Drop me a text and let me know what you think of this episode!
The automotive industry continues its fascinating evolution as manufacturers navigate multiple pathways toward sustainable transportation. This episode explores how different technologies are finding their unique applications across various sectors of the mobility industry.
Honda's iconic Civic celebrates its legacy with the introduction of its first-ever hybrid hatchback. Delivering an impressive 200 horsepower while achieving 50 mpg in the city, this American-made compact combines practicality with driving enjoyment. Priced under $33,000, it represents an accessible entry point into electrified transportation without the range anxiety associated with full EVs.
Meanwhile, hydrogen technology persists as a tantalizing alternative fuel source despite minimal consumer adoption. With just 593 hydrogen vehicles sold in the United States last year, manufacturers like Toyota and Hyundai continue to develop primarily for commercial applications. Long-haul trucking emerges as hydrogen's most promising frontier, where the weight limitations of batteries make full electrification impractical. This strategic patience contrasts sharply with companies like Stellantis, whose delay of the electric Ram 1500 until 2027 may ultimately save billions in capital expenditures during this transitional market period.
The recreational vehicle segment demonstrates how electrification extends beyond traditional transportation. The Grounded G3 electric RV, developed by former SpaceX engineers, offers a 246-mile range, along with innovative features such as self-heating batteries, rooftop solar panels, and vehicle-to-home power export capabilities. Although premium-priced between $165,000 and $200,000, it represents the cutting edge of sustainable adventure travel.
These diverse approaches underscore a crucial reality: there is no single solution to the environmental challenges of transportation. Each technology finds its most suitable application based on specific use cases, available infrastructure, and consumer preferences. Join us as we explore this multifaceted transition, which is reshaping how we navigate our world.
Looking for more mobility insights? Call our hotline at 872-222-9793 or email talk@techmobilityshow.com with your questions and topic suggestions!
Be sure to tell your friends to tune in to The TechMobility Podcast!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my insights and
review of the 2025 Honda CivicHybrid Hatchback, and actually
that should read Honda CivicSport Hybrid Hatchback.
The challenges ofhydrogen-powered cars and
introducing the grounded G3electric EV and that should be
(00:32):
RV.
Having some issues with thecoffee this week, folks, but
we're okay To join theconversation by sharing an
opinion, asking a question, evensuggesting a topic for future
discussion.
Call or text the TechMobilityhotline, that number, as always
and I got this right, I assureyou 872-222-9793.
(00:54):
Or you can email the showdirectly.
Talk at techmobilityshow.
For those of you on Substack,you can find me there too.
Ken C, iowa that's K-E-N, theletter C I-O-W-A.
I am there as a proud member ofthe Iowa Writers Collaborative
(01:17):
and I'm just in the midst of alot of great writers and people
that are really neat with a lotof cool stuff.
You should definitely check itout From the Tech Mobility News
Desk.
Let me start with a littleautomotive manufacturing news.
I've been picking on Stellantisfor a long time and picked on
(01:43):
them right up until their formerchairman became the former
chairman and now they're kind ofin a rebuild mode.
And I think this is where Istop and I shout out to a friend
of mine who just came back toStellantis.
She is a big time executive andthey brought her in over at
Jeep.
I've known Wendy Orthman foryears personally and it's great.
(02:05):
It is a great sign thatStellantis gets it by the kind
of people they're bringing backto the fold.
And having Wendy come back toStellantis is amazing, by the
way.
So, wendy, if you're hearingthis, welcome home.
Meanwhile we talked about EVsand we talked about how the
industry and customer demand isa little funky, and we talked
(02:39):
about how, in the past, that Ramwas going to be the last of
what we used to call the bigthree to actually field an EV
pickup truck.
First it was going to be 2025.
Then it's going to be next year, and now production of the
all-electric Ram 1500, which wasfirst unveiled two years ago,
is going to be delayed againuntil the summer of 2027 and
(03:00):
will be a 2028 model year truck.
It marks the second delay forthe pickup, which initially had
been slated to launch in 2024before being pushed to 2026.
Here's the thing Stellantis gotfortunate in that by being last
, they may actually savehundreds of millions of dollars
(03:23):
by being able to defer this.
Now, automakers changeproduction plans.
All the time, ford's modifiedsome plans about what they were
going to build.
Nissan has actually axed acouple of vehicles they were
planning to build that were EVs.
But more often than not rightnow particularly Ford and GM
they're up into their eyeballsin capital expenditures.
(03:44):
Ford converted an entire plantto build the EV light, their
F-150 Lightning.
They built a Ford MustangMach-E, which I just had one
last week.
It was a lot of fun, but it'snot selling at the volumes they
had projected when they made thebusiness case to build those
plants and auto assembly plants.
(04:05):
You don't build for a million ortwo.
You're looking at hundreds ofmillions and even a few billion,
and that really puts a hit onyour profitability and your
profit line if you're notbuilding according to the
numbers that you anticipated.
And right now the FordLightning ain't selling the way
they anticipated.
And right now the FordLightning ain't selling the way
(04:25):
they anticipated the ChevySilverado EV, gmc Sierra EV
which, by the way, anotheramazing vehicle that I will be
doing a review on in the weeksto come and you're going to want
to stick around for that.
Yeah, it was $100,000, but ohmy God, put a pin in that.
(04:47):
We'll come back to it.
But again, these vehicles arenot selling at the level that
when the business case was madetwo to three years ago that you
know they budgeted for, it'sjust not happening as a result.
Stellantis, looking at the layof the land, is able to stall
some of that and not be thatmuch money.
(05:07):
They haven't converted a plantyet.
That right there will save themalmost a billion dollars.
They haven't ramped up and didall that stuff and got inventory
out there that now they have toheavily discount to get dealers
to sell it.
They're not going to fall intothat trap and in the end that
helps everybody to get dealersto sell it.
They're not going to fall intothat trap and in the end that
helps everybody.
(05:28):
Not to mention that, yes, bywaiting they were able to see
what everybody else was doingand do better.
Now they're going to even beable to do still better because
when theirs comes out it's theirfirst venture, which will be
better than the other automakerswho started coming out, like
Ford did in 21, chevy did in 23,and they're kind of locked in
(05:48):
to their first generation forfive or six years.
Ram comes out totally freshtowards the end of the decade,
so it's not a bad thing.
So again you know they'restarting to make the kind of
tough decisions that they needto make, and this Automotive
News article continues.
The automaker's slower and moreflexible approach to EV
(06:10):
manufacturing reduces exposureas compared to competitors Ford
Motor and General Motors, like Ijust said, which both dedicated
entire factories solely toelectric pickups with high
volume expectations that haven'tpanned out, solely to electric
pickups with high volumeexpectations that haven't panned
out.
Bear in mind, those pickupsthat they're building in Factory
(06:30):
Zero in what used to be calledHamtramck, a part of Detroit,
are carrying very highfive-figure numbers to build.
I mean, the Chevy Silverado EVhad a sticker price of almost
$80,000.
The Ford Lightning, the FordF-150 Lightning, same thing.
They were high.
(06:54):
The GMC Hummer EV, when it cameout, was $116,000.
The Cadillac Escalade IQ and Ijust drove one of those about
two months ago Amazing vehicle,but it starts at $140,000, and
(07:17):
the one I drove was $167,000.
It was like being in a businessclass of an airliner, but yeah,
$167,000.
No, they're not selling thesethings in the tens of thousands.
And because you've got all thatfixed overhead sitting there,
the employees, the suppliers,all of that, that's hard out of
pocket, particularly if you're asupplier, a mid-range supplier,
that committed to the program,made the investment at a certain
(07:40):
volume level and based yourprofit and your expenses and
your staffing, and all that atthe level GM told you for this
program that you bid and won,and now you're coming in at less
than a quarter of those sales.
Yeah, by contract there's somemake goods GM has to do out of
pocket.
The suppliers don't swallow itall.
(08:03):
They're going to swallow someof it but not all of it, and
that messes with your bottomline and Stellantis, to their
credit, to their wisdom, heldoff.
They held off and in fact funnything they're actually rushing
some V8 engines back intoproduction because of the
changing mix that they weren'tgoing to build.
Now they're going to build them.
(08:24):
So we'll see what happens withthat.
But I'm anxious to see how thathappens.
But stay tuned.
2027, we got two years.
On another subject, let me talkabout railroads for a minute and
hybrid locomotives for a minute.
We've talked about Norfolk,southern.
(08:46):
We've talked about CSX, we'vetalked about Burlington,
northern Santa Fe.
Now we're going to talk aboutUniPacific and this is from
Progressive Railroading Magazine, and they're talking about
their collaboration with acompany called ZTR and they'll
shortly be testing the first oftheir six hybrid switch
(09:07):
locomotives in a working railyard.
Basically, they're getting readythe diesel engine of the
traditional hybrid.
Actually, most people don'trealize that your actual diesel
locomotive is actually dieselelectric.
The diesel engine in theselocomotives don't turn the
(09:28):
wheels, they turn a generatorwhich turns an electric motor
that turns the wheels.
The hybrids they're going tonow gets rid of that engine,
gets rid of the carbon pollutingdiesel motor, going to
batteries instead, going tosomething different, going to
natural gas.
They will be evaluating thesefor performance and cost.
(09:50):
These hybrid locomotives canoperate either on a traditional
diesel engine or stored batterypower, with the battery
recharging during engineoperation.
Pretty cool.
Next is my review of the HondaCivic Hybrid Hatchback.
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Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
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I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:28):
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Speaker 1 (12:24):
More room, more power , more luxury More Civic For
less than you think, ask yourHonda dealer about the full line
of new Civics.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He'll tell you more.
Bear in mind that when that adplayed, the Honda Civic had been
in production 23 years had beenin production by that time 23
years.
It actually came out in 1972.
That is an ad from 1995.
Talking about more, and thatyear 1995, they brought out the
(13:09):
next generation Civic.
So it was brand new for thatyear and it's considered to be
one of the most iconic vehiclesin automotive history and one of
Honda's best sellers, with over28 million sold through 2024.
Sellers with over 28 millionsold through 2024.
(13:36):
The Civic Hybrid was firstintroduced in Japan in December
2001, with its US debut in thespring of 2002.
As a 2003 model, it used theautomaker's integrated motor
assist system that hadoriginally been developed for
the smaller Insight.
The second generation of theCivic Hybrid moved to a new
platform in 2006, and it alsogained the ability for low-speed
EV-only operation at that time.
(13:56):
In 2013, production of theCivic Hybrid moved from Japan to
a Honda manufacturing facilityin Greensburg, indiana, where
it's built today.
Manufacturing facility inGreensburg, indiana, where it's
built today.
The 11th generation of thecurrent generation of the Honda
Civic was revealed in June 2021.
Refreshed for the 2025 modelyear, the Civic Hatchback is
(14:20):
available in three trim levelsSport, sport Hybrid and Sport
Touring Hybrid.
My impressions for the purposeof this review are about the
Civic Sport Hybrid model.
The Sport Hybrid features thepowerful and efficient Honda
2-motor hybrid electric system,a combination of a 2-liter
4-cylinder gasoline engine andan electric motor delivering a
(14:43):
combined 200 horsepower and 232foot-pounds of torque.
Combined 200 horsepower and 232foot-pounds of torque.
Linear shift control elevatesthe driving experience by
mimicking the vehicle'sspeed-linked rev feel typically
associated with a conventionaldrivetrain shifting gears under
acceleration.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 50.
City 45.
(15:04):
Highway.
Cargo capacity is an impressive24.5 cubic feet.
To further amplify thelegendary fun-to-drive spirit
and class-leading ride comfortof the Civic, the ride and
handling of all Civic hybridmodels have been optimized with
unique spring and damper tuningand especially developed tire.
Hybrid trims also enjoy thelowest noise, vibration and
(15:28):
harshness levels in the Civiclineup, with a robust noise
reduction package that includesactive noise control.
So here's what I liked aboutthe Civic.
And now let me start with aquestion.
First, is there a market for afive-door hybrid hatchback?
Here's my answer, afterspending a little time behind
the wheel yes, if it's a 2025Honda Civic.
(15:51):
There's a reason why this modellineup has remained in the
Honda stable for over 50 years.
When underway, the hybrid issmooth, solid, responsive and
comfortable.
The current hybrid rides on amodern platform with three drive
modes economy, normal and sportas well as steering wheel
(16:11):
mounted paddle shifters foradditional vehicle control.
A large cargo area with a splitfold down rear seat means that
you can optimize the interior tocarry passengers and or cargo
as the need arises.
A rear windshield wiper adds tothe driver's 360 degrees of
visibility.
(16:32):
And here's what I didn't likeabout the Civic, and it's not a
long list.
It really is not One of mypersonal pet peeves, and you
know this and you know what I'mgoing to say.
Lack of a spare tire.
There's no spare tire in thisthing and I don't know if those
tires that are on it will runflat or not.
No satellite radio, but youhave Bluetooth, and thank God
(16:56):
for that.
And the other one's kind of alike to have it would have been
nice, in a vehicle that's kindof geared toward performance, to
have a head-up display.
And speaking of the displays, Ifound them to be on the smaller
side, not as easy to read anduse as a result.
And again, another like to haveagain, because you know you
guys are portraying this as awell, not a performance car, but
(17:17):
a sporty car.
I would have liked to have somefog lights.
It would have been nice to havefog lights.
Where am I going?
Where's the bottom line?
Let me say this I'm impressedthat Honda not only continues to
build a Civic in a hatch, butwhat I neglected to tell you is
that it is the first time thatthe Civic hatchback is a hybrid.
(17:40):
That combination is a first.
This year.
Honda continues to make theinvestment to make the Civic not
only relevant and practical,but better.
The car keeps getting betterand better, and it's amazing,
considering that we're in anenvironment now where pickup
trucks, suvs, crossovers Iswhere the money is.
(18:04):
But Honda still has acommitment and not just a
commitment, but a commitment tomake it better to do more, fun
to drive, inexpensive to run andplenty of room for most folks
to haul their stuff.
You might find that the HondaCivic hatchback hybrid, whether
(18:24):
it's a sport or sport touring,might be the vehicle that you've
been looking for all the time,particularly if you're not down
with station wagons, you're notdown with trucks, suvs of any
size.
There's still room for you andit's still a vehicle for you
that you can afford.
You're not going to spend$40,000, $50,000, $60,000 for
this, unlike some of theEuropean choices that are out
(18:47):
there, so you might give thisconsideration.
American-made Honda Solid theHonda Civic Sport Hatchback
Hybrid.
The manufacturer suggestedretail price for the Honda 20,.
Well, I'm sorry.
For the 2025 Honda Civic SportHybrid Hatchback starts from
(19:09):
$29,950.
The Civic Sport Touring Hybridhas a sticker price that starts
from $32,950.
Destination charges add $1,095.
And here's a final note $1,095.
(19:33):
And here's the final note.
Although I didn't get a chanceto drive one, you can still also
purchase a regular gasolineversion of the Civic Hatchback
and its base MSRP is $27,450.
Just in case you wanted to knowand I didn't get a chance to
spend a whole week like Inormally do and I didn't get a
chance to spend a whole weeklike I normally do I got a
(19:53):
chance at the Mama event up inElkhart Lake, wisconsin, to
drive it.
Experience it the minute I sawit.
I wanted to drive it becausethere are fewer and fewer and
fewer passenger cars availableto even be exposed to, and it
was well worth the wait.
I think it's genius that youcan have some fun, get fuel
economy I mean 45 and 50 milesto the gallon, meaning this
thing just sips gasoline.
(20:13):
And that is the attraction ofhybrids right now.
That is why the industry turnedaway from pure EVs towards
hybrids.
I can get high fuel economy,get the benefits and the power
benefits of a hybrid, of an EV,but yet I don't have range
anxiety.
I don't have a problem becausewherever I get gasoline I'm good
, and this is not a plug-inhybrid, so I don't even have to
(20:34):
worry about ever plugging it in,as opposed to, you know, those
that are.
So it's just.
It's just solid all the wayaround and I'm glad I had the
chance.
I just wish the thing had aspare tire.
That part just irks me just alittle bit.
But you know, fun is fun andyou do what you got to do.
(20:55):
You should check this one out.
While Honda is still makingthem, automakers are still
chasing the dream of hydrogenpowered cars.
But there are challenges.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(21:22):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
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You can find the Tech Mobilitypodcast just about anywhere you
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Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
(21:47):
to be.
We no exception.
Hi, I'm ken chester, host thetech mobility show.
Several times a week, I post totiktok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
(22:09):
Check it out.
Okay, so what's the deal withhydrogen Laboring in the shadows
of battery technology when itcomes to electric vehicles and
everything else, when actuallyusing it as a fuel?
Automakers continue to tinkerwith both methods of using
(22:31):
hydrogen over the years, butother than a few niche models
and think Toyota Mirai, itreally hasn't caught on.
So why are they continuing toinvest money and time on it?
And that's a good question.
This is topic B.
Hydrogen seems to be in thatgray area.
(22:52):
There's an opportunity to do itand the reason why they're
looking at it.
Number one takes less time torefill.
There's no carbon in itssignature, so you can burn the
stuff if you choose to burn itwith not increasing greenhouse
gases or adding negatively tothe environment.
(23:15):
But that's mitigated by howhydrogen is currently made.
Right now, most hydrogen thatpeople know as hydrogen is what
they call gray hydrogen.
It's actually reformulatednatural gas, as they use a steam
process to separate moleculesfrom natural gas.
So you really don't get theadvantages of going all hydrogen
.
There's green hydrogen.
(23:37):
Green hydrogen is actually froma water electrolyzing process,
taking water and breaking itdown in its basic molecules of
oxygen and hydrogen andcapturing it that way and it
makes it green.
And if you go all the way green, you're using renewable energy
to drive the process, becausethat type of process consumes a
(23:58):
lot of energy.
So in the perfect world youwould be close to a water source
and the factory would be near awind farm or a solar farm.
So you have the energy, thewater, and you could make green
hydrogen.
And there are factories beingbuilt in the United States to do
that, but their output, whichis still a year or two away, is
still only going to be a drop inthe United States to do that.
But their output, which isstill a year or two away, is
(24:19):
still only going to be a drop inthe bucket compared to all the
hydrogen that's currently beingmade.
The old-fashioned way You'resaying well, maybe, what about
trucks?
Okay, let's talk about trucksfor a minute.
Right now, toyota, hyundai and,to a lesser degree, honda, have
invested hundreds of thousands,if not millions, of dollars For
(24:42):
the last seven or eight years.
Toyota has partnered withKenworth to build an electric
fuel cell, a hydrogen fuel celltruck that they used in the Port
of Los Angeles, the Port ofLong Beach, and have been
studying that for years andtrying to scale it up.
Kenworth says we got theability to build it, but we
(25:04):
can't find anybody who wants tobuy it.
He said we need buyers, we needa competitive cost, and one of
the big problems that they'vegot is infrastructure.
People are not building,companies are not building out
an infrastructure of hydrogenrefueling.
If anything, it's that chickenand the egg thing.
If they build it, they willcome.
(25:24):
Well, okay, do you mean if Ibuild the hydrogen cars, they'll
build the refueling stations,or if I build the refueling
stations, they'll build the cars?
Truckmaker alternative powertruckmaker Nikola was in the
process of building a networkuntil they went broke.
Ironically, lucid Motors boughtmost of their assets, but as
(25:45):
far as that dream is concerned,it's double dog dead.
There was money in recentlegislation that was passed a
few years back for building outa hydrogen network legislation
that was passed a few years backfor building out a hydrogen
network but right now most cleanair initiatives are being
(26:05):
rolled back or outright canceled.
So there's some question ofwhether or not that's going to
happen.
But the automakers continue totinker.
I think they just can't help it.
But they do Most of whatthey're talking about now, even
though they've shown.
In fact, porsche even developedan engine that burned hydrogen,
an internal combustion enginethat burned hydrogen.
(26:27):
Why would they do that?
Again, remember no carbon, nogreenhouse gas issues, no
pollution, with very littlemodification.
Refueling issues.
Refueling is the big deal.
Refueling is the big bugabooand it's becoming less of an
attraction.
(26:47):
With the increased efficiencyof battery, electric battery
packs, longer range, morestations, quicker charging times
.
It's making hydrogen less andless of an issue and more of a
niche product.
Trucking's got something theycall the messy middle, and what
(27:08):
that is is they're trying to getto zero emissions, and right
now they are full emissions withdiesel engines, gasoline
engines.
That's where they are andthey're looking at a host of
technologies in order to getthere and literally it is fleet
specific and the more successfultechnologies that they're
really looking for.
They're looking for hardwarethat is fuel agnostic, and what
(27:32):
that means is I can burnanything in there Hydrogen,
diesel, gasoline, vegetable oil,it don't matter Biodiesel.
For some trucking firms, thatmay be the answer.
For small to medium likeregional truckers, battery
electrics may be the answer.
But if you are a long haultrucking company, battery
(27:54):
electrics don't cut it.
They just don't.
I mean they're too heavy, taketoo long to it, they just don't.
I mean they're too heavy, taketoo long to charge.
That doesn't work.
So Toyota, hyundai and Hondahave been building and designing
few cells that are big rig size, class 8 big rig size.
(28:16):
Why?
Refueling's a breeze.
They emit no pollution, can gofor miles and it gets you there.
But lack of refueling stations,which could be mitigated,
though, for trucks, because, inthe case of the Toyota test,
(28:38):
because they were in the port ofLong Beach, the port of LA,
they could build and I believethey did build a refueling
station there, because thetrucks that went out came back
there every night, every night.
So it's possible if a truckingcompany wanted to build
refueling stations at theirterminals across the country,
that that could be nipped in thebud.
Or a group of truckers gettogether and say you know what?
(28:59):
We're going to create a company, just like the automakers did
for electric charging, and we'regoing to build out a hydrogen
network along major interstatesfor our trucks and manufacturers
might even get in the game andthat may in the end be how it
gets done.
But right now for cars it ain'thappening.
(29:29):
It's not happening.
Let me give you someperspective.
Hyundai, who has a fuel cellvehicle called Nexus000, not 940
, 94.
Toyota's Mirai that's been outfor years.
How many did they sell lastyear in the United States of
(29:55):
America?
499, not 4,999, not 49,000, not499,000, 499.
That is barely one.
Both of those are barely oneshift and 94 euros.
That's an hour and a half ofproduction in any standard
automobile assembly plant.
499 might be one shift, mightbe one shift, eight hour shift
in a plant.
That's all they sold.
(30:17):
I don't think it's dead, but Ithink it's going to probably
take the trucking industry tocome together and make a
commitment that hydrogen is areasonable alternative for the
larger trucking companies and weneed to build at least some
backbone of a network.
We'll see what happens.
I think that's the only wayit's gonna happen in this
(30:38):
environment.
But it makes sense for truckersbecause they definitely need a
solution and it always gets downto money.
Can they make this work?
If they build the network, Ibelieve that the cost of these
trucks will come down and moretruckers will sign up, because
for long-haul trucking, batteryelectrics make no sense.
They weigh too much.
(31:00):
While the electric RV industryis still young, a maker of smart
, modular electric vans ismaking a play.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
(31:21):
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
(31:44):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot topics
that I cover during my weeklyradio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
(32:04):
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
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(32:34):
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Speaker 2 (32:46):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos From the latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:08):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Okay, so what do you do ifyou're an ex-SpaceX engineer?
What do you do?
In this case?
You find or you found anelectric RV company.
(33:29):
Before we get into that andit's pretty cool what they're
doing but before we get intothat and we talk about them
specifically, let me give you alittle background here.
As of mid-2025, the market forelectric recreational vehicles
in the United States is still inits early stages.
While several companies haveintroduced promising prototypes
and initial models, thewidespread availability of fully
(33:51):
electric RVs is not yet fullyestablished.
Meanwhile and these are theboys I'm talking about it's a
company called Grounded.
They're a maker of smart,modular electric vans and they
have unveiled something calledG3, its most advanced
all-electric RV.
Yet this is Topic C.
(34:15):
Well, before we get intoGrounded and how impressed I am
with it, let me give you someother companies in the space.
Right now, the Winnebago ERV2.
And it's a prototype camper vanand it's an evolution of
Winnebago's initial concept ERVas part of a pilot program
designed to gather publicfeedback for optimizing future
(34:37):
models.
It's based on the Forde-transit platform and only
boasts 108-mile range.
Remember that number, 108 miles?
We talked about these folks.
The next ones Pebble Flowanother former Tesla bunch of
folk.
An all-electric travel trailerwhich looked really snazzy.
(35:00):
I was so impressed.
It was like staying in aEuropean hotel and that's
exactly the feel he wanted Waycool.
A company I have not heard ofcalled Bolas.
They're a luxury travel trailermanufacturer and they're
looking to become anall-electric RV company offering
high-end electric models threeof them.
(35:22):
Another company we talked about, lightship.
They also have Tesla roots,looking to become a prominent
all-electric RV manufacturer.
They started making models lastyear and then one of the majors
in the industry, like Winnebago, thor.
Thor Industries is a majorplayer.
(35:43):
They're offering the ThorVision, a Class A electric RV.
They have a range of 300 miles.
So what am I talking about?
And I let oh, I'm sorry I leftone out.
We talked about a E kind of anE, I want to say assist.
Rv Airstream, during thepandemic, came out with
(36:06):
something called an E-assist.
Rv Airstream, during thepandemic, came out with
something called an e-assist,which actually would help the
owner position the RV in an RVpark and, at speed on the road,
actually provide additionalpropulsion support to the tow
vehicle.
And this article didn't comeout with that.
But this is something that Iknow for a fact.
So where are we going with this?
(36:28):
Well, you would think, with allthe attention we've talked
about that I know for a fact.
So where are we going with this?
Well, you would think, with allthe attention we've talked
about trains, we've talked aboutcars, we've talked about trucks
, we've talked about commercialtrucks, we've talked about big
class A trucks, medium duty,vocational trucks Everybody's
going electric.
The RV industry a little slower, but they're heading that way.
(36:48):
But think about it.
Take a look at this for aminute.
Your typical RV, when traveled,you're out in the middle of
nowhere.
If you're lucky, you're pullinginto a campsite with a hookup.
But the question is, thehookups just for ancillary stuff
?
Does it have the ability or theelectrical infrastructure to
recharge your EV?
(37:09):
Your electric RV doesn't havethe ability to do that, because
that's a lot of juice and that'sa lot of infrastructure.
And with the typical RV park,if you're looking at a small one
and maybe 20, 30 RVs and yousay maybe a quarter of those are
electric, hmm, that's a littlecrazy.
(37:31):
So let's talk about GroundedFirst of all.
Their G3 is based on Chevy'sBright Drop, zivo 400 and 600
chassis and it looks cool.
But then again, I alwaysthought that Bright Drop and
their chassis configuration justbegged to be upfitted, it just
(37:53):
begged to be converted intosomething, and I was hoping
somebody would do this.
Grounded is doing this and, bythe way, their version has a
range of 246 miles, which meansif Winnebago is ever going to
come out with something, they'regoing to have to do way better
than 108 miles.
That's not even worth doing.
That ain't even weekend travel.
I couldn't even go from here toIowa City, which is 100 miles
(38:18):
in that thing.
That's not going to work.
The Grounded G3 comes in threetrims.
Brace yourself, they're notcheap, they're base EV I use the
word loosely because it'spretty well equipped starts at
$165,000.
And it's a sleek, minimalistbuild with a queen bed and
(38:39):
essential furnishings.
And it's called the Form.
If you go up to the G3 function, it's $180,000, adds expanded
kitchen lounge and power forextended trips.
If you go all the way, all theway in on this thing, the g3
freedom, which is 200 000 fullyloaded with maximum battery,
star link, lift bed, bathroomand bespoke finishes, I can't
(39:03):
see that, if you're going to buythis thing, that you would buy
anything less than the freedom.
Unless you were really just aweekend warrior within maybe 150
miles your house, then youmight.
You might spring for thefunction.
The form, to me would be more ofa office on wheels.
Maybe you know where you'retraveling, place to place.
(39:24):
It makes more sense.
The only thing they would bemissing now is making it
autonomous, and we talked aboutthat maybe five or six years ago
the rise of something like anautonomous hotel that would
drive you to your destination,kind of like a train, only on
public roads.
It was a way cool concept.
(39:44):
Now Bright Drop is looking at away to give upfitters all kinds
of options.
Grounded wants to do that.
But here's some things thatthey've added, which is duh and
genius things.
Number one unlike a lot of EVs,this thing would be four season
(40:06):
ready because, honest to God,if you're out there camping in
the winter, real cold will killyour batteries.
They've got self-heatingbatteries that power onboard
systems down to zero Fahrenheit,while improved installation and
a redesigned swingout rear doorboosts thermal efficiency.
Modular build they call italuminum framing, a hundred
(40:27):
percent of recycled interiorpanels and a motorized lift bed
that expands to a californiaking size.
That's big layouts customizedin real time using a 3d
configurator tool.
Here's something else youdidn't think about, because they
said these things are designedto go off the grid and off the
road awatt rooftop solar, up to20-kilowatt-hour house battery
(40:49):
and 1,400-watt vehicle-to-housepower export system.
This thing is my hero.
It is way cool.
Yes, it comes in all-wheeldrive.
Talk to me 11,000-pound GVWR GMSafety Suite fast charging,
which you either do regularchargers or the Tesla
superchargers it's got.
(41:10):
You can do either.
Or, if you're thinking about anelectric RV, I think the
Grounded's the one you want,really, because it's got so much
going on and I would expectthese guys to increase range and
just make it better and betterand better.
And, by the way, they useeverything they do on the
interior surfaces recycled, allof it.
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my insights and
review of the 2025 Honda CivicHybrid Hatchback, and actually
that should read Honda CivicSport Hybrid Hatchback.
The challenges ofhydrogen-powered cars and
introducing the grounded G3electric EV and that should be
(00:32):
RV.
Having some issues with thecoffee this week, folks, but
we're okay To join theconversation by sharing an
opinion, asking a question, evensuggesting a topic for future
discussion.
Call or text the TechMobilityhotline, that number, as always
and I got this right, I assureyou 872-222-9793.
(00:54):
Or you can email the showdirectly.
Talk at techmobilityshow.
For those of you on Substack,you can find me there too.
Ken C, iowa that's K-E-N, theletter C I-O-W-A.
I am there as a proud member ofthe Iowa Writers Collaborative
(01:17):
and I'm just in the midst of alot of great writers and people
that are really neat with a lotof cool stuff.
You should definitely check itout From the Tech Mobility News
Desk.
Let me start with a littleautomotive manufacturing news.
I've been picking on Stellantisfor a long time and picked on
(01:43):
them right up until their formerchairman became the former
chairman and now they're kind ofin a rebuild mode.
And I think this is where Istop and I shout out to a friend
of mine who just came back toStellantis.
She is a big time executive andthey brought her in over at
Jeep.
I've known Wendy Orthman foryears personally and it's great.
(02:05):
It is a great sign thatStellantis gets it by the kind
of people they're bringing backto the fold.
And having Wendy come back toStellantis is amazing, by the
way.
So, wendy, if you're hearingthis, welcome home.
Meanwhile we talked about EVsand we talked about how the
industry and customer demand isa little funky, and we talked
(02:39):
about how, in the past, that Ramwas going to be the last of
what we used to call the bigthree to actually field an EV
pickup truck.
First it was going to be 2025.
Then it's going to be next year, and now production of the
all-electric Ram 1500, which wasfirst unveiled two years ago,
is going to be delayed againuntil the summer of 2027 and
(03:00):
will be a 2028 model year truck.
It marks the second delay forthe pickup, which initially had
been slated to launch in 2024before being pushed to 2026.
Here's the thing Stellantis gotfortunate in that by being last
, they may actually savehundreds of millions of dollars
(03:23):
by being able to defer this.
Now, automakers changeproduction plans.
All the time, ford's modifiedsome plans about what they were
going to build.
Nissan has actually axed acouple of vehicles they were
planning to build that were EVs.
But more often than not rightnow particularly Ford and GM
they're up into their eyeballsin capital expenditures.
(03:44):
Ford converted an entire plantto build the EV light, their
F-150 Lightning.
They built a Ford MustangMach-E, which I just had one
last week.
It was a lot of fun, but it'snot selling at the volumes they
had projected when they made thebusiness case to build those
plants and auto assembly plants.
(04:05):
You don't build for a million ortwo.
You're looking at hundreds ofmillions and even a few billion,
and that really puts a hit onyour profitability and your
profit line if you're notbuilding according to the
numbers that you anticipated.
And right now the FordLightning ain't selling the way
they anticipated.
And right now the FordLightning ain't selling the way
(04:25):
they anticipated the ChevySilverado EV, gmc Sierra EV
which, by the way, anotheramazing vehicle that I will be
doing a review on in the weeksto come and you're going to want
to stick around for that.
Yeah, it was $100,000, but ohmy God, put a pin in that.
(04:47):
We'll come back to it.
But again, these vehicles arenot selling at the level that
when the business case was madetwo to three years ago that you
know they budgeted for, it'sjust not happening as a result.
Stellantis, looking at the layof the land, is able to stall
some of that and not be thatmuch money.
(05:07):
They haven't converted a plantyet.
That right there will save themalmost a billion dollars.
They haven't ramped up and didall that stuff and got inventory
out there that now they have toheavily discount to get dealers
to sell it.
They're not going to fall intothat trap and in the end that
helps everybody to get dealersto sell it.
They're not going to fall intothat trap and in the end that
helps everybody.
(05:28):
Not to mention that, yes, bywaiting they were able to see
what everybody else was doingand do better.
Now they're going to even beable to do still better because
when theirs comes out it's theirfirst venture, which will be
better than the other automakerswho started coming out, like
Ford did in 21, chevy did in 23,and they're kind of locked in
(05:48):
to their first generation forfive or six years.
Ram comes out totally freshtowards the end of the decade,
so it's not a bad thing.
So again you know they'restarting to make the kind of
tough decisions that they needto make, and this Automotive
News article continues.
The automaker's slower and moreflexible approach to EV
(06:10):
manufacturing reduces exposureas compared to competitors Ford
Motor and General Motors, like Ijust said, which both dedicated
entire factories solely toelectric pickups with high
volume expectations that haven'tpanned out, solely to electric
pickups with high volumeexpectations that haven't panned
out.
Bear in mind, those pickupsthat they're building in Factory
(06:30):
Zero in what used to be calledHamtramck, a part of Detroit,
are carrying very highfive-figure numbers to build.
I mean, the Chevy Silverado EVhad a sticker price of almost
$80,000.
The Ford Lightning, the FordF-150 Lightning, same thing.
They were high.
(06:54):
The GMC Hummer EV, when it cameout, was $116,000.
The Cadillac Escalade IQ and Ijust drove one of those about
two months ago Amazing vehicle,but it starts at $140,000, and
(07:17):
the one I drove was $167,000.
It was like being in a businessclass of an airliner, but yeah,
$167,000.
No, they're not selling thesethings in the tens of thousands.
And because you've got all thatfixed overhead sitting there,
the employees, the suppliers,all of that, that's hard out of
pocket, particularly if you're asupplier, a mid-range supplier,
that committed to the program,made the investment at a certain
(07:40):
volume level and based yourprofit and your expenses and
your staffing, and all that atthe level GM told you for this
program that you bid and won,and now you're coming in at less
than a quarter of those sales.
Yeah, by contract there's somemake goods GM has to do out of
pocket.
The suppliers don't swallow itall.
(08:03):
They're going to swallow someof it but not all of it, and
that messes with your bottomline and Stellantis, to their
credit, to their wisdom, heldoff.
They held off and in fact funnything they're actually rushing
some V8 engines back intoproduction because of the
changing mix that they weren'tgoing to build.
Now they're going to build them.
(08:24):
So we'll see what happens withthat.
But I'm anxious to see how thathappens.
But stay tuned.
2027, we got two years.
On another subject, let me talkabout railroads for a minute and
hybrid locomotives for a minute.
We've talked about Norfolk,southern.
(08:46):
We've talked about CSX, we'vetalked about Burlington,
northern Santa Fe.
Now we're going to talk aboutUniPacific and this is from
Progressive Railroading Magazine, and they're talking about
their collaboration with acompany called ZTR and they'll
shortly be testing the first oftheir six hybrid switch
(09:07):
locomotives in a working railyard.
Basically, they're getting readythe diesel engine of the
traditional hybrid.
Actually, most people don'trealize that your actual diesel
locomotive is actually dieselelectric.
The diesel engine in theselocomotives don't turn the
(09:28):
wheels, they turn a generatorwhich turns an electric motor
that turns the wheels.
The hybrids they're going tonow gets rid of that engine,
gets rid of the carbon pollutingdiesel motor, going to
batteries instead, going tosomething different, going to
natural gas.
They will be evaluating thesefor performance and cost.
(09:50):
These hybrid locomotives canoperate either on a traditional
diesel engine or stored batterypower, with the battery
recharging during engineoperation.
Pretty cool.
Next is my review of the HondaCivic Hybrid Hatchback.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show the all-in-one,
(10:24):
browser-based platform that doesit all.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
With AON Meetings, you can effortlessly communicate
with clients, host virtualmeetings and webinars, and stay
in touch with family and friends, all in one place and for one
price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
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communicate.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(11:06):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:28):
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
(11:48):
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each week.
Shorter than a full show.
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
you're interested in aparticular topic covered on the
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Just enter Tech Mobility Topicsin the search bar, wherever you
(12:16):
listen to podcasts.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
More room, more power , more luxury More Civic For
less than you think, ask yourHonda dealer about the full line
of new Civics.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He'll tell you more.
Bear in mind that when that adplayed, the Honda Civic had been
in production 23 years had beenin production by that time 23
years.
It actually came out in 1972.
That is an ad from 1995.
Talking about more, and thatyear 1995, they brought out the
(13:09):
next generation Civic.
So it was brand new for thatyear and it's considered to be
one of the most iconic vehiclesin automotive history and one of
Honda's best sellers, with over28 million sold through 2024.
Sellers with over 28 millionsold through 2024.
(13:36):
The Civic Hybrid was firstintroduced in Japan in December
2001, with its US debut in thespring of 2002.
As a 2003 model, it used theautomaker's integrated motor
assist system that hadoriginally been developed for
the smaller Insight.
The second generation of theCivic Hybrid moved to a new
platform in 2006, and it alsogained the ability for low-speed
EV-only operation at that time.
(13:56):
In 2013, production of theCivic Hybrid moved from Japan to
a Honda manufacturing facilityin Greensburg, indiana, where
it's built today.
Manufacturing facility inGreensburg, indiana, where it's
built today.
The 11th generation of thecurrent generation of the Honda
Civic was revealed in June 2021.
Refreshed for the 2025 modelyear, the Civic Hatchback is
(14:20):
available in three trim levelsSport, sport Hybrid and Sport
Touring Hybrid.
My impressions for the purposeof this review are about the
Civic Sport Hybrid model.
The Sport Hybrid features thepowerful and efficient Honda
2-motor hybrid electric system,a combination of a 2-liter
4-cylinder gasoline engine andan electric motor delivering a
(14:43):
combined 200 horsepower and 232foot-pounds of torque.
Combined 200 horsepower and 232foot-pounds of torque.
Linear shift control elevatesthe driving experience by
mimicking the vehicle'sspeed-linked rev feel typically
associated with a conventionaldrivetrain shifting gears under
acceleration.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 50.
City 45.
(15:04):
Highway.
Cargo capacity is an impressive24.5 cubic feet.
To further amplify thelegendary fun-to-drive spirit
and class-leading ride comfortof the Civic, the ride and
handling of all Civic hybridmodels have been optimized with
unique spring and damper tuningand especially developed tire.
Hybrid trims also enjoy thelowest noise, vibration and
(15:28):
harshness levels in the Civiclineup, with a robust noise
reduction package that includesactive noise control.
So here's what I liked aboutthe Civic.
And now let me start with aquestion.
First, is there a market for afive-door hybrid hatchback?
Here's my answer, afterspending a little time behind
the wheel yes, if it's a 2025Honda Civic.
(15:51):
There's a reason why this modellineup has remained in the
Honda stable for over 50 years.
When underway, the hybrid issmooth, solid, responsive and
comfortable.
The current hybrid rides on amodern platform with three drive
modes economy, normal and sportas well as steering wheel
(16:11):
mounted paddle shifters foradditional vehicle control.
A large cargo area with a splitfold down rear seat means that
you can optimize the interior tocarry passengers and or cargo
as the need arises.
A rear windshield wiper adds tothe driver's 360 degrees of
visibility.
(16:32):
And here's what I didn't likeabout the Civic, and it's not a
long list.
It really is not One of mypersonal pet peeves, and you
know this and you know what I'mgoing to say.
Lack of a spare tire.
There's no spare tire in thisthing and I don't know if those
tires that are on it will runflat or not.
No satellite radio, but youhave Bluetooth, and thank God
(16:56):
for that.
And the other one's kind of alike to have it would have been
nice, in a vehicle that's kindof geared toward performance, to
have a head-up display.
And speaking of the displays, Ifound them to be on the smaller
side, not as easy to read anduse as a result.
And again, another like to haveagain, because you know you
guys are portraying this as awell, not a performance car, but
(17:17):
a sporty car.
I would have liked to have somefog lights.
It would have been nice to havefog lights.
Where am I going?
Where's the bottom line?
Let me say this I'm impressedthat Honda not only continues to
build a Civic in a hatch, butwhat I neglected to tell you is
that it is the first time thatthe Civic hatchback is a hybrid.
(17:40):
That combination is a first.
This year.
Honda continues to make theinvestment to make the Civic not
only relevant and practical,but better.
The car keeps getting betterand better, and it's amazing,
considering that we're in anenvironment now where pickup
trucks, suvs, crossovers Iswhere the money is.
(18:04):
But Honda still has acommitment and not just a
commitment, but a commitment tomake it better to do more, fun
to drive, inexpensive to run andplenty of room for most folks
to haul their stuff.
You might find that the HondaCivic hatchback hybrid, whether
(18:24):
it's a sport or sport touring,might be the vehicle that you've
been looking for all the time,particularly if you're not down
with station wagons, you're notdown with trucks, suvs of any
size.
There's still room for you andit's still a vehicle for you
that you can afford.
You're not going to spend$40,000, $50,000, $60,000 for
this, unlike some of theEuropean choices that are out
(18:47):
there, so you might give thisconsideration.
American-made Honda Solid theHonda Civic Sport Hatchback
Hybrid.
The manufacturer suggestedretail price for the Honda 20,.
Well, I'm sorry.
For the 2025 Honda Civic SportHybrid Hatchback starts from
(19:09):
$29,950.
The Civic Sport Touring Hybridhas a sticker price that starts
from $32,950.
Destination charges add $1,095.
And here's a final note $1,095.
(19:33):
And here's the final note.
Although I didn't get a chanceto drive one, you can still also
purchase a regular gasolineversion of the Civic Hatchback
and its base MSRP is $27,450.
Just in case you wanted to knowand I didn't get a chance to
spend a whole week like Inormally do and I didn't get a
chance to spend a whole weeklike I normally do I got a
(19:53):
chance at the Mama event up inElkhart Lake, wisconsin, to
drive it.
Experience it the minute I sawit.
I wanted to drive it becausethere are fewer and fewer and
fewer passenger cars availableto even be exposed to, and it
was well worth the wait.
I think it's genius that youcan have some fun, get fuel
economy I mean 45 and 50 milesto the gallon, meaning this
thing just sips gasoline.
(20:13):
And that is the attraction ofhybrids right now.
That is why the industry turnedaway from pure EVs towards
hybrids.
I can get high fuel economy,get the benefits and the power
benefits of a hybrid, of an EV,but yet I don't have range
anxiety.
I don't have a problem becausewherever I get gasoline I'm good
, and this is not a plug-inhybrid, so I don't even have to
(20:34):
worry about ever plugging it in,as opposed to, you know, those
that are.
So it's just.
It's just solid all the wayaround and I'm glad I had the
chance.
I just wish the thing had aspare tire.
That part just irks me just alittle bit.
But you know, fun is fun andyou do what you got to do.
(20:55):
You should check this one out.
While Honda is still makingthem, automakers are still
chasing the dream of hydrogenpowered cars.
But there are challenges.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(21:22):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
You can find the Tech Mobilitypodcast just about anywhere you
can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech Mobilitypodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
(21:47):
to be.
We no exception.
Hi, I'm ken chester, host thetech mobility show.
Several times a week, I post totiktok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
(22:09):
Check it out.
Okay, so what's the deal withhydrogen Laboring in the shadows
of battery technology when itcomes to electric vehicles and
everything else, when actuallyusing it as a fuel?
Automakers continue to tinkerwith both methods of using
(22:31):
hydrogen over the years, butother than a few niche models
and think Toyota Mirai, itreally hasn't caught on.
So why are they continuing toinvest money and time on it?
And that's a good question.
This is topic B.
Hydrogen seems to be in thatgray area.
(22:52):
There's an opportunity to do itand the reason why they're
looking at it.
Number one takes less time torefill.
There's no carbon in itssignature, so you can burn the
stuff if you choose to burn itwith not increasing greenhouse
gases or adding negatively tothe environment.
(23:15):
But that's mitigated by howhydrogen is currently made.
Right now, most hydrogen thatpeople know as hydrogen is what
they call gray hydrogen.
It's actually reformulatednatural gas, as they use a steam
process to separate moleculesfrom natural gas.
So you really don't get theadvantages of going all hydrogen
.
There's green hydrogen.
(23:37):
Green hydrogen is actually froma water electrolyzing process,
taking water and breaking itdown in its basic molecules of
oxygen and hydrogen andcapturing it that way and it
makes it green.
And if you go all the way green, you're using renewable energy
to drive the process, becausethat type of process consumes a
(23:58):
lot of energy.
So in the perfect world youwould be close to a water source
and the factory would be near awind farm or a solar farm.
So you have the energy, thewater, and you could make green
hydrogen.
And there are factories beingbuilt in the United States to do
that, but their output, whichis still a year or two away, is
still only going to be a drop inthe United States to do that.
But their output, which isstill a year or two away, is
(24:19):
still only going to be a drop inthe bucket compared to all the
hydrogen that's currently beingmade.
The old-fashioned way You'resaying well, maybe, what about
trucks?
Okay, let's talk about trucksfor a minute.
Right now, toyota, hyundai and,to a lesser degree, honda, have
invested hundreds of thousands,if not millions, of dollars For
(24:42):
the last seven or eight years.
Toyota has partnered withKenworth to build an electric
fuel cell, a hydrogen fuel celltruck that they used in the Port
of Los Angeles, the Port ofLong Beach, and have been
studying that for years andtrying to scale it up.
Kenworth says we got theability to build it, but we
(25:04):
can't find anybody who wants tobuy it.
He said we need buyers, we needa competitive cost, and one of
the big problems that they'vegot is infrastructure.
People are not building,companies are not building out
an infrastructure of hydrogenrefueling.
If anything, it's that chickenand the egg thing.
If they build it, they willcome.
(25:24):
Well, okay, do you mean if Ibuild the hydrogen cars, they'll
build the refueling stations,or if I build the refueling
stations, they'll build the cars?
Truckmaker alternative powertruckmaker Nikola was in the
process of building a networkuntil they went broke.
Ironically, lucid Motors boughtmost of their assets, but as
(25:45):
far as that dream is concerned,it's double dog dead.
There was money in recentlegislation that was passed a
few years back for building outa hydrogen network legislation
that was passed a few years backfor building out a hydrogen
network but right now most cleanair initiatives are being
(26:05):
rolled back or outright canceled.
So there's some question ofwhether or not that's going to
happen.
But the automakers continue totinker.
I think they just can't help it.
But they do Most of whatthey're talking about now, even
though they've shown.
In fact, porsche even developedan engine that burned hydrogen,
an internal combustion enginethat burned hydrogen.
(26:27):
Why would they do that?
Again, remember no carbon, nogreenhouse gas issues, no
pollution, with very littlemodification.
Refueling issues.
Refueling is the big deal.
Refueling is the big bugabooand it's becoming less of an
attraction.
(26:47):
With the increased efficiencyof battery, electric battery
packs, longer range, morestations, quicker charging times
.
It's making hydrogen less andless of an issue and more of a
niche product.
Trucking's got something theycall the messy middle, and what
(27:08):
that is is they're trying to getto zero emissions, and right
now they are full emissions withdiesel engines, gasoline
engines.
That's where they are andthey're looking at a host of
technologies in order to getthere and literally it is fleet
specific and the more successfultechnologies that they're
really looking for.
They're looking for hardwarethat is fuel agnostic, and what
(27:32):
that means is I can burnanything in there Hydrogen,
diesel, gasoline, vegetable oil,it don't matter Biodiesel.
For some trucking firms, thatmay be the answer.
For small to medium likeregional truckers, battery
electrics may be the answer.
But if you are a long haultrucking company, battery
(27:54):
electrics don't cut it.
They just don't.
I mean they're too heavy, taketoo long to it, they just don't.
I mean they're too heavy, taketoo long to charge.
That doesn't work.
So Toyota, hyundai and Hondahave been building and designing
few cells that are big rig size, class 8 big rig size.
(28:16):
Why?
Refueling's a breeze.
They emit no pollution, can gofor miles and it gets you there.
But lack of refueling stations,which could be mitigated,
though, for trucks, because, inthe case of the Toyota test,
(28:38):
because they were in the port ofLong Beach, the port of LA,
they could build and I believethey did build a refueling
station there, because thetrucks that went out came back
there every night, every night.
So it's possible if a truckingcompany wanted to build
refueling stations at theirterminals across the country,
that that could be nipped in thebud.
Or a group of truckers gettogether and say you know what?
(28:59):
We're going to create a company, just like the automakers did
for electric charging, and we'regoing to build out a hydrogen
network along major interstatesfor our trucks and manufacturers
might even get in the game andthat may in the end be how it
gets done.
But right now for cars it ain'thappening.
(29:29):
It's not happening.
Let me give you someperspective.
Hyundai, who has a fuel cellvehicle called Nexus000, not 940
, 94.
Toyota's Mirai that's been outfor years.
How many did they sell lastyear in the United States of
(29:55):
America?
499, not 4,999, not 49,000, not499,000, 499.
That is barely one.
Both of those are barely oneshift and 94 euros.
That's an hour and a half ofproduction in any standard
automobile assembly plant.
499 might be one shift, mightbe one shift, eight hour shift
in a plant.
That's all they sold.
(30:17):
I don't think it's dead, but Ithink it's going to probably
take the trucking industry tocome together and make a
commitment that hydrogen is areasonable alternative for the
larger trucking companies and weneed to build at least some
backbone of a network.
We'll see what happens.
I think that's the only wayit's gonna happen in this
(30:38):
environment.
But it makes sense for truckersbecause they definitely need a
solution and it always gets downto money.
Can they make this work?
If they build the network, Ibelieve that the cost of these
trucks will come down and moretruckers will sign up, because
for long-haul trucking, batteryelectrics make no sense.
They weigh too much.
(31:00):
While the electric RV industryis still young, a maker of smart
, modular electric vans ismaking a play.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
(31:21):
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
(31:44):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot topics
that I cover during my weeklyradio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
(32:04):
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
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platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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(32:34):
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Speaker 2 (32:46):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos From the latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:08):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Okay, so what do you do ifyou're an ex-SpaceX engineer?
What do you do?
In this case?
You find or you found anelectric RV company.
(33:29):
Before we get into that andit's pretty cool what they're
doing but before we get intothat and we talk about them
specifically, let me give you alittle background here.
As of mid-2025, the market forelectric recreational vehicles
in the United States is still inits early stages.
While several companies haveintroduced promising prototypes
and initial models, thewidespread availability of fully
(33:51):
electric RVs is not yet fullyestablished.
Meanwhile and these are theboys I'm talking about it's a
company called Grounded.
They're a maker of smart,modular electric vans and they
have unveiled something calledG3, its most advanced
all-electric RV.
Yet this is Topic C.
(34:15):
Well, before we get intoGrounded and how impressed I am
with it, let me give you someother companies in the space.
Right now, the Winnebago ERV2.
And it's a prototype camper vanand it's an evolution of
Winnebago's initial concept ERVas part of a pilot program
designed to gather publicfeedback for optimizing future
(34:37):
models.
It's based on the Forde-transit platform and only
boasts 108-mile range.
Remember that number, 108 miles?
We talked about these folks.
The next ones Pebble Flowanother former Tesla bunch of
folk.
An all-electric travel trailerwhich looked really snazzy.
(35:00):
I was so impressed.
It was like staying in aEuropean hotel and that's
exactly the feel he wanted Waycool.
A company I have not heard ofcalled Bolas.
They're a luxury travel trailermanufacturer and they're
looking to become anall-electric RV company offering
high-end electric models threeof them.
(35:22):
Another company we talked about, lightship.
They also have Tesla roots,looking to become a prominent
all-electric RV manufacturer.
They started making models lastyear and then one of the majors
in the industry, like Winnebago, thor.
Thor Industries is a majorplayer.
(35:43):
They're offering the ThorVision, a Class A electric RV.
They have a range of 300 miles.
So what am I talking about?
And I let oh, I'm sorry I leftone out.
We talked about a E kind of anE, I want to say assist.
Rv Airstream, during thepandemic, came out with
(36:06):
something called an E-assist.
Rv Airstream, during thepandemic, came out with
something called an e-assist,which actually would help the
owner position the RV in an RVpark and, at speed on the road,
actually provide additionalpropulsion support to the tow
vehicle.
And this article didn't comeout with that.
But this is something that Iknow for a fact.
So where are we going with this?
(36:28):
Well, you would think, with allthe attention we've talked
about that I know for a fact.
So where are we going with this?
Well, you would think, with allthe attention we've talked
about trains, we've talked aboutcars, we've talked about trucks
, we've talked about commercialtrucks, we've talked about big
class A trucks, medium duty,vocational trucks Everybody's
going electric.
The RV industry a little slower, but they're heading that way.
(36:48):
But think about it.
Take a look at this for aminute.
Your typical RV, when traveled,you're out in the middle of
nowhere.
If you're lucky, you're pullinginto a campsite with a hookup.
But the question is, thehookups just for ancillary stuff
?
Does it have the ability or theelectrical infrastructure to
recharge your EV?
(37:09):
Your electric RV doesn't havethe ability to do that, because
that's a lot of juice and that'sa lot of infrastructure.
And with the typical RV park,if you're looking at a small one
and maybe 20, 30 RVs and yousay maybe a quarter of those are
electric, hmm, that's a littlecrazy.
(37:31):
So let's talk about GroundedFirst of all.
Their G3 is based on Chevy'sBright Drop, zivo 400 and 600
chassis and it looks cool.
But then again, I alwaysthought that Bright Drop and
their chassis configuration justbegged to be upfitted, it just
(37:53):
begged to be converted intosomething, and I was hoping
somebody would do this.
Grounded is doing this and, bythe way, their version has a
range of 246 miles, which meansif Winnebago is ever going to
come out with something, they'regoing to have to do way better
than 108 miles.
That's not even worth doing.
That ain't even weekend travel.
I couldn't even go from here toIowa City, which is 100 miles
(38:18):
in that thing.
That's not going to work.
The Grounded G3 comes in threetrims.
Brace yourself, they're notcheap, they're base EV I use the
word loosely because it'spretty well equipped starts at
$165,000.
And it's a sleek, minimalistbuild with a queen bed and
(38:39):
essential furnishings.
And it's called the Form.
If you go up to the G3 function, it's $180,000, adds expanded
kitchen lounge and power forextended trips.
If you go all the way, all theway in on this thing, the g3
freedom, which is 200 000 fullyloaded with maximum battery,
star link, lift bed, bathroomand bespoke finishes, I can't
(39:03):
see that, if you're going to buythis thing, that you would buy
anything less than the freedom.
Unless you were really just aweekend warrior within maybe 150
miles your house, then youmight.
You might spring for thefunction.
The form, to me would be more ofa office on wheels.
Maybe you know where you'retraveling, place to place.
(39:24):
It makes more sense.
The only thing they would bemissing now is making it
autonomous, and we talked aboutthat maybe five or six years ago
the rise of something like anautonomous hotel that would
drive you to your destination,kind of like a train, only on
public roads.
It was a way cool concept.
(39:44):
Now Bright Drop is looking at away to give upfitters all kinds
of options.
Grounded wants to do that.
But here's some things thatthey've added, which is duh and
genius things.
Number one unlike a lot of EVs,this thing would be four season
(40:06):
ready because, honest to God,if you're out there camping in
the winter, real cold will killyour batteries.
They've got self-heatingbatteries that power onboard
systems down to zero Fahrenheit,while improved installation and
a redesigned swingout rear doorboosts thermal efficiency.
Modular build they call italuminum framing, a hundred
(40:27):
percent of recycled interiorpanels and a motorized lift bed
that expands to a californiaking size.
That's big layouts customizedin real time using a 3d
configurator tool.
Here's something else youdidn't think about, because they
said these things are designedto go off the grid and off the
road awatt rooftop solar, up to20-kilowatt-hour house battery
(40:49):
and 1,400-watt vehicle-to-housepower export system.
This thing is my hero.
It is way cool.
Yes, it comes in all-wheeldrive.
Talk to me 11,000-pound GVWR GMSafety Suite fast charging,
which you either do regularchargers or the Tesla
superchargers it's got.
(41:10):
You can do either.
Or, if you're thinking about anelectric RV, I think the
Grounded's the one you want,really, because it's got so much
going on and I would expectthese guys to increase range and
just make it better and betterand better.
And, by the way, they useeverything they do on the
interior surfaces recycled, allof it.
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