The Drivecast

Cars are more complicated, connected, and software driven than ever. The tuning industry is growing, but awash in shady characters promising big power gains if you yank out your car's brain and send it to them to modify. AutoTuner aims to show you can run a legitimate business in this space, but this is at odds with what automakers want.

AutoTuner is building its business by primarily offering the tools and services to jailbreak ECUs, not the actual codes. But this all crosses into the battle over right-to-repair, not to mention automakers themselves wanting to sell you more performance via upgraded software for a cost.

The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by AutoTuner USA CEO Arin Ahnell for a frank discussion about the state of and future of software tuning, the right-to-repair movement, and modification culture in a timeline of complex powertrains and EVs.

Stories referenced in today's episode:

⁠Why Drivers and Mechanics Are United Against Automakers: ‘Right To Repair’ Explained⁠

Ford’s CEO Doesn’t Want You Fixing Your New Bronco. He Says It’s About Safety

The Feds Are Coming for Diesel Truck Owners. They’re Starting With Your Phone

DOJ Orders Apple, Google to Hand Over OBDII App User Data in Emissions Probe

John Deere to Pay $99 Million in Monumental Right-to-Repair Settlement

Ford CEO Jim Farley’s Right To Repair Comment Should Make Every Car Owner Uncomfortable

Rivian’s RAD Tuner Is Like An Equalizer For Your EV’s Powertrain

00:00 - Intro

05:13 - What is the state of chip tuning in 2026?

07:14 - What does it take to unlock ECUs at scale?

08:09 - Automakers getting into the tuning game

09:30 - Warranties and tuning

11:18 - OEM collaboration

12:48 - Right-to-repair

15:51 - How do you know when an ECU's unlocked

16:50 - Getting around security protocols

19:37 - Difference between different types of cars from different countries

20:45 - Subscription model

22:05 - AutoTuner One app

24:05 - Legal issues

31:28 - Stories of people sending in their ECUs

32:33 - EVs and tuning

36:22 - Vertical stack integrations

38:53 - Tractors, agricultural market

42:32 - Accessibility and business growth

43:37 - The next cracking goal
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America's EV charging situation is a mess. So much so that eight automakers banded together to create a joint venture, dubbed Ionna, and try to fix the situation. It's an unprecedented move on multiple levels that shows the gravity of the situation, how seriously automakers take the future of electric vehicles, and an entirely new business venture that diversifies these companies beyond just building and selling vehicles: now they are selling the fuel too.

Ionna has a big goal: build a reliable, high-powered electric vehicle fast-charging network across North America with at least 30,000 chargers and 2,000 stations in the U.S. by 2030 followed by Canada.

The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Ionna CEO Seth Cutler to discuss the where the landscape sites today, why chargers are placed where they are and look like they look, and future of EV charging in America.

Stories referenced in today's episode:

New Automaker Super-Alliance Plans to Nearly Double EV Chargers Across America

Rivian’s Charging Network Is 4% of Tesla’s. Here’s RJ Scaringe’s Plan to Change That

Unreliable Charging Networks Plagued 1 in 5 EV Owners Last Year: Study

00:00 - Intro

04:48 - Why is America's charging situation a hot mess?

05:41 - What's taking so long to get EV charging stations up and running?

09:14 - How many Ionna stations exist today? Status report

10:42 - The business model

19:44 - How are charging station sites chosen?

23:46 - Partnerships

27:25 - Software, reliability, broken chargers

34:20 - Eight automakers own Ionna

37:31 - Charging speeds, how fast is fast enough?

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A new law in California relaxing emissions tests for classic cars is being hailed as a “landmark” victory for the car community and common sense. But it’s not what it seems.

California has the toughest emissions standards in the country, requiring any car made after 1975 to pass a biennial smog test in order to be registered. By design, the system forces thousands of old cars off the road every year as the cost of compliance rises—even if the vehicle runs just fine, a stubborn check engine light will cause it to fail.

Now, a group backed by industry lobbyists and Jay Leno has succeeded in changing the law to make it easier for owners to keep their classics. It’s being celebrated as an unprecedented win—but in reality, it's not going to do much at all to fix the state’s broken approach to emissions tests, or help the people who are affected the most.

This week The Drive's Editor-in-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder separate fact from fiction and break down why Leno's Law isn't the solution everyone is claiming.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

‘Leno’s Law’ Finally Passes: Here’s What That Really Means for Classic Car Owners

Video: The Problem with US Emissions testing (YouTube)

00:00 Intro

04:34 The fight over smog testing

8:54 How the system works

12:25 Devil's in the details

14:51 Long walk to Leno's Law

17:14 Missed opportunity

20:30 Where do we go from here?
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Honda's top executives have watched Toyota's reliability crisis play out with the Japanese competitor's new turbocharged engines, and it keeps them up at night.

Honda Motor Executive Vice President Noriya Kaihara and American Honda President and CEO Eiji Fujimura told The Drive how the automaker's quality control systems are evolving as the automaker prepares a new wave of next-gen powertrains. The goal? Avoid the nightmare that is currently playing out with Toyota and its turbocharged V6 engines in the Tundra.

This week The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder and Deputy Editor Jerry Perez go behind the scenes with Honda's top executives and discuss how the automaker's making sure its engines don't grenade themselves.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

Honda’s Top Bosses Explain How They’re Avoiding Toyota’s Engine Nightmare

Toyota Built Its Reputation on Reliability. The Tundra Is Threatening to Undo It

Honda’s New V6 Hybrid Will Have More Power and Better Fuel Economy Than Competitors Turbo-Four Hybrids

Next-Gen Honda Civic Hybrid Prototype Drive: A Fuel Sipper That Feels Like An Automatic Si

2026 Honda Prelude Long-Term Test Begins: Living With Honda’s Most Controversial Car

00:00 - Intro

03:57 - Toyota's nightmare recap

05:34 - Honda execs can't sleep over Toyota's issues

07:10 - Evolving quality control systems

07:36 - Speed to market

08:37 - Three words

12:04 - Who is Honda? How can Honda compete?

13:16 - Honda turbocharged path

14:13 - Honda's next-gen V6 hybrid

21:02 - No one is perfect

21:45 - Quick action
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You would not know it from the posts on Instagram during Monterey Car Week last month or the barrage of expensive debuts that have been touted, but the luxury segment is in trouble.

While Bugatti and Ferrari are doing just fine the story isn't the same for other luxury automakers. Bentley is spiraling, Aston Martin is a mess, Maserati is a train wreck, and Porsche is in trouble and it's not clear that the Macan and Cayenne SUVs can save the iconic automaker this time.

This week The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder and Editor Byron Hurd break down the situation, go behind the scenes on the luxury market crumbling, why it's happening, and what comes next.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

The Luxury Car Market Is Crumbling from the Top Down

00:00 - Intro

05:41 - How did we get to this story?

06:11 - What's happening?

09:18 - Facts and figures

11:26 - Depreciation

12:30 - Second-hand market

17:59 - The blurry line of "luxury features"

26:00 - Pricing and stealth wealth
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