Inside Transportation

This is episode eight of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on June 10, 2020.

SHOW NOTES —

2:20 - Some visitors in Las Vegas are having trouble finding reliable transportation options as the city reopens. Most casinos and resorts reopened on Friday, June 5, with at least one viral video showing visitors packing casinos. But those who visited the city reported having trouble finding taxi, Uber, and Lyft rides, with some visitors resorting to hitching rides with unlicensed drivers.

LINKS:

FOX 5 LAS VEGAS - Reopening weekend exposes lack of safe ride options on Las Vegas Strip - https://www.fox5vegas.com/coronavirus/reopening-weekend-exposes-lack-of-safe-ride-options-on-las-vegas-strip/article_d7407a86-aa00-11ea-85e6-1faca9086a40.html

VIRAL VIDEO OF PACKED LAS VEGAS CASINO - https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1269169419998990336

16:50 - After becoming a publicly traded company, Nikola Motor’s market capitalization rose over $25b. By comparison, Ford’s market cap is $27.6b. Although Nikola is yet to turn a profit, its high valuation is linked to investors seeking to buy equity from EV companies after Tesla’s recent stock gains.

LINK:

THE INFORMATION - Electric Shock: Market Value of ‘Nikola’ Approaches Ford’s - https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/fb23eb

28:50 - Just Eat Takeaway.com is close to reaching a deal with GrubHub. The all-stock transaction between the companies may be finalized as soon as today. Just Eat confirmed advanced talks between the companies. Uber’s board is planning to meet on Wednesday to likely pull the plug on GrubHub talks

LINK:

WSJ - Just Eat Takeaway.com Nears All-Stock Deal for Grubhub - https://www.wsj.com/articles/just-eat-takeaway-com-nears-all-stock-deal-for-grubhub-11591797653?mod=hp_lead_pos4

33:33 - DOPE OR NOPE - PriestmanGoode has created a prototype for a removable bicycle rack that can be installed on a train that helps keep a social distance between riders

LINK:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/designers-build-bike-racks-for-social-distancing-a4448761.html

This is episode seven of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on June 2, 2020.

SHOW NOTES --

Jason and Johan take all your listener questions and requests and put them in a special edition of Inside Transportation.

10:00 — “Is this the death of the rental car?” 

AXIOS - Hertz files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

https://www.axios.com/hertz-bankruptcy-coronavirus-3799ec84-8ca4-433c-b432-a451ea0ecb81.html

BUSINESS INSIDER - Enterprise became America's largest car rental by hiring 'amiable jocks' straight out of college

https://www.businessinsider.com/hertz-bankruptcy-enterprise-amiable-jock-hiring-strategy-endures-2020-5

A listener wanted us to delve deeper on the fate of the rental car industry. Two rental car agencies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy: Hertz (which also owns Thrifty and Dollar) and Advantage Rent-a-Car. 


24:00 — “How would you remake the public bus?”

Supporting link: AXIOS - Coronavirus is reshaping urban mobility

https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cities-urban-mobility-streets-dining-adb17f7f-cfe9-4015-a871-7360b2a3e59a.html

A listener asked if you could remake the public bus, accounting for the needs of modern passengers, what amenities or features would you add to attract more riders?

Some have argued that public transport is underfunded because the “wealthy don’t rely on it.”

40:00 — “Are we in the new era of the boat?”

Supporting link: WTNH - Boat sales booming as other industries struggle to stay afloat amid pandemic shutdowns

A listener loved the idea of talking a bit about boats, after seeing an update in the Inside Transportation newsletter about boats. Some boat sellers have reported strong sales during COVID-19.

CHECK THIS OUT: X Shore says it is the “Tesla of boats,” which is 100% electric. The Eelex 8000 offers a range of 100 nautical miles (which is about 115 land miles). No motor engine, just water displacement. Price starts at $277K. The boat is modular.

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbhbrKQlV0

45:00 — Rapid Fire Questions

Jason talks about the transportation startup he regrets not investing in and whether lower gas prices will affect Tesla.

We are OFF this week, but will be back next Thursday. Thank you for listening to the Inside Transportation podcast! This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Please let us know who you want featured on the podcast by emailing [email protected]!

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

This is episode six of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on May 18, 2020.

SHOW NOTES --

1:45 — Johan gives an update on Tesla’s search for a new production facility. The company is reportedly deciding between Austin, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

CLEANTECHNICA: https://cleantechnica.com/2020/05/16/tulsa-or-austin-both-are-reportedly-finalists-for-next-tesla-factory/

2:37 — Uber’s reported proposal to acquire GrubHub has drawn scrutiny from some members of Congress. Jason and Johan discuss whether the deal is going to get done and how it will impact the delivery market.

BLOOMBERG: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/uber-grubhub-merger-talks-come-as-cities-crack-down-on-fees

12:35 — Johan (who is a ‘90s child) asks Jason about Kozmo.com, a delivery startup that launched in the late ‘90s. Kozmo promised one-hour delivery of goods, including packaged food, video rentals, DVDs and more. Jason said he tried to acquire the IP to relaunch Kozmo, but was denied.

WSJ: https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/12/03/in-kozmo-coms-failure-lessons-for-same-day-delivery/

18:16 — The two discuss the potential drawbacks to having superfans, after Fred Lambert, the editor-in-chief of Electrek, accused prominent Tesla superfans of sharing misleading news and information about the company.

ELECTREK: https://electrek.co/2020/05/12/tesla-super-fandom-becomes-toxic-negative-electric-revolution-op-ed/

31:50 — James Dyson opened up about his failed electric vehicle project, which he spent $605 million developing before ultimately folding the project. Johan plays an early round of “Dope or Nope” with Jason, while also talking about the viability of the project.

THE SUNDAY TIMES: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/james-dyson-interview-electric-car-tesla-tzls09t5m

38:00 — An analysis shows bike fatalities have grown nationwide, with Cape Coral, Florida being listed as the most dangerous U.S. city for cyclists. Jason and Johan strategize on what cities can do to minimize fatalities.

MADISON.COM: https://madison.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/the-most-dangerous-u-s-cities-for-cyclists/article_345f2e61-f65d-5f14-a2a4-76afc592fcc0.html

49:00 — DOPE or NOPE

Poimo inflatable electric bike: https://youtu.be/OQawHw9phj0

2021 Toyota Sienna: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-toyota-sienna-hybrid-minivan-details/

This is episode five of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on May 12, 2020.

SHOW NOTES --

2:10 — Johan follows up to last week’s question from Jason about distracted driving laws.

4:00 — Elon Musk threatened to move Tesla headquarters outside of California, amid a legal battle with Alameda County over the coronavirus lockdown. He resumed production and said he would be willing to be arrested over the situation. Johan and Jason discuss whether Tesla will actually move out of California and how California has been poorly handling the situation.

LINK TO REUTERS ARTICLE: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-tesla/amid-lockdown-dispute-musk-says-he-will-move-tesla-out-of-california-idUSKBN22L0S5

18:00 — Zoox is looking to raise more money and exploring a sale. Jason and Johan discuss whether the dominos will begin to fall in the world of self-driving vehicle development in the next few years.

LINK TO THE INFORMATION ARTICLE: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/zoox-self-driving-car-startup-valued-at-2-7-billion-is-for-sale

32:00 — Uber is about to close an $85 million investment in Lime and put themselves in a position to be a leader in the ride-hailing and scooter sharing business. Jason and Johan discuss the nature of the deal.

LINK TO THE INFORMATION ARTICLE: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/uber-in-talks-to-lead-170-million-lime-investment-at-lower-valuation

40:00 — Frontier Airlines said it will start checking passengers’ temperatures on June 1. Jason and Johan discuss whether taking temperatures and other safety procedures will encourage people to travel.

LINK TO THE CNBC ARTICLE: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/07/frontier-airlines-to-check-passenger-temperatures-too-high-you-wont-fly.html

47:23 — DOPE OR NOPE: 2021 Fiat 500e

LINK TO THE MOTOR TREND ARTICLE: https://www.motortrend.com/news/fiat-500e-electric-ev-first-look-details-photos/

This is episode four of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on May 4, 2020.

SHOW NOTES —

3:45: Demand for food delivery is at an all-time high, but with this spike, also comes questions about how much delivery apps, like Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub, are keeping from each sale. Jason goes through GrubHub's statement and Johan explains why consumers need to foot the real cost of delivery.

LINK TO VIRAL TWEET: https://twitter.com/susie_c/status/1255971900599046144

20:17: IBM surveyed 17,000 people who gave some insights on how they may change their transportation habits after COVID-19. Johan and Jason discuss the role public transportation options had in potentially spreading COVID-19 and whether the findings of this survey will actually hold true once there is a vaccine.

LINK TO CAR AND DRIVER ARTICLE: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32343158/pandemic-transportation-future-problems/

35:47: Some auto dealers say they are running out of pickup trucks. A few auto dealers told Automotive News that promotional APR offers (like 84-months, 0% APR) have led to increased demand for pick-up trucks. One dealer, who operates dealerships in Colorado and Florida, said they only had a 30 day supply of the Chevrolet Silverado. Johan and Jason talk about zombie apocalypse vehicles.

LINK TO AUTO NEWS ARTICLE: https://www.autonews.com/sales/new-fear-shortage-pickups

50:30: Layoffs are affecting Uber, Lyft and Lime, as COVID-19 impacts those businesses. Jason gives some insights on layoffs and why companies decide to go through with these mass layoffs to increase runway.

LINK TO THE INFORMATION ARTICLE: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/uber-discusses-plan-to-lay-off-about-20-of-employees

59:11: DOPE OR NOPE

Jason and Johan discuss the Xpeng P7 sedan.

PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE: https://en.xiaopeng.com/p7.html

This is episode three of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Sandy Munro (CEO of Munro & Associates), Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on April 27, 2020.

SHOW NOTES --

5:00 — Jason asks about the process of how Munro & Associates analyzes vehicles

7:37 — Johan asks about how Sandy Munro got into this line of work

13:25 — Jason asks Sandy about comparisons between the Model Y and other competing vehicles

21:20 — Sandy elaborates on the construction of the Tesla Model 3

24:59 — Jason asks about how the construction of the Model Y compares to the Model 3

32:30 — Sandy talks about how Tesla has a head start above all auto brands in the EV space

36:00 — Johan asks about whether Sandy thinks Tesla brought back car culture into the U.S.

39:00 — Sandy talks about GM’s EV 1 and why it ultimately failed

41:45 — Sandy, Jason and Johan talk about range anxiety

44:00 — Sandy talks about batteries

46:00 — Sandy talks about the Cybertruck’s steel crumple zone

47:40 — Sandy talks about future aesthetic changes with new stamping presses

58:52 — Jason asks for Sandy’s thoughts on self-driving

1:01:27 — Jason asks Sandy about the robotaxi project

This is episode two of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on April 21, 2020.

SHOW NOTES --

SEGMENT 1:

2:42 — Electric vehicle startups receive PPP loans

As thousands of small business owners struggle to pay rent and keep their employees on staff, two high-profile electric vehicle startups have applied and received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Faraday Future received a $9.1 million dollar loan from the program, which is close to the $10 million ceiling allowed by the program. Workhorse Group has also received a $1.4 million loan, which the company will use to cover payroll costs.

THE VERGE: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/20/21228241/faraday-future-loan-ev-startup-sba-ppp-workhorse-lucid-motors-rivian

SEGMENT 2:

14:55 — Virgin Australia collapses, Richard Brandon puts up island as collateral

Virgin Australia is the latest airline casualty, amid COVID-19 related drops in revenue, as the company has entered voluntary administration. Administrators at Deloitte have taken control of the airline and are looking to restructure the business and find a new owner. More than 10 groups have expressed an interest in the airline.

BLOOMBERG: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-20/virgin-australia-collapses-as-airline-calls-in-administrators-k992yqn6

SEGMENT 3:

30:15 — Uber does not want to pay for Anthony Levandowski’s legal fees

Uber says it is not responsible for paying a $179 million fine that was levied on a former employee, embattled self-driving technology engineer Anthony Levandowski. He recently pled guilty to stealing trade secrets from Waymo, before he started his own company Otto.

TECHCRUNCH: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/20/uber-argues-fraud-absolves-it-from-paying-star-engineers-179m-fine-to-google/

SEGMENT 4:

39:00 — Tesla is building another production facility and the race is on to figure out where it will be located

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the new production facility will focus on Cybertruck and Model Y production for the East Coast, saying the plant would be located in the central U.S. The automaker has been linked to two locations: the Austin, Texas area and the Nashville, Tennessee area. Joplin, Missouri is offering Tesla a $1 billion incentive package to be the location of Tesla’s next U.S. production facility. Jason is putting his money on Austin, while Johan thinks the next facility will be in Tennessee.

REUTERS: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-gigafactory/tesla-scouting-central-u-s-for-new-factory-musk-says-idUSKBN20Y04V

SEGMENT 5:

48:15 — Dope or Nope

— Virgin Trains, backed by Fortress Investment Group, is building a high-speed rail between Las Vegas and the city of Victorville, California, which is about 85 miles away from Downtown LA.

LA TIMES: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-25/las-vegas-high-speed-train-project-moving-after-delays

— The look of Subaru’s new electric vehicle that is jointly being developed with Toyota — the Evoltis

ELECTREK: https://electrek.co/2020/04/20/all-electric-subaru-evoltis-with-oddball-design-to-be-unveiled-in-2021/

This is episode one of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on April 13, 2020.

Show Notes:

6:00 — More Americans are staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers looking for a way to avoid a visit to the grocery store have turned to grocery delivery services, like Instacart, Amazon Prime Now and the like. Jason and Johan talk a bit about their experiences with grocery delivery services and how they can be improved. They also discuss Nuro, an autonomous vehicle startup, that has received permission from the state of California to test its autonomous delivery vehicles on public roads. Johan thinks this may bridge autonomous vehicles and humans together.

20:00 — In China, car sales saw a steep decline in the month of March - about 43% down overall year-over-year, which is over 1 million units. In February, the market was down by about 79%, about 205K units total versus 1.3M units in Feb. 2019. Electric vehicle sales did very well in China in those months. Jason and Johan talk a bit about China’s electric vehicle sales performance and how some people may feel a responsibility to adopt cleaner ways of living to protect the environment.

33:00 — Jason and Johan talk about whether Uber should be shut down entirely. At least one Uber driver in NYC and one Uber driver in London have died from COVID-19, with families blaming their deaths on driving for the ride-hailing service. One Vice writer argued that Uber needs to shut down to all non-essential riders and follow what Didi in China did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johan and Jason talk about what should be defined as essential travel and how underserved, essential workers are likely still taking more “unsafe” methods of transit, like buses and trains.

43:00 — Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the automaker’s robotaxi service is still on target for this year. Jason and Johan talk about whether this is a viable target. The service would allow people to hail a ride from a Tesla vehicle that is not in use, relying on the vehicle’s full self-driving capabilities to give that ride. Jason thinks that he would have gone for it when he was younger, but today, probably not.

Links discussed in the show:

LA smog photo comparison: https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-stay-at-home-order-reduced-los-angeles-notorious-smog-2020-4

The Himalayas are visible from India: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/himalayas-visible-lockdown-india-scli-intl/index.html

A man was dragged off the train in Philadelphia because he wasn’t wearing a mask: https://abcnews.go.com/US/philadelphia-police-drag-man-mask-off-public-bus/story?id=70104383

Jason’s OWL Cam: https://owlcam.com/

This is episode zero of the Inside Transportation podcast. This podcast was made possible by Ford Motor Company (www.ford.com) and Fenwick (www.fenwick.com).

Featuring Jason Calacanis (Angel investor, LAUNCH, Inside.com) and Johan Moreno (Inside.com).

Subscribe to Inside Transportation newsletter: inside.com/transportation

Subscribe to Inside Electric Vehicles newsletter: inside.com/evs

Recorded on March 23, 2020.

Show Notes:

0:00: Jason and Johan introduce the Inside Transportation podcast and what listeners can expect.

4:00: Coronavirus reduces traffic and pollution around the U.S. Traffic is down exponentially around the U.S. because of “stay at home” mandates around the country. Jason talks about his own experiments with “work from home” and the potential impact of work from home on transportation.

New York Times article about reduction in Los Angeles pollution: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/22/climate/coronavirus-usa-traffic.html

10:30: Public transit has been severely impacted by the coronavirus. Ridership is down about 60 percent on the subways and 49 percent on buses versus the same Monday last year. Jason discusses why he doesn’t think there will be any drastic changes in people using public transit.

New York Times article about MTA bailout: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-subway-federal-aid-.html

13:25: Jason and Johan talk about personal car ownership and how it could be impacted by work from home.

15:35: Jason and Johan discuss whether ride-hailing and car-sharing companies would be impacted by the coronavirus?

19:30: Jason and Johan talk a bit more about New York’s transit system, specifically, and Jason proposes a radical idea on how MTA can generate extra revenue.

24:14: Airlines look for $50 billion in federal assistance and promise to end stock buybacks. Jason chimes in on why this may not be a good idea after all and how a potential bailout should be approached.

Wall Street Journal article about airline bailouts: https://www.wsj.com/articles/airlines-seek-up-to-50-billion-in-government-aid-amid-coronavirus-crisis-11584378242

32:30: Scooter sharing companies are withdrawing their vehicles from many markets. Jason talks a bit about the promise of these companies and how the public should approach riding these scooters.

The Verge article about these scooter sharing withdrawals: https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/20/21188119/electric-scooter-coronavirus-bird-lime-spin-suspend-bikes

40:00: Uber said it would still have about $4 billion in cash by the end of the year, amid COVID-19. Jason and Johan discuss this, with Jason sharing some thoughts on the promise of Uber and how they will get out of the coronavirus pandemic.

Link to tweet: https://twitter.com/amir/status/1240619563336663042

44:00: Some potential electric vehicle buyers are rethinking their purchases, due to COVID-19, according to the Inside EVs Poll of the Week.

47:30: Jason and Johan sign off.