Hybrid sales are about cars that use both gas and electricity to run. They're getting more popular because they can save on fuel and are better for the environment.
Plug-in hybrids are cars that can be charged like electric cars but also use gas. They can drive on electricity for a while before needing to switch to gas, giving drivers more options.
Extended range EVs are electric cars that can drive on electricity but also have a gas engine to help keep the battery charged. This means you can drive further without worrying about running out of power.
Charge capacity is how much electricity a battery can hold. The more it can hold, the farther an electric car can go before needing to be charged again.
A zero emission vehicle is a type of car that doesn't release any harmful gases into the air while it runs. This includes electric cars and some types of hydrogen-powered cars.
Hybrid vehicles are cars that use both a gasoline engine and an electric motor to run. This helps them save fuel and reduce pollution compared to regular cars.
A V8 engine has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape, which helps it produce a lot of power. It's commonly found in larger vehicles like trucks and performance cars.
Internal combustion engines are the type of engines that run on gasoline or diesel fuel. They create power by burning fuel inside the engine, which is how most cars work today.
The Dodge Challenger SRT is a sporty version of the Challenger car. It's built for speed and has a strong engine, making it exciting to drive for those who like fast cars.
Hemi is a special type of engine that helps cars go faster and perform better. It's shaped like a half-sphere, which helps the engine work more efficiently.
The Dodge Charger SRT is a fast and powerful version of the Charger car. It's designed for people who love speed and performance, making it popular among car fans.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric version of the regular F-150 truck. It runs on electricity instead of gasoline, which can save money on fuel and help the environment.
The Acura ZDX is a new electric SUV made by Acura, which is a luxury brand from Honda. It's designed to be more environmentally friendly by using electricity instead of gasoline.
EREVs are electric cars that can also use a gas engine to help them go farther when the battery runs low. This means you can drive longer distances without worrying about running out of charge.
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a large SUV that is designed for both luxury and off-road driving. It has a lot of space inside and comes with many high-end features.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a type of SUV, which is a bigger car that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures. It's popular because it offers both a comfortable ride and the ability to go off the beaten path.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric truck, which means it runs on batteries instead of gasoline. It's designed to be powerful and useful for work or everyday driving, just like regular trucks but more environmentally friendly.
An on-board generator is a device in some cars that can create electricity while you drive. This helps charge the car's battery or power other things you might need.
A regular hybrid is a car that uses both gas and electricity but can't be plugged in to charge. It gets its electric power from the gas engine and from braking.
The LS is a type of engine made by General Motors. It's popular for being powerful and is often used to replace older engines in cars to make them faster.
Stellantis is a big car company that makes many different brands of vehicles, like Jeep and Dodge. They were created when two companies merged together.
NADA is an organization that helps car dealers by giving them information about car prices and values. They publish a book that shows how much cars are worth.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a type of SUV that offers a lot of space and comfort for passengers. It's known for being a good value and has many features that make it enjoyable to drive.
Muscle cars are fast American cars that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. They usually have big engines and are built for speed and power, making them exciting to drive.
Restomod means taking an old car and fixing it up with new parts to make it better to drive, while still keeping its classic look. It's a way to enjoy an old car with modern features.
The Ford Torino is a type of car that Ford made between 1968 and 1976. It was popular for its sporty versions and is considered part of the muscle car category, which includes cars designed for speed and performance.
Car
Pontiac Torino
Pontiac was a car brand that made sporty and fun cars, especially popular in the past. They are known for their unique styles and performance but are no longer being made.
The Ford Mustang is a classic sports car that many people love for its speed and cool looks. It's been around for a long time and is famous for being fun to drive.
The Shelby Cobra is a super-fast sports car from the 1960s that many people admire for its speed and style. It's considered a classic and is very sought after by collectors.
The Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is a type of family car called a station wagon that was made a long time ago. It's known for being roomy and comfortable for trips with lots of people or luggage.
The Pontiac GTO is a classic car that many people consider one of the first muscle cars, which are fast cars with big engines. It became famous in the 1960s for being powerful and exciting to drive.
The Dodge Super Bee is a classic muscle car from the late 1960s that people loved for its speed and cool looks. It's a car that many collectors seek out today.
The Chevrolet Chevelle is a car that was really popular in the 1960s and 70s, especially known for being fast and stylish. The SS version is the sportier model that many people love.
The Chevrolet SS is a big car that has a powerful engine, making it fun to drive like a sports car. It's a sedan, which means it has four doors and is good for families but still has a sporty feel.
LIVE
Welcome to another In-Wheel Time podcast and welcome to the In-Wheel Time car talk show.
Coming up, a glance at the just concluded NADA convention, National Automobile Dealers
Association and what automakers are facing in the near future trying to stay alive.
In Jeff's car culture, muscle car wagons and in driving destinations, Mr. Mars has
party place suggestions for a not-so-sober Mardi Gras destination.
Well, he is our party animal. You know that. Mike's our party animal.
Well, I do my part.
Yeah, we hope.
Howdy along with Mike out of this World Mars coming to us today from Neaterville, Texas.
Sitting next to me, we always need more Jeff Seeking.
I'm Don Armstrong. Thank you so much for joining us on this Saturday.
We're back in the studios and we hope that things go well.
So far, so good.
Well, we're always nervous about saying that because something surely will come along.
Not me. Oh, not me.
Don't call me surely.
No, yeah, don't call me. I'm perfectly calm.
So how was everybody's week?
Good.
Yeah, it was pretty good. The weather was halfway decent.
Yeah.
Yeah, it turned out that way anyway.
I mean, I got 33.7 miles to the gallon this week.
Really?
Oh, yeah.
In the Buick?
In the Buick.
She needs to learn how to pronounce it.
She's bad to the bone.
It's the Buick.
No, I just, I just, I just, I just call it my girl.
Okay.
Yeah.
Well, you do that. I'm sure that Kathy doesn't mind.
All right.
Well, if you name it Kathy, you'd be right.
And maybe Kathy too.
There you go.
Anyway.
So let you know why we're starting off with a story
instead of a guest today.
Mr. Mars, would you like to explain that?
Well, our guest was going to be Officer Woodard
and being the important person he is
with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
He got called away to something important today,
which I have no idea what it is.
Probably some gangster convention.
Yeah.
Something that was real important, I'm sure.
And so he's going to join us a little bit later.
This, whatever it is, is going to be over in time
for him to join us about 1130.
Whether they like it or not.
He's got a gun.
We'll track him down.
And a badge.
Don't forget a badge.
So here's the story.
This story was written by the folks at Automotive News,
and I stole it.
Oh, okay.
And it's about the National Association of Dealers.
An idea.
Yeah, that had a convention this past week
that I could do every year.
This year is in Las Vegas.
Is it in Las Vegas every year?
I don't know.
I don't know.
It is.
We've never been invited.
Of course, we're not a dealer either.
At least not in automobiles.
We're a dealer in sound.
Yeah, that's it.
We're a dealer in love.
So here's the story.
Dealers in 2026 will see an evolving powertrain mix
on their lots.
Sales of electric vehicles are expected to retrench
without the $7,500 federal tax credit for buyers,
though automakers expect that it will take time
for the market to settle into a natural demand,
whatever that is.
The Trump administration's decision to eliminate penalties
for noncompliance with federal fuel economy standards
and its anticipated rollback of emissions regulations
will allow automakers to extend the life cycles
of their profitable gasoline vehicles.
Some automakers reported record hybrid sales
to close out 2025,
and the technology may gain more favor going forward,
potentially squeezing out plug-in hybrids,
which is a good thing in my opinion,
which serve less of a need as regulations are loosened.
Extended range EVs are also starting to become
an option for consumers seeking an alternative to gasoline.
The only thing that they're changing is the charge capacity
of the batteries, so it hangs on to the charge longer,
which is a good thing because it's still a total pain
to get a fast charge wherever you go.
So here's a look at how changes to automakers' powertrain
strategies and consumer preferences could influence
what vehicles gain traction in the year ahead.
Congress's decision last year to eliminate California's ability
to write its own emissions rules,
and the federal government's proposal
to loosen corporate average fuel economy standards
moved the U.S. auto industry away from increasingly stringent
zero emission vehicle sales targets.
So what's fueling the rise in U.S. consumer interest
in hybrid vehicles?
Well, some automakers and dealers had pushed back
against the Biden era rules,
arguing they were forcing the industry toward EVs faster
than consumers naturally wanted to buy them.
GM and Ford have announced plans to repurpose
some planned EV production capacity for gasoline vehicles,
including pickups and SUVs.
Stalanta CEO Antonio Filosa,
who has been handed a great big pile of, you know what,
said at a Goldman Sachs conference in December
that the company saw huge opportunities
to expand production of vehicles with V8 engines.
Go, go, go, go.
It's a lever that we intend to pull very hard next year
and in the years to come, Filosa said,
not only through V8, in general,
for internal combustion engines.
We see a huge mix opportunity in North America,
not because it's a profit calculation,
but it's also a volume opportunity
since it's what consumers want.
So why did you abandon it
and take away everything that drove the earnings
at Stalanta and said...
Well, they were forced to.
The government's regulations forced them to.
You mentioned that they're going,
they're trying to get away from the plug-in hybrid.
I think it's just a softer way.
It's like patting the person on the back saying,
it's okay, it's okay, we're going to fix it.
And by fixing it, they're going to start yanking
some of these requirements that the federal government put in.
Well, all I can think of is the Challenger
and the Charger SRTs, the Hemmys.
They said, yeah, well, the car itself is getting old.
Okay, so why not just redesign?
Redesign the automobile,
but least hang on to the engine or give it an option.
They didn't even give it an option.
The heritage of it is the power.
The power and the look.
Well, everybody that I know of,
I know one person that has a Challenger,
an older one absolutely loves it.
It's not an SRT, but let me tell you something,
that guy pulls out of the park a lot every day,
not hammered to the floor,
but as close to it as you can get every day.
And so they took that entire market
that made Stalantus a lot of money
and did very well for the brand
and just said, no, we're not going to do this.
They used to be all over the TV advertisements
with the thing got a hammy in it.
They were running the Dodge for other commercials.
Right, exactly.
Donut and everything.
Now the EV Dodge, that's a sporty,
that car's got some looks.
It's got some real good eyeball.
Why not put a V8 in that?
Well, apparently they're going to.
Oh, I love it.
So, EV sales expected to drop without tax credits.
Legislation enacted in July
into the $7,500 federal consumer
new EV tax credit after September 30th.
The looming expiration date spurred
some brands to log record EV sales in the third quarter
before the credit went away.
That was followed by plunging EV sales in subsequent months.
Cox Automotive said fourth quarter EV sales fell
36% from a year earlier
and 46% from the prior quarter.
Yet the third quarter helped push US EV sales
to their second best annual total.
Cox said down only 2% from 2024.
Even so, a combination of higher prices,
inadequate public charging networks, ding, ding, ding,
and range concerns have kept EV sales
below automakers' earlier expectations.
To meet demand, several are re-adjusting production capacity
and their product portfolios.
Ford, for instance, has canceled the F-150
lightning electric pickup with accurate discontinued
to the ZDX EV developed with GM.
Not a surprise there.
Did you write that paragraph with the charging
and the state? That sounds like you.
Yeah, well, I did kind of fudge a little bit
and put my own words into it.
Spin it your way.
Hybrids and EREVs, extra range EVs,
give consumers more choices, granted.
Sales of traditional hybrids which don't have a plug
have been gaining traction among US consumers.
Analysts say they have caught on better
than plug-in alternatives in part
because drivers don't need to do anything different
than for a gasoline-only vehicle
while achieving better fuel economy.
I've got one now out there that's getting 31 miles per gallon.
It is a beautiful...
It's a big truck.
It's a big SUV.
It's a three-row.
It's the Santa Fe.
And, man, I'm telling you,
it is...
It's luxury on the inside
and it's 50 grand.
50.
That's the average.
Stellanus is expected to launch
extended-range EV versions
of the Ram 1500 pickup
and Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV this year.
The automaker has canceled its plug-in hybrid lineup
in North America for 2026,
leaning instead on hybrids
and extended-range EVs.
Ford, too, planning an extended-range electric pickup
to replace the F-150 Lightning,
the gasoline engine used
an on-board generator to charge the battery,
enables longer driving ranges
with less cost and complexity than plug-in hybrids.
So that's what they're talking about
as far as product development is concerned.
I keep getting these sneak previews
of kind of...
Teasing you.
Badly disguised cars that they're coming out with
trying to fill a void in their product lineup
that, you know, the EV thing just...
Hey, do you something interesting?
The service reports
or the serviceability of a plug-in hybrid
versus just a regular hybrid
are what service issues do each of them have?
No, I don't know.
But I can tell you that...
That's just a question that came up.
But the plug-in hybrids,
and Mars, correct me if I'm wrong,
the ones that I am familiar with
get about 30 miles on the battery only.
And you can obviously use it
as just on the battery
or, and there's usually a button in there,
then you can do both.
And it does it automatically.
But 30 miles?
Okay.
If you use the car to go to church,
the grocery store,
soccer practice with the kids,
and school, that would be okay, I guess.
But it's a pain because you still got to plug it in.
And I can tell you from personal experience,
there are two chargers at work.
One is a regular 110 volt regular plug.
The other one is the Tesla charger.
Tesla charger charges Teslas a lot faster
and also newer electric vehicles
than does the old style.
The 110 volt thing.
I don't know whether it's the plug, the battery, the car,
whatever the case may be.
It doesn't make any difference.
But I can tell you that the 30 miles per gallon,
I don't even bother.
Because for me, it's 34 miles to work.
Well, get to work, plug it in.
I might as well have an EV if I'm going to do that.
I just, I don't see the reason for a plug in hybrid.
When you say you go to work from,
when you're leaving your home here to go to work,
34, 35 miles,
how much charge did you leave the house with?
Was it, well, 50%?
Well, at some point, yes, during the full charge
that I got it with.
And I ultimately still had to go to a DC charger
with a full EV.
How much do you have when you leave the house
and what's going to be recouped when you plug it in?
Yeah, well, it depends on the battery.
It depends on the car.
It depends on the battery.
There's lots of variables in there.
So it's really hard to say, oh, you know,
I got 35 miles per gallon E.
This one that's out there now is a hybrid
and it's currently getting 33 miles per gallon.
And it is a hybrid.
I don't know when the motor's going and when it's not.
Let's drop an LS in it before you turn it in.
Yeah.
Yeah, the Stellantis version of an LS.
There you go.
Yeah, I don't know.
Well, because this came out with NADA,
does NADA, does this meeting have anything to do
with the NADA book that they produce
like once or twice a year?
I don't know.
Is there a value in cars?
I don't know that I can't answer.
The one thing that I got out of it
is that, you know, the dealers,
for the most part, except for Tesla,
they're the ones that sell the cars
and they are the direct in-between,
between the manufacturer and the consumer.
And they hear all of it.
Whether, you know, this is what I'm looking for.
You don't have what I'm looking for.
You may have what I'm looking for,
but I don't like it, you know,
when it comes to anything,
whether it's an ice engine or an electric.
So I just don't know.
Mars, have you got any thoughts on that?
Well, I was going to say, used to,
a lot of people would order a car.
They would say, I need a new car.
I'm going to go down to the dealer.
I'm going to pick out what I want,
the options, the color of the seats.
You know, they could go through it.
And that gave the manufacturers a lot of data there
about what people were looking at and what they wanted.
Now it's pretty much, you know,
here's the trim levels.
You get what we buy, you get what we make,
and that's it.
Well, yeah, I mean, I will tell you that
dealer lots are, for the most part,
full.
And some of the cars that aren't selling,
they would love to sell.
And I'm sure that they're selling them
at a lower rate than the sticker says.
But, you know, the popular cars,
they move those cars.
How the Santa Fe is selling, I don't know.
But I can tell you that the sticker on it,
and I don't know whether this one that I currently am driving,
was built in the United States
or whether it was born in Korea.
I don't know any of that.
But from what I understand,
that they're doing quite well.
And with the level of luxury that this car has,
I would imagine that they're probably
short on dealer lots of this car.
Yeah.
Well, that just means people are finding the value in it
for what the amount of money they're spending,
because none of them are cheap anymore.
Some of them cost less than others,
but they're really none of them cheap.
Well, the entry level was $50,000.
There you go.
Yeah.
The average price of a vehicle across all brands
and all makes and models is 50 grand.
We got to figure out why it dumps out of the picture
that's behind us.
You see the green screen. We don't know that.
At any rate, it's interesting.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall
at that convention.
And to see what it is that they're talking about,
what they're telling the manufacturers,
what the manufacturers are learning,
what the manufacturers have in their playbook going forward.
We just don't know.
But it is what it is.
And if you're in the market for a new vehicle
at $50,000 for an average price,
and you haven't got $50,000,
the price has become a real source subject
with a lot of people and they're going to used.
Have you tried to get a hold of the Emmons lately?
Well, I did.
Don't tell me you're really busy.
They're in Florida looking for a drag strip to race on.
Well, they haven't quite got that far yet,
but that's what we was trying to get them in beforehand.
So waiting to hear from Gary, hopefully, before they go.
Okay. Yeah, I hope so.
I'd like to get some insight on the used car market.
We trust these guys, and so they're a good source for us.
He thought the idea of the reconditioned vehicles,
I told him we were seeing a lot of that,
and he thought that would be something good to talk about.
Yeah, exactly.
Well, we'll continue this conversation, I'm sure,
as the shows continue on.
Time to take a break.
Just ahead, in Jeff's car culture, muscle car wagons.
There you go.
Plus, Mr. Mars has Mardi Gras driving destinations.
It's all coming up after this break
on the In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
Stay with us.
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So, anyway.
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Time now for Jeff's Car Culture this week.
Muscle, car, station wagons.
Yeah, there are cousins involved.
So, more than just styling,
we have a lot of fun.
The performance is a really incredible amount of choice
and variety of American cars from the 60s and 70s.
What's so special?
Well, interestingly enough,
nearly all of the iconic American muscle cars
of the late 60s and early 70s
had close cousins of the station wagon variety.
That means there are some seriously great options
for building a high-performance vintage wagon,
whether they're all of what-if,
or just going to make a rest-o-mod out of its style.
So, here we go, Mike.
The first one is a Ford Torino wagon.
Ford Custom Torino GT.
Well, not as popular as the Mustangs of that era.
Ford's large Torino-based muscle cars
were just as bit as cool as the Mustangs were.
So, what happens when you blend a fair lane
or a Torino wagon with some inspiration
from a Torino Cobra or a Talladega?
You have one heck of a cool family hauler.
Check that out.
Next one, Mike, is an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser wagon
442.
Even on its own, Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
is one of the coolest American station wagons ever built.
But should you mesh one together
with an Oldsmobile muscle car
the same period, you've got recipe for greatness.
Whether it's a W3442 or a Hurst-Olds,
it provides the ingredients.
There aren't many things cooler than a Vista Cruiser
given all the muscle car stuff.
So, there you go.
Pontiac Tempest GTO wagon.
The Pontiac GTO started the whole muscle car thing in 1964
and only got more popular in the years that followed.
Pontiac also sold a Tempest wagon at the same time
and many of the parts that the GTO had
went right on to that Tempest wagon.
So, the Hot Rod version of the GTO,
yeah, you're going to have it in that wagon as well.
The Dodge Cornette wagon Super B.
Don't think that we've left them out part guys out.
There are a number of Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars
that have close station wagon cousins,
but the Cornette is one of the favorites,
whether it would be built as a Super B wagon
that never existed or built in a more modern style
with a Gen 3 hemi under the hood,
very, very appealing and very, very desirable.
And the last one we have, Michael, is a Chevy wagon,
Chevelle SS.
Finally, we got Chevy.
Few muscle cars and more popular than the Chevrolet SS
of the late 60s and 70s, the Chevelle wagon counterpart
is a ripe conversation.
Whether it's the stripes, badging, or the cowl induction hood
fitted to a low roof line model,
the SS wagon would be all right, all right, all right.
There you go.
That's good.
You forgot the bonus.
Oh, yeah, there's a bonus to check it out.
It's the Buick.
It's the what?
It's the Buick.
It's the Buick.
Yeah, well, I don't see a muscle car with that, but OK.
Well, he's still got to get it tubbed out.
Yeah, we know the old regular routine
when it comes to Jeff's customization.
Yeah, I got to get the LS engine.
I don't think that you could put an LS engine in it.
It wouldn't fit.
You put it in the back.
No, we need to do none of that.
Come on.
I got tools.
Well, you know, Mardi Gras weekend starts this weekend.
It started today.
Gallister.
Pardon me.
Gallister Mardi Gras?
Yeah.
The Mardi Gras season.
All right.
There you go.
There you go.
Well, OK, whatever you want to call it, it's Mardi Gras period.
And, you know, there's stuff to do and places to go to do it.
And Mr. Morris has this week's driving destinations, including Mardi Gras
party destinations.
Well, I kind of looked at it and I thought, you know, there's a lot of places
that do Mardi Gras.
A lot of people here, everybody thinks of New Orleans immediately,
but there's a lot of things beside New Orleans.
And one thing I wanted to say is, you know, the Mardi Gras floats.
Now, these are really elaborate works of art.
Usually got a lot of people on them throwing beads and things,
but these are actually built by crews, what they call crews.
A lot of them are clubs and stuff.
There are some professional float builders down in New Orleans.
They build them and they, they rent them out to all these different Mardi Gras
that are around the country.
And, but a lot of them, particularly the smaller Mardi Gras events are all
home-built, you might say, by the crews.
Now, the closest biggest one to us in Texas is going to be Galveston.
Now, I've been to the Galveston a couple of times and it is very much like New
Orleans.
If you go down there at night, it's really crowded.
There's a lot of people drinking and having a good time.
And, but during the day, it's a little more family friendly.
They do have all the big floats both times.
You've got people throwing beads.
You've got a lot of Cajun and Creole cuisine and a lot of music that goes
around just blocks and blocks of it.
Now the new, another one that I wanted to mention, speaking of car shows in
Beaumont, Beaumont actually has a Mardi Gras now as well.
It used to be over in Port Arthur.
They moved it to Beaumont because it had a little bit bigger area because
it was growing so much.
Again, you got a lot of floats, a lot of food, a lot of food trucks,
a lot of parades that go on at different times.
And it's really pretty family friendly as far as that goes.
Now you go on down here a little bit closer over there.
Texas City actually has a Mardi Gras.
And again, a lot of these areas have a lot of smaller Mardi Gras.
Some of them are only a day.
Some of them are only a weekend.
Some of them run for two or three weeks at a time.
But Texas City actually has one.
A lot of their events were during the day.
Very family friendly.
Again, more food and more celebrating of the Gulf Coast culture.
And from there, you can go on over to a little bit more west.
Go over to Zagine.
Again, this is a local regional type event.
And they have a golf cart parade.
Wait a minute.
Zagine is on the way to San Antonio.
Yes.
And speaking of which, once you get through in Zagine,
you can go on over to San Antonio.
I knew you were going to go there.
I think one of the probably the most family friendly ones
of the ones that I've run across that are semi-close
is going to be the one at Six Flags over Texas.
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
Right now I'm looking at the crew of Herb.
Oh, that's H-E-B-E.
H-E-B-E?
Yeah.
H-E-B?
H-E-B-G-B?
Did I get off?
Oh, yeah.
I got off one.
I missed it.
Mardi Gras Six Flags of Fiesta, Texas.
And the reason I think this would be probably the most family
friendly is because all they do is they take the park
and all the shows and the music and everything
and they just turn it into Mardi Gras
focusing on that purple, green and gold coloring.
And it really would be the most family friendly
when I would think that I've run across.
If you're looking for something a little bit smaller,
again, going back to this one.
This is up in Jefferson, Texas.
Kind of up in the northeast part of Texas.
A little smaller town.
Have a lot of antique shops and stuff,
but it brings that small town charm
to the Mardi Gras festivals.
Another one that you might want to go to
and check out that's a little bit on the smaller scale
is over in Alvin.
They actually have one there.
And again, a lot of food, some parades.
It is smaller, so it's a lot easier to get around
and manageable, particularly with the family
if you've got little ones.
And then from there,
what I wanted to point out was a keema boardwalk.
Now, this is really a neat one.
Got a lot of boats cruising in and up and down
by the boardwalk coming out of Clear Lake
and a lot of lights.
It's really neat. I've seen this one before as well.
And it's really neat to go.
It's pretty family friendly.
So long as you stay out of the bars,
don't take the kids into the bars with you
and you'll be all right.
And that's just a few of the places besides New Orleans
and some of the other bigger ones
that are a little more adult oriented, shall we say.
Did your mom and dad take you into the bars?
They did, didn't they?
My parents haven't been in the bar in their life.
Okay, wow.
So I knew something happened to you along the way.
Maybe that's what it was.
Now, the decorations you talked about in Galveston,
they do that in Christmas time too.
Yes, they do.
They get into the dickens on the strand,
but the Mardi Gras is very much like New Orleans
as far as the setup and how they run the parades
during the day and during the night.
Got it.
Thank you, Michael.
In-wheel time car talk show is going to continue
right after this quick break.
Stay with us.
Yeah, stay with us.
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About this episode
The discussion centers around the recent NADA convention and the evolving landscape of automotive powertrains. With the anticipated drop in EV sales due to the expiration of tax credits, automakers are shifting focus back to hybrids and gasoline vehicles. Notable insights include GM and Ford's plans to repurpose EV production for traditional vehicles, and Stellantis's commitment to V8 engines. The hosts debate the practicality of plug-in hybrids versus traditional hybrids, highlighting consumer preferences and the challenges of charging infrastructure.
The ground just shifted under the auto industry, and we take you straight to the dealer floor to show what’s really moving metal. With the $7,500 EV tax credit gone and emissions targets easing, automakers are recalibrating fast—dialing up hybrids, testing extended-range EVs, and even hinting at new life for V8 performance where demand is loudest. We connect policy changes to showroom choices, price pressure, and the practical hurdles that still stall EV adoption: high MSRPs, thin charging networks, and range that doesn’t always meet real commutes.
We break down why traditional hybrids are winning hearts and wallets right now. No plugs. Fewer compromises. Better fuel economy without changing habits. Then we dig into extended-range EVs, a sleeper category that pairs electric drive with an onboard generator to put range anxiety on ice while trimming complexity versus plug-in hybrids. PHEVs get a critical look too—those 30-ish electric miles sound great until your round trip or charger access says otherwise. Add in dealership intel on what sits, what sells, and how rigid trim bundles can stifle choice, and you’ve got a candid view of today’s buying reality at the $50,000 average price point.
Enthusiasts, we didn’t forget you. We celebrate muscle car heritage with a tour of wagon-based builds that borrow glory from icons like the GTO, 442, and Chevelle SS, and talk about why sound, torque, and identity still matter in a multi-powertrain future. To round things out, we map a stack of Mardi Gras road trips across Texas—from packed Galveston nights to family-friendly boardwalks—because the best car talk ends with somewhere to go.
If you love practical car advice with a pulse, hit play. Subscribe for more smart takes on new tech, real ownership costs, and the culture that keeps us driving. Share the show with a friend and drop a review—what’s your next powertrain and why?
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