There Auto Be A Law

People don't want to buy Tesla's anymore and their earnings show it but fanboi's keep buying the stock cause they keep believing the same lies Elon has been spouting since at least 2016. When is a car company a cult? In more Tesla news a former engineer exposes Elon for not working that hard, regulators don't give into his bullying and the lawsuits keep coming. Canada needs to work on their own sa...

Trump's auto tariffs will make new cars cost more, old cars more expensive to repair and maintain and increase your insurance rates. A new lawsuit alleges that Telsa might be tampering with it's odometers. Public transit is safer in all metrics than driving. Fred explains why objects may be closer and we've got recalls. Support the show! This weeks links: https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/tarif...

It's NHTSA's distracted driving month. On the plus side fatalities are down but not by much. Intelligent Speed Assist, driver monitoring and better driving tech can help save lives today but instead billions are spent on robo-taxis. Tesla dealers are backlogged because people don't want to buy them, Waymo can't navigate a drive-thru, one con man pardons another con man and Ford tops this weeks rec...

Happy Liberation Day! Now cars will be more expensive, older cars will with older safety tech will stay on the road longer possibly making everyone a little less safe. Tesla might be attempting to game the Canadian EV rebate system (or they sold two cars every minute one weekend), Auroa wants to set its driver-less 18 wheeler's free, Waymo is today's gaslight winner and Fred jumps into Gaussian Sp...

This week we are joined from Canada by George Iny from the Automobile Protection Association. George let's us ask all of our Canadian focused questions and we compare and contrast the difference between auto safety standards. And have you heard of public auto insurance? Why can't we have that in the US? Lastly, the Cybertruck is still garbage. This week links: https://www.apa.ca/en/ https://electr...

Tesla protests, criticism of Tesla's autopilot and Full Self Driving and Cybertrucks that are coming apart. Waymo is racking up the parking tickets and still doesn't have a viable business model. GM puts another 9,000 pound sociopath on the road and cannabis doesn't not make you a good driver. That and more in this weeks episode. This weeks links: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/deeply-co...

Ever race down a city street or do donuts on a salt flat? Me neither but car commercials make it look like we should be doing this. Consumers are not liking some new car tech, like electronic door handles, but like built-in vacuums (this is a thing?). These topics and more. This weeks links: https://powertripfilm.com/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/11/trump-musk-tesla-white-house/...

How will tariffs affect auto industry safety? Less new car sales equals less newer safety tech on the road. China is enforcing tighter controls on over-the-air (OTA) updates compared to the U.S.'s 'wild west' approach. Plus a flying car, a cybertruck that wants to die and recalls from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. This weeks links: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/03/nx-s1-5316162/trump-tariffs-canada-...

This week we discuss recent layoffs at NHTSA, Fred compares Waymo to the Titanic, Renault releases a fire fighting tool for EV's and recalls. Support the show. This weeks links: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/us-auto-safety-agency-that-s-probing-tesla-cuts-4-of-staff/ar-AA1zGAUi https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/cars/2025/02/20/stellantis-self-driving-autodrive-watch-movies/79334466007/...

Jonathan Morrison won the job as new the NHTSA administrator. I hope he cares about safety or dangers... like those posed by oversized vehicles. Jeep is now displaying pop-up ads in your car. Fun. And we have recalls. This weeks links: https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/12/trump-picks-apple-exec-to-lead-transportation-safety-agency/?guccounter=1 https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/supersizing-vehicles-of...

We continue our discuss with Phil Koopman from Carnegie Mellon University. What is safety? How easy is it start your own robo-taxi company? Why Waymo's safety claims are short about a billion miles of data and more. Like guests like Phil? Donate so we can continue getting more great guests. This weeks links: https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/statistically-safer-autonomous-vehicles https://philkoo...

Phil Koopman comes back to the show for a 2 part episode. During this first one we discuss the dangers of Tesla's electronic door latches, the lack of federal regulations covering these safety gaps, and the broader implications for emerging vehicle technologies. Then SAE and those levels... Phil summarizes this nicely. This weeks links: https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/people-are-still-being-bur...

Hi folks, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and its impending regulations is our first topic. AEB works but the industry shill fights against it. Subaru gets hacked (and they are tracking you), traffic cameras in NYC reveal some marital issues, Vietnam and Norway have excessive (?) but interesting (?) fines for traffic violations and recalls. Donate to keep the show going. This weeks links: https:...

Automakers are still complaining that Automatic Emergency Braking is too impossible... while admitting that at least one Toyota already meets the new standard. The law and law enforcement is struggling with marijuana impaired driving. And Tesla makes it next to impossible to escape from one of their vehicles if they are on fire. Plus recalls. Donate! This weeks links: https://www.autosinnovate.org...

Howdy, Lots to cover this week and we barely make a dent. New York City's congestion pricing and its effects on traffic and pollution; Self driving cars still lacking in data transparency, safety standards, and industry practices; Waymo, the boondoggle at Google? Safety is defined as 'absence of unreasonable risk' and this is nonsense; Telsa recalls and the Cybertruck gets a lot in it's first year...

This week we are joined by Missy Cummings, Director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center. Missy walks us through the safety concerns with self driving cars based on your research, talks about the definition of 'safe enough', how laughable remote operations are and lack of functional safety testing. This episode underscores the urgent need for both state and federal regulations...

NHTSA is wrapping up the new year with new rules for whistleblowers, event data recorders and seatbelt warnings. Waymo is the highlight for the 'Gaslight of the Week' due to misleading safety certifications for its autonomous vehicle program. Donald Trump is likely to scrap a rule on crash reporting for autonomous vehicles. Bench seats might be coming back. And recent automotive recalls and potent...

GM finally listened to us and/or did some basic math and realized that GM Cruise was a dumpster fire that needed to be extinguished. Imagine what they could have done with the $10 Billion they squandered. A recent AAA survey covers risky driver behaviors and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's findings that vehicle height increases pedestrian injury severity. Consumer Reports' reliability...

This episode delves into the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in keeping drivers engaged, the risks posed by partial automation, and the need for regulatory oversight. We highlight issues with Tesla's approach to autonomous driving, including its reliance on remote operators. Recalls for vehicles from Pagani, GM, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche are discussed, emphasiz...

Happy Thanksgiving listeners! This week we share our top ten things we are thankful for in car safety. Highlights include the Tesla Cybertruck and full self-driving technology, NHTSA's recent improvements and penalties, and shout-outs to people and organizations contributing to automotive safety such as the anonymous engineers that make cars safer. Links: https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/debunki...

Topics: Kudos to NHTSA for NCAP improvements; Frowns to Ford for recalls; New DOT secretary; Will Washington rubber stamp all of Elon's dreams? Tesla drivers are dangerous; Tesla's will trap you in a fire; Renewable natural gas explained; Recall roundup; Links: https://apnews.com/article/automobile-safety-nhtsa-crash-pedestrian-2fc22f755c51bfe9bb668f90e8ee8956 https://www.freep.com/story/money/car...

Topics: Rivian and Volkswagen join forces; NHTSA kinda sorta asks Tesla to clear up it's communications around cars that drive themselves; What will Elon's department of efficiency mean for auto safety? Fred deep dives into duty of care with a focus on hazard mitigation; Recalls and rusting cybertrucks; and more Links: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/business/volkswagen-rivian-electric-vehicles...

Deep breaths... Hummer EV, what the election means for NHTSA, regulations and everything related to safety. Are LED headlights too brights? Zoox and Tesla have a spat. It's a new world. This weeks links: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/11/driving-the-biggest-least-efficient-electric-car-the-hummer-ev-suv/ https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/2/24285399/amazon-zoox-robotaxi-nhtsa-fmvss-comply https:/...

This week: we start by examining the hype around robo-taxis and their impact on public transportation improvements in automatic emergency braking technology, citing a recent study by AAA, yet highlighting its limitations at higher speeds. Automotive data privacy and consumers' right to control data collected by vehicles, emphasizing the need for regulation. the challenge of detecting and regulatin...

Topics this week: the decline in all-rider helmet laws the historical impact of the 1964 'chicken tax' on the dominance of SUVs, the ongoing issues with Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' and Summon features. the challenges faced by first responders with electric vehicles the intricacies of autonomous vehicle perception technology recalls Links: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/lax-helmet-laws-have-kille...