The Weekly Driver Podcast

Groupe PSA is the multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. In late February, the French company announced it will soon re-introduce Peugeot to the North American market.

Larry Dominique, President and CEO, PSA North America, Inc., is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Dominique reasons for the iconic vehicle's return after nearly a three-decade absence.

Peugeot will soon return to the North American market

Dominique cites facts and figures and industry and trends. He explains that after China, the United States is the world's second-largest car market. The industry is extraordinarily competitive, but Dominique explains Peugeot again realizes it must be sold in North America to correctly be identified as a global brand.

With the announcement, Jean-Philippe Imparato, Peugeot Brand Chief Executive Officer, said:

“With more than 208 years of history, including two early victories of the Indianapolis 500, Peugeot's international adventure continues with new territories and new challenges. Our clear positioning as the best high-end generalist brand is based on a solid and coherent strategy, which all the teams are eager and proud to bring to the North American customers, with this promise always kept and renewed, to include Peugeot’s Excellence, Allure and Emotion in each of our cars."

Dominique didn't offer a time frame or specific vehicles Peugeot will offer in North America. But he did say it will follow industry trends, which likely means an SUV and a hybrid or and electric vehicle.

With its pending North America re-entry, Peugeot will be offered in approximately 160 countries on five continents. The brand sold more than 1.7 million vehicles in 2018.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

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The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

Alex Guberman is as passionate as anyone about the electric vehicle industry. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman runs E For Electric on YouTube.

Guberman, now driving his third Tesla, is prolific. He produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions.

Alex Guberman, EV master on the YouTube channel E for Electric.

A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Guberman, a native of Moscow, Russia, who moved to the United States with his parents in 1992, his success in the electric vehicle industry.

Guberman is often a guest at electric vehicle debuts around the world and other industry functions.

According to his channel, Guberman provides:

"LIVE daily scoop and analysis of what's happening now in the world of electric cars and the exciting technologies around them.

I cover Tesla and Elon Musk with their best hits of Model S, Model X and Model 3, as well as Chevy Bolt, Lucid Air, Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and many other EVs that are coming out this year!

Among many other topics, we talk with Guberman about Musk and his unique recent behavior. We examine Byton and Rivian, new international start-ups in the electric vehicle industry with connections to Northern California.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

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Please also visit The Weekly Driver's You Tube Channel, here

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

Rivian debuted two concepts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and attracted as much attention as any vehicle at the automotive industry's first major show of the year.

The all-electric concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since. The vehicles' debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales.

The Rivian concept is an all-electric SUV with 0-60 mph speed in 3.0 seconds and a 400-mile range. Image © James Raia/2018

Michael McHale, the company's director of communications, is our guest on this week's episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the pending debut of the vehicles and how the innovated truck and SUV could change the automotive landscape. The company has been touted as a competitor to Tesla, a proposition it welcomes.

Rivian was founded nearly 10 years ago by Mainstream Motors in Florida. Its name was changed to Avera and now Rivian. The SUV and pick-up have beautiful futuristic designs and impressive specs, including a 400-plus mile range and 0-60 miles per hour acceleration in 3.0 seconds.

Among other topics, we also discuss with McHale, how Rivian was named, its eco-friendly mission, level 3 autonomy, pricing and available deposit reservations.

Rivian also has a brand partner relationship with Alex Honnold. The Las Vegas-based mountain climber whose ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite is subject of the movie Free Solo has an environmental-based foundation. Honnold is a past guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Listen here.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play iTunes Spotify Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began in 1966 and since 1990 it has announced a Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Its recently released list for 2019-2020 includes 46 recommendations.

Bruce Landsberg, the board's vice chairman, is our special guest on this week's episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Bruce Landsberg, Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C., is our special guest on episode #74 of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Landsberg, the former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, was confirmed last summer to his position as one of five board members of the independent investigative agency based in Washington, D.C.

A former co-chairman of the runway safety program for the Federal Aviation Administration, Landsberg, will serve a five-year term. He was nominated to the position by the current White House administration.

During The Weekly Driver Podcast's 35-minute interview, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Landsberg many of the top-10 recommendations that affect the automotive industry. We also talk with Landsberg about other current important issues facing the automotive industry.

Here's the Most Wanted List, among the 267 changes, 46 in the next two years, the NTSB is seeking:

* Eliminating distractions;* Ending alcohol and drug impairment;* Ensuring the safe shipment of hazardous materials;* Fully implementing positive train control;* Implementing a comprehensive strategy to reduce speeding-related crashes;* Improving the safety of Part 135 aircraft flight operations;* Increasing implementation of collision avoidance systems in all new highway vehicles;* Reducing fatigue-related accidents;* Requiring medical fitness screening for and treating obstructive sleep apnea, andStrengthening occupant protection;

The NTSB's biennial list serves an agency’s primary advocacy tool to help save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce property damage resulting from transportation accidents.

To learn more about the NTSB’s current transportation safety improvements or the NTSB safety recommendations associated with the list, visit: https://go.usa.gov/xEXR8.

Driving Essentials XE is an interactive and engaging driver training simulation made specifically for Xbox. It teaches new, teenage drivers how to deal with dangerous situations without actually being in danger. The vast majority of all serious teen crashes are due to critical (and preventable) mistakes: lack of judgment, lack of experience and driving distracted.

Bob Davis, the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Driver Interactive, Inc., the manufacturer of the new product, is our guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Driving Essentials XE is a new product to help save teenage drivers' lives.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Davis the soon-to-be-available product and how believes teenaged drivers' lives will be saved.

With its 10-lesson course, the goal Driving XE is to change driving behavior and foster better judgment rapidly. First responders, pilots and surgeons use simulators to improve their skills. Now, teenagers can, too.

And we reach them where they are (first driver training simulation designed for a gaming console).

Virtual Driving Essentials and Driving XE, Davis says, is the answer to a sobering statistic. Sixteen-year-olds are three times more like to be in traffic accidents than other groups and eleven teens die every day as a result of texting and driving.

According to Davis, the company's teenage driver training products, have real-time "life bars" running across the top of the monitors. Safe driving earns you more time and making any errors that increase your likelihood of a crash deduct from your bar as they happen.

Kids don't care about a score after they are done. They care about their score as they drive. Plus, our company cares about keeping teens safe so the "life bar" holds great meaning to all of us.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play iTunes Spotify Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

More than 40 years ago, Top Gear debuted as a monthly, 30-minute magazine-style, automotive-related program on the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was based in Birmingham, England, and the initial episode’s topics included speed traps, fuel economy and strange road signs.

A year later, the program expanded to a weekly format and it was broadcast for nearly a quarter century.

David Ankin (center) and his colleagues from the automotive reality show, ToyMakerz.

Simultaneously, much has changed and not much has changed in automotive programming. Enthusiasts are still as passionate about cars and truck and driving. Speed, fuel usage and bizarre things on the road are all still topics for automotive reality television programs.

Shows like the rekindled version of Top Gear, American Chopper and Monster Garage brought the concept to greater prominence in the early 2000s with the unique personalities of hosts such as Jeremy Clarkson, Paul Teutul, and Jesse James. Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee and Jay Leno’s Garage have captured mainstream audiences with little interest in automobiles.

Nearly every network now has an automotive reality show. At least one program, ToyMakerz, has a star who had no desire to be on television. Which is why, in part, the show is increasingly popular.

The host is David Ankin, a former stuntman, motorcycle racer, fabricator and customizer, and former restaurant owner. He’s catapulted the small city of Reidsville, N.C., where his ToyMakers, Inc. company shop is located, into the national spotlight. The show follows Ankin and his team, including teenage son, as it builds a one-off custom vehicle or enhances an original car.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Ankin on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

“In the big scheme of things, I never wanted to do a TV, ever,” said Ankin. “It was never in my plans. I have friends who have TV shows, but I wasn’t interested, at all. But I had a guy one time tell what a great avenue it is to advertise your business. I started thinking about it for a couple of years, and he was right.”

The third season of ToyMakerz, featuring eight episodes, will debut March 10 on its new network affiliation, DRIVE. It’s a programming block on A+E Networks’ FYI and HISTORY channels.

DRIVE will be broadcast on HISTORY on Sunday mornings from 7 a.m. to noon and Saturday on FYI from 5 p.m. to midnight. The networks are available throughout the extended San Francisco Bay Area.

As the program’s moniker declares: It’s unique toys for big boys. Ankin drives the creations he makes to extremes. Unlike other reality shows, drama isn’t infused into ToyMakerz. Each episode unfolds with plenty. The reality? The show is real.

“There a lot of guys who build things as a piece of art and that’s exactly what it is for me,” said Ankin. “But if you can’t drive it, what good is it? I want to drive everything I have. I build them to drive them. I don’t enter car shows. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I want to drive the cars and I want to drive them hard.”

Episodes in season three will include a twin-seat, front-engine dragster for the street, custom racing drones, and a Willys exhibition car. Legendary NASCAR driver and car owner Richard Petty and actor Dean Cain will be among the guests.

“I live, eat and breath the show,” said Ankin, whose brand includes a sizable social media following, merchandise sales and public appearances.

“You're constantly taking care of your brands, your fans. You’re taking care of the shop, your family life, and you’re taking care of employees. We have 35 of 45 people who work for us. I love what I do. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done and probably the most rewarding.”

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

WalletHub.com does studies, and it does them well. It makes sense because it’s a personal finance website that relies on facts and figures and number crunching for consumers.

In the automotive field, WalletHub has a series of studies, the most recent on the 2019 Best & Worst Cities to Drive in. The numbers are revealing.

WalletHub reports California is among the worst states to driven in.

WalletHub determined that congestion costs the average driver in the United States more than $1,400 per year. The U.S. is ranked 10th in the world in road quality in the recently released study.

The Weekly Driver Podcast is produced in Sacramento, so co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia were particularly interested in how California ranks in different areas.

Consider California’s numbers (1=Best; 25=Ave.):

• 42nd – Share of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion

• 47th – Car Theft Rate

• 49th – Avg. Gas Prices

• 40th – Auto-Maintenance Costs

• 47th – Road Quality

To determine the most driver-friendly states in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to share of rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality. The full study lists the results for all states

Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst, discusses the website’s latest study and how it relates to consumers.

WalletHub also has automotive studies on the following topics:

• Best & Worst Cities to Drive in

• Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers

• Best & Worst Cities for Staycations

• Credit Score & Car Insurance Report

• Strictest And Most Lenient States On DUI

To read the complete results, visit: WalletHub.com

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

John Lamm is a journalist and photographer who has worked for decades for many of the automotive industry's most prestigious magazines. He's also the author of several books, including the new release, Supercar Revolution: The Fastest Cars Of All Time.

Sub-titled "The one-stop guide to world-class supercar and their battle for ultimate performance and supremacy," Lamm's coffee-table-sized volume is essential for anyone who admires, dreams of, or owns a supercar of their own.

Journalist, photographer John Lamm has a new book, Supercar Revolution.

The veteran journalist is our guest on episode #70 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. It's also our first episode on video. It will be posted separately.

Lamm's book is cleverly organized by decades but also by m.p.h.

“Section 1: The First Wave, 1967-1978” features the first supercars in the 150-190 m.p.h range., including the Lamborghini Miura and Countach.

“Section 2: The Group B Connection, 1983-1991” includes supercars that can run 163-220 m.p.h and features the likes of the Ferrari F40, Acura NSX and The Vector.

“Section 3: The Modern Supercar Era 1992-Present” features the fastest of all, supercars that go 190-250 m.p.h., and includes the McLaren F1, Bugatti Veyron, Ford GT, Pagani Huayra and more.

Bruce and I discuss with Lamm the book-writing process and his long tenure as an automotive journalist and photographer. We also discuss his relationships with icons of the automotive world, including comedian Jay Leno. The book includes a feature on Leno, host of Jay Leno’s Garage and one of the world's best-known automotive collectors and enthusiasts.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

All podcast episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play iTunes Spotify Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

Support our podcast by shopping for Lamm's book or any other purchase on our affiliate program on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

Tyler Swedensky is the new car manager at Future Ford in Sacramento, California, and he's good at what he does.

With co-host Bruce Aldrich driving and me observing as a back- seat passenger, Swedensky recently took us for a test drive and preview of the 2019 Ford Edge ST.

The 2019 Ford Edge ST is the manufacturer's new performance SUV. Image © Bruce Aldrich/2019

Ford is marketing the new vehicle as its first performance SUV, and Swedensky is our guest on this week's episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

After our ride, Bruce and I asked our guest about the Edge ST from the offices of the Sacramento dealership. He explained the SUV's innovative Co-Pilot 360. It's a suite of standard driver- assist technologies. Features include a blind spot information system, lane keeping system, enhanced active park assist and automatic emergency braking with Pedestrian Detection.

Ford motto's for the SUV: "The Edge ST has the feel of an SUV with the heart of a sports car."

We also discussed with our guest the future of Ford as one of several manufacturers, emphasizing their SUV and truck lineups and shrinking or eliminating the sale of sedans.

And we also discussed some of Ford's vehicles and what the manufacturer may do next.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.

Max Mack has owned his share of vehicles. Like other car enthusiasts, he appreciates fast cars and automobile history, and he likes to associate with like-minded individuals.

It's why the Sacramento businessman began Driven to Drive. Mack organizes social meet-ups among car enthusiasts and businesses around Northern California — wineries to urban locales. It a great way to mix and share automobiles stories and with support from regional businesses.

Max Mack is the owner of Driven to Drive in Sacramento.

Mack is our guest on episode #68 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Mack about his new business, his long-time interest in cars, membership in the organization and plans for Driven to Drive in 2019.

Driven to Drive’s mission statement: “We love cars. We love driving cars. We are Driven to Drive! Whether you roll a brand new performance or luxury whip or sport a rare, exotic or vintage pony,  join us at cool, memorable venues throughout the region. We aim to introduce valued business partners to support your automobile, personal and professional lifestyles. Start your engines and let's go!”

In our second segment, we review 2018 and our varied podcast subjects. We broadcast every week (with a few exceptions) and we've interviewed athletes, industry experts, manufacturer representatives and innovators. Bruce and I revisit one podcast for every month of last year.

The Weekly Driver encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friend and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All episodes of the podcast are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform:

Google Play

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

The Weekly Driver Podcast is presented by www.americanmuscle.com.