Shift: A podcast about mobility

Adam Barowy, the principal research engineer for the UL Research Institute’s Fire Safety Research Institute, joins Molly Boigon, Automotive News tech and innovation reporter, on the “Shift” podcast to discuss how automakers can reduce risks surrounding electric vehicle fires by changing how battery packs are manufactured.

Barowy explains how electric vehicles don’t burn all that differently from internal combustion engine vehicles. But, even though fires behave similarly in both powertrains, EV fires are difficult for firefighters to put out because the battery pack is hermetically sealed.

Automakers have the opportunity to get ahead of the p...

John Pelliccio, the global product marketing director for QNX, joins the “Shift” podcast to discuss how vehicle sound systems are becoming more customizable.

Pelliccio explains how QNX is streamlining audio systems to cut costs and give consumers the ability to personalize how they listen to music.

Audio could be the next differentiator between automakers as new sound systems transform consumer experience — but that requires moving audio onto the main chip in a software-defined vehicle. 

Andrew Garberson, the head of growth and electric vehicle research at Recurrent, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to discuss why EV prices are creeping up.

Garberson explains how EV price appreciation is not the result of a supply shortage, but seems to be a combination of affordability, high gas prices and incoming lease-return supply. 

Philipp Kampshoff, a senior partner at McKinsey, and Moritz Rittstieg, a partner at McKinsey, join Automotive News reporter Laurence Iliff on the “Shift” podcast to discuss the electric vehicle market and the stakes of range and charging anxiety. 

Kamshoff and Rittstieg also spoke about top consumer concerns when considering an EV and the benefits of the hybrids and extended-range EVs coming to the market.

Aseem Kapur, chief revenue officer at GM Energy, joins Hannah Lutz, assistant managing editor of content, on the “Shift” podcast. 

Kapur describes GM Energy’s strategy for home and public electric vehicle charging. Kapur also explains how the General Motors subsidiary will capitalize on demand for energy that goes beyond driving a car. He discusses the energy opportunity from AI data centers and how GM EV owners can use their vehicles to power their homes. 

John Heinlein, CMO at Sonatus, joins Molly Boigon, Automotive News reporter, on the “Shift” podcast to discuss the new developments in open-source platforms for software-defined vehicles.

Heinlein also explains how automakers can use vehicle data to predict maintenance issues and avoid recalls, even as software issues continue to beset manufacturers. 

Nakul Duggal, executive vice president and group general manager for automotive, industrial and robotics at Qualcomm, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence agents in vehicles will be able to execute financial transactions for drivers.

Duggal explains why he believes Qualcomm is slated to become the top silicon supplier to the auto industry and why he thinks satellite connectivity has a promising future.

Manuela Locarno Ajayi, senior vice president of product engineering at TomTom, joins Hannah Lutz, Automotive News assistant managing editor, on the “Shift” podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence is contributing to real-time mapping with lane-level precision.

Locarno Ajayi also explains how TomTom is building drivers’ trust in AI and how automakers are reacting to the new lane-level mapping.

Siyu Huang, CEO and founder of Factorial Energy, joins joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to discuss solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. 

Huang explains why the batteries make EVs lighter and less expensive and how geopolitical tensions play into the batteries’ future. 

Loren McDonald, CEO of Chargenomics, joins Jerry Hirsch, Automotive News managing editor, content, on the “Shift” podcast to talk about why Ford’s F-150 Lightning underperformed expectations.

He also explains why the automaker’s plans for a midsize electric pickup may hit the sweet spot for some consumers.

Richard Ward, executive director of the American Vehicle Owners Alliance, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about the debate in Congress over ownership of vehicle data.

He also explains why a coalition of fleets, repair shops and insurers are interested in broadening access to telematics and other information from the vehicle.

Andrew Chapin, COO at Nuro, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about why he thinks robotaxis won’t become a commodity.

He also explains why Nuro is diversifying its business, including investments in logistics and personal autonomy, amid losses at Lucid, its robotaxi manufacturing partner. 

Elena Ciccotelli, host of the “EVs For Everyone” podcast, and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, join Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how April’s used electric vehicle sales grew 17 percent year over year.

They also discuss how China is exporting EVs at an increasingly rapid clip.

Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer at Volvo Cars, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how organizational changes at Volvo have helped it accelerate its development of software-defined vehicles.

He also explains how the automaker is localizing operations to keep up with China’s integrated supply chains.

Alex Oyler, consulting director at SBD Automotive, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about whether traditional automakers can keep up with the pure-play electric vehicle manufacturers on software-defined vehicles.

He also explains how some companies end up stagnant by marrying old and new in the same vehicle.

Eric Jesse, managing director at Boston Consulting Group, joins Automotive News deputy editor and electric vehicles reporter Lindsay VanHulle on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how automakers can find “white space” to win in different powertrain segments.

He also says some automakers have taken themselves out of the game too soon by abandoning alternative propulsion methods.

Stephan Keese, senior partner at Roland Berger North America, joins Automotive News tech and innovation reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how the Iran war is constricting the supply of helium used to manufacture for manufacturing semiconductors.

He also says the shortage may push automakers further towards internal combustion engines and hybrids because they contain fewer advanced electronics that require chips.

Kristin Poland, deputy director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Highway Safety, joins Automotive News tech and innovation reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about why the board began its investigation into Ford BlueCruise. 

She also explains how the auto industry is misleading consumers about advanced driver-assistance systems through marketing.

John Bozzella, the CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, joins Automotive News tech and innovation reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about why the Alliance is calling for eliminating the government’s 18.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax.

He also explains what the federal government should be doing to encourage the development of alternative powertrains. 

Dennis Fritsch, the executive vice president of the safety and motion division at Aumovio, joins Automotive News managing editor Jerry Hirsch on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how the company is eliminating the need for hydraulics with dry braking.

He also explains why electric vehicles offer some advantages for incorporating new safety technologies.

Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at Nvidia, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how automakers can pick and choose parts of Nvidia’s automotive business, including training and simulation tools.

He also explains why automakers might choose a graphics processing unit-based system despite the additional power draw.

Mohammad Fatouraie, director of the engineering and power solutions division at Bosch, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how suppliers plan for scenarios such as lower-than-expected sales volumes for electric vehicles.

He also explains the extent to which partners and customers are willing to work within the constraints of standardized packaging and design for components that can be used across powertrains.

“Shift” podcast co-host Molly Boigon gets help from Mike Quinn, managing director and partner with Boston Consulting Group, to explain how vehicles connect to the Internet.

She and Jake Neher, the executive producer of audio at Automotive News, discuss how vehicles rely on a cellular module that will need to be swapped out as generations of the cellular network are sunset.

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.

Ryan Falor, director of AV/ADAS data at GM, and Jason Ekelmann, manager of the advanced vehicle integration team at GM, join Automotive News reporter Lindsay VanHulle on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how the automaker is leveraging its shuttered Cruise robotaxi venture and Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist technology to build an eyes-off system for 2028.

They also explain why GM is taking a nationwide testing approach and using manual data collection, simulation and supervised driving to build and evaluate test the systems.

RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s CEO, joins Automotive News reporter Laurence Iliff on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how the automaker is spending more on R&D for autonomy than in any other area.

He also explains why the company is still focused on personal autonomy during a broader robotaxi boom.

RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s CEO, joins Automotive News reporter Laurence Iliff on the “Shift” podcast to talk about how Rivian reduced its tariff impacts from thousands of dollars to the “low hundreds of dollars” per vehicle. 

He also explains how Rivian is building a platform that will be prepared for autonomy to redefine vehicle ownership.

Kameale Terry, CEO of ChargerHelp, joins Hannah Lutz, director of technology and innovation coverage at Automotive News, on the “Shift” podcast. Terry breaks down a major issue for electric vehicle chargers: software failure.

“We just need to understand that these assets that we’re working with are connected devices,” she said. “The same level of rigor and best practices that we see in other industries that use IT, we should be applying that to charging.”

Terry also explains why the charging industry needs more standardization and consumer education.

Michael Berube, Calstart’s new CEO and a former leader at the U.S. Department of Energy, joins Automotive News reporter Molly Boigon on the Shift podcast to talk about how states are filling in the gaps in federal support for the electric vehicle transition.

He explains how stakeholders, including nonprofits and the public sector, can help dealers be prepared to answer frequently asked questions about EVs. 

Erin Keating, senior director of economic and industry insights at Cox Automotive, joins Automotive News reporter Laurence Iliff on the “Shift” podcast to explain how the EV tax credit sales drop is more complex than it seems — automakers pulled back on production in anticipation of slumping demand. 

“You can’t sell what you don’t have,” she said.

Keating discusses how automakers are courting a more receptive electric vehicle buyer and how the industry can get to price parity with internal combustion engine vehicles.

Jennifer Tisdale, senior director of strategic engagements, North America, at Upstream Security joins Hannah Lutz, Automotive News director of technology and innovation coverage, on the Shift podcast to explain. 

Tisdale breaks down what’s possible versus vs. what’s probable in a vehicle cyberattack, and she explains how evolving automaker-supplier collaboration and clear standards will help reshape cybersecurity.