Volvo is charging ahead with its plan to electrify its fleet in less than a decade, but it continues to renew its gasoline-powered models as well. One strong example is the 2022 Volvo XC60 midsize luxury crossover that gets a completely new powertrain for the new model year. We recently had the opportunity to drive it in the hills of Malibu, California, and then spoke to its key product planner, Gauging Kalsaria. In the interview Kalsaria reveals how Volvo sees its new powertrains as stepping stones toward full electrification. And he and Host Jack Nerad explore EVs and other topics in the wide-ranging discussion.

In the road test segment,Co-host Chris Teague and Host Jack Nerad share their views on two mid-size SUVs. From his post in Maine, Chris Teague tests the 2022 Ford Explorer, the latest iteration of one of the most popular sport-utility vehicles of all time. And he’ll tell us how he thinks it fares against the current competition.

Also in the road test segment, Host Jack Nerad reports from behind the wheel of the all-new Genesis GV70 compact crossover utility. With two impressive engine choices and eye-catching styling inside and out the GV70 could be a strong contender for North American Utility Vehicle of the Year honors.

In the news, there is drama at Volkswagen this week as the automaker’s plans to shift to electric vehicles upsets its workforce in Germany. Some feel that Volkswagen is going too fast on its plan to go electric, while others suggest it is going far too slow. Will this strife cost its CEO his job? Can Volkswagen out-Tesla Elon Musk? We’ll explore that in this week’s episode.

And we’ll also discuss the lengths car dealers are going to so they can obtain cars to sell. It’s all coming upon this week’s episode of America on The Road.