One of the parts of our job as automotive journalists is getting deep access within the industry. Whether that’s with executives, designers, and engineers or with new vehicles, prototypes, or even facilities. Crafting stories and breaking news to inform while sorting fact from fiction is what we do, but there’s so much that gets left out. The information it takes to craft a 500- or 1,000-word story is far more than what gets published. It’s time to share the full monty.
That’s why we’re proud to introduce The Drivecast, our new weekly podcast taking you inside the biggest stories, controversies, and people shaping the automotive industry and car culture. This is not just another chat show with a couple of dudes talking about cars—this is real information, real reporting, and real analysis you won’t hear anywhere else.
Hosted by editor-in-chief Kyle Cheromcha and director of content Joel Feder, The Drivecast isn’t a rehash of what you’ll read on The Drive, but an extension of the work we do here every day. This site has always been powered by the belief that cars are central to our society, just like the car industry is central to the American economy, and understanding how it all works is essential to the future of our collective passion. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a true enthusiast or just curious about why cars are the way they are; this show is here to break it down.
The automotive industry is experiencing an unprecedented transformation. Revolutionary tech like electric vehicles and self-driving systems, huge shifts in global trade policies, consumer demands, and rising prices are changing the way cars are designed, built, and sold quicker than ever. And by extension, the promises that car companies are making are bigger and bolder than ever.
We’ll be breaking it all down, giving you the inside line and insights to the complex business of cars and the future around them, while expanding on the top stories–our stories–in the automotive world. The team will be taking you behind the curtain on our big scoops to see how they came together, interviewing special guests like leading CEOs, engineers, and designers, analyzing the trends and decisions that shape what our roads look like today, and sharing our access with you.
The Drivecast is free, just like Spyglass–The Drive‘s spy shot newsletter—because everyone should be an insider, and available on Spotify to start. We’ll be coming to Apple Podcasts imminently. But even if you’re not on either platform, you can listen to episodes right here on The Drive. Just click the Podcasts tab in the homepage menu bar.
For our premiere episode today, it’s all about Volvo, and whether the Swedish automaker can pull itself back from the brink after a big early bet on an all-electric future left it struggling with disastrous software, production problems, tanking reliability, and falling global sales.
Last week, Joel traveled to Sweden for the reveal of the electric 2027 Volvo EX60, which Volvo’s leadership is holding up as proof it’s learned from its mistakes, and he spent time grilling its CEO and the rest of its executive team about how the automaker got into this mess, and more importantly, if its promises will actually hold up tomorrow.
Give episode 1 a listen above, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform of choice, and enjoy. Feedback is welcome and encouraged, just email us at feedback@thedrive.com. We read every single email, I promise.
The second episode will air next Friday, February 6, as we talk about our annual awards for the best cars of the year, how the winners rose above the pack, and what didn’t make the cut. After that, look for us every Wednesday, and again, welcome to The Drivecast.
As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.