Do electric trucks make sense?

Do electric trucks make sense?

For a moment in time it looked like a hard shift to the electric future was taking place. When America's best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150, is available with an electric powertrain, there were signs. But various automakers took different paths towards the electric future, and by many accounts history might show the first round of electric trucks were a failure with large price tags, sales volume that quickly cooled off, and what resulted in massive losses for automakers. Now the next-generation of EVs are taking shape, and of course, because this is America, trucks are at the forefront. But this time things are going to be different. From how these electric trucks are being designed and built to how much they will cost, what they can do, and even what they offer in terms of features. But do electric trucks even make sense? The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder, Executive Editor Andrew P. Collins, and Senior Editor Caleb Jacobs break down the electric truck segment, what happened, where we are today, and what's coming next. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Ford F-150 Lightning EV Is Dead, Next Gen Will Have Gas Engine Backup [https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-f-150-lightning-ev-is-dead-next-gen-will-have-gas-engine-backup] GM Delays Full-Size Electric Truck and SUV Redesigns: Report [https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-delays-full-size-electric-truck-and-suv-redesigns-indefinitely-report] Ram Gives Up On Its Electric Truck [https://www.thedrive.com/news/ram-is-officially-giving-up-on-its-electric-pickup-truck] 2026 Rivian R1T Quad First Drive Review: When Too Much Is Just Enough [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2026-rivian-r1t-quad-review] 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Review: Impressive Engineering Hamstrung by Hubris [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2024-tesla-cybertruck-review] Spied: Ford’s $30,000 Electric Truck Caught Next to an Expedition [https://www.thedrive.com/news/30000-electric-ford-truck-spy-shots] Slate’s $24,950 Electric Truck Gets More Range, More Tow Capacity—and 450 More Pounds [https://www.thedrive.com/news/180000-people-reserved-slates-electric-truck-before-they-knew-it-would-cost-24950] I Rode in Slate’s $24,950 Electric Truck. It Didn’t Feel Like a $24,950 Electric Truck [https://www.thedrive.com/news/i-rode-in-slates-24950-electric-truck-it-didnt-feel-like-a-24950-electric-truck] Pour One Out for Canoo, the EV Startup That Dared to Be Different [https://www.thedrive.com/news/pour-one-out-for-canoo-the-ev-startup-that-dared-to-be-different] 00:00 Intro 08:59 - Quick history lesson 13:58 - Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck paved the way into the future 16:58 - Ford's $30,000 electric truck 17:39 - Slate 19:41 - Lightning replacement 22:31 - Telo 27:11 - Today's trucks are big 29:41 - Canoo 31:06 - EREVs are coming 36:51 - Do electric trucks make sense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Congress could decide who's allowed to fix your car

Who's allowed to fix the car you own? Who's allowed to choose the mechanic that wrenches on the vehicle you own? As cars have become more complex and computerized, and corporations have become more fixated on gathering data, the topic of right to repair has become more intense. It's been thrust back into the limelight with recent comments from automaker CEOs and the White House. The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder and Executive Editor Andrew P. Collins break down what right to repair is, what's happening, how we got here, and what it means for you. Stories mentioned in today's episode: Feds Might Flip the Script on Right to Repair Vehicle Emissions Systems [https://www.thedrive.com/news/feds-might-flip-the-script-on-right-to-repair-vehicle-emissions-systems] Ford CEO Jim Farley’s Right To Repair Comment Should Make Every Car Owner Uncomfortable [https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-ceo-jim-farleys-right-to-repair-comment-should-make-every-car-owner-uncomfortable] Want To Stop Your New Car From Transmitting Your Personal Data? It’s Possible [https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-security-pros-toyota-rav4-cant-spy-on-him-anymore-heres-how-he-did-it] Replacing Brake Pads on a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Requires a Professional Mechanic’s Login [https://www.thedrive.com/news/replacing-brake-pads-on-a-hyundai-ioniq-5-n-requires-a-professional-mechanics-login] 00:00 Intro 06:05 - What is right to repair? 07:53 - How did we get here? 10:49 - Why are we talking about this? Where are we now? 12:44 - Ford CEO Jim Farley claims it's about Safety 21:14 - Modern cars are complicated and computerized 22:49 - The future 32:32 - What can consumers do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

License plate cameras are tracking everything

The devices you carry will enable law enforcement and the government to track your every move. Scary thought. Time to break out the tin-foil hats. A new kind of license-plate reading camera is said to be far more than its name. It will be able to scrape the smart devices you take with you and wrap all that data in a nice little bow for law enforcement and government agencies. The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder and Senior Editor Adam Ismail are joined by security expert Matt Hurewitz, who is currently the CISO at Ent.AI, to sort fact from fiction and dissect what's really going on here. Stories mentioned in today's episode: License Plate Cameras Will Soon Track Phones, Wearables, Infotainment, and Even Your Pets [https://www.thedrive.com/news/license-plate-cameras-will-soon-track-phones-wearables-infotainment-and-even-your-pets] Want To Stop Your New Car From Transmitting Your Personal Data? It’s Possible [https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-security-pros-toyota-rav4-cant-spy-on-him-anymore-heres-how-he-did-it] Cops Are Already Using License Plate Readers to Stalk People [https://www.thedrive.com/news/cops-are-already-using-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-people] 00:00 Intro 04:14 License plate cameras are about to track you 07:42 Should you be concerned? 13:56 The danger that lurks 16:42 Slippery slope 18:40 Cars are incredibly complicated and connected now 20:37 What can people do? 23:04 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

GM said they crushed them all. One ended up in Sweden

Almost two decades ago General Motors almost changed pickup truck history, and would've changed the entire market. A new, smaller, Baby Duramax turbodiesel V8 was set to launch and reset the bar for torque, fuel economy, and technology in the half-ton market. The engine was done, but the entire thing was scrapped with the crash of 2008 when GM filed bankruptcy. The automaker claimed all the prototypes were crushed, but at lest one escaped into the wild. So today, we dig into the history books and dissect the story of the unreleased Baby Duramax and a prototype surfacing in the real world. Stories mentioned in today's episode: The Recession Killed GM’s 4.5L Duramax V8, But One Escaped the Factory [https://www.thedrive.com/news/culture/the-recession-killed-gms-4-5l-duramax-v8-but-one-escaped-the-factory] I Found the Canceled 4.5L Duramax V8 Prototypes, Then They Disappeared [https://www.thedrive.com/news/i-found-the-canceled-4-5l-duramax-v8-prototypes-then-they-disappeared] We Found GM’s Lost Duramax V8 Prototype That Could’ve Reinvented Modern Trucks [https://www.thedrive.com/news/we-found-gms-lost-duramax-v8-prototype-that-couldve-reinvented-modern-trucks] 00:00 Intro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Rivian bet the company on R2. RJ Scaringe told us almost everything

Rivian, by many accounts, has become the darling of the automotive industry. It’s a hot topic despite its current volume and scale. To date, it’s not a mainstream brand with a mass-market offering. But that changed yesterday with the launch of the R2, which costs between $45,000 and $60,000 while hitting at the absolute heart of the compact crossover SUV market at 186 inches long, which is the size of the Toyota RAV4 and Tesla Model Y. The former is one of the best selling vehicles period while the latter is one of the best-selling EVs by the widest of margins it’s not even funny. Now it’s Rivian’s turn to step into the arena and aim for the masses. This is the moment RJ Scaringe and his team has been building towards for years. Everything is riding on this. This week, The Drive's Director of Content and Product, Joel Feder, is joined by Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe to dissect how we got here, missteps, where the company is today, and what's about to happen in both the immediate and longer-term future. So, today, it’s behind-the-scenes on Rivian going into the mass market arena, what that looks like, how it plays out, and addressing how the automaker aims to tackle it all. Stories mentioned in today's episode: 2027 Rivian R2 First Drive Review: The Perfect Car for So Many People [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2027-rivian-r2-first-drive-review]Somehow, Rivian’s Cheaper R2 Is Its Most Refined Vehicle [https://www.thedrive.com/news/somehow-rivians-cheaper-r2-is-its-most-refined-vehicle] The Rivian R2 Needed a Rear Wiper That Didn’t Exist. So Rivian Invented One [https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-rivian-r2-needed-a-rear-wiper-that-didnt-exist-so-rivian-invented-one] 2026 Rivian R1T Quad First Drive Review: When Too Much Is Just Enough [https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2026-rivian-r1t-quad-review] Rivian Is Going RAD. But Can It Stick the Landing? [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-is-going-rad-but-can-it-stick-the-landing] Rivian Won’t Talk About the Missing R2 Tri-Motor. The Reason Why Is Big [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-wont-talk-about-the-missing-r2-tri-motor-the-reason-why-is-big] Rivian Sidesteps Apple CarPlay With Built-In Texting [https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-sidesteps-apple-carplay-with-built-in-texting] 00:00 Intro 04:05 R2 profitability 07:43 R2 launch 10:49 Service 16:54 Rivian Adventure Network 20:03 RAD 25:47 R3X 26:25 R2T? 29:13 R4 29:31 Patents and a winch for R1 30:57 Repairability 35:32 Buttons, knobs, and the Halo wheels 37:43 Voice controls 39:07 RJ's final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]