Episode 162 - 2023 Ford Expedition, 2023 Lexus UX 250h, exclusive with Tonny Kraatz from GM

General Motors has been gathering many plaudits for its Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, but soon it will be supplemented by the even more sophisticated Ultra Cruise. To go in-depth on the intricacies of Ultra Cruise, our special guest this week is Tonny Kraatz, assistant chief engineer on the program.

Super Cruise is a highway-only system approved for hundreds of thousands of miles in the United States, but it lacks the door-to-door self-driving abilities of Ultra Cruise. In our interview, Kraatz will describe the nuances in detail and also point out how GM’s introduction strategy differs markedly from some other carmakers, including Tesla Motors.

In the news, true crime is our top story this week. A former Apple engineer has been charged with attempting to steal self-driving tech from his company and give it to his new employer. And the former Audi CEO has pled guilty to fraudulent negligence in the wake of the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal.

Of more importance day to day, car makers are pushing back on the proposed Environment Protection Agency standards that would require a swift transition from conventional vehicles to battery electrics. They cite supply chain issues, high costs, and lack of consumer demand as key reasons the EPA proposals are unrealistic.

On the safety front, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking for the recall of 67 million airbag inflators because it believes there is a safety defect. We’ll give you details so you can see if your vehicle might be affected.

In this week’s road test segment, co-host Chris Teague will detail his family’s weeklong experience with the 2023 Ford Expedition Limited. Host Jack Nerad will examine the Lexus UX 250h, a small hybrid-only luxury crossover.