Rivian is making a bold bet on autonomy—and it’s very different from Tesla’s approach. In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, Jonny Lieberman and Ed Loh sit down with James Philbin, Rivian’s VP of Autonomy & AI, following Rivian’s Autonomy & AI Day. Midway through the conversation, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe joins unexpectedly to dive deep into LiDAR, sensor strategy, and why Rivian believes more data—and better data—wins.

Topics include:

• Universal Hands-Free driving across 3.5M+ miles of roads

• Rivian’s Large Driving Model (LDM) and AI-defined vehicles

• Why Rivian chose cameras + radar + LiDAR

• The roadmap from hands-free to eyes-off driving • Personal Level 4 autonomy vs robotaxis

• Ground-truth fleets, edge cases, and safety at scale

• How autonomy could fundamentally change car ownership

This is one of the most technical, candid, and forward-looking autonomy conversations we’ve had—and a rare look inside how a modern automaker is building an advanced driving system from the ground up.

In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, hosts dive deep with Chris Benjamin, Chief Design Officer at Scout Motors, to explore his remarkable journey—from growing up in Queens and Miami, to working nights at Taco Bell while designing for Mercedes, to leading the rebirth of one of America’s most iconic off-road brands.

Chris reveals how the new Scout SUV and truck were designed, what he changed the moment he arrived, how Scout differs from Rivian and Jeep, what the EV vs. range-extender split looks like, and what the future holds for Scout Motors.

Expect raw career stories, hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, and real talk about design, automotive culture, EV adoption, and off-roading.

In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Jonny Lieberman and Ed Loh sit down with Marques McCammon, President of Karma Automotive, to talk about the company’s reboot, its American-made ultra-luxury vision, and why the future isn’t fully electric—it’s EREV.

Marques traces his incredible career from creating the Dodge Neon SRT-4 to pivotal roles at ASC, Saleen, Aptera, Wind River, Ricardo, and ultimately Karma.

He reveals what he found when he arrived at Karma, why he shut everything down to rebuild quality and identity, and how Karma’s new vehicles—including the upcoming Sera, Amaris, Isvara, and the four-motor Kaveya supercar—aim to blend emotional design, handcrafted luxury, and range-extended electric performance. Karma’s goal? To become America’s counterpart to Aston, McLaren, and Ferrari, built in Southern California with an experience-centered philosophy.

Featuring deep cut industry stories—from SRT beginnings to Aptera’s shutdown to why EREV is primed for a comeback—this is one of the most wide-ranging and insightful conversations we’ve had.

In Episode 122 of The InEVitable, MotorTrend welcomes one of the smartest guests we’ve ever had on the show: Ryan Melsert, CEO of American Battery Technology Company — former Tesla Gigafactory founding engineer, award-winning innovator, and a leading voice in U.S. battery materials, recycling, and critical minerals.

Ryan dives deep into the real future of EVs, battery production, battery recycling, domestic lithium sourcing, and what America must do to compete globally.

He also shares unbelievable behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of Tesla’s Gigafactory, how his team patented Tesla’s first battery-manufacturing tech, and why next-generation batteries could be 10× more energy-dense. Whether you're into EVs, engineering, geopolitics, or the future of clean energy — this is one of the most important conversations we’ve ever recorded.

In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with Mazen Fawaz, Chief Strategy Officer at Singer Vehicle Design, to talk about Singer’s bold new venture — the acquisition and revival of Willow Springs International Raceway, the fastest track in the West.

Fawaz shares how the deal came together, Singer’s plans to modernize the historic circuit, and how it could transform Southern California into the next global motorsport and car culture destination. From FIA-grade upgrades and private driver clubs to a new multi-day car festival inspired by Goodwood, this episode dives deep into the future of track culture, car events, and performance driving in LA and beyond.

#Singer #WillowSprings #MotorTrend #TheInEVitable #Porsche #CarCulture #Motorsport #GoodwoodFestivalofSpeed #SingerVehicleDesign #MazFawaz #JonnyLieberman #EdLoh

In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with the one and only Magnus Walker—fashion icon, Porsche collector, designer, and automotive outlaw. Magnus opens up about his love-hate relationship with EVs, why Porsche’s electric strategy might be backfiring, and what the brand needs to do to stay true to its roots. He also shares behind-the-scenes stories about his TWR Supercat project, working with Pininfarina, and his upcoming Porsche book collaboration with Hannah Elliott. From racing at Goodwood to collaborating with design houses, Magnus brings his unfiltered takes on branding, car culture, motorsport, and the future of driving passion.

In this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, host Ed Loh takes you inside GM Forward — General Motors’ technology showcase in New York — to explore the company’s electrified, autonomous, and AI-driven future. From new lithium manganese-rich batteries that cut costs while keeping range high, to hands-free, eyes-off driving coming to the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, and even Google Gemini AI built directly into millions of GM vehicles — this episode dives into every major innovation reshaping the automaker. You’ll hear from the engineers, designers, and executives behind GM’s next generation of mobility, including:

Gary Cygan - Director of Platform Engineering General Motors

Kurt Kelty - VP of Battery Propulsion and Sustainability General Motors

Aseem Kapur - Chief Revenue Officer GM Energy

Baris Cetinok - Sr. Vice President Software & Services, Product and Design, General Motors

David Richardson - Sr. Vice President of Software Services General Motors

Key topics:

⚡️ GM’s unified computing architecture for all vehicles

🔋 New LMR battery chemistry: more range, less cost

🏠 EVs as home energy backup systems (now available via leasing)

🚗 Hands-off, eyes-off Super Cruise in 2028

🤖 Conversational AI powered by Google Gemini

🌍 OTA updates back to 2015 vehicles

Hosts: Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman | MotorTrend

📍 Recorded at GM Forward, New York City

🔗 Learn more at MotorTrend.com

In Episode 118 of The InEVitable, MotorTrend hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman sit down with two racing powerhouses — Ferdi Porsche, great-grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, and Rob Smedley, former Ferrari race engineer to Felipe Massa — to talk about FAT Karting League, a bold effort to democratize motorsport. Karting has always been the entry point for Formula 1 hopefuls — but at costs reaching over $1.5 million for families, the dream has been out of reach for most kids. FAT Karting aims to change that with arrive-and-drive electric karts, fixed budgets, data-driven coaching, and a truly merit-based system that makes motorsport accessible again. Ferdi and Rob explain how the league works, why they’re bringing racing to new generations worldwide, and how their mission extends from karting to F4, F3, and beyond. They also share details about the upcoming FAT Ice Race in Montana, global expansion plans, and why fun over speed might just be the future of car culture.

Guests:

Ferdi Porsche, Founder, FAT International / FAT Karting League

Rob Smedley, Co-founder & CEO, FAT Karting League; former Ferrari F1 Race Engineer

Hosts:

Ed Loh & Jonny Lieberman | MotorTrend

📍 Recorded in Los Angeles 🌐

More info: fat-karting-league.com | fat-international.com