#76, Alex Guberman, YouTube electric vehicle maverick

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Alex Guberman is as passionate as anyone about the electric vehicle industry. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman runs E For Electric on YouTube. Guberman, now driving his third Tesla, is prolific. He produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions. A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Guberman, a native of Moscow, Russia, who moved

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#6, The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): All-Electric Rivian examined

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The all-electric Rivian concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since their debuts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the pending debut of the vehicles and how the innovated truck and SUV could change the automotive landscape. The company has been touted as a competitor to Tesla, a proposition it welcomes. Rivian was founded nearly

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#75, Rivian gearing up for electric SUV, pick-up debuts

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:23 — 47.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreRivian debuted two concepts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and attracted as much attention as any vehicle at the automotive industry’s first major show of the year. The all-electric concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the

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Ray Elliott Commentary: Never buy a Chrysler product

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Oh My God. Never buy a Chrysler product. My reasoning? It’s a dangerous product that not only thinks for you, but also will endanger your life and damage the interior for something as simple as a flat tire. This, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of piss-poor engineering. Why? My first example was when I encountered one of these vans last winter. It was two weeks old, still with dealer plates, and it had overheated. It did start and run, but the windows were frosted over because of the cold morning. To see where I was going,

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So long, Toyota Prius C; It’s been a good eight years

The Toyota Prius c, introduced in December 2011 as the carmaker’s least expensive and smallest hybrid, will likely be retired with the introduction of the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. According to a report on Motor1.com, the little hatchback will be outdone in its well-touted economy by the new Corolla. Available in the spring of 2019, the EPA has already released the mileage estimates for the new Corolla, 53 mpg in city driving, 52 mpg on the freeway. The Prius c is rated at 48 mpg in city driving, 42 mpg on the highway Fuel economy for the 2020 Corolla Hybrid

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#74, National Transportation Safety Board Most Wanted

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:15 — 47.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began in 1966 and since 1990 it has announced a Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Its recently released list for 2019-2020 includes 46 recommendations. Bruce Landsberg, the board’s vice chairman, is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Landsberg, the former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, was confirmed last summer to his position as one of five board members of the independent investigative agency based in Washington, D.C.

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#5 The Weekly Driver Podcast (Video): NTSB expert Bruce Landsberg

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began in 1966 and since 1990 it has announced a Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Its recently released list for 2019-2020 includes 46 recommendations. Bruce Landsberg, the board’s vice chairman, is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. It’s our 74th audio episode and #5 in our news eries of audio/video podcasts. Landsberg, the former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, was confirmed last summer to his position as one of five board members of the independent investigative agency based in Washington, D.C. A former

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#4, The Weekly Driver Podcast (Video): Saving teen drivers’ lives

Bob Davis, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc., is the inventor of the produce, Driving Essentials XE. An interactive and engaging driver training simulation made specifically for QX, Davis provides a wealth of knowledge as our guest on The Weekly Podcast. The product teaches new, teenage drivers how to deal with dangerous situations without actually being in danger. The vast majority of all serious teen crashes are due to critical (and preventable) mistakes — lack of judgment, lack of experience and driving distracted. Podcast co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Davis the soon-to-be-available product

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#73, Saving teenage drivers’ lives with Xbox Driving Essentials

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:33 — 35.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreDriving Essentials XE is an interactive and engaging driver training simulation made specifically for Xbox. It teaches new, teenage drivers how to deal with dangerous situations without actually being in danger. The vast majority of all serious teen crashes are due to critical (and preventable) mistakes — lack of judgment, lack of experience and driving distracted. Bob Davis, the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc., the manufacturer of the new product, is our guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts

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2019 Chrysler Pacifica leader of a van pack of one

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The Chrysler Pacifica is uniquely positioned. The manufacturer had difficulty deciding on its name and then placed the Pacifica in a one-vehicle segment. It’s the only electric van available. Introduced at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, the Chrysler van’s sixth-generation debuted as the 2017 Pacifica. It was formerly the name of the manufacturer’s crossover SUV. It’s also the new designation for the former Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan in North American and the discontinued Chrysler/Lancia Voyager in European markets. The Pacifica is further unique since it’s offered with another first — a nine-speed automatic transmission. A continuously electrically

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#3, The Weekly Driver Podcast Video: ToyMakerz Season 3

Nearly every network now has an automotive reality show. At least one program, ToyMakerz, has a star who had no desire to be on television. Which is why, in part, the show is increasingly popular. The host is David Ankin, a former stuntman, motorcycle racer, fabricator and customizer, and former restaurant owner. He’s catapulted the small city of Reidsville, N.C., where his ToyMakers, Inc. company shop is located, into the national spotlight. The show follows Ankin and his team, including teenage son, as it builds a one-off custom vehicle or enhances an original car. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia

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#72 The Weekly Driver Podcast: David Ankin/ToyMakerz

More than 40 years ago, Top Gear debuted as a monthly, 30-minute magazine-style, automotive-related program on the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was based in Birmingham, England, and the initial episode’s topics included speed traps, fuel economy and strange road signs. A year later, the program expanded to a weekly format and it was broadcast for nearly a quarter century. Simultaneously, much has changed and not much has changed in automotive programming. Enthusiasts are still as passionate about cars and truck and driving. Speed, fuel usage and bizarre things on the road are all still topics for automotive reality television programs.

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#2, The Weekly Driver Podcast video: how states’ driving rates

As a personal finance website, WalletHub covers a lot of territory, all revolving around consumer assistance. It features practical advice about automobiles to credit cards and insurance to real estate agents. It’s all about numbers, statistics and analysis. In the automotive field, WalletHub has a series of studies, the most recent on the 2019 Best & Worst Cities to Drive in. The numbers are revealing. WalletHub.com reports California is among the worst states to driven in. The website determined congestion costs the average driver in the United States more than $1,400 per year. The U.S. is ranked 10th in the

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#71 WalletHub’s best, worst cities, states to drive in

WalletHub.com does studies, and it does them well. It makes sense because it’s a personal finance website that relies on facts and figures and number crunching for consumers. In the automotive field, WalletHub has a series of studies, the most recent on the 2019 Best & Worst Cities to Drive in. The numbers are revealing. WalletHub determined that congestion costs the average driver in the United States more than $1,400 per year. The U.S. is ranked 10th in the world in road quality in the recently released study. The Weekly Driver Podcast is produced in Sacramento, so co-hosts Bruce Aldrich

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2019 Infiniti QX80 classy, rugged, versatile SUV

Now in its mid-teens, the Infiniti QX80 is a large luxury sport utility vehicle with three rows of seating and a dual personality. It has many creature comforts and plenty of driving nimbleness for a heavyweight people mover. But it also has ruggedness to spare. Formerly called the QX56, a reference to its 5.6-liter engine, the QX80 designation on recent years’ models corresponds to nothing more than a new name. By whatever name, the monster SUV holds the unique distinction for the upscale division of Nissan. It was the first Infiniti, which debuted in 1989, built in the United States.

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Winnebago Launches New Wheelchair-Friendly RV Collection

Winnebago has launched three accessibility-enhanced motorhomes, the Intent 30R AE, Adventurer 30T AE, and Forza 34T AE, to assist travelers with limited mobility. The new wheelchair-friendly models are available in three standardized floor plans that include the most commonly requested options. The new models debuted at the 2019 Florida RV Supershow in mid-January. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 report, there are around 3.6 million people over the age of 15 who use a wheelchair, with an additional 11.6 million people using a cane, crutches or walker to get around. To serve these large markets, Winnebago offers customers a

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