unvarnished critique of legacy brands, modern automotive leadership, and where design succeeds—or fails—when history is ignored.
In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, we visit Singer Vehicle Design’s headquarters in Torrance, California, for an in-depth conversation with Singer founder Rob Dickinson and CEO Raj Nair, former Ford executive and Multimatic leader.
The discussion spans how Singer scaled without sacrificing craftsmanship, why quality trumps speed, what it takes to run a low-volume automotive manufacturer, and why analog driving experiences still matter in an EV-dominated world. Rob and Raj also share insights on hypercars, motorsports, customer obsession, and Singer’s future—from Porsche 911 restorations to Willow Springs Raceway.
Rivian is making a bold bet on autonomy—and it’s very different from Tesla’s approach. In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, Jonny Lieberman and Ed Loh sit down with James Philbin, Rivian’s VP of Autonomy & AI, following Rivian’s Autonomy & AI Day. Midway through the conversation, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe joins unexpectedly to dive deep into LiDAR, sensor strategy, and why Rivian believes more data—and better data—wins.
Topics include:
• Universal Hands-Free driving across 3.5M+ miles of roads
• Rivian’s Large Driving Model (LDM) and AI-defined vehicles
• Why Rivian chose cameras + radar + LiDAR
• The roadmap from hands-free to eyes-off driving • Personal Level 4 autonomy vs robotaxis
• Ground-truth fleets, edge cases, and safety at scale
• How autonomy could fundamentally change car ownership
This is one of the most technical, candid, and forward-looking autonomy conversations we’ve had—and a rare look inside how a modern automaker is building an advanced driving system from the ground up.
In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, hosts dive deep with Chris Benjamin, Chief Design Officer at Scout Motors, to explore his remarkable journey—from growing up in Queens and Miami, to working nights at Taco Bell while designing for Mercedes, to leading the rebirth of one of America’s most iconic off-road brands.
Chris reveals how the new Scout SUV and truck were designed, what he changed the moment he arrived, how Scout differs from Rivian and Jeep, what the EV vs. range-extender split looks like, and what the future holds for Scout Motors.
Expect raw career stories, hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, and real talk about design, automotive culture, EV adoption, and off-roading.
In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Jonny Lieberman and Ed Loh sit down with Marques McCammon, President of Karma Automotive, to talk about the company’s reboot, its American-made ultra-luxury vision, and why the future isn’t fully electric—it’s EREV.
Marques traces his incredible career from creating the Dodge Neon SRT-4 to pivotal roles at ASC, Saleen, Aptera, Wind River, Ricardo, and ultimately Karma.
He reveals what he found when he arrived at Karma, why he shut everything down to rebuild quality and identity, and how Karma’s new vehicles—including the upcoming Sera, Amaris, Isvara, and the four-motor Kaveya supercar—aim to blend emotional design, handcrafted luxury, and range-extended electric performance. Karma’s goal? To become America’s counterpart to Aston, McLaren, and Ferrari, built in Southern California with an experience-centered philosophy.
Featuring deep cut industry stories—from SRT beginnings to Aptera’s shutdown to why EREV is primed for a comeback—this is one of the most wide-ranging and insightful conversations we’ve had.
In Episode 122 of The InEVitable, MotorTrend welcomes one of the smartest guests we’ve ever had on the show: Ryan Melsert, CEO of American Battery Technology Company — former Tesla Gigafactory founding engineer, award-winning innovator, and a leading voice in U.S. battery materials, recycling, and critical minerals.
Ryan dives deep into the real future of EVs, battery production, battery recycling, domestic lithium sourcing, and what America must do to compete globally.
He also shares unbelievable behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of Tesla’s Gigafactory, how his team patented Tesla’s first battery-manufacturing tech, and why next-generation batteries could be 10× more energy-dense. Whether you're into EVs, engineering, geopolitics, or the future of clean energy — this is one of the most important conversations we’ve ever recorded.
In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with Mazen Fawaz, Chief Strategy Officer at Singer Vehicle Design, to talk about Singer’s bold new venture — the acquisition and revival of Willow Springs International Raceway, the fastest track in the West.
Fawaz shares how the deal came together, Singer’s plans to modernize the historic circuit, and how it could transform Southern California into the next global motorsport and car culture destination. From FIA-grade upgrades and private driver clubs to a new multi-day car festival inspired by Goodwood, this episode dives deep into the future of track culture, car events, and performance driving in LA and beyond.
#Singer #WillowSprings #MotorTrend #TheInEVitable #Porsche #CarCulture #Motorsport #GoodwoodFestivalofSpeed #SingerVehicleDesign #MazFawaz #JonnyLieberman #EdLoh
In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with the one and only Magnus Walker—fashion icon, Porsche collector, designer, and automotive outlaw. Magnus opens up about his love-hate relationship with EVs, why Porsche’s electric strategy might be backfiring, and what the brand needs to do to stay true to its roots. He also shares behind-the-scenes stories about his TWR Supercat project, working with Pininfarina, and his upcoming Porsche book collaboration with Hannah Elliott. From racing at Goodwood to collaborating with design houses, Magnus brings his unfiltered takes on branding, car culture, motorsport, and the future of driving passion.
In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, host Ed Loh takes you inside GM Forward — General Motors’ technology showcase in New York — to explore the company’s electrified, autonomous, and AI-driven future. From new lithium manganese-rich batteries that cut costs while keeping range high, to hands-free, eyes-off driving coming to the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, and even Google Gemini AI built directly into millions of GM vehicles — this episode dives into every major innovation reshaping the automaker. You’ll hear from the engineers, designers, and executives behind GM’s next generation of mobility, including:
Gary Cygan - Director of Platform Engineering General Motors
Kurt Kelty - VP of Battery Propulsion and Sustainability General Motors
Aseem Kapur - Chief Revenue Officer GM Energy
Baris Cetinok - Sr. Vice President Software & Services, Product and Design, General Motors
David Richardson - Sr. Vice President of Software Services General Motors
Key topics:
⚡️ GM’s unified computing architecture for all vehicles
🔋 New LMR battery chemistry: more range, less cost
🏠 EVs as home energy backup systems (now available via leasing)
🚗 Hands-off, eyes-off Super Cruise in 2028
🤖 Conversational AI powered by Google Gemini
🌍 OTA updates back to 2015 vehicles
Hosts: Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman | MotorTrend
📍 Recorded at GM Forward, New York City
🔗 Learn more at MotorTrend.com
In Episode 118 of The InEVitable, MotorTrend hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with two racing powerhouses — Ferdi Porsche, great-grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, and Rob Smedley, former Ferrari race engineer to Felipe Massa — to talk about FAT Karting League, a bold effort to democratize motorsport. Karting has always been the entry point for Formula 1 hopefuls — but at costs reaching over $1.5 million for families, the dream has been out of reach for most kids. FAT Karting aims to change that with arrive-and-drive electric karts, fixed budgets, data-driven coaching, and a truly merit-based system that makes motorsport accessible again. Ferdi and Rob explain how the league works, why they’re bringing racing to new generations worldwide, and how their mission extends from karting to F4, F3, and beyond. They also share details about the upcoming FAT Ice Race in Montana, global expansion plans, and why fun over speed might just be the future of car culture.
Guests:
Ferdi Porsche, Founder, FAT International / FAT Karting League
Rob Smedley, Co-founder & CEO, FAT Karting League; former Ferrari F1 Race Engineer
Hosts:
Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman | MotorTrend
📍 Recorded in Los Angeles 🌐
More info: fat-karting-league.com | fat-international.com
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