Thinking About Buying a Hybrid Car? Listen Up
Uncanny Valley | WIRED2 Touko 2024

Thinking About Buying a Hybrid Car? Listen Up

Back in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized a long in the works rule requiring automakers here to dramatically increase the number of battery-powered vehicles they’re putting on the roads. The government has mandated that by 2032, more than half of new cars sold must be electric. There are some caveats, namely that plug-in hybrid cars will fulfill the federal requirements for what a “battery-powered” vehicle is.

This has led to a flood of hybrid cars hitting the market. This week, we talk about what this means for people who are considering buying a new car now, or in the next few years. We explain the differences between plug-in hybrids, full hybrids, and electrics, and we tell you what your options are if you live in an apartment without a convenient place to plug in your car while it’s parked.

We are joined this week by WIRED staff writer Aarian Marshall, who breaks down the facts, shatters the myths, and turns us all into hybrid car experts.

Show Notes:

Read Aarian’s story about the new US emissions rules. Also read her story about automakers struggling to hit their US sales targets for electric cars.

Recommendations:

Aarian recommends going to one of those baseball games where you also bring your dog. (They let you run the bases!) Mike recommends The New York Trilogy by novelist Paul Auster, who died this week at 77. Lauren recommends The Lights, the newest book of poetry and prose by Ben Lerner.


Aarian Marshall can be found on social media @aarianmarshall. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(428)

WIRED Roundup: Groypers Going Mainstream

WIRED Roundup: Groypers Going Mainstream

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from Customs & Border Protection efforts to collect American’s DNA to tech bill...

26 Syys 202523min

Is Silicon Valley Still the Tech Capital?

Is Silicon Valley Still the Tech Capital?

Earlier this month, we took the show to San Francisco for a live recording in front of a great audience at KQED's The Commons. WIRED'S Lauren Goode, Katie Drummond and Jason Kehe asked themselves and ...

25 Syys 202549min

BIG INTV: Signal's Meredith Whittaker Says AI Is Just A Branding Term

BIG INTV: Signal's Meredith Whittaker Says AI Is Just A Branding Term

The Signal Foundation president, Meredith Whittaker recalls where she was when she heard Trump cabinet officials had added a journalist to a highly sensitive group chat. And tells, Katie about why it'...

23 Syys 202545min

WIRED Roundup: The Right Embraces Cancel Culture

WIRED Roundup: The Right Embraces Cancel Culture

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Manisha Krishnan to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from OpenAI implementing teen safety features to how human design is the ...

19 Syys 202516min

Move Aside, Chatbots: AI Humanoids Are Here

Move Aside, Chatbots: AI Humanoids Are Here

This week, WIRED learned that OpenAI is ramping up its efforts in robotics — specifically, by hiring researchers who work on AI systems for humanoid robots. Humanoids, robots built to resemble us and ...

18 Syys 202528min

BIG INTV: Matthew Prince Wants AI Companies to Pay for Their Sins

BIG INTV: Matthew Prince Wants AI Companies to Pay for Their Sins

The CEO of Cloudflare – the internet’s bodyguard - sits down with Katie to talk about his efforts to make the AI money machine start benefiting creators. Cloudflare’s new blocker tool required AI plat...

16 Syys 202546min

WIRED Roundup: How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservative Media

WIRED Roundup: How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservative Media

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death — from the response of right-wing tech leaders, to how Kirk helped shape conservative media inf...

12 Syys 202516min

BIG INTV: Hasan Piker Says He Will Never Run for Office

BIG INTV: Hasan Piker Says He Will Never Run for Office

Hasan Piker, the Left’s favorite Twitch streamer has the kind of following that could get votes. But he tells Katie Drummond he’d rather use his influence to tell Democrats “you can't podcast your way...

9 Syys 202540min