Ep116 - Welcome back to The Inevitable by MotorTrend—where we dig into the future of the automobile. Fresh off IAA Munich 2025, we compare BMW’s Neue Klasse / iX3 with Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric, talk mega watt charging, battery design, interiors, and who’s really leading right now.

 

Guest Kyle Conner (Out of Spec) joins us first, then Frank Markus and Ed go deep on Qualcomm x BMW tech from the show floor: zonal compute, ADAS that’s less annoying, AR HUDs, and on-device vs. cloud AI agents. We also hit VW Group’s software reset (Cariad → Rivian/Xpeng), the Polestar 5 reveal (and its pricing problem), plus Kyle’s Autobahn run in a Lucid Air Sapphire to an indicated 204 mph.

***MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards — nominations for the 2026 SDV Innovator Awards are open now.***

SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE: https://www.motortrend.com/sdvsurvey

 

Topics covered

• IAA Munich highlights & how the show has “become CES for Europe”- BMW Neue Klasse platform: 4695 cylindrical cells, cell-to-pack, pack-to-body, zonal architecture (“Heart of Joy” ECU)


• Mercedes GLC Electric: big battery, 2-speed rear unit, 330 kW DC—how it stacks up


• AMG prototype mega-charging (~1 MW burst)


• VW Group software pivot: Cariad’s struggles, Rivian partnership, ID.1 single-ECU concept


• Polestar 5: specs vs. price, missing performance basics


• Lucid Sapphire at 200+ mph: stability and thermal takeaways


• ADAS/UX done right: AR HUD, driver monitoring that understands intent, Level 2→4 reality


• Agentic AI in cars: what can run on-device vs. in the cloud