TechMobility Topics

The Mitsubishi Outlander was originally introduced to American motorists at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as the Mitsubishi ASX concept vehicle – ASX standing for Active Sports Crossover.  Replacing the body-on-frame Montero Sport in North America, the Outlander went on sale during the 2003 model year.   The fourth and current generation of the Outlander debu...

As of the end of 2024, the State of California had 48 percent MORE electric vehicle chargers than gas pump nozzles at 178,549.  This compares of just 120,000 gasoline nozzles.  However, only 17,000 of the chargers are fast chargers with the rest being the slower Level 2 chargers. 

On secret radio stations nationwide, a decades old news service has survived the move to digital.  They are called radio reading  services and they perform a vital function for the visually impaired. 

Building a vehicle starts with years of planning, thousands of global suppliers and available workers, millions of square feet of factory space, and billions of dollars in capital expenditures.  It takes years to bring a new factory on-line, assuming you have the people and engineering staff to run the factory.  It is not something that companies do quickly or on a whim.  There are...

It’s official:  Duolingo, the language learning tech company, will “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle,” – that’s a direct quote from the company.  In case you still think that AI displacement of workers is years in the future, guess again!  

Mercedes-Benz is working on a solar "paintwork" that could give EVs thousands of miles of additional range per year.  These are new types of solar modules that could be seamlessly applied to the bodies of electric vehicles.  These efforts could eventually pave the way for a wafer-thin layer of paint that could generate additional 8,699 miles of range per year. 

According to a recent article in Roads and Bridges magazine, testing shows the need for new roadside safety hardware standards for EVs.  Roadside safety hardware like guardrails, median barriers, bridge rails, crash cushions, end treatments and breakaway support structures are designed to protect life and minimize injuries in the event of a crash.    I discuss. 

Artificial Intelligence.  Its hard to imagine how we got here in just three short years from the introduction of ChatGPT.  As businesses and organizations around the globe rushed to infuse their very existence with AI, its ability to digest and summarize unimaginable amounts of data have already brought us to the brink of excluding human workers from the demands of daily commerce. ...

The Hyundai Tucson.  Named after an Arizona city and launched in 2004, it is the automaker’s best-selling model globally, having sold over 7 million units since its introduction.  Positioned as a smaller alternative to the Santa Fe, the Tucson rides on a platform sourced from the Elantra sedan and is the mechanical sibling to the Kia Sportage.   Currently in its fourth generation, T...

As both trucking fleets and truck manufacturers wade through what the industry calls the "messy middle" from ICE to EVs, PACCAR's Kenworth and Peterbilt nameplates are making a compelling argument for EVs in the vocational truck segment.  Listen to this podcast to learn more. 

Throughout the United States, many a local new car dealer has a continuing need for experienced service technicians.  So much the more now, with the increasing sophistication of the engineering and technical design.  Working with local community colleges and high schools, shrinking budgets and changing priorities means that very often, the local resources are not available to the dealers...

A recent article in the business magazine Fast Company talked about a gas station of the future and the company behind it.  Nope, they haven’t given up on decarbonization, but what they are using for a feedstock to create the new fuels will surprise you.  Listen to this podcast to learn more. 

Trees.  They are amazing tools of nature – they absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.  They shade our neighborhoods during the Spring and Summer, lowering temperatures by as much as fifteen degrees.  They absorb noise, reducing noise pollution.  And they are often pretty to look at.  What’s not to love?    Does your city benefit from this urban canopy? ...

BYD, a leading Chinese EV manufacturer, has developed what it calls a Super e-Platform for its EVs that promises charging as fast as refueling, allowing for 249 of range in just five minutes of charging.  More importantly, the company is making that technology standard on almost all of its vehicles, regardless of price point.  Learn why this will quickly become a game changer for EV adop...

According to the National Safety Council, 891 people were killed and 37,701 were injured in work zone crashes.  Most of those deaths were motorists!  Technology is being deployed to reduce both the severity and frequency of these collisions.    We take a look. 

 I remember a time when you could purchase a decently equipped NEW car (1970’s definition) for right around $4,000 with a monthly payment spreading out over 36 months of about $140/month.  To be fair, decently equipped in the mid 1970’s was a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, single speaker AM/FM radio and an electric rear window defogger.  Also worth...

The Volkswagen Jetta was launched by the automaker in 1980 to fill a sedan niche slightly above the firm’s Golf (then known in the States as the Rabbit), hatchback.  Sold globally and known by variety of model names, the Jetta has grown in size and power with each generation.  With millions sold over its model run, the Volkswagen Jetta continues to be popular with motorists.   The p...

Every 31 seconds, a car gets stolen in America.  Since the Ford F-150 pickup truck has been the most popular vehicle sold in the country for over 40 years, it makes sense to surmise that many of those thefts would be of the popular truck.  Now Ford is offering new F-150 owners a mobile app engine immobilizer as part of its new Ford Security Package.  We review. 

Coffee.   Regular or decaf(!), black, or with cream and/or sugar, hot or iced, fancy or not.  Everybody has a preference.  As for me, regular hot coffee with a dash of half and half with PLENTY of sugar!  Speaking of preference, it seems that Gen Z is on a different page – as a group, they like it cold, sweet, and loaded with creamer.  IS NOTHING SACRED?  We look at h...

When it comes to purchasing a vehicle at your local car dealership, the usual interaction with the dealership’s F&I Department (that stands for Finance and Insurance) is once the deal has been made and financing is being discussed.  However, there are additional new products available that they want to sell you at vehicle purchase.  We review some of the offerings.  

According to a recent article in Scientific American magazine, the rates of fatal crashes and crime are both LOWER on public transportation than on roadways.  While there is a common perception in the United States that taking public transit is dangerous, the truth is quite the opposite.  We discuss. 

Are you a deep fake?  Your local new car dealer wants to know, especially before selling you a car.  It seems that modern scammers are using artificial intelligence to replicate voices and faces in calls and videos, opening up a new realm of auto finance fraud.  This is particularly troublesome in what the industry calls "off-site deliveries", that is, vehicle deliveries that do not...

Since starting my radio show back in 2017, I have talked about a number of new and promising EV start-ups, some are still around, some have faded from memory and some, like Rivian, are thriving.  Faraday Future, a company that introduced its first prototypes to the world at CES back in 2017, is one such company.  I have detailed their ups and downs, each time it seems that it was dead fo...

The American dealership landscape tells an equally compelling story of strategic consolidation. While Detroit automakers trim their franchise networks, remaining dealers achieve significantly higher sales volumes—particularly luxury brands seeking exclusive retail experiences. Toyota leads with an astonishing 1,607 vehicles per dealership annually (triple the industry average), demonstrating how f...

Nissan continues defying industry trends with its commitment to sedan models. The 2025 Altima offers impressive value at $30,330 (with AWD) in a market where average transaction prices approach $50,000. Though solidly built with exceptional headlights and generous cargo capacity, the vehicle reveals its aging platform through absent modern features and surprisingly antiquated controls straight fro...