Hey Listeners,

This week we join the fray and pile on Tesla. The Washington Post, Consumer Reports and even Tech Crunch point out how Tesla's autopilot and full self driving is pricey garbage. Plus Fred does a deep dive into his New Years Resolution for the automotive industry.

This weeks links:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/31/tesla-autopilot-recall-test/?itid=ap_geoffreya.fowler
• https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/opinions/tesla-autopilot-recall-safety-wallace?cid=ios_app
• https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/28/how-tesla-bmw-ford-gm-and-mercedes-driver-assist-systems-compare/
• https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/122723teslasafetyflawsletter.pdf
• https://jalopnik.com/first-cybertruck-crash-on-public-roads-leaves-humans-in-1851130345
• https://www.autosafety.org/fred-perkins-2024-new-years-resolutions/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V901-8581.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V877-5210.PDF

It's the end of the year. Drive safe and is Waymo safer than a human? Probably not but thanks for sharing the data. Tesla has another recall and continues to blame it's customers when their car breaks. The Blazer EV might be a lemon, Fred dives further into the ARC airbag problem and we discuss some recalls.

This weeks links:

• https://waymo-blog.blogspot.com/2023/12/waymo-significantly-outperforms.html
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/12/human-drivers-crash-a-lot-more-than-waymos-software-data-shows/
• https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/23/24013357/2024-chevy-blazer-ev-stop-sale-software-problems
• https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/toyota-small-car-maker-daihatsu-shuts-japan-factories-105915074
• https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/20/tesla-autopilot-recall-consumer-reports/?trk=feed-detail_main-feed-card_reshare_feed-article-content
• https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/20/tesla-blamed-drivers-for-failures-of-parts-it-long-knew-were-defective.html
• https://www.autosafety.org/lemon-laws/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V858-4744.PDF
• https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-recalls-certain-2020-2022-toyota-and-lexus-vehicles/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V862-1183.PDF
• https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=35710

Tesla dominates the auto safety world this week and on this podcast that is a bad thing. First Tesla recalls almost every car they've ever produced. Then their lawyers cause the Tesla flock to cry by admitting that AutoPilot and Full Self Driving are nothing more than corporate puffery (at $12,000 that's gotta hurt) and finally an insurance study shows that Tesla drivers are more likely to get into a crash than drivers of any other vehicles. I wonder what Earth will have to say about all of this?

This weeks links:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/16/tesla-autopilot-recall/
• https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/teslas-autopilot-system-sparked-lawsuits-before-the-recall-970cfe4e
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/virginia-sheriffs-office-says-tesla-was-running-on-autopilot-moments-before-tractor-trailer-crash/ar-AA1lp6Zy
• https://jalopnik.com/tesla-drivers-have-more-car-crashes-than-anyone-else-s-1851110889
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/10/tesla-autopilot-crash/
• https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/tesla-fights-autopilot-false-advertising-claim-with-free-speech-argument/
• https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/disgraced-nikola-founder-trevor-milton-gets-4-year-sentence-for-lying-about-evs/
• https://jalopnik.com/mercedes-turquoise-automated-driving-lights-level-3-1851110043
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/stellantis-makes-a-big-bet-on-ev-battery-swapping-in-new-deal-with-ample/ar-AA1l9r3t
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V801-2565.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V807-5655.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V830-3081.PDF
• https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/

This week we are joined by Dr. Jeffrey Wishart. He's got over 20 years experience in the advanced transportation space and is author of the book, "Fundamentals of Connected and Automated Vehicles". If you want to learn more about things like V2X, level 2, 3 and 4 autonomous driving systems this is the episode for you.

Plus in listener mail Michael dispels the myth that we are funded by big auto or that we were never picked last in gym.

This weeks links:

• https://www.sae.org/publications/books/content/r-489/
• https://www.autosafety.org/av-bill-of-rights/
• https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/

Takata is back in the news for another round of defects. Anthony learns that seatbelts are regulated and tend not to fail but airbags are not regulated and hence why we keep hearing about defects. Senator Markey asks car companies to explain why they are collecting so much data and what they are doing with it. California is making diagnostic ports on EVs standardized which is good but they are still falling down when it comes to self driving trucks which is bad. And Fred explains desiccants.

This weeks links:

• https://apnews.com/article/bmw-recall-air-bags-takata-explode-metal-fragments-244910a30410638dca6ccd8582e8010c
• https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-agency-watch-unrecalled-takata-inflators-after-blows-105372878
• https://www.autosafety.org/center-for-auto-safety-statement-on-nhtsas-decision-not-to-recall-dessicated-takata-airbags/
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/12/automakers-data-privacy-practices-are-unacceptable-says-us-senator/
• https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/electric-vehicles-are-less-reliable-than-conventional-cars-a1047214174/
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/12/why-dont-evs-have-standard-diagnostic-ports-and-when-will-that-change/
• https://jalopnik.com/first-road-in-the-u-s-that-charges-your-ev-while-you-d-1851065122
• https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/gms-cruise-ordered-by-california-regulator-to-testify-about-october-incident-554c0e88
• https://www.theverge.com/23981006/autonomous-truck-semi-driverless-aurora-kodiak-infrastructure
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V787-2073.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V799-6472.PDF
• https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/takata-fraunhoferict-research_summary.pdf

Cars keep getting heavier and heavier and the laws of physics stay the same. This week the CyberTruck is finally, maybe, let loose on the world. This is another ginormous vehicle that weighs too much and it doesn't care. Anthony learns, again, that most cars are never crash tested, used car dealers can sell cars with known recalls, GM Cruise gets one more nail in it's coffin and Fred reads us stories of turkeys stuffed with candy. It's fun one.

This weeks links:

• https://www.autosafety.org/enormous-electric-vehicles/
• https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicles-with-higher-more-vertical-front-ends-pose-greater-risk-to-pedestrians
• https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/11/24/23968777/used-cars-recalls-safety-carmax-autonation-carfax-carvana-nhtsa-certified-preowned
• https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/20/2023-25519/federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-v2v-communications
• https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/behind-teslas-challenges-in-making-the-cybertruck-ultrahard-stainless-steel-8cb4c1b9?st=pa114ykogqrgao1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
• https://jalopnik.com/toyota-truck-ads-banned-for-showing-off-roading-1851042154
• https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/gms-cruise-draws-plans-to-resume-a-downsized-robotaxi-service-1596d93c?st=46yqv5wcls4hwex&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V782-1271.PDF
• https://berkshireeagle-ma.newsmemory.com/?publink=0dfafe99a_134adf7
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qxTKtlvaVE

Fred is off this week but Michael and I push on. Did you know that driving on Thanksgiving is more dangerous than driving on the mad shopping day of Black Friday?

The NTSB suggests that NHTSA make ISA a thing. Gotta love those acronyms. Basically one safety regulator is asking a different safety regulator to put in a system to alert drivers that they are going to fast. Speaking of NHTSA for 50 years they've not delivered on a seat back safety standard that would prevent passengers in the back seat from getting crushed by the front seats.

We bid adieu to tech-bro Kyle Vogt formerly of GM Cruise as he got to resign instead of being fired. We'll miss his hubris.

Listeners let us know if you've ever had to speed in an emergency.

This weeks links:

• https://www.concordmonitor.com/newcm/2023/11/thanksgiving-black-friday-accidents-52940030.php
• https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20231114.aspx
• https://www.fastcompany.com/90985257/you-shouldnt-be-driving-over-100-mph-and-your-car-shouldnt-let-you
• https://www.wuft.org/news/2023/11/17/new-road-safety-report-shows-reduced-pedestrian-fatalities-using-speed-detection-systems/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nhtsa-misses-new-safety-regulation-deadline/
• https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-prepares-to-turn-the-heated-front-seats-and-wipers-into-paid-features-224519.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/19/technology/cruise-ceo-kyle-vogt-quits.html
• https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxjbx5/cruise-exec-omitted-pedestrian-dragging-in-summary-of-self-driving-car-incident-to-california-dmv-email-shows
• https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/gm-cruise-driverless-car-vogt-a47d63a2
• https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/21/cruise-san-francisco-crash-lobbyist-gavin-newsom/
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/12/auto-glass-florida-insurance/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V751-4249.PDF

This week Michael and Anthony claim to be visited by the deep state (or just happen to be around helicopters) and Fred has his voice replaced by an AI (head cold). Could it be GM? Nah, they are too busy putting a lawyer in charge of their GM Cruise division. Anyone got the over/under on whether their CEO Kyle will make it to the end of year? Lucky for him American corporations tend let people fail upwards.

Did you know that anti-lock brakes are not required on motorcycles? And that lots of people don't want the ability for their car to be remotely disabled. What if they are drunk? Would it be good or bad to prevent a car from starting if their driver were impaired?

The Tesla whistleblower is dealing with retaliation for telling Elon that his factory is unsafe, Fred nerds out on road lane width, we discuss the dumbness of the Ram Charger EV and a couple of recalls.

This weeks links:

• https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/14/gm-inserts-exec-at-cruise-as-safety-review-expands-manual-self-driving-paused/
• https://theintercept.com/2023/11/06/cruise-self-driving-cars-children/
• https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/large-pickups-offer-strong-side-protection-but-falter-in-back-seat-safety
• https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/its-past-time-to-require-abs-on-all-motorcycles-iihs-hldi-petition-argues
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/editorial-why-are-people-worried-about-automotive-kill-switch-mandates/ar-AA1jyyx2
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/business/tesla-whistleblower-elon-musk.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/11/bmw-subaru-and-porsche-drivers-more-likely-to-cause-a-crash-study-finds
• https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/06/the-2025-ram-ramcharger-is-an-electric-truck-that-gets-its-ev-juice-from-a-gas-powered-generator/
• https://narrowlanes.americanhealth.jhu.edu/
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11/rivian-apologizes-to-customers-after-infotainment-bricking-ota-update/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V743-2081.PDF

GM Cruise is on a death watch. They no longer have non-driverless cars, they've recalled all of their cars so that they don't drag humans caught underneath them and they stopped production of their contender for worlds ugliest car, the Cruise Origin. To date this has only cost GM a few billion dollars. How much more will they burn?

Another Cybertruck is spotted in the wild, more reports of Tesla's ADAS systems being more hazard than help, Mercedes issues a recall for 8 cars and listener mail has Fred do some math on the cost of ownership of an EV vs an ICE vs a Hybrid car.

This weeks links:

• https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/consumer-alert-steering-wheel-decorative-emblem-decals
• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38145062
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/technology/cruise-general-motors-self-driving-cars.html
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RMISC-23E086-4326.pdf
• https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/britain-says-automakers-will-be-liable-for-selfdriving-crashes-not-owners-432SI-3225348
• https://insideevs.com/news/694929/tesla-cybertruck-matte-black-impressions/
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/07/super-fog-new-orleans-car-crashes
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/here-s-why-tesla-s-autopilot-isn-t-the-best-adas-currently/ar-AA1cIf9G
• https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-full-self-driving-helpless-cameras-fog-up-cold-weather
• https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/YDC-Brochure_2023-FINAL-8.30.23-.pdf
• https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2023-11-03/toyota-is-not-advising-people-to-park-recalled-rav4-suvs-outdoors-despite-reports-of-engine-fires
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2019/INCLA-PE19012-12269.pdf
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V733-6826.PDF

Time to pour some out for the poor folks at GM Cruise as they take time to reflect on how they can better earn the public's trust. We suggest not dragging people under your car and lying about it to regulators. On the plus side lying to NHTSA will hopefully make NHTSA a little more proactive in their investigations into this company. Might make the GM Cruise investors a little more proactive too. Toyota has been slow to move into the EV market and now they are having an, "I told you so" moment as EV's are not selling as well as expected. At the same time Toyota is putting a fake clutch and shifter into their EV because one good idea deserves to be followed up by one dumb idea? We dig into how safety inspections need to be updated for ADAS and self driving vehicles. And how exactly is a self driving car with no pedals or steering wheel going to get itself to an inspection station? Plus recall roundup.

This weeks links:

• https://apnews.com/article/cruise-robotaxi-suspends-operations-gm-73f27ef959afe1e201e61f0fd31802d5
• https://safeautonomy.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-snapshot-of-cruise-crash-reporting.html
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/honda-cancels-plan-for-cheap-electric-vehicles-ending-collaboration-with-gm/
• https://www.carscoops.com/2023/10/toyota-chairman-says-people-are-finally-seeing-reality-of-evs/
• https://www.businessinsider.com/auto-executives-coming-clean-evs-arent-working-2023-10
• https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23939076/norway-electric-vehicle-cars-evs-tesla-oslo
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-app-storebut-for-carsmay-not-be-far-off-df82503
• https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/toyota-has-built-an-ev-with-a-fake-transmission-and-weve-driven-it/
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V718-8025.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V719-7656.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V708-4418.PDF
• https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V704-6233.PDF