An Hour In A Car Driven By AI, Volvo Launches All-Electric EX60 SUV
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Car
Volvo EX-60
The Volvo EX-60 is a new electric car from Volvo. It's part of their plan to make more electric vehicles and help the environment by reducing pollution.
Concept
Formula One
Formula One is a type of car racing that features fast cars and skilled drivers. It's a big deal in the racing world, with races happening in different countries.
Brand
Ferrari
Ferrari is a famous car brand from Italy that makes fast and luxurious sports cars. They are well-known for their success in racing.
Concept
Dakar
The Dakar Rally is a famous race that happens every year, where cars and trucks drive through very tough and rough areas. It's a big deal in the racing world, and many car companies participate.
Car
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco Raptor is a special version of the Bronco that is built for off-roading. It can handle tough trails and is great for adventurous driving.
Concept
King of the Hammers
King of the Hammers is a big off-road race that takes place in California. It includes both rock climbing and fast desert racing, making it a tough challenge for drivers and their vehicles.
Concept
Le Mans
Le Mans is a famous car race that lasts for 24 hours. Teams of drivers take turns racing their cars to see who can go the farthest in that time. It's known for being very challenging and exciting.
Car
Ford Mustang
The Mustang is a famous sports car made by Ford that is known for being fast and stylish.
Brand
Chevrolet
Chevrolet, or Chevy, is another popular car brand that makes many different vehicles, including trucks and cars.
Term
5.2-liter V8
A 5.2-liter V8 is a type of engine that has eight cylinders and is quite large, which helps it produce a lot of power. The '5.2-liter' part tells you how big the engine is.
Part
supercharger
A supercharger is a part that helps the engine get more air, which makes it more powerful. It's like giving the engine a boost so it can go faster.
Concept
S197 generation
The S197 generation is a version of the Ford Mustang that was made from 2005 to 2014. It has a classic look and is known for being fun to drive.
Car
Porsche 918 Spyder
The Porsche 918 is a supercar that uses both a traditional engine and electric motors to go fast and save fuel. It was made in 2015 and is famous for its technology.
Car
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a fast sports car made by Ford that was produced in the mid-2000s. It has a powerful engine and is designed to look and perform like a race car.
Term
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a car engine that has six cylinders shaped like a 'V'. It is often used in cars because it provides a good mix of power and fuel efficiency.
Term
manual transmission
A manual transmission is when you have to change gears yourself while driving, using a stick and a pedal. It gives you more control over how the car drives.
Car
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that has been around for a long time. It's known for its unique shape and fast performance.
Term
PDK
PDK is a type of automatic transmission used by Porsche that can change gears very quickly. It makes the car faster and more responsive than regular automatic transmissions.
Term
DCT
DCT is a type of automatic transmission that can change gears very quickly using two clutches. It helps the car shift gears faster than regular automatic transmissions.
Term
retard the spark
Retarding the spark means making the engine wait a little longer before it ignites the fuel. This can help the engine run better in certain situations.
Car
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro is a special system that helps Audi cars drive better in all kinds of weather, like rain or snow. It makes the car more stable and easier to control, which is why many people like it.
Car
Volvo 240
The Volvo 240 is a well-known car that was made from the 1970s to the 1990s. It's famous for being safe and lasting a long time.
Car
Volvo 740
The Volvo 740 is a car that was made in the 1980s and 1990s. It's known for being roomy and safe, which made it a good choice for families.
Car
Volvo 850
The Volvo 850 is a car that was made in the early to late 1990s. It's recognized for being safe and comfortable, making it a good option for many drivers.
Car
Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 is a stylish and safe SUV that is great for families. It has a comfortable interior and many safety features to keep you and your passengers safe.
Term
electric Volvos
Electric Volvos are cars made by Volvo that run on electricity instead of gasoline. They are designed to be more environmentally friendly and are part of a trend towards electric vehicles.
Concept
automotive connectivity
Automotive connectivity means that cars can connect to the internet and other devices. This helps with things like navigation, music streaming, and safety features, making driving easier and more enjoyable.
Company
Snapdragon
Snapdragon is a brand of computer chips made by Qualcomm. These chips help cars run their technology, like navigation and entertainment systems.
Company
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is a company that makes technology used in phones and cars. They help cars connect to the internet and improve features like safety and navigation.
Car
Mercedes-Benz Mercedesbenz Cla
The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a smaller luxury car that looks really nice and has a lot of cool features. It’s a good option for people who want a fancy car without spending too much money.
Term
hybrid
A hybrid car uses both a gas engine and an electric motor. This helps it use less fuel and produce fewer emissions, making it more environmentally friendly than regular cars.
Term
MSRP
MSRP means the price that the car maker suggests for their vehicle. It's a starting point for how much you might pay, but the actual price can be different based on where you buy it.
Car
BMW M240I
The BMW 2 Series is a smaller luxury car that is fun to drive. It has a nice interior and is great for people who want a sporty car that’s easy to handle.
Car
Audi Rs3
The Audi RS 3 is a super-fast version of a smaller Audi car. It’s designed for people who want a sporty ride that still feels luxurious and comfortable.
Car
BMW M2
The BMW M2 is a sporty car that is designed for people who love to drive. It’s smaller than some other BMWs but packs a lot of power, making it really fun to take on the road.
Car
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4 is a fun little convertible sports car that you can drive with the top down. It’s known for being fast and enjoyable to drive, making it a favorite among people who love cars.
Car
Volvo EX90
The Volvo EX90 is a new electric SUV that doesn’t use gas, which is better for the environment. It has a lot of cool technology and safety features, making it a smart choice for families.
Car
Aston Dbxs
The Aston Martin DBX is a fancy SUV that looks really stylish and is made by a luxury car company known for sports cars. It’s designed to be both comfortable and powerful, making it a great choice for those who want luxury and space.
Car
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a fancy SUV that drives like a sports car. It's popular because it offers a lot of space and comfort while still being really fun to drive, especially the GTS version, which is even sportier.
Car
Lamborghini Urus
The Lamborghini Urus is a super fancy SUV that is really fast and powerful. It’s designed for people who want a lot of space but still want the excitement of a sports car.
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Coming up on today's podcast, Volvo's biggest unveiling ever,
their new electric EX-60 is out.
And Hannah spoke with Volvo's president of the Americas, Luis Rezende,
giving us one of the company's first interviews on their launch,
and why he thinks it's a game changer for the industry.
Matt is back from the Detroit Auto Show.
We want to hear all about that.
I need to know a big takeaway or something that surprised you.
Well, I was shocked, to be honest, that no one plows the streets in Detroit when it snows.
And then the other thing is, like, racing is super important in Detroit now,
because the day that I arrived, GM was making some big announcements about its Formula One entry,
and then the next day, you know, I sat down with Bill Ford, for example,
and he was like, hey, I heard GM was talking smack about us.
At least we're making our own motors, you know?
He's using Ferraris.
Wow, I love it.
Trash talk.
Yeah, trash talk.
And, you know, I got to talk to Max for a step, and he is, I think,
Tell us.
He's officially the biggest let down I've ever had in an interview.
Probably the worst interview that I've ever had that I've been excited for.
Like, I thought I was going to be able to chill and have fun with him
and like dig into racing, and he had that amazing YouTube video with Chris Harris,
where I thought, wow, Max has really grown up, and he's come out as a person,
and he's, like, socially capable, and then when I sat down with him,
I mean, maybe he just didn't have, and not just maybe,
he definitely had no interest in talking to me.
He doesn't like press in general.
No, I mean, I don't think it's personal.
He wanted to get up and leave as soon as he sat down, so.
Did you try to, you know, like, get him to...
I did my best, and I'm usually, I tried myself on that skill, you know?
Yes.
But I could not open him up.
He might have had, might have missed breakfast that morning.
On the other hand, it was awesome to talk to Jim Farley.
I mean, Jim is such a great person to talk to.
Yeah, and, like, their commitment to racing is just,
I feel like Jim Farley is the Ford Racing CEO,
and he has the car maker as his, like, side gig.
Did he talk about Dakar at all?
Yes, he did.
What did he, so, like, what did he say?
So, he had just come back from Dakar.
He was out there watching the race,
but also driving trucks in the dunes and also camping out,
and, you know, they have their amazing off-road supercar
right now that's just for, you know, professional teams or privateers.
And also, some privateer team was running a Bronco Raptor into car stock.
Oh, that's cool.
Yeah.
That's cool.
So, there's that, and it's definitely my new bucket list race event.
I have got to go to Dakar.
You know, also you should come to King of the Hammers.
True.
I want to do all the stuff, but Dakar is on the top of my list.
I mean, that is, like, yes.
After Le Mans, Le Mans was the best racing experience,
four-wheel racing experience I've ever had,
and so now, like, Dakar is...
That was so, maybe we should, you know,
push for, like, a hot pursuit from Dakar next year.
I am very much into that.
That'd be very cool.
And, you know, I feel like Ford will be closer to getting out there,
off-road supercar for the...
Totally.
For the very, very, very wealthy masses.
We know it's coming.
And so, there could be some pegs to hang that on.
But it was cool.
I talked to not only Bill Ford, but his son Will,
who is running the racing division,
at least the marketing aspect of it.
Dak Shepard was there.
Did you talk to Dak?
No, I didn't.
Did you see him?
Yeah, I saw him, but I was...
How do you look?
Amazing.
Is he taller than you?
I think we're about the same height.
He may be, like, an inch taller than me.
6364 would be my guess.
He's jacked.
Like, absolutely jacked.
He's been hitting the gym with best friend Aaron Weakley,
like, on a daily basis.
Wow.
Interesting.
So, Kristen must love that.
I would love it, you know.
But I didn't...
I was too shy.
No, that's impossible, Matt.
I don't like to fanboy on people.
Like, it's backfired in the past.
Yeah.
Will Ferrell has taken out a restraining order against me.
No, no.
And Dr. Dre actually asked someone
to have me leave the green room once.
Are you kidding me?
No.
I lose it a little bit.
Wow, that is unbelievable.
Yeah, I mean, have you ever...
I mean, do you regret not going up to Dak's?
No, because...
Are you glad you restrained yourself?
I didn't want to, like, ruin...
I have a great non-relationship relationship with him.
Never meet your heroes.
We sometimes exchange tweets, you know, on Twitter.
Yeah, parasocial.
And also, it's a little...
To me, it's a little weird that he's fronting for Ford,
because I feel like he's totally a GM guy.
Yeah.
Right?
The vehicles, I know he has a Mustang, but...
Money talks.
But he does love those Chevy trucks.
And so, anyway, it was a fantastic trip.
And by the way, I got to see the Mustang Dark Horse SC.
So they've taken a supercharger and slapped it on the 5.2-liter V8.
It looks pretty badass.
I still prefer the S197 generation.
Yes.
So the, you know, 2000...
For me, 2010 to 2014, the sort of facelift of those.
But...
Okay, I'm looking at it.
I can't get it with a stick.
So for me, like all these supercars have gotten to a point where
you used to be able to get them with a stick.
Like, Porsche has, from the Carrera GT to the 918, right?
And the 4GT, the 2005, 2006 one, you could get that with a stick.
And it's an incredibly powerful motor.
And then the V6 GT that they did to win Le Mans,
obviously that can't be gotten with three pedals.
Like, I just wonder why they move away from that.
Because clearly, the more money a buyer is willing to spend,
the higher the take rate on manual transmissions.
Like the, like we've talked about a million times with the 911.
At the base, everybody wants the PDK.
When you go to the GT3 level or some special edition,
they only want to buy a stick.
So if Ford is making these three $400,000 cars,
why don't they say we're not doing it with a DCT?
It's only coming with a manual transmission.
I don't know, anyway.
You know, I know we talk about this quite a lot,
and I feel that the conversation is drifting more and more away from sticks.
Like, for automakers.
I just, I don't, yes, there are a couple instances where they'll throw one in,
but I don't know.
This, we could be, you could be on your death bed, Matt.
You're right.
Smoking a, smoking.
Smoking a doobie.
Smoking, no, I'm just saying smoking, you know.
I'm not endorsing anything.
And, you know, saying they didn't have a stick
by your last dying breath.
I can see it.
I wonder if, you know, on old pre-war cars,
there's that controller that like retards the spark or whatever, you know.
On old pre-war cars?
Pre-war cars.
Yes, yes.
I wonder if when that thing went out,
people were like, I want to be able to control the spark.
I'm sure.
I'm sure.
I'm sure.
This is the state of humankind.
Yes.
But we should talk about Volvo, really.
Not to change the subject, but to change the subject.
Yes.
We should talk about Volvo because on the complete other end of the spectrum,
they just unveiled a new electric car, the EX-60.
And we had their president of the Americas,
Luis Rezende, come and talk to us.
Actually, one of the first interviews about the launch
and why they're moving toward EVs
and like further away from fuel retardant switches.
When I was in Detroit.
Yes.
You were in China.
Yeah, I wish.
I mean, we need to get to China.
That was a Volvo joke because they're owned by Julie.
I know.
Yes.
And yeah.
Anyway, that's coming up.
Well, I'm looking forward to that.
You know, did you know that I've grown up with an Volvo family essentially?
I think you've mentioned that.
Is that from your mom?
Yeah.
Well, exactly.
When my dad was a single man, you know, he had cool cars.
He had like a Mustang, a 60s Mustang.
And then he had Audi's like during the sort of Quattro phase.
And then, but when my mom, he and my mom got married,
we got a 240.
And then we got another 240.
And then we got what was it like a 740.
And then we got like the 850.
Wow.
Very loyal.
Like continued Volvo, Volvo, Volvo, Volvo, Volvo.
And my mom just most recently, you know, 50 years later has got a new,
I think XC60.
So it's like constant in my family.
Is she interested at all in the electric Volvos that are coming?
Is she considering those?
I don't think, I always suggest this or that electric car for her
because she is the type, you know, she's super left wing,
cares about the environment kind of person.
But more important to her is like range.
And she drives from between Columbus and New York City,
like on a at least monthly basis, like 10, 12, 15 times a year.
So the reason I ask is because this EX60 has a range of over 500 miles,
which is kind of insane.
Yeah, almost the entire trip.
Completely.
And apparently it's priced similarly to the XC60.
So I think to your point, Volvo is trying to sort of work its way
into those types of customers that are really loyal to the brand
that maybe if we alleviate some of the range anxiety,
they can make some inroads.
So now let's listen to my interview with the Volvo president of the Americas,
Luis Rizende.
As he walks us through kind of what this new car means for Volvo,
where is it going and what do Volvo customers really want?
Luis, thank you so much for joining us.
This is a really exciting time for Volvo.
And I just would love to hear from you.
Of course, we're here to talk about your new car debut.
What can you tell us about the EX60
and really why it is so significant for Volvo in this moment?
Hey, it's a pleasure to be here and talk to you.
So this is a very exciting moment for Volvo.
And especially for me in this new role.
So I've been in this role since May 2025,
heading of Americas and especially president of Volvo Car US.
A lot of challenges ahead.
And when you have a new car, it always helps, right?
So this comes in a very good moment.
It's a launch of the car now in January.
So it's called the EX60.
So it's going to be our EV that is in the biggest segment
that we have globally, but also in US.
But we are very excited about it.
It's a new platform.
It's a new, it's a softer defined vehicle.
We have so many attributes to this car
to say that would be a very, very competitive model
if not saying would be one of the best in the market.
I love that.
Okay, so so many questions, but you mentioned
a software defined vehicle.
And I know that this particular car uses some great new technology.
Gemini and AI derived technology.
Can you just explain to us, you know,
I think maybe a lot of our listeners like myself,
AI is relatively new.
What do you mean by software defined?
And what do you mean maybe by AI defined vehicle?
Yeah, a software defined vehicle means that we have like a car computer
that is designed internally from Volvo.
So instead of have a lot of computers around,
we have a one which brings us in terms of,
let's talk about what is the benefit for the consumers, right?
Otherwise we're going to be technology part too much.
So the benefit for the consumer is that first
the car can be updated over the years.
So it's not something that we can, you buy it,
it's analogic and then you get what you got.
Yeah.
So we're going to have easily over the air updates in the car.
So the software will be updated as we have today
in the EX9 as well,
but the software will be updated from time to time,
which gives a lot of new features for the consumer.
Imagine this, it's a technology or solution that we are defining
that we needed to predict what consumers wants
and they don't know what they really want now,
imagining four years, but the car will be ready
and prepared for that.
So this is fantastic.
It changes how we do make evaluation of a car,
a used car model and etc.
So it's a new era.
I think Volvo, we are very pleased that we are one of the legacy brands.
If we talk about legacy brands like us,
with almost 100 years, 70 years in US,
it's one of those that can really say that we have this car.
So it's the second car in this mode.
EX9 was the first, EX60 is the second in the line.
But yeah, so for the consumers,
I mean what is the benefit?
So they have a better car over the years.
The car will be updated over the years,
so they don't need to go to a store or etc.
Like your iOS.
You have some other benefits like maintaining
so for a car will be much lower
because we have less parts.
As we have this one core computer.
Yeah, so many benefits.
I mean AI, you touch the point of AI.
So yes, we're going to have a Google Gemini in this car,
which will be brilliant.
I can give you examples like for me coming into US,
leaving US, new city, new places.
I can have, I can have a conversation with Google
in a very nice way.
A humanistic way.
Yes, I mean what is this place that I'm seeing?
I mean what can you, because they're going to be able
to see through our cameras.
So Google will use our cameras to scan what is around.
And this helps a lot.
I was driving with my wife and kids in Boston another month.
And then we were just looking places that was fantastic.
And then we said, oh, what is this looks like?
And then we need to do a Google search.
It was not that easy as if it was, if the car could help.
So I think all technology must be meaningful for the consumers.
And I think this one it is.
Well, that's something that we've talked about a lot.
The idea that I don't get the sense from,
and you can tell me if I'm wrong, but I don't get the sense
that people want technology just for technology's sake.
They want technology that is practical,
that benefits and compliments their life
and that doesn't get in the way of their life.
Is that also what you're seeing with your consumers?
Yeah, 100%.
I mean, in Volvo we don't develop the technology
for the sake of technology.
We develop this because we believe it's better
for the consumer.
And that's why we are partnering with Google Gemini
in that sense, because we see that there are so many things
that can help.
Also, if you look into other technology aspects
that consumers they don't see,
but they will understand it's getting better
is the ability of the car to learn.
So the car will be able to scan the area
in terms of safety.
The car will be able to have processing so much faster
the data that they are collecting
and they're going to learn
and it's going to be better over the time.
So imagine how many users using the car
across the globe,
how is the ability of this car to learn
and then once again coming back
and protect our consumers going forward.
So that is something that we see as a technology
working the benefit of the consumer.
And that is part of sort of the automotive connectivity
that Volvo is developing.
Is that part of the Snapdragon partnership
that you have done with Qualcomm as well?
Yeah, so Snapdragon with Qualcomm.
We have Gemini with Google.
We have NVIDIA and all of this.
We have a new name which is Hugenkor.
Yes, I wanted to ask you about that
because this seems like the first time
that Volvo has marketed
or come out publicly with this internal name, right?
What is the thinking behind it?
And can you say that word again
so we all know how to pronounce it?
Yeah, Hugenkor.
Yeah, it's what we have decided to name
because as we said, it's a fantastic project
that we were able to put together,
software defined vehicle together with Google,
together with NVIDIA processing data.
So it's so many things in Qualcomm.
So it's so many things that I think it deserves a name.
Normally, in Volvo, we are a little bit more,
let's say shy, not humble,
but now I think we need to come
and really outsell and outmarket what we are doing great
and this is great.
And again, going into the direction of our DNA
that is safety, that is Scandinavian design.
So everything goes inside,
not losing our heritage
that we're having Volvo.
That's Volvo president of the Americas, Luis Rezende.
More of our conversation after this break,
including how Volvo is using AI
to work toward a goal of zero auto-related deaths
in its cars.
I'm Hannah Elliott and you're listening to Hot Pursuit.
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Welcome back to Hot Pursuit with Matt Miller.
I'm Hannah Elliott.
We're gonna dig in deeper to
all the President interview,
but can we first talk about the piece you wrote
on AI?
Because it really struck a nerve with me,
and I wanna get first your take
on what you were driving
and how AI it was
and what your reaction
or what your takeaway is.
How AI it was
is the question that we are all
learning.
This was a drive in the
new Mercedes-Benz CLA.
This is their new entry-level sedan.
This was a totally
electric car.
They are coming out with a hybrid version
in the middle of the year,
but the CLA starts at
$47,250,
which I think is a very, very good value
Mercedes is trying to
see if they can... How much again?
$47,250.
That's how much it starts for.
47 grand, yep. All electric.
All electric.
And this is Mercedes trying to
eat some of Tesla's
pie. Wait, does that sound bad?
Eat some of Tesla's lunch.
Yeah, this is Mercedes
trying to break into some of Tesla's
market share with offering
a totally electric,
rather affordable sedan.
I really liked it.
The thing that I was really evaluating
when I drove this car in San Francisco
was the new
Drive Assist Pro system
that is available through
subscription. You can subscribe to it.
It downloads over the air.
And basically this is like
the most advanced
AI driving system you can buy.
Period.
Mercedes developed it with NVIDIA
and I
really liked it.
NVIDIA, of course,
develops driving programs for a host of
automakers, including Toyota and Volvo
and Rivian.
This is the end-to-end stack,
completely end-to-end stack developed
for Mercedes that uses
a combination of cameras
and radars and ultrasonic
sensors to basically drive the car.
You basically put in a destination
and the car drives itself
there. Wait, do you
I mean like you pull out of the
driveway or and then it goes?
It can pull out of some
driveways. I would say this is not
perfect like some
valet situations are a little bit tricky
and it can't
quite navigate that yet.
But the I would say the
progress here is that
this system
seems more human-like
in that it will roll
through yellow lights
and it knows when it can turn right on
red and when it cannot turn right on
red, you know, sometimes that's a difference.
This system will nudge out in a lane
to like avoid a big
rain puddle and it will automatically
nudge out to avoid
like if a van is parked
double parked and unloading something
it will adjust to that
without canceling the whole
navigation, which was kind of great
and it will also allow you to
if you do want to adjust
you can make adjustments on the steering wheel
and it will still continue
driving the route. It's not like
it doesn't drop out. Exactly.
So these are all very subtle
advances, but they are really advances
and altogether they add up to making it
feel pretty
fun, really.
I mean, do you have to really still be
paying attention or can you like read the paper?
You can't read the paper. You still
have to pay attention. It is monitoring
whether you're
looking straight ahead and whether
your eyes are awake.
You don't have to touch the steering wheel, but somehow
the car does monitor
you being alert. Right. You can't
nap. You can't nap.
That would be like level three and beyond
really. That is where the threshold that we
cross over into basically
the automaker assumes responsibility
for the car rather than the
driver. At this point, you
the driver are still ultimately
responsible for if anything happens.
So
that's the big
basically moonshot leap.
Once we get to level three which
we're not there yet, then the automaker
takes responsibility
if there's any incident.
It's clear that we're getting there.
We're getting there.
I wonder for someone especially like you
who loves to drive
and you love
an engaging experience
where you do have to pay extra
close attention. Some of the cars
that you love to drive are a little dangerous if you're not.
But also someone like
you who lives in LA and spends a lot
of time in traffic. What do you think
about self-driving?
I loved it
and I was surprised that I loved it but I really
did because here's the thing
commuting isn't driving for me.
Like sitting in traffic
on Sunset Boulevard for an hour
while I try to get to work in the morning
is not fun driving.
Driving down Sunset early
morning or late at night when you have the
amazing iconic views and the lights
and open road in front of you. That's driving
that's what I love. But I am
very happy to
text on my phone
and look at Instagram while I'm sitting
in traffic and letting the car just do
the 5 to 10 to
15 mile per hour
driving that needs to be done.
I think we can have
both. Why can't we have both and?
Why can't we have some amazing driving
cars? Sure, give them
a manual gearbox. Give them
internal combustion engines. Give them whatever
you want. And also
we're going to have hybrids for some
jobs and we're going to have EVs and we're going to have some
self-driving cars. I'm a big
fan of Waymo.
I think Waymo is the future. This car
the CLA with the
MBE Drive Assist Pro felt the closest
to Waymo that I felt in a
private vehicle. So if anyone
has driven in a Waymo or even
a Zooks which is coming up
this car felt pretty similar to that which was awesome.
Zooks?
It's another
driving platform. They're testing
in like San Francisco and
I've seen them in L.A.
They're testing yet. I don't think they're
fully public. But that's another
one and I do think
especially in urban centers this
is the future
which is exciting.
So I agree and actually I was
reading your story
a couple of days ago and I made
some notes. Oh tell me.
I wrote a little note to myself because I was
moved by it
in a way. So I
think I agree self-driving cars
are awesome and I think in the truest
sense of the word
meaning like it's awe
inspiring to witness
and to feel
the transition from
what we know
and what even today kids know like
this is the last generation that will witness
this kind of transition that understands
a foot in both worlds. Yes.
And I think like regardless
of your take on the technology
eventually what it means for society
like your kids like no one's going to
want to drive anymore maybe you think that
I think everyone
should stop
and experience the joy
of living through
this insane
transition and as I was reading your story
I had just read
Rodentrack had a piece about
the U.S. highway system
and they were saying
it is
was one of the biggest most important
turning points in like
ground transportation. You've got the
invention of
the combustion engine whenever that was
and then like Henry Ford's
mass production and then
the highway system which
at the time was the biggest
construction project that
mankind had ever
attempted and we've now
accomplished and so
National Geographic when they were writing about
the highway system in the 60s
said Americans are living
in the midst of a miracle and I
think that's what we're seeing right now
with self-driving as well
so I just think it's
so cool and then
for the enthusiasts out there
I think
I agree with you that commuting is not the
same as driving but
they get kind of blurred and some people
don't care about the cars
that much because they
are only commuting but I think if you
separate these two activities well enough
and self-driving will do that
then
the self-driving
sort of technology will spur
more people to explore
enthusiasts driving as a hobby
or a pastime
like for me
if I can self-drive commute to work
and sometimes I'll be like you know what
I want to go just drive to drive
okay I do that all the time anyway but
I'll do it more and more
intentionally if you know what I mean
so I think it's really really cool
I mean we're not all
riding horses
out there like everybody used to
in the wild west but that doesn't
mean that there isn't a wonderful
vibrant community of
equestrians and enthusiasts
and people who love them
I hear that
I hear that analogy a lot
and it makes obviously good sense
but it's much more
difficult to keep a horse
than it is to keep a car
even if we move to a future where everybody
uses wamos and then
probably wealthy people will have their own
wamos you know
even maybe middle-class
people will aspire to and they'll all
have their own kind of wamos
and we've got into the commoditized
vehicle
world already where like a model
Y is just like this
uninspiring hunk of
thing that's built to commute you
to work and back and cost $30,000
but people will
still be able to have cars to
drive and enjoy because you still
have
at least a lot of people still have a house
with a garage attached to it and
you don't have to feed your car every day
you know you don't have to
pet it or groom it
you can leave it in the garage for
an extended number of days or weeks
and it's still going to work just as well when you get it out
so I think it'll be easier
for people to hold on to
in real
you know
what do you call the opposite of self-driving
cars like manual
driving
so anyway I just
think it's a really cool thing that we're watching
that we're witnessing and I also
don't think it's going to make
enthusiast driving
less exciting
in fact I think it'll make it more
totally agree and I
I do want to say I have
huge reservations about
some uses of AI I'm not
a complete fan of
every use of AI I think it's
could be really dangerous and really
harmful for a lot of aspects of humanity
it's definitely going to be the end of humanity
yeah and I also think
lots of segments
in this huge AI boom
that we're seeing right now they're kind of
they're not real
they're speculative
and
I think those will eventually fall away
but I do think the AI
applications in the
automotive industry are real
and we're already seeing that
they'll hopefully also in pharma
right and
education and anyway I just think
I thought it was a great story
nice job on that one
hopefully we get a lot of feedback
we've gotten some pretty good viewer mail have you seen
we I mean should we do
some viewer mail well maybe at the end
I love hearing from you guys
I just I got
such an inspiring
message from this guy
Hardy I won't say his whole name
but I was
in the middle of my live television
program so like
my day job is I have to
anchor a show on cable TV
about financial news and
I mean I love it but
when I got this message
from this dude
I was so inspired that I had to immediately
answer even as I was interviewing
Lizanne Saunders the chief market
strategist for God you know so
don't tell her that no I won't but
I'm well too late if she listens
and she is a car she loves cars
she has it she has a very
cool chariot but
I just had to write
back to this guy because he's in such
an I think enviable
position that I dream
about all the time he's
reached his retirement he's
he's been frugal I guess
with his money and he's
built a nest egg that he can
you know spend the rest
of his silver and golden years
you know enjoying and he
is ready to get like a fun
sports car toy
and he's got an amazing selection
from which to choose and
I just thought it's
so great dude he's
living the effing dream
you know and you know what
came through for me with this email
from Hardy is that he's
doing it for himself he doesn't
want it he doesn't need to impress anyone
he's already done all the things
he just wants something that he can
truly enjoy and
he does list a couple options
we're talking about something
that might be a hundred grand or less
right and he's considering
a golf R a BMW
M240i and an Audi
RS3 are there others that
you think should go on that list Matt
I told him
so I think the BMW
is the killer choice of those
having said that
I haven't driven a new golf R
or a new Audi RS3 I've
driven previous versions of those cars
but I spent some time
in the BMW M240
but I said look
you should
cast a little bit of a wider web
and for me like since he's going
in this direction I would look at other
BMWs so the M2
I was looking for him on
like AutoTrader and CarGurus
and you can find
like last year
or two years old
M2 with a stick
and only a few thousand miles for
60 grand like that's a killer that's awesome
that car is a rocket
it is
BMWs like that's the one I would
like to have probably the most right now
except for I keep
thinking about I can't stop
thinking about the Z4 that I
drove last summer which is
their drop top Roadster
I was wondering if that was going to come up
it also comes with a stick
and it's not a rocket
but it's such an honest
like
um
what's the woke word now when you want to be
your true self
authentic it's such an authentic
automotive experience
that I just cannot get it out of my head
and I love the way it looks
and I love the top down
so I told him like consider those
two other vehicles but what a
great position this guy is
I love it I love it and yeah
I just like that he's like
this isn't about anything other than
he just wants something fun
and he mentions too
driving a slow car fast
that's kind of the best
and he has incredible experience because he's
a former motorcycle racer
slash rider and so he knows
as I do that you don't always
want the you know Kawasaki
H2 it doesn't make any sense
to have even like
the Ducati
V4 on the street like
you're gonna have just as much fun on a
um
you know like a
Triumph T120 or something
anyways we got a lot of
good messages but I think that was the best
one people really loved our Porsche episode
have you noticed that yes
I also saw that email from Giles
did you see that about the
2006 Carrera C4S
yes a lot of people agreed with me
I don't want to get too deep back deep
into the 911 thing no we can't
we can't we have to keep moving forward
let's do that come on let's do that in fact
let's take a break
and then come back and listen
to the rest of your interview with the
US head of Volvo
shall we let's do it
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welcome back
to hot pursuit I'm Hannah Elliott along
with Matt Miller more of Hannah's
conversation now with Volvo president
of the Americas Luis Rizende.
What are the considerations
that Volvo is taking around
safety and we ask knowing
that so many consumers love
Volvo because of your safety
track record it's really
considered such a safe brand
that has really been
your calling card
in a way what are the concerns
and how are you
addressing that but also educating
people about the safety of these new technologies
in the cars
yeah no you're right I mean
we have a we are so proud
of our safety I mean we have so many
examples by not
ours
the seat belt I think I was just
going to say the seat belts
is implemented yes
and we were able to
really improve
the seat belt technology on the EX-60
now it's going to be adjustable
so it's different
if we seat the car
a man, woman
depending on the size, weight
so it varies
and I think this is
doing the research that we were doing
we understand that could be better
and this is why we are launching
this car a new adjustable seat
belt which is going to be
it's a fantastic thing
it's going to protect even more
so yeah
we need to understand that the
technology itself
it's good but it needs to interact
with human and we have a different
age so also
and the background so
we're going to have people
that comes from different generations
that needs to interact with that
and people that are much more technology
that will be a little bit more easy
to understand but putting all
aspects and also
understanding that it's not
all volvos in the road
so we have a different
type of vehicles and technology in the road
so we have all of this in consideration
when we develop our cars
to make sure that we protect ourselves
the people that are inside but also
outside
so safety
will remain our main
it's our DNA
as I said
and also I would say
we don't develop cars to pass
through the tests
I mean we develop cars to
face
real scenarios
in the consumers life
which means that
our basics, our standards
for Volvo standards
to crash test our cars
are much higher than
I would say what is
implicit today
in the tests that we see
across the globe
we're not very comfortable about it
but it seems that
we still have a vision that should be
zero death
this is a vision that we have
with us
and we work very hard to
achieve this one day
How does implementing
AI and as we move more
and more into autonomous
self-driving cars
does the introduction
autonomous driving technology
potentially help
you get closer to that goal
of zero deaths
there are some aspects of it
that
the car will be much faster reacting
on the versus the human
like the ability of car
to predict an accident
based on the
all the accidents that the car
learned before
will be very
very good
but I would say
still need a human
I'm big fan of AI
but I'm big fan of human as well
so I believe the human
looking to this
will not be replaced
we need to have humans
to make the right interpretation
of the things
that is
that needs to be there
we were in a safety center conversation
about the head of
safety center in Volvo
and
when we asked these
to her she said it accelerates a lot
the ability
of us processing data
it's much faster than
however we still have the
expert's looks
in order to make sure that the
combination of everything
goes into this direction
so that's to me
still very very valid point
and again
with all the technology that evolves
if you look into previous
eras we had the internet
that was let's say before AI
was internet
before internet was logistics
the big thing
that you could differentiate yourself
and with all of that
there was always a question about
the AI
if it's gonna replace
the human if the human
the robots are taking over
exactly and did not happen
because we need humans
to think about the robotics
we need humans to think about the next
part of it and to execute
in a nice way so
yes some of the job can be done
by the
AI but I still
believe the driver or the
consumer plays a very
very important role especially on the judgment
I know you're
you're overseeing the Americas
what can you tell us about
the market that you see
for Volvo going into
2026 especially
in light of the fact that
EV sales are
they're still growing but they're not maybe growing as quickly
as some people anticipated
what do you see
as the challenges and the
opportunities for Volvo in the Americas
good
yeah I think
we see
EVs you
make a right comment I mean
before people I would say 2 years ago
people are saying that 50% of the
marketing 2030 will be EVs
in US
we don't see this anymore based on
our research
but it's still growing that's
for sure the total market will not grow
but the EV market will grow and especially
because not only Volvo but the other
brands they are putting together
nice EVs
and in the road and I think
consumers starts also to understand
that not only based on incentives
but based on the
use of the car they learn more
so they start to
see that okay this is for me
maybe not to the full garage of EVs
but maybe one car can
work in that way or not
when you come with
the new launch that we have the X60
if you look into the
this car can goes
400 miles these
removes a lot of barriers
a lot of barriers
so this is and can fast charge
like in 10 minutes I don't know
in miles I know in kilometers but
it can
yeah so it's
400 or so so it's
it's quite it's
I would say you're gonna finish
your journey
and you need to stop
to have a coffee
anyway
and then in 10 minutes you're gonna have so much miles
that you're gonna be
in a good position to continue
anyway if you need to stop
so that is
so unique and the
pricing point of the car will be also
in a very competitive way
we are not launching the pricing in Americas yet
I was gonna ask
yeah I can
I mean now we're gonna announce it in
April but what I can say
is that this is it's gonna be a very
competitive because this is one of the key
points of the EVs but so
all in all I think
we're gonna be in a very good position because
you're gonna serve our customers what they
want so you as
I see that is a different
it's a different market I mean
we can say like one
US market but
when you look into a perspective
of a country
we can also say that is a 50 countries
easily I mean I was managing
50-80 countries before
we fall across the globe
and I can say here in US
we have like 50 countries in one because
all states they are different
if you look into Texas
if you look how they buy cars in Miami
or New York or California
they are totally different
I think we're gonna serve well
so we're gonna be we're gonna have
electric vehicles in a very
competitive price for those that wants
we're gonna have a p-halves that is
we believe it's gonna be
it's a transition between
an EV
the consumers they need to this bridge
and we have consumers that they say
no this is not for me I'm fine
with a combustion
car and that's fine we're gonna
they're gonna be protected they're gonna be in a very nice car
in a Volvo premium
model so that is that is
how we are approaching US
at this moment and I believe we have
the right things to just
succeed in this market for sure have you
determined how long you will
maintain
that mix of
powertrains I mean can you
indefinitely continue to offer that
option who's
gonna dictate this is a consumer
so I think as soon
as we have a very important market like
US and that we see
consumers that wants to stay
into this direction I think we're
gonna produce one thing that
is we need to take into consideration
is that technology is evolving
so the hybrid cars
that we see today will be
completely different hybrid cars
in the end of this
decade so the question
will be do we still need to
have
a combustion
engine car
which is done a very
efficient hybrid that
can go even further
in terms of miles
and charging and all
aspects in a cost
that is the same cost
of a nice vehicle
so that's I think is gonna be the
big question that needs to be answered
in the in the decade but
for sure I will have EVs
I will have a p-haves and if the
consumer stills want
m-haves or haves
I'm gonna bring it to US
so one of the aspect
that is coming that is important
to say is that we are
reinforcing our production in Charleston
so we have a plan in South Carolina today
that we produced
our EX90
that is an EV
next year 27 we're gonna
start the production also of XS60
the current car that we have
with a facelift
in the two models
it's gonna be m-have and p-have
in this car and also we're gonna have
in 29 a totally new model
a new SUV
that is gonna be a hybrid
and this totally with this
big portfolio that I'm bringing
these will represent
around 70% of
my sales in US
I do expect to grow around
60% so from 120,000
cars to 200,000 cars
in 2030
and 70% of this
will come from my plan
locally produced so yes
it's a big shift today I import
95% of my cars from Europe
so it's a big shift
it's a big commitment with the country
what is your biggest market in the US
California
the market it is but what I do
sell more is tri-state
New York
right now so I do like to hear that
but I live in California at the moment so
I can't say I'm surprised and it does seem like
you are working hard at Volvo
to address what seem like
the two big barriers for people
to buy an EV which is range
anxiety and the price
premium is that accurate
and it seems like this car is specifically
targeted to answer those two
questions
precisely yes so
those are the big
pain points for
adoption of the EV so
having this car
an average mileage of 400 miles
that is going to be
a very very
it's a very good number today we have around
300 right for
ourselves and competitors
so I think it's going to be a very big benchmark
in that
aspect also when you talk about
a fast charge
in US it's not difficult to find big
fast chargers I mean for 100
kilowatts or 350
so with that I think it's going to be
also a very key point and valid
point it's a car that comes
with NAX so it's
it's going to be adapted for a lot
of chargers
in the world so should be
really really nobody here on that we don't need
an adapter comes with the car
and pricing I mean we know we cannot
price like
entry level
PHAVs, mid level, PHAVs
and up level EVs that
that's gone I mean that was one day
a conversation that's not
that's not true anymore
so we needed to have EV in a
very pricing point with
with the PHAVs
at least so that is
with that addressing these
three aspects and with our
safety heritage
in the car with all the technology that
we are bringing to that so I think
it's going to be a it's going to be a very
very competitive product
well Luis Rizende thank you so much for joining
us I wish you all the best on this launch
we look forward to getting out on the road
and driving
thank you
our thanks to Volvo president of the Americas
Luis Rizende
Matt are we driving the same car right now
we are we're both driving
as far as I know the same car
I went to Miami
yesterday and when I came home
there was an Aston Martin DBXS
sitting in my driveway is that
what you're driving as well a life yes
yes I have
a green one
mine is I think
it's a white ish
and I love
I think they're beautiful and I have
since they first came out
but I'm so
focused on the interior
and what they've done with the car that I
didn't look at the outside too much
and also I got home and it was dark
and when I got in the car to drive to work this morning
it was also dark
yes this is not our full take
on the DBX this is our first blush
with it we each have the car
it's an SUV for a week
so we're both going to be
trying it out
I can say like my initial so yeah
I've only driven it to work
and fortunately for me
I come to work very early in the morning
so there's not a lot of traffic
fly to work essentially
and this is the car in which to do that
it is like 10 degrees
Fahrenheit so I'm a little
bit more careful
knowing that there could be ice out there
but for me this is going to be extra
exciting because my neighbor
Eric he just got
a new Cayenne
GTS
and I feel like this is the Cayenne
is the sports
SUV that you have to beat
in this segment right
well I would say it's the Urus
to be honest the what
the Urus I see
but you know tomato
there's our there's our debate
I mean those two have the same motor
right and
not the GTS
but the turbo that's Urus
I just think okay
that's a fair that's a fair point I hadn't
really thought about that so because this is what
I was thinking when I was driving the DBX in is like
Eric got this Cayenne it's so sweet
and it drives
so well
and the interior is done perfectly
and the tech obviously works it's a Porsche
so maybe I'm biased but I feel like it's
not going to break
but that thing didn't cost
200 grand in fact
I don't know how much he paid for it but
I think closer to 150
this
DBXS
retails for 422
$1200 with all the options
that's with the options the starting
prices in the 260s
but that's just
let me say this before
we dive into it and this is just a first
blush I actually think the DBX
looks way better than the Cayenne
agreed like way
and again we're not going to get into driving
because we haven't we each haven't driven it much
this is does I don't know what
Cayenne what the specs are off
off my the top of my head but this is a V8
717 horsepower
twin turbo 4-liter
engine it stomps
the Cayenne GTS
killer and it looks killer
but I don't know if it's
three times
as beautiful
and better driving speed I don't know so I
haven't spent a lot of time with this
car I'm really looking forward to it because I think
Ashton Martin has absolutely
nailed the execution at least as far as I
can tell
today like the for example
the interior
everything nothing looks cheap
nothing looks like it was an afterthought
it all looks like it was done
very intentionally
with the highest technology
the highest production quality
and the
forefront of like the carplay
that they have isn't available
I don't think in any other vehicle
so we'll talk
about it more you will talk about it also
I have to shout out
mine came with 23 inch
magnesium wheels
in satin titanium gray
those wheels alone
cost $21,600
so that's why we're going from
MSRP of
262
and ending up at
at a final price with upgrades
I'm at 409
sounds like yours is a little bit more than mine
for example has two
separate exterior packs
that total
$31,000
in extras
and the exterior packs are like
carbon fiber detailing
so it's like we add
a lightweight material on top of
you know if they didn't have it
it would be even lighter
the paint is like 14 grand
the pinstripe is 15 grand
the stereo is an extra
12 so yeah they loaded
up with options and I'm glad they did
because I'm going to enjoy trying it
but we love options
so I guess we'll tell you more about this next week
yeah I can't wait to hear
and we have Steve Sirio next week
and we have Steve Sirio for a collecting special
oh and we would be remiss if we didn't
mention this amazing
sale at Mecom where
so many car set records
but the real headliner was this Ferrari
which sold for over $38,000,000
that's huge
it's a white Ferrari
not numbers matching
engine even
so we have to talk about that
there aren't many GTOs
it's a very rare club
that's funny
I think Eddie Alterman was talking about
how he had gone to
Pebble in 2011
and they managed to wrangle together
like 20 GTOs
put them all next to each other on the concor
and it was like
he was so excited
to see the first one
and then when he walked down the line by the end
he was bored of it
I know that's really bad when that happens
it's like where can you go from here
yeah so we'll dig into
the GTO, the Ferrari auctions
that everyone was talking about with Steve
Scottsdale auctions are this weekend
so we can talk about results from those
and Retromobile
what's going on
we're going to bring it all to you right here
on Hot Pursuit
that does it for this week's show
remember to follow and subscribe
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I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott
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About this episode
Volvo's new all-electric EX60 SUV is making waves as the company aims to redefine its future in the EV market. President of the Americas, Luis Rezende, shares insights on the EX60's impressive range of over 500 miles and its advanced AI technology, which enhances user experience and safety. The episode also covers highlights from the Detroit Auto Show, including racing news and interviews with industry leaders like Jim Farley and Bill Ford. Discussions touch on the evolving landscape of automotive technology, the importance of manual transmissions, and the future of self-driving cars.
Original notes
Matt is back from the Detroit Auto Show. We hear his takeaways, including his worst interview! Hannah sits down with Volvo President of Americas Luis Rezende on the company's global launch of their all new all-electric EX60 SUV. Plus, what Hannah learned "driving" a Mercedes with next-level AI and why it makes everything else feel ... dumb.
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