Drop me a text and let me know what you think of this episode!
The mobility revolution is accelerating across multiple fronts, and this episode dives deep into the most exciting developments reshaping how we move.
Volkswagen has emerged as a surprising contender in the autonomous vehicle race, announcing plans to deploy thousands of self-driving ID Buzz electric minivans on Uber's platform starting in Los Angeles next year. This bold move comes after a decade of quiet development following the company's post-Dieselgate transformation. While Waymo currently leads with hundreds of thousands of autonomous rides weekly across three major areas, VW's entry signals growing competition in this space. Uber, meanwhile, continues executing its original vision—eliminating human drivers to boost profitability by partnering with multiple automakers rather than developing the technology in-house.
On rails, Amtrak is finally modernizing with new Airo trains featuring panoramic windows, more comfortable seating, and improved accessibility. These trains, capable of traveling 125 mph while producing 90% less emissions, represent Amtrak's ambitious plan to double ridership by 2040. Though America still lags behind countries like France and Japan in high-speed rail infrastructure, last year's record 32.8 million passengers suggests growing appetite for train travel.
The luxury SUV segment sees Lincoln making a compelling statement with the 2025 Nautilus Black Label. Unlike competitors who often mimic European design language, this American luxury vehicle carves its own path with a striking 48-inch panoramic display that stretches doorpost-to-doorpost, "magic" front seats, and thoughtful interior touches. At $79,545 as tested, it delivers a uniquely American luxury experience that impressed with each mile driven.
Even fast-food drive-thrus are being revolutionized through data analysis. Taco Bell leads with the fastest service (4.3 minutes), while Chick-fil-A takes nearly twice as long but achieves an impressive 92% order accuracy. This detailed comparison reveals how even routine aspects of mobility are being optimized through analytics and technology.
What mobility innovations are you most excited about? Call our hotline at 872-222-9793 or email talk@techmobilityshow.com to join the conversation!
Be sure to tell your friends to tune in to The TechMobility Podcast!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my review of the 2025
Lincoln Nautilus Black LabelSUV Amtrak newer, bigger, faster
and the fastest most accuratefast food drive-thrus.
Because you know, you got toknow this stuff.
So we're going to share, tojoin the conversation, be it to
(00:33):
ask a question, share an opinionor even suggest a topic for
future discussion, because I'malways open to ideas.
Call or text the Tech Mobilityhotline.
That direct number is872-222-9793.
Or you can email the showdirectly, talk at
(00:54):
techmobilityshow.
Be sure also to follow, likeand subscribe to our social
media account, our YouTubechannel, and if you subscribe to
Substack, you can find me theretoo.
It's at Ken, the letter C, iowa.
So that's K-E-N-C-I-O-W-A Fromthe Tech Mobility News Desk.
(01:22):
We've talked about autonomoustrucks.
We've talked about robo taxis.
We've talked about Waymo.
We've talked about Uber.
Maven and a host of othercompanies that were trying to
get into this business for onereason or another have fallen
out.
What if I told you that there'sanother automaker planning to
(01:46):
deploy thousands of robo-taxison Uber's platform in the United
States?
Bet you could never tell me whoit is.
And no, I'm not talking aboutVolvo.
We've already covered thatground.
And we're not talking aboutJaguar.
Yes, I know We've reported thathere too.
No it.
I know We've reported that heretoo.
No it is European, though, and,believe it or not, it's
(02:13):
Volkswagen, volkswagen, and it'sinteresting how VW got here.
They managed over this last 10years to turn something that
could have killed the companyinto a major benefit for them to
refocus, and probably not aminute too soon.
Had Dieselgate not happened in2015, volkswagen might still be
(02:36):
making diesel motors and stillgoing along their way and not
fully embracing EVs andeverything that goes with it and
autonomous vehicles like theyneeded to like.
They had to like.
Actually, a lot of thesettlements that they arranged
required them to, because theygot slapped, not just in the
United States but around theworld.
They spent a lot of money forthe discretions.
(03:00):
One of the things they had todo in the United States was set
aside $2 billion billion with aB, and that money had to be
invested into EV charging in theUnited States.
Volkswagen single-handedlysupported the nurturing and
growth of that industry withtheir money, of that industry,
(03:28):
with their money, that we have amore robust and growing EV
charging industry because of themistakes they made earlier and
what they had to spend withToneform.
So here we are now.
The German auto giant will useits all-electric IDBuzz minivans
, which are sharp.
Tried to drive one this pastweek, didn't get a chance to do
it.
They are sharp and I will tellyou they have a sticker price of
(03:50):
over 70 grand.
So, yeah, I might have to waita little longer, but they're
planning to use that for theirautonomous ride handling in the
United States, and I'm nottalking 10 years from now.
They expect to launch this inLos Angeles next year, and
(04:10):
Volkswagen isn't typicallymentioned in conversations about
robo-taxis, but, as we justmentioned, the German auto giant
has been quietly working on itsown self-driving technology for
over 10 years, and now they'refinally ready.
Of all places, uber startingwith a commercial robot taxi
service in LA.
Their ID Buzz electric minivanswill be equipped with
(04:34):
self-driving sensors andsoftware developed by their
subsidiary, moya.
The long wheelbase version ofthe Buzz can seat at least 7
passengers.
So VW is trying to maximize itsride-hailing potential, and the
goal, they said, is toultimately have thousands of
vehicles operating in multipleUS cities over the next decade.
(04:57):
The automaker says.
Just for point of reference,Waymo that started in Arizona,
currently offers right now, thismoment, commercial autonomous
ride hailing services in threemajor areas, and they are giving
(05:24):
hundreds of thousands ofautomated rides all week right
now, and have been for a while.
So if you're trying to tell methat RoboTac is not a thing,
you're late by quite a bit.
Not only is it a thing, it'sgoing to be more of a thing.
Vw will start testing theservice later this year using
vehicles with safety driversbehind the wheel.
The company says it will onlyproceed with fully driverless
(05:45):
operations after receiving thenecessary permits and clearances
from regulatory agencies.
Volkswagen no offense nooffense.
I'll believe it when I see it,because your history isn't all
that reassuring.
Even though they've been testingits self-driving technology in
the United States for a numberof years and, ironically, you
(06:06):
didn't know this they deployedautonomous buzz vehicles in
Austin two years ago, after anumber of years testing them in
Germany.
Now, the vehicles they testedin Austin used the technology
developed by Mobileye, thedriver-assist sensor software
company owned by Intel, as wellas sensors like radars, cameras
and LiDAR.
(06:27):
Vw said that they will put vansin service as a ride-sharing
fleet under its subsidiary, moya, which already has been
operating a fleet of electricvehicles as part of its
ride-pooling service in Hamburgsince 2017.
Vw's anonymous driving softwareis developed by Mobileye.
(06:47):
Now, if you've been payingattention to the news and if
you've been listening to me,we've talked about how VW's
dabbled in autonomous drivingfor years and didn't end all
that well.
They had partnered with Auroraand Argo Argo, which was a joint
venture with Ford, andunfortunately it was forced to
(07:08):
shut down that one after theautomaker, along with Ford, they
pulled their funding and Auroraended up getting bought by GM
and then shut down.
So autonomous vehicles outsideof trucking continue to have a
checkered past, but it's not allor nothing.
(07:29):
Like I said, waymo's been doingit.
There's still a lot of testautonomous vehicles in
development on the roads in theUnited States of America.
That has not changed.
If anything, we're going to seemore as they try to get this
resolved, even though you'veseen the videos and the one that
was making the rounds whensomebody decided to put a road
(07:50):
hazard cone on the hood of oneof these cars and it confused it
to no end and just stopped.
Yeah, yeah, that was Aurora, bythe way, that had that problem
in San Francisco and yeah, themgetting their permit pulled is
probably part of the reason whyGM decided to back out.
Meanwhile, uber has been on astreak of striking deals with AV
(08:13):
operators as it seeks to becomea one-stop shop for robo-taxes
and autonomous delivery vehiclesof all brands.
Let me stop right here.
When Uber was started in 2009,the whole goal from Jump Street
was to provide these serviceswithout a human driver.
That has always been Uber's MO.
The human drivers were at best,a crossover or temporary to get
(08:39):
them started, but it was nevermeant to be their lead-all,
main-all, be-all of theiroperating model ever.
This is where they're going andby eliminating the driver, uber
expects to be widely profitable.
Now to the point, uber wasspending this money on their own
at one time, directly, and whatthey've done now is they've
(09:02):
taken a step back and they'reworking with automakers, but
they're not necessarily leadingit.
They're providing the platformand the automakers are providing
the hardware.
In addition to Volkswagen, uberhas partnerships with Waymo,
motional, avride and WeRide forself-driving cars and Serve,
harken and Nuro for deliveryrobots Nuro particularly cool,
(09:25):
because we talked about Nuro atlength and their little food
delivery robots on collegecampuses when Nuro launched.
So that should be interesting.
But where they're going here isthey want to go automated,
because if they can eliminatethe labor, that goes straight to
the bottom line, because theycan spread that cost over miles
and the cost drops the more thevehicles get used, and because
(09:47):
they didn't end up with thedevelopment costs.
Then again, leverage, becausethe automakers are the ones
carrying the load of development.
They're just leasing theplatforms and providing a way to
do it.
So it's pretty cool and we'llsee how the VW does and we'll
continue With vehicles like theNautilus SUV in the lineup.
(10:10):
It's easy to understand whyLincoln is on a roll.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
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Social media is the main placeto 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
(11:09):
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
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
(11:31):
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle 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.
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
(11:52):
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
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
weekly radio show.
From Apple Podcasts toiHeartRadio and many podcast
platforms in between, we got youcovered.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search
bar, wherever you listen topodcasts, In the spirit of
taking great things and makingthem better.
Wait till you see what's next,Introducing the all-new 2006
Lincoln Zephyr, Mark LT andNavigator Lincoln reach higher.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
It was an interesting year for Lincoln that year and
I would not fault you if you'relike the Mark LT, what's that?
It was Lincoln's attempt atmaking a pickup truck.
They could have went furtherwith it.
They didn't.
They basically lightly redid anF-150.
And I really think that theycould have really made a case
for it if they were willing tospend the money, which at that
(13:13):
time they weren't.
The Zephyr would become the MKZthe next year and is actually
based in the Mazda 6 platformand was pretty awesome.
And, to be blunt, lincoln prettymuch for the last 25, 30 years
until recently, has been mainlycarried by their large Navigator
.
People love that thing.
It's always been a home runsince the day it was launched,
(13:36):
but that was then.
This is now.
Henry Leland would be proud,and it's okay if you don't know
who Henry Leland is.
He's the original founder ofthe Lincoln Motor Company and
him and Henry Ford have historywhich I will not get into here.
But Henry bought the companyafter Henry Ford bought the
company in 1922 when HenryLeland got caught in a cash
(13:59):
squeeze in the recession of 21.
Henry Ford was exacting revengeand was going to close it down
and choke Leland, basically.
But Edsel Ford, his son, talkedhim out of it and, as they say,
the rest is history.
But remind me we'll talk alittle bit more why there was
such animosity between theHenrys.
And although actually now it'sbeen a division of Ford for over
(14:21):
100 years, lincoln over theyears was positioned to be the
automaker's luxury marquee.
During the middle part of thelast century, lincoln duked it
out with Cadillac in theAmerican luxury car marketplace,
but times changed and bothautomakers struggled Lincoln
even more than Cadillac.
As German makes like BMW andMercedes-Benz began to make
inroads into the luxury vehiclesegment, the heat got turned up
(14:44):
with the entry of Toyota's Lexus, honda's Acura and Nissan's
Infiniti brands in the mid tolate 80s.
For a while it seemed thatLincoln lost its way.
Customers were getting olderand young buyers didn't even
bother to consider the brand.
However, during the last 30years, there's been sign to life
at Lincoln.
(15:04):
The introduction of thefull-size Navigator luxury SUV
put the nameplate back on themap for a small but growing
segment of the marketplace.
The seeds of the currentsuccess of the brand were
planted back in 2006.
The vehicle was originallyknown as the MKX, a midsize
luxury crossover SUV that rodeon the automaker's CD4 platform.
(15:26):
The Ford Edge and Flex, alongwith the short-lived Lincoln MKT
, were mechanical siblings.
Don't ask, we'll talk about theMKT another time.
Just think of the Lincolnversion of the Flex and you'll
be mostly there.
But 2019, lincoln had phased outmost of its MK model names,
choosing Nautilus in place ofthe MKX.
For the luxury crossover'smid-cycle refresh of the
(15:48):
vehicle's second generation,2019 Nautilus adopted the
styling of the newly introducedContinental Navigator,
transitioning from the previoussplit-wing grille to a large
leg-tailor grille with a largeLincoln star emblem.
The second-generation Nautilusfor the US market was introduced
in April 2023 as a 2024 model.
The all-new 2024 Nautilusarrived with a new evolved
(16:12):
design, an available hydridpowertrain and new connected
features, and this included theall-new Lincoln Digital
Experience and Lincoln BlueCruise hand free highway driving
technology.
Now, to be clear, this reviewjust covers the gasoline models
only, available in three trimlevels.
Power for the five-passengerNautilus is provided by a
(16:34):
two-liter, four-cylindergasoline power plant that makes
250 horsepower and produces 280foot-pounds of torque.
Energy is communicated to allfour wheels via an eight-speed
push-button automatictransmission.
The driver also has apush-button to activate one of
four drive modes to furthercustomize the driving experience
.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 21.
(16:56):
City 29.
Highway Cargo capacity rangesfrom 68.8 to 71.3 cubic feet,
depending on the trim level.
Towing capacity is 1,750 poundswith the optional trailer
towing package.
So here's what I liked about thecrossover SUV.
The Lincoln Nautilus is arefreshing take on luxury that
(17:17):
does not imitate or mimic anyother automaker, including Ford,
and, to borrow an old Lincolntagline, honestly and I believe
this, it's what a luxury carshould be.
It looks that good.
From the minute I opened thedriver's side door, I knew
immediately that this was indeeda luxury space Beautiful,
(17:37):
sophisticated, elegant andunique.
I was without words, you canbelieve it.
The literaldoorpost-to-doorpost digital
display presentation.
It works.
The Nautilus showcases a flowinghorizontal instrument panel
integrated into a 48-inchpanoramic display, the largest
in its class, introducing newlevels of connectivity and
(17:58):
personalization.
The vehicle is solid, boastinga quiet ride and a drivetrain
that is smooth and responsive atspeed.
The driver enjoys a goodoutward view of the road.
Inside, something I call magicfront seats greet driver and
passenger.
Inside, something I call magicfront seats great driver and
passenger.
Entry and exit is easy andconvenient.
For all four doors and formodels equipped with the Lincoln
(18:20):
Digital Scent feature, there'sa collection of three in-cabin
scents that are housed in thecenter armrest and, if you can
believe it, four new availablescents have been added and are
available for purchase.
Meanwhile, there's plenty ofrear legroom, along with four
USB ports for the backseatpassengers alone.
Split folding rear seats have apower fold function for loading
(18:42):
convenience from the rear cargohatch opening.
A panoramic sunroof adds to thefeeling of airiness.
The cargo area is cavernous.
The spare tire, yes, is locatedunder the cargo area floor and
is accessible from inside thepassenger cabin.
So here's what I didn't likeabout the vehicle Didn't have
(19:03):
fog lights.
There's no head-up display,although honestly that's kind of
a eh, it's a like to have.
So I'm not going to ding himfor that, it's a like to have.
I would have liked to have it.
But if it doesn't, I'm allright.
But here's something 22-inchtires.
22-inch tires, I'm thinkingreplacement cost of those and
(19:24):
the rims if they get damaged.
You bend one, you blow one, youwear one out.
Ouch, that ain't going to becheap.
And something else More nooksand crannies throughout the
passenger cabin would be nice.
Just, you know, to put stuff,store stuff, it'd be nice.
And although the rear seatsfold, they don't fold what I
(19:44):
call true flat, which is evenwith the floor in.
Yeah, I know, I know I'm beingpicky, but it's me and really
honestly, it's something youcome to appreciate if you use
the cargo area and fold theseats down to haul stuff.
It's one of those little thingsthat makes a big deal.
Here's the bottom line, and I'mgoing to say this as directly as
(20:04):
I can.
The more I drove it, the betterI liked it and I really like
the fact that this Lincoln isactually making its own personal
statement.
I drive a lot of vehicles and alot of luxury vehicles, and you
can see where folks kind ofmimic other folks or copy stuff.
This doesn't copy and for achanged Lincoln, you struck out
(20:25):
in your own way and I say kudosto you.
Manufacturer suggested retailprice for the 2025 Lincoln
Nautilus Black Label crossoverSUV starts from $77,130.
Destination charges add $1,595.
Understand the Black Label isthe top end of the gasoline
version of the Nautilus.
(20:47):
You can start this for almost$20,000 less if you're willing
to consider the Premier, butthis is the black label.
The one I drove is tested, cameout to $79,545 with the
optional jet appearance package,but I really, really liked this
vehicle and was pleasantlysurprised.
Faster, bigger, morecomfortable.
(21:10):
Amtrak is rolling out newtrains.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
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,
(21:30):
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
You can find the Tech Mobilitypodcast just about anywhere.
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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 podcastsSocial media it's the place to
(21:54):
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.
(22:15):
Check it out.
I have a confession to make.
I love trains Always, haveAlways have.
The first 20 years of my life,I had never been more than four
miles away from the Boston toMaine line, what was known now
(22:38):
as the Fitchburg line betweenBoston, massachusetts, and
Williamstown, massachusetts,going across the northern part
of the state.
I grew up in north centralMassachusetts and I was never
further away where I could nothear a train whistle from that
line for most of my early daysgrowing up.
So I wanted to preface thatbecause I want to talk about
(23:00):
Amtrak and I want to talk aboutsome progress Amtrak is making,
rolling out the first of its newAeroTrains and that's A-I-R-O.
They come with panoramicwindows, comfier chairs and more
accessibility features.
The National Rail Service iscurrently constructing up to 83
of the new and improvedAeroTrains, which will operate
(23:22):
on around 15 existing routes inthe eastern US and Pacific
Northwest.
And the train aficionados got aquestion and I'm just asking
will they be featured on theEmpire Builder?
I'm asking for a friend.
This is topic B.
There are two routes thatAmtrak currently runs that were
(23:45):
run by its predecessor railroads.
That has been on my bucket listin my life.
I want to travel Amtrak on bothof these.
One is the city of New Orleans,which runs the Mississippi from
Chicago to New Orleans.
The other one is called theEmpire Builder and it runs from
Chicago to Seattle or, dependingif you take the Portland route
(24:09):
to Portland.
They tell me the scenery isbeautiful.
I want a cabin with, I want asleeper, I want to do it right
and I want that.
So if Amtrak's going to, youknow, be rolling out these new
trains on either one of thoseroutes you know I'm in the route
to New Orleans would have beenon the former Illinois Central
(24:33):
and the Empire Builder,primarily on what was the Great
Northern Railroad, now theBurlington Northern Santa Fe.
So yeah, a little bit.
Currently these new trains arebeing built at Siemens
Sacramento Plant, California,and they expect the testing of
the first train to begin laterthis year.
(24:53):
By modernizing its fleet with avariety of design improvements,
amtrak is making a play toattract more Americans to train
travel instead of flight, a steptowards its ultimate goal to
revitalize America's passengerrail system and double its
ridership by 2040.
If you go back 150 years, traintravel pretty much particularly
(25:18):
across most of this country onceyou got outside of rural areas,
was the only way.
We did not have a system ofroads back then and the little
roads we did have went town totown and they were muddy when it
rained and awful in the winterand darn near impossible A lot
of the towns west of theMississippi were laid out by
(25:39):
railroad companies and a lot ofthat land was given away on
either side of the right-of-wayby the government.
If you go across most ofNebraska, most of those major
towns were named by the chiefengineer of the Union Pacific.
General Granville Dodge namedmost of those towns from Omaha
to Cheyenne that are along theUnion Pacific and settled them
(26:02):
and the railroad sold property.
So we have this history Evenhere in Des Moines.
Des Moines was a sleepy littlevillage until the early 1860s
when the first railroad actuallycame up from the northeast.
Southeast part of the stateDidn't even go east-west.
It went northwest from Keokukat the river, at the Mississippi
(26:23):
River, to Des Moines and theDes Moines Valley Railroad was
the first railroad that got here.
The Rock Island would followlater and other railroads would
be built, but that was the firstone.
And the funny thing of it isthat railroad most of it doesn't
exist anymore and the littlebit that does is used for
storage.
But railroads have this bighistory Now in Europe and in
(26:48):
Japan they have developed, theyhave perfected high-speed rail
travel.
It's a thing and it's a big dealand we are playing catch-up
Because for so long being anautomotive-centric nation.
We pretty much kicked ourrailroads to the curb after the
Second World War With thefederally funded interstate
(27:11):
system and the money that wentinto state roads and state
highways and county roads andcounty highways.
Iowa was still pouring cementand county roads when I got here
in the early 1980s and it'spoured hundreds of miles of
county roads to facilitatefarm-to-market.
Meanwhile, railroads areprivately owned and all that
(27:33):
money got spent by the freightrailroads when passenger service
went south as it did.
After the Second World War,passenger service started going
away to the point where thegovernment stepped in in 1971 to
create Amtrak.
That's how we got here.
On the inside of these new cars,new seating offers movable
(27:54):
headrest, a cup holder, biggerand sturdier tray tables and
plenty of legroom.
And to make finding your seatsimpler, each car will be
color-coded based on its class,while each chair will be labeled
with an individual number.
Does not sound like a big deal,but you know what?
Baby steps, people, baby steps.
And more thought has also beengiven to the train's amenities.
(28:15):
In the Aero's Cafe cars, riderswill now have a self-service
option rather than waiting inone long line to order from a
single attendant.
You think the Cafe cars, aswell as the bathrooms, walkways
and vegetables have also beenmodified to allow wheelchair
users to navigate more easily,and that would help us older
folks who need a little extraroom and a little extra time to
(28:37):
get around, because them narrowhallways are no joke.
Aesthetically, the A stayedgray and blue in tears, still
lagging far behind.
The train designs might findoverseas Still.
The Arrow represents atechnological improvement on
former Amtrak models that it cantravel up to 125 miles an hour
(28:58):
and produce 90% less particulateemissions in diesel operations,
and we're playing catch-up.
It's a good time for Amtrak tobe investing in new trains,
given that some of its old carsare going out of service.
Just last week, the railservice announced they'll be
suspending its entire Horizonfleet after inspectors uncovered
potentially dangerous corrosionon several cars.
(29:19):
Bear in mind that when Amtrakwas created over 50 years ago,
it inherited the run-down carsfrom the railroads that were
running it.
That didn't put no money in itbecause they were losing money
for the previous 15, 20 years.
So Amtrak's been trying toupdate and update and upgrade,
and we haven't even talked aboutroutes and everything else that
they're having to deal withthat should hit the tracks in
(29:40):
2026, next year, are the firstphase of ANTRAC's larger plans
to refresh its existing fleetand expand its service across
the US.
A hand up here, des Moines wouldbe fine, please.
I would love to take the trainto Chicago, really would.
I would not miss.
Not driving five hours Wouldnot hurt my feelings.
Would do that Because airfarefrom here is kind of expensive.
(30:02):
And then you got to deal withO'Hare.
Would rather not deal withO'Hare.
Yeah, I'll take the train, Nota problem.
Former leader of Amtrak had saidthat in the United States it
was still operating likeVictorian railways in 21st
century.
Meanwhile, countries likeFrance, japan, switzerland and
China are moving light yearsahead in terms of their
(30:24):
high-speed rail system.
We've got one the Acela routefrom Boston to Washington DC.
One In all of this country one.
But here's some good news.
Last year Amtrak set a recordfor ridership 32.8 million
passengers up from 28 million.
They want by 2040, 66 millionriders.
(30:47):
That means new routes, newequipment and new way of doing
things.
But honestly, to be honest withyou, if you've never taken the
train, you're cheating yourself.
Took it once in college,commuter rail from Boston to my
little town.
Loved it, loved it.
Washington Post has compiled alist of the fastest, most
(31:08):
accurate fast food drive-thrus.
How does your favorite placestack up?
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of theTech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
(31:30):
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
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Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
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That's techmobilityshow.
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You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
(31:54):
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 myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
(32:16):
Check it out.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
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Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(32:40):
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Speaker 2 (32:49):
Get started today and revolutionize the way you
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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
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
(33:10):
you.
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You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
How much time and how muchgasoline do we waste in
drive-thru lanes at fast foodchains and, more importantly,
(33:32):
how often can we depend on theplace to get our order right?
Trust me point of contentionhere there's nothing more
frustrating than getting yourorder, driving five or six miles
home and finding out they leftsomething out or screwed
something up or God forbid gaveyou the wrong order, all of
which has happened to us, me andmy wife.
(33:52):
Well, the Washington Post tooka look and used some industry
leaders that does this kind ofthing and they crunched some
numbers.
And this is topic C Fast fooddrive-through.
It's an American institution.
We're in a hurry, you don't wantto get out the car, you're
(34:12):
hungry.
You want something.
You drive up and, depending onthe chain, fast food is
sometimes often in quotes fastsupposed to be, but doesn't end
up being that way.
And then I don't know about you, but if I choose a place to
spend my money, a little commoncourtesy would be really nice.
(34:33):
And in a lot of cases they actlike I'm doing them a favor or
they feel like I, the customer,are inconveniencing them.
That's how I feel, and usuallywhen I encounter a place like
that, I don't go back.
So where are we at?
here, on this stuff.
Well, again a little context,because you know I like context.
(34:54):
Before the pandemic, two-thirdsof fast food sales came through
the drive-thru window, andthat's according to Revenue
Management Solutions.
And they are the food dataaficionados whose analysis
helped chains price theircheeseburgers.
That figure soared to 83percent as lockdowns hit and
(35:15):
have recently settled back downaround 63%.
As prices soar and deliveryproliferates, drive-thru traffic
continues to fall.
By January of this year it wasdown more than a quarter from
its pre-pandemic level.
And you think about it?
It's the next logicalprogression Eat-in, drive-thru
(35:36):
home delivery.
That's why Uber, eats andGrubhub and all of them are
making a killing.
Because at the end of the day,when you come to your home, you
don't want to food thedrive-thru, you don't want to go
back out.
Yeah, bring me some food.
Here's a restaurant I want youto buy it from.
Deliver.
Welcome to the instantaneousgratification society we're in.
(35:58):
But the big picture analysisdoesn't tell us much about the
drive-through conditions on theground.
So the Washington Post turnedto an outfit called In Touch
Insight, whose data allowed themto drive surprisingly deep on
specific restaurants.
Now get this.
You'll like this part.
For over 25 years, the firm andits predecessors have
(36:18):
dispatched secret shoppers totop fast food outlets throughout
the United States.
And in case you're thinkingthat they did, like you know a
hit piece, the shopper squadvisited outlets from each of 10
chains at least 160 times.
That's each focusing on thelunch and dinner hours, so it
(36:42):
wasn't one and done.
They gave him a chance.
The shoppers collect data onjust about everything, from how
many cars were in line to howlong they waited to place an
order, to the temperature oftheir food and whether the clerk
said please and made eyecontact.
And I can tell you in a lot ofcases they don't and I'm not
(37:02):
okay with that.
But there is a lone exceptionand I'm not surprised and the
numbers in this piece bear meout and I'll get to that in a
minute.
And I found that to beconsistent For the 10 major
chains in the public sample.
It took five and a half minutesfor the average car to get food
(37:23):
in 2024.
And you would have thought itwas 15 to 20 minutes sometimes.
That's the best drive-thruperformance since 2020, when the
novel coronavirus pushed waryAmericans mask first into the
low contact drive-thru lifestyle.
Pushed wary Americans maskfirst into the low contact
drive-thru lifestyle.
And in case you're wondering,because we talked about AI and
fast food delivery anddrive-thrus, a new analysis from
(37:47):
the same outfit found AIordering systems sped up total
waits by 11.5 seconds, althoughthey attribute that mainly to
speaker quality, because AIenabled locations tend to have
better speakers.
An InTouch Insights 2024 reportshowed that a clear,
understandable speaker sped upservice time by 28 seconds
almost a half a minute, if youcan imagine.
(38:11):
To be sure, some foods arefaster than others.
Company taking the fast crownsecond straight year Taco Bell
4.3 minutes.
By comparison, chick-fil-acustomers waited almost twice as
long 8 minutes.
In fact, the long wait times atChick-fil-A are the only
(38:36):
constant in a fluctuating dataset.
On average since 2016,chick-fil-a and McDonald's take
the longest, while Dunkin' andKFC have the shortest waits.
Yeah, I'm shouting out to y'allin the Northeast and y'all can
have your Dunkin' I'm aNortheaster but I can't get with
the coffee, I'm sorry.
And KFC, yeah, I got my reasons.
(38:57):
I'm going to keep them tomyself right now, but check this
out.
And they give a caveat to whyChick-fil-A is so long.
Much of that has to do withpopularity.
Chick-fil-a had an average offive vehicles waiting to holler
at the speaker ortablet-wielding employee at a
given lane at a given time overthe past five years almost
double second place McDonald's.
(39:19):
And let me tell you somethingthey get it right, they're
polite, they're clean and theysay thank you.
I can tell you all that aboutChick-fil-A.
I get it and I get why peoplewould come back.
You wonder at the crush ofpeople they've got how they get
it right each and every time.
But I will tell you this I'venever had one miss at
(39:42):
Chick-fil-A.
Can't say that about McDonald's, though, but I can definitely
say that about Chick-fil-A.
That at least my personalexperience.
I have never had a messed uporder.
Now this piece goes on to say ifyou adjust for the number of
cars in line, chick-fil-a movesthe fastest, which is not
surprising given their moneyball-like approach to chicken
(40:04):
distribution.
Apparently they go into bigleague sports style film
breakdowns and apparently theydispatch elite drone equipped
and analytic squads to speed upindividual restaurants.
Chick-fil-a takes dwell time inline seriously.
They want to make sure you getyour food fast, right and
(40:27):
quickly and they don't play theInTouch Insight.
Shoppers also measure how muchof their order each chain got
right.
Guess what?
The Georgia-based chickenslingers consistently and that's
Chick-fil-A come in near thetop of that one as well 92%
accuracy since 2019.
(40:48):
Burger King and McDonald's arenext at 88% and I've noticed the
difference difference.
Kfc struggled.
They had the worst at 81%.
That means almost two out ofevery 10 orders that KFC fills
is wrong and over nine out ofevery 10 that Chick-fil-A fills
(41:11):
is right.
Think about that for a minutethe next time you're in line.
Mcdonald's had half as manycars as Chick-fil-A, but it took
almost as long.
Chick-fil-a had more cars butgot the orders right quickly.
Yeah, think about that for aminute and then polite about it
Because, honestly, you have achoice where you spend your
(41:32):
money and people should begrateful that you choose them
when you have a choice.
Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my review of the 2025
Lincoln Nautilus Black LabelSUV Amtrak newer, bigger, faster
and the fastest most accuratefast food drive-thrus.
Because you know, you got toknow this stuff.
So we're going to share, tojoin the conversation, be it to
(00:33):
ask a question, share an opinionor even suggest a topic for
future discussion, because I'malways open to ideas.
Call or text the Tech Mobilityhotline.
That direct number is872-222-9793.
Or you can email the showdirectly, talk at
(00:54):
techmobilityshow.
Be sure also to follow, likeand subscribe to our social
media account, our YouTubechannel, and if you subscribe to
Substack, you can find me theretoo.
It's at Ken, the letter C, iowa.
So that's K-E-N-C-I-O-W-A Fromthe Tech Mobility News Desk.
(01:22):
We've talked about autonomoustrucks.
We've talked about robo taxis.
We've talked about Waymo.
We've talked about Uber.
Maven and a host of othercompanies that were trying to
get into this business for onereason or another have fallen
out.
What if I told you that there'sanother automaker planning to
(01:46):
deploy thousands of robo-taxison Uber's platform in the United
States?
Bet you could never tell me whoit is.
And no, I'm not talking aboutVolvo.
We've already covered thatground.
And we're not talking aboutJaguar.
Yes, I know We've reported thathere too.
No it.
I know We've reported that heretoo.
No it is European, though, and,believe it or not, it's
(02:13):
Volkswagen, volkswagen, and it'sinteresting how VW got here.
They managed over this last 10years to turn something that
could have killed the companyinto a major benefit for them to
refocus, and probably not aminute too soon.
Had Dieselgate not happened in2015, volkswagen might still be
(02:36):
making diesel motors and stillgoing along their way and not
fully embracing EVs andeverything that goes with it and
autonomous vehicles like theyneeded to like.
They had to like.
Actually, a lot of thesettlements that they arranged
required them to, because theygot slapped, not just in the
United States but around theworld.
They spent a lot of money forthe discretions.
(03:00):
One of the things they had todo in the United States was set
aside $2 billion billion with aB, and that money had to be
invested into EV charging in theUnited States.
Volkswagen single-handedlysupported the nurturing and
growth of that industry withtheir money, of that industry,
(03:28):
with their money, that we have amore robust and growing EV
charging industry because of themistakes they made earlier and
what they had to spend withToneform.
So here we are now.
The German auto giant will useits all-electric IDBuzz minivans
, which are sharp.
Tried to drive one this pastweek, didn't get a chance to do
it.
They are sharp and I will tellyou they have a sticker price of
(03:50):
over 70 grand.
So, yeah, I might have to waita little longer, but they're
planning to use that for theirautonomous ride handling in the
United States, and I'm nottalking 10 years from now.
They expect to launch this inLos Angeles next year, and
(04:10):
Volkswagen isn't typicallymentioned in conversations about
robo-taxis, but, as we justmentioned, the German auto giant
has been quietly working on itsown self-driving technology for
over 10 years, and now they'refinally ready.
Of all places, uber startingwith a commercial robot taxi
service in LA.
Their ID Buzz electric minivanswill be equipped with
(04:34):
self-driving sensors andsoftware developed by their
subsidiary, moya.
The long wheelbase version ofthe Buzz can seat at least 7
passengers.
So VW is trying to maximize itsride-hailing potential, and the
goal, they said, is toultimately have thousands of
vehicles operating in multipleUS cities over the next decade.
(04:57):
The automaker says.
Just for point of reference,Waymo that started in Arizona,
currently offers right now, thismoment, commercial autonomous
ride hailing services in threemajor areas, and they are giving
(05:24):
hundreds of thousands ofautomated rides all week right
now, and have been for a while.
So if you're trying to tell methat RoboTac is not a thing,
you're late by quite a bit.
Not only is it a thing, it'sgoing to be more of a thing.
Vw will start testing theservice later this year using
vehicles with safety driversbehind the wheel.
The company says it will onlyproceed with fully driverless
(05:45):
operations after receiving thenecessary permits and clearances
from regulatory agencies.
Volkswagen no offense nooffense.
I'll believe it when I see it,because your history isn't all
that reassuring.
Even though they've been testingits self-driving technology in
the United States for a numberof years and, ironically, you
(06:06):
didn't know this they deployedautonomous buzz vehicles in
Austin two years ago, after anumber of years testing them in
Germany.
Now, the vehicles they testedin Austin used the technology
developed by Mobileye, thedriver-assist sensor software
company owned by Intel, as wellas sensors like radars, cameras
and LiDAR.
(06:27):
Vw said that they will put vansin service as a ride-sharing
fleet under its subsidiary, moya, which already has been
operating a fleet of electricvehicles as part of its
ride-pooling service in Hamburgsince 2017.
Vw's anonymous driving softwareis developed by Mobileye.
(06:47):
Now, if you've been payingattention to the news and if
you've been listening to me,we've talked about how VW's
dabbled in autonomous drivingfor years and didn't end all
that well.
They had partnered with Auroraand Argo Argo, which was a joint
venture with Ford, andunfortunately it was forced to
(07:08):
shut down that one after theautomaker, along with Ford, they
pulled their funding and Auroraended up getting bought by GM
and then shut down.
So autonomous vehicles outsideof trucking continue to have a
checkered past, but it's not allor nothing.
(07:29):
Like I said, waymo's been doingit.
There's still a lot of testautonomous vehicles in
development on the roads in theUnited States of America.
That has not changed.
If anything, we're going to seemore as they try to get this
resolved, even though you'veseen the videos and the one that
was making the rounds whensomebody decided to put a road
(07:50):
hazard cone on the hood of oneof these cars and it confused it
to no end and just stopped.
Yeah, yeah, that was Aurora, bythe way, that had that problem
in San Francisco and yeah, themgetting their permit pulled is
probably part of the reason whyGM decided to back out.
Meanwhile, uber has been on astreak of striking deals with AV
(08:13):
operators as it seeks to becomea one-stop shop for robo-taxes
and autonomous delivery vehiclesof all brands.
Let me stop right here.
When Uber was started in 2009,the whole goal from Jump Street
was to provide these serviceswithout a human driver.
That has always been Uber's MO.
The human drivers were at best,a crossover or temporary to get
(08:39):
them started, but it was nevermeant to be their lead-all,
main-all, be-all of theiroperating model ever.
This is where they're going andby eliminating the driver, uber
expects to be widely profitable.
Now to the point, uber wasspending this money on their own
at one time, directly, and whatthey've done now is they've
(09:02):
taken a step back and they'reworking with automakers, but
they're not necessarily leadingit.
They're providing the platformand the automakers are providing
the hardware.
In addition to Volkswagen, uberhas partnerships with Waymo,
motional, avride and WeRide forself-driving cars and Serve,
harken and Nuro for deliveryrobots Nuro particularly cool,
(09:25):
because we talked about Nuro atlength and their little food
delivery robots on collegecampuses when Nuro launched.
So that should be interesting.
But where they're going here isthey want to go automated,
because if they can eliminatethe labor, that goes straight to
the bottom line, because theycan spread that cost over miles
and the cost drops the more thevehicles get used, and because
(09:47):
they didn't end up with thedevelopment costs.
Then again, leverage, becausethe automakers are the ones
carrying the load of development.
They're just leasing theplatforms and providing a way to
do it.
So it's pretty cool and we'llsee how the VW does and we'll
continue With vehicles like theNautilus SUV in the lineup.
(10:10):
It's easy to understand whyLincoln is on a roll.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONMeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONmeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(10:40):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
AONmeetingscom, where innovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Social media is the main placeto 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
(11:09):
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
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
(11:31):
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle 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.
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
(11:52):
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
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
weekly radio show.
From Apple Podcasts toiHeartRadio and many podcast
platforms in between, we got youcovered.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search
bar, wherever you listen topodcasts, In the spirit of
taking great things and makingthem better.
Wait till you see what's next,Introducing the all-new 2006
Lincoln Zephyr, Mark LT andNavigator Lincoln reach higher.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
It was an interesting year for Lincoln that year and
I would not fault you if you'relike the Mark LT, what's that?
It was Lincoln's attempt atmaking a pickup truck.
They could have went furtherwith it.
They didn't.
They basically lightly redid anF-150.
And I really think that theycould have really made a case
for it if they were willing tospend the money, which at that
(13:13):
time they weren't.
The Zephyr would become the MKZthe next year and is actually
based in the Mazda 6 platformand was pretty awesome.
And, to be blunt, lincoln prettymuch for the last 25, 30 years
until recently, has been mainlycarried by their large Navigator
.
People love that thing.
It's always been a home runsince the day it was launched,
(13:36):
but that was then.
This is now.
Henry Leland would be proud,and it's okay if you don't know
who Henry Leland is.
He's the original founder ofthe Lincoln Motor Company and
him and Henry Ford have historywhich I will not get into here.
But Henry bought the companyafter Henry Ford bought the
company in 1922 when HenryLeland got caught in a cash
(13:59):
squeeze in the recession of 21.
Henry Ford was exacting revengeand was going to close it down
and choke Leland, basically.
But Edsel Ford, his son, talkedhim out of it and, as they say,
the rest is history.
But remind me we'll talk alittle bit more why there was
such animosity between theHenrys.
And although actually now it'sbeen a division of Ford for over
(14:21):
100 years, lincoln over theyears was positioned to be the
automaker's luxury marquee.
During the middle part of thelast century, lincoln duked it
out with Cadillac in theAmerican luxury car marketplace,
but times changed and bothautomakers struggled Lincoln
even more than Cadillac.
As German makes like BMW andMercedes-Benz began to make
inroads into the luxury vehiclesegment, the heat got turned up
(14:44):
with the entry of Toyota's Lexus, honda's Acura and Nissan's
Infiniti brands in the mid tolate 80s.
For a while it seemed thatLincoln lost its way.
Customers were getting olderand young buyers didn't even
bother to consider the brand.
However, during the last 30years, there's been sign to life
at Lincoln.
(15:04):
The introduction of thefull-size Navigator luxury SUV
put the nameplate back on themap for a small but growing
segment of the marketplace.
The seeds of the currentsuccess of the brand were
planted back in 2006.
The vehicle was originallyknown as the MKX, a midsize
luxury crossover SUV that rodeon the automaker's CD4 platform.
(15:26):
The Ford Edge and Flex, alongwith the short-lived Lincoln MKT
, were mechanical siblings.
Don't ask, we'll talk about theMKT another time.
Just think of the Lincolnversion of the Flex and you'll
be mostly there.
But 2019, lincoln had phased outmost of its MK model names,
choosing Nautilus in place ofthe MKX.
For the luxury crossover'smid-cycle refresh of the
(15:48):
vehicle's second generation,2019 Nautilus adopted the
styling of the newly introducedContinental Navigator,
transitioning from the previoussplit-wing grille to a large
leg-tailor grille with a largeLincoln star emblem.
The second-generation Nautilusfor the US market was introduced
in April 2023 as a 2024 model.
The all-new 2024 Nautilusarrived with a new evolved
(16:12):
design, an available hydridpowertrain and new connected
features, and this included theall-new Lincoln Digital
Experience and Lincoln BlueCruise hand free highway driving
technology.
Now, to be clear, this reviewjust covers the gasoline models
only, available in three trimlevels.
Power for the five-passengerNautilus is provided by a
(16:34):
two-liter, four-cylindergasoline power plant that makes
250 horsepower and produces 280foot-pounds of torque.
Energy is communicated to allfour wheels via an eight-speed
push-button automatictransmission.
The driver also has apush-button to activate one of
four drive modes to furthercustomize the driving experience
.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 21.
(16:56):
City 29.
Highway Cargo capacity rangesfrom 68.8 to 71.3 cubic feet,
depending on the trim level.
Towing capacity is 1,750 poundswith the optional trailer
towing package.
So here's what I liked about thecrossover SUV.
The Lincoln Nautilus is arefreshing take on luxury that
(17:17):
does not imitate or mimic anyother automaker, including Ford,
and, to borrow an old Lincolntagline, honestly and I believe
this, it's what a luxury carshould be.
It looks that good.
From the minute I opened thedriver's side door, I knew
immediately that this was indeeda luxury space Beautiful,
(17:37):
sophisticated, elegant andunique.
I was without words, you canbelieve it.
The literaldoorpost-to-doorpost digital
display presentation.
It works.
The Nautilus showcases a flowinghorizontal instrument panel
integrated into a 48-inchpanoramic display, the largest
in its class, introducing newlevels of connectivity and
(17:58):
personalization.
The vehicle is solid, boastinga quiet ride and a drivetrain
that is smooth and responsive atspeed.
The driver enjoys a goodoutward view of the road.
Inside, something I call magicfront seats greet driver and
passenger.
Inside, something I call magicfront seats great driver and
passenger.
Entry and exit is easy andconvenient.
For all four doors and formodels equipped with the Lincoln
(18:20):
Digital Scent feature, there'sa collection of three in-cabin
scents that are housed in thecenter armrest and, if you can
believe it, four new availablescents have been added and are
available for purchase.
Meanwhile, there's plenty ofrear legroom, along with four
USB ports for the backseatpassengers alone.
Split folding rear seats have apower fold function for loading
(18:42):
convenience from the rear cargohatch opening.
A panoramic sunroof adds to thefeeling of airiness.
The cargo area is cavernous.
The spare tire, yes, is locatedunder the cargo area floor and
is accessible from inside thepassenger cabin.
So here's what I didn't likeabout the vehicle Didn't have
(19:03):
fog lights.
There's no head-up display,although honestly that's kind of
a eh, it's a like to have.
So I'm not going to ding himfor that, it's a like to have.
I would have liked to have it.
But if it doesn't, I'm allright.
But here's something 22-inchtires.
22-inch tires, I'm thinkingreplacement cost of those and
(19:24):
the rims if they get damaged.
You bend one, you blow one, youwear one out.
Ouch, that ain't going to becheap.
And something else More nooksand crannies throughout the
passenger cabin would be nice.
Just, you know, to put stuff,store stuff, it'd be nice.
And although the rear seatsfold, they don't fold what I
(19:44):
call true flat, which is evenwith the floor in.
Yeah, I know, I know I'm beingpicky, but it's me and really
honestly, it's something youcome to appreciate if you use
the cargo area and fold theseats down to haul stuff.
It's one of those little thingsthat makes a big deal.
Here's the bottom line, and I'mgoing to say this as directly as
(20:04):
I can.
The more I drove it, the betterI liked it and I really like
the fact that this Lincoln isactually making its own personal
statement.
I drive a lot of vehicles and alot of luxury vehicles, and you
can see where folks kind ofmimic other folks or copy stuff.
This doesn't copy and for achanged Lincoln, you struck out
(20:25):
in your own way and I say kudosto you.
Manufacturer suggested retailprice for the 2025 Lincoln
Nautilus Black Label crossoverSUV starts from $77,130.
Destination charges add $1,595.
Understand the Black Label isthe top end of the gasoline
version of the Nautilus.
(20:47):
You can start this for almost$20,000 less if you're willing
to consider the Premier, butthis is the black label.
The one I drove is tested, cameout to $79,545 with the
optional jet appearance package,but I really, really liked this
vehicle and was pleasantlysurprised.
Faster, bigger, morecomfortable.
(21:10):
Amtrak is rolling out newtrains.
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
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,
(21:30):
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 podcastsSocial media it's the place to
(21:54):
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.
(22:15):
Check it out.
I have a confession to make.
I love trains Always, haveAlways have.
The first 20 years of my life,I had never been more than four
miles away from the Boston toMaine line, what was known now
(22:38):
as the Fitchburg line betweenBoston, massachusetts, and
Williamstown, massachusetts,going across the northern part
of the state.
I grew up in north centralMassachusetts and I was never
further away where I could nothear a train whistle from that
line for most of my early daysgrowing up.
So I wanted to preface thatbecause I want to talk about
(23:00):
Amtrak and I want to talk aboutsome progress Amtrak is making,
rolling out the first of its newAeroTrains and that's A-I-R-O.
They come with panoramicwindows, comfier chairs and more
accessibility features.
The National Rail Service iscurrently constructing up to 83
of the new and improvedAeroTrains, which will operate
(23:22):
on around 15 existing routes inthe eastern US and Pacific
Northwest.
And the train aficionados got aquestion and I'm just asking
will they be featured on theEmpire Builder?
I'm asking for a friend.
This is topic B.
There are two routes thatAmtrak currently runs that were
(23:45):
run by its predecessor railroads.
That has been on my bucket listin my life.
I want to travel Amtrak on bothof these.
One is the city of New Orleans,which runs the Mississippi from
Chicago to New Orleans.
The other one is called theEmpire Builder and it runs from
Chicago to Seattle or, dependingif you take the Portland route
(24:09):
to Portland.
They tell me the scenery isbeautiful.
I want a cabin with, I want asleeper, I want to do it right
and I want that.
So if Amtrak's going to, youknow, be rolling out these new
trains on either one of thoseroutes you know I'm in the route
to New Orleans would have beenon the former Illinois Central
(24:33):
and the Empire Builder,primarily on what was the Great
Northern Railroad, now theBurlington Northern Santa Fe.
So yeah, a little bit.
Currently these new trains arebeing built at Siemens
Sacramento Plant, California,and they expect the testing of
the first train to begin laterthis year.
(24:53):
By modernizing its fleet with avariety of design improvements,
amtrak is making a play toattract more Americans to train
travel instead of flight, a steptowards its ultimate goal to
revitalize America's passengerrail system and double its
ridership by 2040.
If you go back 150 years, traintravel pretty much particularly
(25:18):
across most of this country onceyou got outside of rural areas,
was the only way.
We did not have a system ofroads back then and the little
roads we did have went town totown and they were muddy when it
rained and awful in the winterand darn near impossible A lot
of the towns west of theMississippi were laid out by
(25:39):
railroad companies and a lot ofthat land was given away on
either side of the right-of-wayby the government.
If you go across most ofNebraska, most of those major
towns were named by the chiefengineer of the Union Pacific.
General Granville Dodge namedmost of those towns from Omaha
to Cheyenne that are along theUnion Pacific and settled them
(26:02):
and the railroad sold property.
So we have this history Evenhere in Des Moines.
Des Moines was a sleepy littlevillage until the early 1860s
when the first railroad actuallycame up from the northeast.
Southeast part of the stateDidn't even go east-west.
It went northwest from Keokukat the river, at the Mississippi
(26:23):
River, to Des Moines and theDes Moines Valley Railroad was
the first railroad that got here.
The Rock Island would followlater and other railroads would
be built, but that was the firstone.
And the funny thing of it isthat railroad most of it doesn't
exist anymore and the littlebit that does is used for
storage.
But railroads have this bighistory Now in Europe and in
(26:48):
Japan they have developed, theyhave perfected high-speed rail
travel.
It's a thing and it's a big dealand we are playing catch-up
Because for so long being anautomotive-centric nation.
We pretty much kicked ourrailroads to the curb after the
Second World War With thefederally funded interstate
(27:11):
system and the money that wentinto state roads and state
highways and county roads andcounty highways.
Iowa was still pouring cementand county roads when I got here
in the early 1980s and it'spoured hundreds of miles of
county roads to facilitatefarm-to-market.
Meanwhile, railroads areprivately owned and all that
(27:33):
money got spent by the freightrailroads when passenger service
went south as it did.
After the Second World War,passenger service started going
away to the point where thegovernment stepped in in 1971 to
create Amtrak.
That's how we got here.
On the inside of these new cars,new seating offers movable
(27:54):
headrest, a cup holder, biggerand sturdier tray tables and
plenty of legroom.
And to make finding your seatsimpler, each car will be
color-coded based on its class,while each chair will be labeled
with an individual number.
Does not sound like a big deal,but you know what?
Baby steps, people, baby steps.
And more thought has also beengiven to the train's amenities.
(28:15):
In the Aero's Cafe cars, riderswill now have a self-service
option rather than waiting inone long line to order from a
single attendant.
You think the Cafe cars, aswell as the bathrooms, walkways
and vegetables have also beenmodified to allow wheelchair
users to navigate more easily,and that would help us older
folks who need a little extraroom and a little extra time to
(28:37):
get around, because them narrowhallways are no joke.
Aesthetically, the A stayedgray and blue in tears, still
lagging far behind.
The train designs might findoverseas Still.
The Arrow represents atechnological improvement on
former Amtrak models that it cantravel up to 125 miles an hour
(28:58):
and produce 90% less particulateemissions in diesel operations,
and we're playing catch-up.
It's a good time for Amtrak tobe investing in new trains,
given that some of its old carsare going out of service.
Just last week, the railservice announced they'll be
suspending its entire Horizonfleet after inspectors uncovered
potentially dangerous corrosionon several cars.
(29:19):
Bear in mind that when Amtrakwas created over 50 years ago,
it inherited the run-down carsfrom the railroads that were
running it.
That didn't put no money in itbecause they were losing money
for the previous 15, 20 years.
So Amtrak's been trying toupdate and update and upgrade,
and we haven't even talked aboutroutes and everything else that
they're having to deal withthat should hit the tracks in
(29:40):
2026, next year, are the firstphase of ANTRAC's larger plans
to refresh its existing fleetand expand its service across
the US.
A hand up here, des Moines wouldbe fine, please.
I would love to take the trainto Chicago, really would.
I would not miss.
Not driving five hours Wouldnot hurt my feelings.
Would do that Because airfarefrom here is kind of expensive.
(30:02):
And then you got to deal withO'Hare.
Would rather not deal withO'Hare.
Yeah, I'll take the train, Nota problem.
Former leader of Amtrak had saidthat in the United States it
was still operating likeVictorian railways in 21st
century.
Meanwhile, countries likeFrance, japan, switzerland and
China are moving light yearsahead in terms of their
(30:24):
high-speed rail system.
We've got one the Acela routefrom Boston to Washington DC.
One In all of this country one.
But here's some good news.
Last year Amtrak set a recordfor ridership 32.8 million
passengers up from 28 million.
They want by 2040, 66 millionriders.
(30:47):
That means new routes, newequipment and new way of doing
things.
But honestly, to be honest withyou, if you've never taken the
train, you're cheating yourself.
Took it once in college,commuter rail from Boston to my
little town.
Loved it, loved it.
Washington Post has compiled alist of the fastest, most
(31:08):
accurate fast food drive-thrus.
How does your favorite placestack up?
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of theTech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
(31:30):
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.
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
(31:54):
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 myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
(32:16):
Check it out.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
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platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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browser-based platform that doesit all.
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(32:40):
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Speaker 2 (32:49):
Get started today and revolutionize the way you
communicate.
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
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
(33:10):
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
How much time and how muchgasoline do we waste in
drive-thru lanes at fast foodchains and, more importantly,
(33:32):
how often can we depend on theplace to get our order right?
Trust me point of contentionhere there's nothing more
frustrating than getting yourorder, driving five or six miles
home and finding out they leftsomething out or screwed
something up or God forbid gaveyou the wrong order, all of
which has happened to us, me andmy wife.
(33:52):
Well, the Washington Post tooka look and used some industry
leaders that does this kind ofthing and they crunched some
numbers.
And this is topic C Fast fooddrive-through.
It's an American institution.
We're in a hurry, you don't wantto get out the car, you're
(34:12):
hungry.
You want something.
You drive up and, depending onthe chain, fast food is
sometimes often in quotes fastsupposed to be, but doesn't end
up being that way.
And then I don't know about you, but if I choose a place to
spend my money, a little commoncourtesy would be really nice.
(34:33):
And in a lot of cases they actlike I'm doing them a favor or
they feel like I, the customer,are inconveniencing them.
That's how I feel, and usuallywhen I encounter a place like
that, I don't go back.
So where are we at?
here, on this stuff.
Well, again a little context,because you know I like context.
(34:54):
Before the pandemic, two-thirdsof fast food sales came through
the drive-thru window, andthat's according to Revenue
Management Solutions.
And they are the food dataaficionados whose analysis
helped chains price theircheeseburgers.
That figure soared to 83percent as lockdowns hit and
(35:15):
have recently settled back downaround 63%.
As prices soar and deliveryproliferates, drive-thru traffic
continues to fall.
By January of this year it wasdown more than a quarter from
its pre-pandemic level.
And you think about it?
It's the next logicalprogression Eat-in, drive-thru
(35:36):
home delivery.
That's why Uber, eats andGrubhub and all of them are
making a killing.
Because at the end of the day,when you come to your home, you
don't want to food thedrive-thru, you don't want to go
back out.
Yeah, bring me some food.
Here's a restaurant I want youto buy it from.
Deliver.
Welcome to the instantaneousgratification society we're in.
(35:58):
But the big picture analysisdoesn't tell us much about the
drive-through conditions on theground.
So the Washington Post turnedto an outfit called In Touch
Insight, whose data allowed themto drive surprisingly deep on
specific restaurants.
Now get this.
You'll like this part.
For over 25 years, the firm andits predecessors have
(36:18):
dispatched secret shoppers totop fast food outlets throughout
the United States.
And in case you're thinkingthat they did, like you know a
hit piece, the shopper squadvisited outlets from each of 10
chains at least 160 times.
That's each focusing on thelunch and dinner hours, so it
(36:42):
wasn't one and done.
They gave him a chance.
The shoppers collect data onjust about everything, from how
many cars were in line to howlong they waited to place an
order, to the temperature oftheir food and whether the clerk
said please and made eyecontact.
And I can tell you in a lot ofcases they don't and I'm not
(37:02):
okay with that.
But there is a lone exceptionand I'm not surprised and the
numbers in this piece bear meout and I'll get to that in a
minute.
And I found that to beconsistent For the 10 major
chains in the public sample.
It took five and a half minutesfor the average car to get food
(37:23):
in 2024.
And you would have thought itwas 15 to 20 minutes sometimes.
That's the best drive-thruperformance since 2020, when the
novel coronavirus pushed waryAmericans mask first into the
low contact drive-thru lifestyle.
Pushed wary Americans maskfirst into the low contact
drive-thru lifestyle.
And in case you're wondering,because we talked about AI and
fast food delivery anddrive-thrus, a new analysis from
(37:47):
the same outfit found AIordering systems sped up total
waits by 11.5 seconds, althoughthey attribute that mainly to
speaker quality, because AIenabled locations tend to have
better speakers.
An InTouch Insights 2024 reportshowed that a clear,
understandable speaker sped upservice time by 28 seconds
almost a half a minute, if youcan imagine.
(38:11):
To be sure, some foods arefaster than others.
Company taking the fast crownsecond straight year Taco Bell
4.3 minutes.
By comparison, chick-fil-acustomers waited almost twice as
long 8 minutes.
In fact, the long wait times atChick-fil-A are the only
(38:36):
constant in a fluctuating dataset.
On average since 2016,chick-fil-a and McDonald's take
the longest, while Dunkin' andKFC have the shortest waits.
Yeah, I'm shouting out to y'allin the Northeast and y'all can
have your Dunkin' I'm aNortheaster but I can't get with
the coffee, I'm sorry.
And KFC, yeah, I got my reasons.
(38:57):
I'm going to keep them tomyself right now, but check this
out.
And they give a caveat to whyChick-fil-A is so long.
Much of that has to do withpopularity.
Chick-fil-a had an average offive vehicles waiting to holler
at the speaker ortablet-wielding employee at a
given lane at a given time overthe past five years almost
double second place McDonald's.
(39:19):
And let me tell you somethingthey get it right, they're
polite, they're clean and theysay thank you.
I can tell you all that aboutChick-fil-A.
I get it and I get why peoplewould come back.
You wonder at the crush ofpeople they've got how they get
it right each and every time.
But I will tell you this I'venever had one miss at
(39:42):
Chick-fil-A.
Can't say that about McDonald's, though, but I can definitely
say that about Chick-fil-A.
That at least my personalexperience.
I have never had a messed uporder.
Now this piece goes on to say ifyou adjust for the number of
cars in line, chick-fil-a movesthe fastest, which is not
surprising given their moneyball-like approach to chicken
(40:04):
distribution.
Apparently they go into bigleague sports style film
breakdowns and apparently theydispatch elite drone equipped
and analytic squads to speed upindividual restaurants.
Chick-fil-a takes dwell time inline seriously.
They want to make sure you getyour food fast, right and
(40:27):
quickly and they don't play theInTouch Insight.
Shoppers also measure how muchof their order each chain got
right.
Guess what?
The Georgia-based chickenslingers consistently and that's
Chick-fil-A come in near thetop of that one as well 92%
accuracy since 2019.
(40:48):
Burger King and McDonald's arenext at 88% and I've noticed the
difference difference.
Kfc struggled.
They had the worst at 81%.
That means almost two out ofevery 10 orders that KFC fills
is wrong and over nine out ofevery 10 that Chick-fil-A fills
(41:11):
is right.
Think about that for a minutethe next time you're in line.
Mcdonald's had half as manycars as Chick-fil-A, but it took
almost as long.
Chick-fil-a had more cars butgot the orders right quickly.
Yeah, think about that for aminute and then polite about it
Because, honestly, you have achoice where you spend your
(41:32):
money and people should begrateful that you choose them
when you have a choice.
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