Lei Xing, an independent analyst and consultant on the Chinese auto industry, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how Chinese vehicles entering the U.S. would likely not initially compete in the most profitable U.S. segments, such as pickups. 

He also explains why the Chinese automakers Geely and BYD are best positioned to enter the U.S.

Dan Hearsch, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how AlixPartners’ 2026 Disruption Index found the auto industry is the most disrupted in the world — for the second year in a row.

He explains why that disruption is leading executives to fear for their jobs as the ground shifts beneath their feet.

Maria Anhalt, CEO of Elektrobit, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how the auto industry faces economic and technological pressure to deliver products and features faster. 

She also says regulators should standardize artificial intelligence policies to eliminate compliance complexity.

Automotive News Managing Editor Jerry Hirsch talks with TrueCar founder and CEO Scott Painter about the tension between his digital sales platform and dealers. They also discuss the potential for subscription car platforms. Plus, Shift Executive Producer Jake Neher and Automotive News Retail Tech Reporter Mark Hollmer discuss the biggest technology and AI trends out of the NADA Show 2026 in Las Vegas.

“Shift” podcast co-host Molly Boigon gets help from Alex Oyler, director of SBD Automotive, North America, to explain how the architecture of the vehicle has evolved over time.

She and Jake Neher, the executive producer of audio at Automotive News, discuss the differences between domain and zonal architectures and how they can enable new vehicle features.

Ozgur Tohumcu, general manager for automotive and manufacturing at Amazon Web Services, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how companies are using small language models on board the vehicle to enable better voice assistants.

He also explains how manufacturers will use satellites to keep consistent high-bandwidth connectivity for vehicle features.

George Lenyo, EY’s Americas automotive leader, joins Automotive News tech and innovation reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast at CES 2026 to talk about how artificial intelligence is turbocharging the simulations used to train autonomous vehicles.

He also explains how automakers can charge consumers for the right subscription services.

At CES 2026, Amnon Shashua, CEO of Mobileye, joins Automotive News Managing Editor Jerry Hirsch on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how humanoid robots can fill labor shortages.

He also explains why it makes sense for autonomous technology companies to invest in robotics.

Plus, co-host Molly Boigon and Automotive News Reporter Laurence Iliff recap CES 2026 from the show floor in Las Vegas.

Gary Shaprio, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how companies will be discussing trade policy, tariffs and manufacturing location changes at CES.

He also explains how uncertain trade conditions are diverting focus from product innovation. 

Itay Michaeli, senior U.S. automobile analyst at TD Cowen, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how industry experts increasingly feel that the arrival of autonomous vehicles is just a matter of time, a shift enabled by better and lower-cost hardware, improved software and lessons learned from past struggles.

Michaeli also explains why he is expecting new partnerships in the robotaxi space at CES 2026.