The InEVitable

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Wall Street Journal's Sean McLain! The group discusses Sean's Book (Boundless: The Rise, Fall, & Escape of Carlos Ghosn) & Documentary (Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn), about the unprecedented story of one of the most feared and admired automotive executives - Carlos Ghosn.1:22 - Die Hard!05:05 - Sean's Path into Automotive Journalism.09:20 - Covering The EV Industry for WSJ.13:43 - The Fall of Fisker.22:58 - The Complexities of Automotive Manufacturing.27:33 - Nissan's Transformation and Challenges.35:28 - The Carlos Ghosn Investigation.38:58 - Secret Investigation: Unraveling the Charges.40:08 - The Compensation Controversy of Carlos Ghosn.45:33 - Public Perception and Personal Identity.48:50 - The Escape.56:58 - Aftermath and Legacy of Carlos Ghosn.01:02:01 - Lightning Round: The Future of the Automotive Industry. 01:03:39 - Toyota's Long Term Future.01:12:43 - Are EVs InEVitable, for all?01:17:08 - Could Chinese EVs dominate the global EV market?

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Founder & CEO of Range Energy, Ali Javidan! The guys chat with Ali about his incredible resume (Ground Control Suspension, Tesla, Google, Zoox, Dinan), Tesla before & after Elon Musk, bringing the original Tesla Roadster & Model S to life, AND they talk all about his new company, Range Energy - Electric Powered Trailer Systems! Learn more at Range.Energy!0:28 - About our guest...2:07 - Ali's professional history & background7:22 - Aging Infrastructure and Heavy EVs. 9:52 - Ali's Path to Working on the First Tesla Roadster.14:25 - Early Days of Elon Musk's Takeover at Tesla.16:36 - Building the First Tesla Model S.22:14 - Inspiration for Tesla's Turbine Wheels.25:05 - Initial Reactions to "CLS" Model S Rollout.27:18 - History of Tesla's Integrated System. 30:14 - Elon's First Principles Thinking.36:36 - Internal Response to MotorTrend Naming Tesla Model S the 2013 Car of the Year.44:32 - BTS - Tesla Model S Reveal Party.48:05 - What is Range Energy? Innovations in Trailer Technology!51:45 - Software Defined Towing: Safety and Control Systems.53:10 - Fuel Efficiency and Emission Reduction.01:02:32 - Refrigeration Trailer Technology.01:07:22 - Driver Experience and Confidence.01:08:28 - Charging Flexibility.01:13:38 - Cost Analysis and ROI.01:17:34 - Complementing Existing Technologies.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with MotorTrend's Mexico Editor, Miguel Cortina! Miguel talks about the success of his TWO documentaries for MotorTrend - "China's Big Bet On Mexico" & "Why America Is Struggling With EVs".0:35 - Question of the Day: Concerns About EV Charging Infrastructure.3:24 - About today's guest: MotorTrend's Mexico Editor.6:45 - Miguel's Documentary Success.11:20 - The Rise of Chinese Automakers in Mexico.18:22 - Viral Success of Jonny's article, "You're Being Lied To About EVs".25:52 - "Why America Is Struggling with EVs" Documentary.29:00 - Engaging with Politicians on EV Policies.36:52 - The Recycling Revolution in EVs.39:36 - Understanding the Grid and EV Adoption.42:24 - The Supply Chain Dilemma: Minerals Processing In the U.S.45:58 - What's In Your Battery?48:13 - Public Policy and the EV Landscape.53:16 - NEVI Infrastructure Bill.55:42 - The Role of Charging Infrastructure.01:00:20 - Consumer Perspectives on EVs: Convenience & Price.01:04:52 - Lessons From Creating The Docs.01:06:08 - Are EVs InEVitable?

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz North America, Dimitris Psillakis! Dimitris discusses the E-Class winning MotorTrend's 2025 Car of the Year, the Introduction of the Electric G-Class, current hurdles for EV adoption, Level 3 Autonomous Driving with Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, Formula 1, innovations in AI, and how to balance the transition to the Software Defined Vehicle era!0:41 - About our guest, Dimitris Psillakis.5:09 - Celebrating the E-Class: MotorTrend's 2025 Car of the Year!7:26 - The Electric G-Class: A New Era of Off-Roading.16:42 - Narrative Change in EV adoption.19:46 - Changing Customer Mindsets: From Range Anxiety to Charge Anxiety.25:31 - Balancing the Transition to Software Defined Vehicles.35:32 - Level 3 Autonomous Driving with Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot.40:08 - Performance and Electrification in AMG.46:54 - The Impact of Formula 1 on Sales.52:40 - Transitioning from Lewis Hamilton to New Drivers.55:20 - Challenges of the Mercedes-AMG ONE.58:07 - AI Innovations.01:03:00 - Brand Value in Global Markets.01:04:20 - Personal Insights and Future Directions.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman chat with Moment Motor Company Founder & CEO, Marc Davis! "When you think about driving a classic (car) every day, this is the best way to do it." - Marc Davis.0:42 - About our guest.2:50 - Converting classic cars into EVs since 2017.4:50 - The Evolution of Electric Vehicle Components.8:52 - Crashed Teslas.10:00 - Challenges of Classic Car Conversions13:15 - It's not for every classic!18:30 - Driving Experience: Preserving Classic Car Feel.20:41 - Current Technologies and Future Directions.22:00 - Manual transmissions??29:04 - 1966 Porsche 912 conversion story.30:57 - Cost and Client Experiences.32:04 - Unique challenges; the 1966 Austin-Healey.39:37 - The Evolution of Classic Cars.44:39 - Other cars?48:00 - From Passion to Profession.56:15 - Challenges in Electric Conversions; Scout 80.59:10 - Scale of the company. Waiting list.01:01:04 - Client Stories and Unique Projects.01:11:54 - Industry Connections and Future Innovations.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with COO & Co-Founder of ItsElectric, Tiya Gordon! Tiya talks about her company's mission to tackle urban charging challenges with curb-side chargers in YOUR city! Ask them for a charger - it's FREE! Join the waitlist at www.itselectric.us/join0:36 - QOTD - New Adm inistration.1:30 - Elon Musk’s influence and the potential impact on EV policies.4:43 - Introduction of guest Tiya Gordon and her unique perspective on EVs.7:00 - About ItsElectric and their mission to tackle urban charging challenges8:32 - Challenges in adapting U.S. electrical infrastructure for EV charging.10:14 - Innovative solutions by "It's Electric" leveraging building power.13:30 - Cost-effective, simple, and durable charger designs for cities.16:12 - User-friendly approach: BYO cables and addressing accessibility concerns.26:50 - Encouraging proper charging habits and addressing behavioral shifts.30:18 - Regulations, parking challenges, and community-driven charger placement.34:13 - "Ask us for a Charger! It's FREE!"35:37 - Financial incentives for landlords and scaling partnerships.40:04 - Reducing barriers to urban EV adoption through thoughtful design.43:08 - Residential areas too!45:01 - The origin story of ItsElectric.56:08 - Affordability challenges and addressing the need for accessible EV options.01:01:31 - Charger design. 01:03:55 - Partnerships with rideshare companies and the future of urban EV infrastructure.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Tire Rack's SVP Marketing, Woody Rogers, to talk all about TIRES! No matter the vehicle, they need tires! The guys discuss the history of Tire Rack, three top tire tips, how to make a more informed tire purchase decision, EV tire myths, Winter vs Summer tires, heat cycling, tire shaving, and more!0:59 - QOTD - Fleet EVs. 9:44 - Woody's history at Tire Rack.12:35 - Heat cycling tires.16:33 - 12 distribution centers in the U.S.18:41 - Test tracks!20:19 - Testing Program - BMW 3 series and beyond.23:29 - Woody's EV road trip from Texas to Indiana.31:08 - Three tips for every tire customer.39:30 - Making a more informed decision.46:17 - EV tire myths debunked.52:50 - Balancing range/efficiency & traction/handling.56:48 - Show & Tell example...01:00:21 - Efficiency actually improves as the tire ages! Tesla Model 3 test. 01:02:41 - Tire shaving!01:07:45 - Winter vs Summer vs All-Weather tires.01:10:38 - Geographic regions that NEED winter tires.01:13:34 - Final thoughts.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Nissan's Director of Technology Planning & Research, Jonathon Ratliff, and Director of EV Transformation, Jonathan Miller! The group discusses the move to NACS, the new Nissan Energy Charge Network, MyNissan App, battery storage, ASSBs (All-Solid-State-Batteries), how to make charging easier, and more!0:42 - About our guests!5:15 - Transition to NACS (North American Charging System).12:19 - Charging the Nissan Arya at the Tesla Supercharging Network.14:04 - ANNOUNCEMENT - Nissan Energy Charge Network.18:04 - MyNissan App.23:06 - What is Nissan doing with old Leaf batteries?27:51 - Bidirectional Charging.30:46 - What is EV Transformation?33:06 - Charging solutions for apartment dwellers & workplaces.41:08 - ASSBs (All-Solid-State-Batteries).45:57 - Do EVs need 1000 miles of range?50:44 - Battery/frame integration with ASSBs.53:10 - Hyper Force concept.54:08 - Second Gen Leaf, Chill-Out concept.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman chat with Founder/CEO, Jason Marks, and Founder/CTO, Forrest North, of TELO! The guys talk all about their TELO MT1 Urban Adventure Vehicle, their battery tech & crash safety innovations, capabilities of the truck, Software Defined Vehicles, autonomy, the current state of electric pickup trucks, EREV (Electric Range Extended Vehicle), and more!0:42 - Scout is back!7:32 - TELO MT1 - Urban Adventure Vehicle!10:06 - Battery tech innovations.16:57 - Crash safety innovations.26:14 - Genesis of the MT1.30:12 - Lack of small trucks.35:04 - Price?37:22 - What is the truck made of?38:55 - Suspension.41:43 - Monster Tunnel & other specs.47:35 - Reservations & delivery.52:10 - Urban Adventurer. 56:27 - Andy Palmer.01:01:18 - What's inside? Software and beyond.01:05:41 - Payload & Towing capabilities.01:08:00 - Lightning Round - Rivian, F-150 Lightning, Scout, and more.01:12:45 - EREV (Electric Range-Extended Vehicle).01:16:10 - Battery tech advancements.01:20:50 - Final thoughts.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Nissan Americas' Regional SVP & Chief Planning Officer, Ponz Pandikuthira, to talk about the future of the industry, EVs, Software Defined Vehicles, autonomy, Formula E, as well as Nissan's current & future product lineup, including EVs & hybrids!0:40 - About today's guest.6:06 - Why electrification is InEVitable.9:33 - Selling the skeptics.12:28 - ANNOUNCEMENT - Nissan's Plug-In Hybrids are coming to America!18:38 - Educating the customer on the EREV (Plug-In Hybrid).22:01 - Transition to full electrification.26:26 - Timeline for Solid State Battery (SSB) tech.29:36 - Building EV tech in the US.33:25 - Advantages of the Software Defined Vehicle.36:50 - Software development.40:00 - China's unprecedented EV growth.46:56 - Voyah's voice control technology.52:31 - Future product lineup.52:57 - Nissan Chill-Out concept.58:06 - Nissan EREV Truck?01:00:41 - Autonomous vehicles - Tesla Robo Taxi, Waymo.01:07:21 - Ponz' early career.01:14:23 - Formula E.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Grid Operations Manager for California ISO/RC West - Cody Smith! The big question on everyone's mind - "Can the grid handle all these EVs?" Let's discuss...0:36 - Meat smoothie!?5:11 - Guest intro & role of CA ISO.7:52 - Deregulated power grids and market transparency.11:52 - How does the Grid work in America? East, West, & Texas.13:00 - Grid Operations Manager role.14:20 - California's green power initiatives and renewables impact.15:46 - California's progress in 2024.19:37 - EVs contribution to grid and battery technology.21:22 - Why battery technology is the key to a greener grid.24:53 - Power grid reliability, contingency planning, and energy careers.25:55 - Battery storage facilities.34:32 - Daily operations at CA ISO and future of EVs and AI in energy consumption.41:14 - Nuclear energy considerations and reducing natural gas use.46:25 - Grid capacity, Texas grid resilience, and renewables challenges.52:08 - Consumer experiences with solar energy and CA ISO's integration of renewables.56:57 - EV cost benefits and personal experiences.1:01:01 - Climate change effects and power grid reliability.1:04:54 - Environmental impacts of renewable energy installations.1:08:52 - Classic cars, environmental concerns, and the future of EVs.1:12:46 - Fundamental takeaways.1:154:55 - Battery technology advances and desire for fun EVs. *AI was used during the post production process to insert the correct dollar savings amount in the Western Energy Imbalance Market

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with former Head of Uber China and current Founder & CEO of Voistory, Ben Chiang! Ben shares the story of Uber China, ride sharing in China, what led to its demise, Ben's current projects - Volar & Voistory, as well as Ben's outlook on AI & practical tips for getting started!0:15 - About our guest Ben Chiang.2:40 - Ben's background and career path to Uber China.5:01 - Launching Uber China and Overcoming Challenges.11:20 - Uber China rollout, early struggles.20:05 - Strategies and Team Dynamics in Uber China.28:42 - Competition and Market Dynamics in Chinese Ride-Sharing.36:44 - Work-Life Balance and Cultural Challenges.46:18 - DiDi Competition and Transition to Uber HQ.54:40 - Forma - Virtual Try-Ons.56:41 - Entrepreneurial Ventures in AI and Voice Technology - Volar.1:00:32 - Voistory - Interactive Voice Journal.1:06:00 - Future outlook on AI.1:08:16 - Practical tips for using AI.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman chat with former CTO of Lamborghini & current Advisor at Eccentrica, Maurizio Reggiani! Maurizio talks about the Bugatti EB 110, his engineering background, Marcello Gandini, his path to Lamborghini, Audi's acquisition of Lamborghini, the expansion of the Lamborghini brand, and Eccentrica's V12 Lamborghini Diablo restomod!0:54 - Question of the Day5:00 - About our guest.6:37 - Employee No. 2 at Bugatti.8:17 - Bugatti EB 110.12:08 - 6 years at Maserati.14:00 - Educational background.16:12 - Marcello Gandini - Cizeta-Moroder V16T & Diablo.22:04 - Path to Lamborghini.24:37 - Experience at Lamborghini in 1995.26:25 - Baby Diablo & Audi's acquisition of Lamborghini.34:35 - Ferdinand Piech.37:06 - Negotiating powertrain deal with Audi on behalf of Lamborghini.42:06 - Joining VW Group under Lamborghini.44:23 - Expansion of Lamborghini.51:22 - Analog vs Digital.54:37 - First experience with the power of EVs.55:43 - Does performance matter anymore?59:55 - Eccentrica's Lamborghini Diablo Restomod - The "V12".01:07:40 - Sound of the V12.01:10:24 - Adaptive suspension.01:12:43 - Eccentrica making only 19 V12's. Finding a donor car.01:14:10 - Price.01:15:52 - Ban on gas vehicles = growth in the restomod market.01:19:57 - Lamborghini Temerario.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman chat with CEO & President of SEMA - Mike Spagnola! SEMA, or Specialty Equipment Market Association, is one of the largest trade shows in America! The guys chat with Mike about the history of SEMA, ushering in the EV era, The Chevron Doctrine, CARB EO, Cal Bill SB301, drivers of tomorrow, & what to look out for this year!0:40 - Special Announcement!3:35 - Question of the Day!8:38 - About our guest...9:41 - His New Nissan Z!13:20 - What is SEMA?14:37 - Scale of the event.16:06 - His first SEMA Show - Las Vegas. Typical SEMA attendee in 1979.19:16 - Bluetooth Driveshaft.22:38 - Where was SEMA with EVs in 2013?24:23 - Year of the Cybertruck?26:38 - Ushering in new technologies.28:08 - EV pushback in the early days?31:48 - What OEMs are in trouble?35:38 - Balancing Chinese products.40:08 - The Chevron Doctrine overturned.45:49 - CARB EO.49:10 - Cal Bill SB301.54:16 - Technology neutral.56:20 - Are you concerned about the new generation of drivers?01:00:09 - Do you own an EV? 01:01:50 - B2B vs Consumer attendees.01:06:30 - What to look out for this year? Live Stream!01:07:40 - Vehicle of the year? 

Motortrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with Rivian Founder & CEO, RJ Scaringe! RJ talks about EV adoption, Rivian R2, Rivian R3 & R3X, Rivian Commercial Van, Autonomy, Improvements from Gen 1 to Gen 2, NVIDIA partnership, Android Automotive, Unreal Engine, VW partnership, GenAI, international markets, NACS, Halloween mode, and a lightning round!2:26 -Are EVs really InEVitable?4:52 - EV adoption rate.7:56 - How much is cost a factor in adoption8:47 - Excitement around release of R2 & R3.10:27 - R3, & R3X Benchmarks.13:10 - Suspension, electro hydraulic damper.17:44 - Approach to R2.20:56 - R2T? Or R3T?22:04 - Rivian Commercial Van. Consumer delivery van?24:37 - RoboTaxi? Autonomy?27:50 - Improvements from Gen 1 to Gen 2.31:40 - Dual NVIDIA drive.33:04 - Why NVIDIA?35:00 - Android Automotive.36:51 - Unreal Engine.42:00 - AR.43:02 - Uses of GenAI.46:30 - Tactile buttons vs full digital controls?48:33 - VW partnership with XPENG.50:25 - Chinese market vs US market.56:14 - VW partnership.01:04:07 - Lightning Round! FSD App? Heavy Duty Truck? NACS? Open roof? Quad? 01:11:00 - R2 & R3X timing?01:13:33 - Electric door handles.01:14:14 - Subscriptions.01:18:47 - Halloween mode!01:19:08 - New colors coming.01:19:51 - Bi-directional charging?01:23:12 - DTC vs Dealerships.01:25:37 - Tesla.01:26:52 - Porsche.01:30:20 - Rivian sports car??

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman take the podcast on the road to Portland International Raceway for Portland E-Prix to chat with Nissan Formula E Team's Head of Performance & Simulation, Cristina Fernandez, AND Track Side Electronic & System Engineer, Charlotte Henry! The group discusses the Portland E-Prix, specifics about Portland International Raceway, the race strategy of a Formula E team, race simulators, and more! 0:56 - Question of the day! Affordable EVs in America.11:19 - About today's guests.12:44 - Their roles on Nissan's Formula E team.13:42 - Day-to-day.14:38 - On Portland International Raceway.16:21 - Race Simulators.19:46 - Path into motorsports.23:26 - EV Tech.26:31 - Solar race cars?30:32 - What to watch for in the race.33:20 - Tire wear.34:07 - Recharge at a pitstop?35:42 - Race strategy.38:28 - AI?39:10 - Formula E race team vs traditional race team.40:35 - Daily driver & offseason plans.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman take the podcast on the road to the 2024 Portland E-Prix to chat with Nissan Formula E Team's Managing Director & Team Principal, Tommaso Volpe! Tommaso talks about the race season, the evolution of Formula E, the new Gen 4 car, the chess game of Formula E racing, finding the right drivers for Formula E, and more!0:56 - Question(s) of the Day - Formula E.9:50 - About our guest, Tommaso Volpe.11:24 - Goals for the season.13:52 - Team - Cristina Fernandez & Charlotte Henry15:44 - Evolution of Formula E.19:12 - Gen 4 race car.24:43 - The chess game of Formula E racing - Energy Efficiency.25:30 - New Nissan GT-R.26:32 - Sustainable mobility.27:07 - Formula E racing strategy.28:50 - The right drivers for Formula E.31:54 - Formula E vs. F1.33:25 - How Formula E informs daily EV driving.35:54 - What to watch out for.

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with MBRDNA Experience Designer, Dalal Elsheikh! What will user experience look like 10-15 years from now? Will we be exclusively looking at screens? What about VR or AR? How will AI be implemented?2:12 - Question of the Day.7:43 - Dalal's role at Mercedes.11:51 - Will Screens be the standard moving forward?15:00 - CarPlay.18:27 - Can cars keep up with the phone companies?22:03 - UX (User Experience) vs UI(User Interface).23:50 - Educational background - From NJU to Art Center.26:37 - Ford. The Factory Studio.32:40 - Wearable tech? 33:36 - Valet/Car Wash improvements.35:00 - VR, AR & HUD.41:36 - Incorporating AI.46:39 - Design inspiration & designing for the future.51:30 - EV pushback & moving goalposts.53:10 - China UX.57:00 - Brand experience.59:00 - Will.I.Am driving experience.01:01:45 - Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge!01:05:50 - Race Service. Travis Scott performance.01:08:00 - Drake vs Kendrick?01:09:19 - DalalDesignLab.com!

MotorTrend's Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman sit down with stuntman, Rally Champion, X Games athlete, & world explorer - Andrew Comrie-Picard! Andrew talks all about the TransGlobal Car Expedition - the world's FIRST around-the-world expedition through BOTH geographic poles!Learn more at TransGlobalCar.com0:36 - Question of the Day.5:12 - What is the TransGlobal Car Expedition!? The route.6:37 - Never been done before!9:00 - From Canada over the North Pole.11:44 - Driving over the Arctic Ocean!15:02 - Driving over ice plates with aluminum ladders.18:31 - The team.21:00 - Jonny's advice text.24:37 - Scientific purpose for the journey. Ice thickness survey.29:53 - Starlink.33:43 - Light pollution survey.36:04 - Melting ice!37:54 - Logistic support: Air drops, political conflicts, & broken ice runways.43:14 - Vehicles.46:00 - Yemelya Special Mobile Unit.50:00 - Yemelya designer, Vasily Elagin.51:00 - Politicization of the North Pole.53:12 - What's Greenland like?54:07 - Only minus 40 degrees!56:28 - Polar days and shifting ice57:10 - From North Pole to Greenland... over moving ice caps!59:40 - Who paid for all this!?01:01:41 - Lightning Round!

MotorTrend's Ed oh & Jonny Lieberman chat with Electrify Expo Founder & CEO - BJ Birtwell! Want to test drive an EV? Want to learn more about EVs? The guys discuss the mission of Electrify Expo, the EV learning curve, the politicization of EVs, fighting FUD, rapid advancement by the Chinese market, and more!Learn more at ElectrifyExpo.com!0:37 - Question of the Day!8:35 - 3 years of Electrify Expo!11:56 - First tour Tesla signed onto.15:55 - How Tesla joined Electrify Expo16:29 - Ah-ha moments in first year?18:19 - Early EV advocate crowd, & new skeptics.21:54 - EV learning curve.23:37 - 8 city tour!25:11 - Regional differences in consumer knowledge about EVs.25:57 - Not just cars! E-Bikes, Scooters, Electric boats, RVs and more!28:55 - Demos courses!32:20 - Prices?35:33 - Former EV Skeptic - His lightbulb moment about EVs.42:15 - Politicization of EVs.46:07 - While the U.S. argues, China advances.49:48 - Election year, where is the dust going to settle?52:28 - Fighting FUD for EV adoption.57:55 - Power at the Expo?01:02:07 - What is the mission of Electrify Expo?