The InEVitable

China’s auto industry is evolving faster than anyone expected—and it might already be ahead of the West. In this episode of The InEVitable, MotorTrend's Ed Loh sits down with Ethan Robertson of Wheelsboy to break down what’s really happening inside the Chinese EV market.

From BYD and NIO to XPeng and Xiaomi, we dive into the companies reshaping the future of cars—and why Tesla may no longer be the benchmark. Ethan shares firsthand insights after driving hundreds of Chinese vehicles, revealing how quality, technology, and value have skyrocketed in just a few years. We also explore the brutal price wars, why legacy automakers are struggling, and whether Chinese EVs are coming to the U.S. sooner than expected.

If you want to understand the future of the global auto industry, this is a must-watch.

MotorTrend’s The InEVitable goes hands-on with one of the most interesting e-bikes ever built — the ALSO. TM-B (Transcendent Mobility Bicycle), born from Rivian’s skunkworks. We talk with ALSO's Director of Product Line, Saul Leiken about what makes this bike unique. This isn’t your typical e-bike. With pedal-by-wire tech, no chain, regenerative braking, and automotive-grade battery tech, the TMB blurs the line between bicycle and EV.

We put Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (FSD v14) to the ultimate real-world test—no easy suburban routes, no perfect conditions. Instead, we dropped it straight into old Los Angeles chaos: ⚠️ Blind corners ⚠️ One-lane mountain roads ⚠️ Garbage trucks, pedestrians, and zero lane markings ⚠️ The infamous 110 freeway on-ramp (with basically NO acceleration lane) This is a true edge-case torture test—and the results are wild.

What does it take to compete with Tesla’s Supercharger network? In this episode of The Inevitable by MotorTrend, we sit down with Seth Cutler, CEO of IONNA, the fast-growing EV charging network backed by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota. IONNA has gone from zero to 100+ charging sites in just two years, with plans to scale to 30,000 high-powered chargers by 2030. But they’re not just building chargers — they’re rethinking the entire charging experience.

From Ottawa’s QNX Garage, we sit down with Karen Xiong (Vector) and Andy Gryc (QNX) to talk about the talent behind software-defined vehicles. We cover career paths into automotive software, what companies actually look for in engineers today (CI/CD, systems thinking, reliability), and why “vibe coding” isn’t replacing safety-critical development anytime soon. Plus: practical tools and skills students can start learning now—from QNX Everywhere to ROS and in-vehicle Ethernet.

In this episode of The InEVitable Podcast by MotorTrend, the hosts sit down with Bradley Arnold, Head of Design at Hyundai Design North America. Bradley shares his journey from growing up around motorcycles to becoming one of the key designers shaping Hyundai’s bold new design language. The conversation dives into Hyundai’s rapid rise in the automotive world, how the brand approaches design and innovation, and what it takes to create vehicles that stand out in today’s competitive market. They also explore the growing importance of off-road vehicles, lifestyle design, EV platforms, and Hyundai’s future strategy, including how designers balance brand identity, engineering constraints, and customer expectations. If you're interested in automotive design, the future of Hyundai, EVs, or how modern cars are created, this episode offers a fascinating look inside the process. Topics include:

Alan Clarke spent over a decade at Tesla — working on Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, and even Tesla’s battery swap program. Now he’s Ford’s Executive Director of Advanced EV Development — leading the Ford Universal EV Platform and the upcoming affordable midsize electric pickup targeting ~$30,000 and 300 miles of range.

After 38.5 years at Honda and Acura, legendary designer Dave Marek finally retires — and joins us to reflect on one of the most influential careers in modern automotive history.

From the golden era of Japanese performance to the birth of Acura… from the original NSX to the Element and Ridgeline… from the HondaJet to EV collaborations with GM — Dave was there for all of it.

This is a masterclass in automotive design, leadership, and the “Honda Way.”

If you love car design history, Japanese performance, or behind-the-scenes industry stories — this episode is for you.

In this special live-drive episode of The InEVitable, Ed Loh takes MotorTrend Technical Director Frank Markus on a real-world test of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Version 14.2.2.3 in a Model Y — while diving deep into Frank’s first-drive impressions of the highly anticipated Rivian R2. This episode kicks off a new MotorTrend series on semi-autonomous driving systems, comparing Tesla’s camera-only approach against upcoming competitors from Mercedes-Benz and Rivian.

Topics covered include:

Watch (or listen) as the system handles freeways, city streets, four-way stops — and almost parks itself.

On this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, we sit down with Jeff Hammoud, Chief Design Officer at Rivian, to unpack the full design story behind the Rivian R1T, R1S, R2, and R3.

Jeff shares his journey from Chrysler and Jeep to joining Rivian in its earliest days—when there was no logo, no brand, and barely a prototype.

We dive deep into how Rivian’s iconic design language was created, why the trucks look friendly instead of aggressive, and how real-world use cases (like motorcycles, garages, and families) shaped the vehicles.