Daily Recap: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
34 episodes · If you only listen to one: Driving the Volkswagen ID.Cross, VW overtake BYD in China, Mercedes-Benz VLE, VW ID.3 Neo, Renault Bridger and R-Space Concept, Honda Cancels Zero Series, Ford and ChargePoint announce partnership, Nevo Driving Experience in Kildare — Nevo EV News Podcast
Kia's rise to fifth-largest auto brand in the US came up across several shows, especially with the new Telluride hitting dealerships. The shows also covered Zach Pradel's YouTube review operation that's now documented over 1,700 vehicles, BMW's i3 electric sedan debut on the Neue Klasse platform, and EV prices dropping as emissions rules tighten. Used inventory remains tight, and multiple hosts talked through whether now is the right time to buy.
Kia Reaches #5 US Auto Brand as New Telluride Launches
Kia is now the fifth-largest brand in the US, ranking behind Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Chevrolet, and outselling its corporate sibling Hyundai.
The brand is launching a completely redesigned second-generation Telluride with hybrid powertrain options for the first time, and production capacity at the West Point Georgia plant has been increased by 50% to meet demand expected to exceed 180,000 units annually, up from last year's sales of just over 120,000.
"It's the number five brand in the United States. It's Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet than Kia."
"Last year we sold a little over 120,000 of them... we increased the production in our West Point Georgia plant where it's built just outside of Atlanta by 50%. Yeah. So let's talk about what it's basically a new car, right?... we've now increased capacity to go more than 180,000."
Episode Spotlights
1985 Mazda RX-7 & Hudson Hornet: Zack Pradel on 1,700+ Car Reviews 🏎️🎥
On buying his first car at eighteen:
"My first car was a red, sunrise red, uh 1985 Mazda RX 7. I bought it September 20th, 2015. It was a few days after I had turned 18."
On the BMW i3 unveil date and production schedule:
"BMW unveiled the fully electric i3 sedan on the 18th of March... series production should begin in the autumn, sales will begin before the end of the year."
On the best season to purchase used cars:
"If you can hold off on a used car, I would recommend you do that...It's not the best time to be buying used cars. It is, perhaps historically speaking, this time of year, the worst time to be in the used car market."
Episode 97: Will electricity prices go up & how far does the iX3 go in the real-world?
On real-world range driving the BMW iX3 comfortably:
"I'm getting about 370-ish real world miles out of it on fairly steady motorway journeys... I'm not using efficiency mode. I'm just tootling around with the air con on. I like a massage seat."
Denny Hamlin Wins at Las Vegas After WILD Comeback Through the Field!
On Denny Hamlin's comeback from an early pit penalty:
"drove from the back, had a speeding penalty early. A lot of people having a lot of problems in that first section on Pit Road... But Denny Hamlin put it all together, got back through traffic, they had good pit stops, and put themselves in a position to win with the dominant car."
If You Only Listen To One
First drive of the Volkswagen ID.Cross, plus Volkswagen overtaking BYD in China as EV subsidies fade.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler | 9 |
| Nissan Leaf | 8 |
| Ford F150 | 7 |
| Dodge Ram | 6 |
| Ford Bronco | 6 |
| Ford Mustang | 5 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 5 |
| iX3 (G08) | 5 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Formula One | 6 |
| hybrid | 4 |
| tariffs | 4 |
| NASCAR | 3 |
| ground clearance | 3 |
| reverse import | 2 |
34 episodes. 443 car mentions. 669 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.