{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Dec. 1, 2025 | Stellantis hiring spree; ChargerHelp CEO Kameale Terry","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-1-2025-stellantis-hiring-spree-chargerhelp-ceo-kameale-terry","audioUrl":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/2447022/episodes/18280751-dec-1-2025-stellantis-hiring-spree-chargerhelp-ceo-kameale-terry.mp3","description":"Stellantis goes on a hiring spree at its North American headquarters. Pressure grows on Mercedes’ CEO as the company’s luxury strategy stalls. Plus, ChargerHelp CEO Kameale Terry explains why charging attempts still fail despite better uptime."},"annotations":[{"startTime":159.0,"endTime":165.0,"type":"brand","title":"Mercedes-Benz","url":"/glossary/mercedes-benz-2da6bee1-2c59-4e63-8ca8-f0d3c6600182","quote":"And Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Colanius is facing what some investors call a last chance to turn the company around.","canonicalId":"brand:mercedes-benz-2da6bee1-2c59-4e63-8ca8-f0d3c6600182","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Mercedes-Benz is a German luxury automaker known for its high‑quality vehicles, advanced engineering, and strong brand heritage.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mercedes-Benz makes fancy cars that are known for being safe, comfortable, and reliable. It’s a German company that has been around for over 100 years."}},{"startTime":183.0,"endTime":188.0,"type":"brand","title":"X-Peng","url":"/glossary/x-peng","quote":"but it's faltering as Chinese brands like BYD and X-Pung offer premium EVs in key markets with advanced technology at lower prices.","canonicalId":"brand:x-peng","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"X‑Peng (also known as XPeng) is a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer focused on autonomous driving technology and smart connectivity.","simplifiedExplanation":"X‑Peng is a Chinese company that builds electric cars with advanced self‑driving features. They’re known for their tech‑heavy approach and competitive pricing."}},{"startTime":183.0,"endTime":188.0,"type":"brand","title":"BYD","url":"/glossary/byd","quote":"but it's faltering as Chinese brands like BYD and X-Pung offer premium EVs in key markets with advanced technology at lower prices.","canonicalId":"brand:byd","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"BYD Co., Ltd. is a Chinese automotive and battery manufacturer that produces electric vehicles (EVs) and has rapidly expanded into global markets.","simplifiedExplanation":"BYD is a Chinese company that makes electric cars and batteries. They’ve become popular because their EVs are affordable and have good range."}},{"startTime":284.0,"endTime":299.0,"type":"part","title":"heads","url":"/glossary/head","quote":"if all the junk that's left over from machining is not removed from the crankshaft and the cylinder block and the heads, then you get trouble.","canonicalId":"part:head","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Engine heads are the upper part of an engine that contain valves, spark plugs, and other components; they sit atop the cylinder block.","simplifiedExplanation":"Engine heads are the top pieces of an engine that hold valves and spark plugs; they sit on top of the cylinder block."}},{"startTime":284.0,"endTime":299.0,"type":"part","title":"cylinder block","url":"/glossary/cylinder-block","quote":"if all the junk that's left over from machining is not removed from the crankshaft and the cylinder block and the heads, then you get trouble.","canonicalId":"part:cylinder-block","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The cylinder block is the main structure of an engine that houses cylinders, pistons, and often other components like valves.","simplifiedExplanation":"The cylinder block is the big metal box inside an engine where the pistons move up and down; it holds all the main parts together."}},{"startTime":284.0,"endTime":299.0,"type":"part","title":"crankshaft","url":"/glossary/crank-shaft","quote":"if all the junk that's left over from machining is not removed from the crankshaft and the cylinder block and the heads, then you get trouble.","canonicalId":"part:crank-shaft","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The crankshaft is a rotating shaft in an engine that converts the linear motion of pistons into rotational motion to drive the vehicle.","simplifiedExplanation":"The crankshaft is a long metal rod that turns inside the engine, turning the up-and-down motion of pistons into spinning power for the car."}},{"startTime":299.0,"endTime":307.0,"type":"part","title":"engine bearing","url":"/glossary/engine-bearing","quote":"Now I'm going to hold up an engine bearing here from a general motor 6.2 liter V8 engine, one of the ones that have been recalled.","canonicalId":"part:engine-bearing","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The engine bearing is a component that supports the rotating parts of an internal combustion engine, allowing smooth movement between the crankshaft and other components.","simplifiedExplanation":"An engine bearing is a small metal piece that lets parts of the engine spin freely without rubbing too hard."}},{"startTime":307.0,"endTime":326.0,"type":"term","title":"swarf","url":"/glossary/swarf","quote":"You can see on the edge here where it's been ground away, like there's a protective coating here and there's like a ridge of lines here where what they call swarf and that is the leftovers from machining have just ground the bearing away.","canonicalId":"term:swarf","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.92,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Swarf is the fine metal shavings or chips left over from machining processes; if it remains in an engine, it can cause wear and failure.","simplifiedExplanation":"Swarf is tiny bits of metal that are left after parts are cut or ground; if they stay in the engine, they can damage moving parts."}},{"startTime":335.0,"endTime":338.0,"type":"brand","title":"GM","url":"/glossary/gm","quote":"You know, that's another question I asked. I thought the auto industry spending billions on AI. Can AI play a role in this? And Hyundai and GM and others have said, no, not really.","canonicalId":"brand:gm","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"General Motors (GM) is an American automotive company that produces brands like Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.","simplifiedExplanation":"GM is a big car company in the United States that makes cars like Chevrolet and Cadillac."}},{"startTime":335.0,"endTime":338.0,"type":"brand","title":"Hyundai","url":"/glossary/hyundai","quote":"You know, that's another question I asked. I thought the auto industry spending billions on AI. Can AI play a role in this? And Hyundai and GM and others have said, no, not really.","canonicalId":"brand:hyundai","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean automotive manufacturer known for models such as the Sonata, Elantra, and Kona.","simplifiedExplanation":"Hyundai is a car company from South Korea that makes many popular cars."}},{"startTime":357.0,"endTime":359.0,"type":"part","title":"battery packs","url":"/glossary/battery-pack","quote":"At automotive news, we've been reporting for years now how batteries packs have to be put together in that same way where they're cleaner than a hospital operating room.","canonicalId":"part:battery-pack","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A battery pack is a collection of individual batteries assembled together to provide electric power for an EV, often consisting of hundreds or thousands of cells.","simplifiedExplanation":"In electric cars, the battery pack is like a big rechargeable battery that powers the car."}},{"startTime":387.0,"endTime":391.0,"type":"concept","title":"EV charging infrastructure","url":"/glossary/ev-charging-infrastructure","quote":"Coming up, Charger Helps Camille Terry talks about the state of EV charging infrastructure and why better uptime hasn't stopped charging attempts from failing.","canonicalId":"concept:ev-charging-infrastructure","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The network of electric vehicle chargers, stations, and related technology that allows EV owners to recharge their cars efficiently.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV charging infrastructure is the places and equipment where electric cars can plug in to get more power."}},{"startTime":559.0,"endTime":562.0,"type":"term","title":"charging station","url":"/glossary/charging-stations","quote":"Is it a problem with the charging station?","canonicalId":"term:charging-stations","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A charging station is a public or private installation that supplies electrical power to recharge electric vehicles, often equipped with connectors and communication interfaces.","simplifiedExplanation":"It’s the place where you plug in your electric car to charge its battery, similar to a gas station for gasoline cars."}},{"startTime":586.0,"endTime":590.0,"type":"term","title":"Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP)","url":"/glossary/open-charge-point-protocol-ocpp","quote":"So there is an international organization called the Open Charge Alliance that wrote a protocol called Open Charge Point Protocol.","canonicalId":"term:open-charge-point-protocol-ocpp","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"OCPP is an open, standardized communication protocol that allows electric vehicle charging stations to talk with central management systems and software platforms.","simplifiedExplanation":"Think of it as a common language that lets charging stations and the software that controls them understand each other, so they can report status, start or stop charging, and share data."}},{"startTime":586.0,"endTime":590.0,"type":"term","title":"Open Charge Alliance","url":"/glossary/open-charge-alliance","quote":"So there is an international organization called the Open Charge Alliance that wrote a protocol called Open Charge Point Protocol.","canonicalId":"term:open-charge-alliance","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Open Charge Alliance is a global organization that develops and promotes standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, ensuring interoperability between different manufacturers’ equipment.","simplifiedExplanation":"It’s a group that makes sure charging stations from different companies can work together, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility when plugging in your electric car."}},{"startTime":594.0,"endTime":598.0,"type":"term","title":"certification process","url":"/glossary/certification-process","quote":"They also have a certification process where after you implement this protocol, you can go to their website and you can work with their team to get your implementation certified.","canonicalId":"term:certification-process","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The certification process verifies that a charging station’s hardware and software comply with the Open Charge Alliance’s standards, ensuring reliable operation and interoperability.","simplifiedExplanation":"It’s a check that the charging station meets certain rules so it works correctly with other equipment and software."}},{"startTime":619.0,"endTime":623.0,"type":"term","title":"firmware update","url":"/glossary/firmware-update","quote":"So we all have, you know, these nice little cell phones and our pockets and we get to say when firmware is going to get updated on our cell phone with charging today.","canonicalId":"term:firmware-update","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A firmware update is a software patch that modifies the low-level code running on hardware devices, such as charging stations or vehicle control units, to fix bugs or add features.","simplifiedExplanation":"It’s like updating the software on your phone, but for the hardware that runs the charging station or the car’s internal systems."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Automotive News","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-1-2025-stellantis-hiring-spree-chargerhelp-ceo-kameale-terry/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}