RoadWorthy Drive Moments

The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is now the TechMobility Topics podcast!  While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information, and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.  Be sure to add us to your favorites! 

B2U Storage Solutions is using 1300 EV batteries repurposed from Nissan and Honda vehicles for stationary storage capacity to support the local electrical grid.  

If hardening its electric grid infrastructure to withstand the evolution of climate change isn't enough, now electric utilities have to be on guard for physical attacks to the system from terrorists and fools. 

Big Tech wants to merge your car and home together seamlessly.  With major players like Android Auto and Apple Auto vying for space and control within the car, and the companies that provide devices within the Internet of Things-verse trying for a piece of the action, it's only a matter of time.  By the way, did we mention bi-directional charging that is now available from your EV, controlled by your cellphone?  

The impact of the pandemic continues to affect the economy.  Now, it's a rising rate of default for office landlords who now have empty or largely empty office buildings. With millions of Americans now working elsewhere, the need for the traditional office building in a central financial district or large suburban office park has waned.  And as almost everything related to the pandemic, this has a direct and indirect effect on your quality of life. 

This week Ken reviews the 2023 Lexus UX250h crossover.  Available only as a hybrid in the United States, it is also the nameplate's smallest crossover SUV.  We see how it stacks up. 

Did you know that every year since 1971, there have been more people dying than have been born in America?  According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, with the exception of 2006 and 2007, the United States has been quietly losing its future workforce.  With the onslaught of the pandemic, we have only seen the impact of this trend worsen.  

Interestingly enough, it's not what you might think about when you first think about what draws you to your local convenience store.  But this one thing is a major topic that is top of mind for c-store execs everywhere. 

During this episode, we discuss how the evolution of electric vehicles may leave those who would gain the most behind.  Low-income Americans often drive the oldest, least efficient, and less safe vehicles.  Helping them to transition to electric vehicles would improve safety and quality of life all around.  However, current federal incentives do not address this inequity. 

Over 30 colors with 240 panels of placement.  Are you ready for the multi-colored  (change on demand) electric car?  BMW seems to think so.   We discuss. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

The Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot system, a Level 3 conditionally autonomous hands-free driving technology, is being introduced in Nevada and California later this year. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, property damage caused by fire or the weather are common losses that homeowners generally know will be covered by their insurance.  However, there are other events and incidents covered that homeowners may NOT be aware of.  We explore some of those unique situations. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

Before SUVs took off and became a staple of private American transportation, automakers like American Motors, Subaru, and Volvo had developed vehicles that were based on their current station wagons, but offered consumers more.  A more robust frame, higher ground clearance, and other updates and tweaks designed to make these vehicles compatible with off-road use.  The Volvo V60 Cross Country is one such wagon. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

For our FIRST-EVER interview, Ken sits down with Brian Armstead - a legendary automotive journalist with a media career that extends for over 45 years!  As a jurist on the prestigious North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year panel, he is one of fifty experienced and accomplished automotive media professionals that review hundreds of vehicles every year.  The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

This segment kicks off the first of several installments of Ken's interview with Sue Mead - self-proclaimed small-town girl, dirt road tornado, and off-road motorsports hall of Famer.  Sue has reviewed thousands of vehicles and traveled to countless countries across the globe during her varied and vast experience interacting with people, places, and vehicles. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

Ken discusses the hottest concepts from the floor of the 2023 Chicago Auto Show that will be making news this year. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

Welcome to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show!  During this episode, Ken talks about the show's 100-plus-year history. The RoadWorthy Drive Moments podcast is changing! Starting March 1st, it will become the TechMobility Topics podcast! While the weekly podcast will continue to feature the same great news, information and perspective that you have come to expect, TechMobility Topics will also include interviews of newsworthy and unique individuals across the technology and mobility landscape.

The Lordstown Endurance, the Fisker PEAR and perhaps even the Volkswagen Scout?  Seems like the Lordstown manufacturing plant will be brimming with production.  Question is, can they navigate the challenges of several new vehicle launches and more importantly  will there be a market for what they build? CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

By order of Congress, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration set up the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse to track CDL driver drug and alcohol program violations in 2020, thereby enhancing safety on our Nation's roadways.  We take a look at how it works and who exactly it covers. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

With the coming tsunami of EV models entering the American marketplace over the next few years, EV battery material recycling has become more than the right thing to do for the environment, it has become and economic necessity.  A number of American companies are spending big to meet the challenge head on. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Renewable Natural Gas - a biofuel derived from cow manure and the methane that is produced and usually burned off at landfill sites around the country.  The industry is turning these emissions into fuel for the benefit of the planet. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

This week I slide behind the wheel of the very capable Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro pickup truck.  Let me be the first to tell you, the less road you have the better this Tacoma is!  Just the companion you need in the backwoods when a "road" is more of a slight suggestion than a fact.   (and an front bumper mounted aftermarket Warn 6-ton electric winch would be nice to have too!) CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

If you really tried, could you go a full day without plastic in your life?  Or for that matter, go without single use plastic?    According to a United Nations report, the world produces about 400 million metric tons of plastic WASTE each year - with about 200 metric tons being thrown away after a single use.  A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts says that more than 11 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans each year.   The Organization for Economic Cooperation reports that only 9 percent of plastics are recycled. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Volvo's EX90 SUV is based on the flagship XC90 and will be the automaker's first pure electric, fully autonomous SUV.   The company says that  enhancing the driver, not replacing the driver, has always been their objective. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

During this segment, we explore the differences in coverage between automotive and motorcycle insurance - and point out coverage that the wise motorcyclist should include in their policy. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Recent legislation has built in incentives for Americans to go green in a big way.  Unfortunately, these benefits are not available for all Americans to enjoy equally.  We discuss. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Is your state on the list?  We review the list of the ten states in America with the lowest natural disaster risk as measured over the last seventy years.  The results may just surprise you. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

We have all read and experienced the impact of the ebb and flow of the global supply chain in our everyday lives.  While the transportation industry continues to grapple with the implementation of autonomous vehicles on public roads, a subsegment of the trucking industry seems poised to fully implement the technology.  CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

The Mississippi River.  The 13th largest river in the world, impacting ten states and two Canadian provinces, serving as the main transportation waterway for a variety of bulk goods, including grain and coal.  Climate change has come to America's heartland, with devasting results. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

For this episode, we tackle the question about EV safety in the event of an accident.  We have all seen the footage of stubborn electric battery fires as a result of an crash, but wonder, just how safe is the average EV?  We attempt to answer that question with the latest test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Recently, 190 countries met in Montreal Quebec to hammer out a deal to protect biodiversity in thirty percent of our globe.  While climate change and extreme weather events seem to capture most of the press and attention, disappearing biodiversity on our planet is also a result of man with even more impact. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 is a rugged and capable compact SUV with a go-anywhere, do anything persona.  Manufactured at the automaker's new joint venture plant with Toyota in Huntsville, Alabama, the CX-50 can tow almost as much cargo as many mid-size pickup trucks.  We take this wonder for a spin. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Like almost everything else, your local convenience store is changing with the times.  Your favorite place to get gasoline and grab a snack now wants to be more of a destination - they actually want you to hang around - and are spending big to entice you to do so. CHANGE IS COMING TO THE ROADWORTHY DRIVE MOMENTS PODCAST! We are working on changes and upgrades that we believe you will love. WATCH THIS SPACE for more information.

Chevrolet has introduced a sleek EV sedan concept that should be a hit with consumers.  The problem is that American motorists will never see the car.  It is for the Chinese market.  I think that with the right positioning, that concept would also work in the American automotive marketplace. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Hydrogen isn't just for electric fuel cells anymore.  A number of the world's automakers are looking at compressed hydrogen as a replacement for gasoline in modified internal combustion engines. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

For years, researchers and scientists have chased after the allure of fusion energy.  The challenge has always been that it requires more energy to start the process than energy produced as a result - until now.  Call this one small step for man. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Officials at Colorado State University and the National Western Center in Denver have developed a methodology that transfers the heating and cooling energy from one of the city's sewage lines into useful form.  Its a case of win-win-win. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

It is estimated that there are over 49 Million people in modern slavery across the world on any given day - and that includes the United States.  January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month where government agencies along with private and public partners bring awareness to modern slavery.  This includes public transit agencies as well as private trucking firms. Si eres víctima de trata de personas o sospechas que alguien lo es, hay ayuda. 1-888-373-7888  También puede enviar un mensaje de texto con HELP o INFO al 233733. Se hablan más de 200 idiomas y la ayuda está disponible las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana, los 365 días del año.If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

I originally did a FIRST LOOK about this amazing vehicle last July.  You can listen to my first impressions here.  This review is a deeper dive about the upscale automaker's 1st pure EV.  Its where pure luxury and pure electric propulsion come together! If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Turns out, Marty McFly wasn't wrong.   We take a look at Hagerty Insurance's annual Bull Market list of hot vehicles that are worth owning in 2023. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Every year, upto one billion birds dies as a result of collisions with cities.  In fact,  a 2019 study by Cornell Lab concluded that the North American bird population has declined by 29 percent over the previous half century.   What does this mean for our environment? If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

OK, so I have to ask, who thinks its a good idea to offer a manual transmission with an electric car?  At least one automaker is planning to offer this on an upcoming vehicle in the next two years.  Is it smoke and mirrors, or the real thing? If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Will a trip to the dealer be as rare as a rotary dial telephone?  With the move to electric vehicles, its possible to fix glitches, equipment defect and enhance safety features with an over the air update - eliminating a trip to the dealer.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Climate change is also impacting Big Tech, specifically their data centers .  More occurrences of extreme weather and drought is impacting the ability of the centers to operate within the optimum temperature band required for the electronics and thousands of servers.   Big Tech is responding to the challenge in a variety of ways. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Mazda is partnering up with a number of suppliers in order to catch up with the marketplace with a variety of EV offerings later this decade.  The automaker is pledging  $11 Billion in funding across its updated partnerships to get Mazda branded EVs on the road.  Is it too little, too late? If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

REVIVER, the company behind California's new digital license plates that were launched last year, was hacked, allowing hackers to track the physical GPS location of all Reviver customers.  Given that these fancy plates are usually sold to luxury and ultra-luxury vehicle owners, this isn't ok, for so many reasons. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

During this episode, the all-new 3rd generation Honda HR-V crossover is reviewed.  Now based on the 11th generation Honda Civic, the HR-V is larger and even more capable. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

With a more powerful version in the works for release soon, the question is not what ChatGPT can do now, but what this general-use AI may help to usher in the near future.  Neural networks, deep machine learning, natural voice processing - these are just a few of the associated technologies being developed and incorporated into this evolving tech.  Question is, where do us humans fit in? If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Green hydrogen, the most promising alternative for carbon-free fuel or use in an electric fuel cell, is also the most expensive and difficult to produce.  Recent legislation passed by the US Congress and signed into law, has offered tax incentives to industry in order to make it a reality.  AES Corp a power generator and Air Products and Chemicals Inc, a hydrogen producer have recently announced a joint venture to produce green hydrogen on the site of a recently shuttered coal-fired power plant - in North Texas.  How ironic. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

After years of rumors, Chevrolet may be ready to spin off Corvette as a separate sub-brand, featuring an all-new pure electric SUV.  Chevy may be ready, but are you?  We discuss. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Ram Trucks has decided to make a late but stylish entry into the full size EV pickup truck arena, showing off its Ram Revolution EV pickup prototype at the 2023 CES in Las Vegas.  We review. If you are a victim of human trafficking or suspect that someone is, there is help. 1-888-373-7888 is the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also text HELP or INFO to 233733. Over 200 languages are spoken and the help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.