The InEVitable

How Hyundai Became a Design Powerhouse | Bradley Arnold, Head of Design

In this episode of The InEVitable Podcast by MotorTrend, the hosts sit down with Bradley Arnold, Head of Design at Hyundai Design North America. Bradley shares his journey from growing up around motorcycles to becoming one of the key designers shaping Hyundai’s bold new design language. The conversation dives into Hyundai’s rapid rise in the automotive world, how the brand approaches design and innovation, and what it takes to create vehicles that stand out in today’s competitive market. They also explore the growing importance of off-road vehicles, lifestyle design, EV platforms, and Hyundai’s future strategy, including how designers balance brand identity, engineering constraints, and customer expectations. If you're interested in automotive design, the future of Hyundai, EVs, or how modern cars are created, this episode offers a fascinating look inside the process. Topics include:
Bradley Arnold’s career and design background
Hyundai’s evolution and brand transformation
The rise of off-road vehicles and lifestyle design
EV platforms and future vehicle architecture
How car design teams actually work
What’s next for Hyundai and the automotive industry

Tesla Veteran Building Ford’s Next EV Platform | The $30K Electric Truck Explained

Alan Clarke spent over a decade at Tesla — working on Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, and even Tesla’s battery swap program. Now he’s Ford’s Executive Director of Advanced EV Development — leading the Ford Universal EV Platform and the upcoming affordable midsize electric pickup targeting ~$30,000 and 300 miles of range.

Inside 38 Years of Honda Car Design with Dave Marek

After 38.5 years at Honda and Acura, legendary designer Dave Marek finally retires — and joins us to reflect on one of the most influential careers in modern automotive history.
From the golden era of Japanese performance to the birth of Acura… from the original NSX to the Element and Ridgeline… from the HondaJet to EV collaborations with GM — Dave was there for all of it.
This is a masterclass in automotive design, leadership, and the “Honda Way.”
If you love car design history, Japanese performance, or behind-the-scenes industry stories — this episode is for you.

Tesla FSD v14 1-HOUR+ Live Test + Rivian R2 First Drive Impressions

In this special live-drive episode of The InEVitable, Ed Loh takes MotorTrend Technical Director Frank Markus on a real-world test of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Version 14.2.2.3 in a Model Y — while diving deep into Frank’s first-drive impressions of the highly anticipated Rivian R2. This episode kicks off a new MotorTrend series on semi-autonomous driving systems, comparing Tesla’s camera-only approach against upcoming competitors from Mercedes-Benz and Rivian.
Topics covered include:
Tesla FSD v14 real-world freeway and city performance
Mad Max mode, lane changes, and aggressive California traffic
Rivian R2 pricing, specs, suspension tech, and autonomy roadmap
Level 2 vs Level 3 autonomy explained
Vision-only vs radar/LiDAR debate Autonomy in harsh winter conditions
The future of hands-free and eyes-off driving
Does Tesla’s data flywheel give it an insurmountable lead?
Is Rivian’s R2 the true Model Y competitor? And what happens when autonomy reaches Level 3?
Watch (or listen) as the system handles freeways, city streets, four-way stops — and almost parks itself.

How Rivian Designed the R1, R2 & R3 — Jeff Hammoud, Chief Design Officer

On this episode of The InEVitable by MotorTrend, we sit down with Jeff Hammoud, Chief Design Officer at Rivian, to unpack the full design story behind the Rivian R1T, R1S, R2, and R3.
Jeff shares his journey from Chrysler and Jeep to joining Rivian in its earliest days—when there was no logo, no brand, and barely a prototype.
We dive deep into how Rivian’s iconic design language was created, why the trucks look friendly instead of aggressive, and how real-world use cases (like motorcycles, garages, and families) shaped the vehicles.

From CES: Solving SDV Complexity With QNX + Vector’s New Alloy Kore Platform

Live from CES, MotorTrend’s The InEVitable sits down with Justin Moon (VP, Core Product Engineering, QNX) and Dr. Marc Weber (VP, Product Management, Embedded Software & Systems, Vector) to unpack what it really takes to build software-defined vehicles—without drowning in integration complexity.
They explain why “doing it all in-house” can slow OEMs down, how Alloy Kore aims to reduce duplicated effort across vehicle domains, and why safety and cybersecurity can’t be guesses—especially as regulations like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act come into focus. Plus: a plain-English breakdown of hypervisors/virtualization, SDV org structure pitfalls, and what the path to faster, safer series production could look like.

From Audi TT to Electric Dune Buggies: Freeman Thomas on Design, EVs & Automotive Icons

Freeman Thomas returns to MotorTrend’s The Inevitable for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on automotive design, electric vehicles, and what it really takes to modernize an icon without losing its soul.
 
Now Vice Chairman of Meyers Manx, Thomas explains why the company made the costly decision to pause and completely rethink its electric Manx before launch—redesigning the vehicle around new battery chemistry, safety priorities, and packaging from the inside out. The discussion moves from EV realities to the enduring relevance of fiberglass, California car culture, and why some designs are meant to last forever.
 
Along the way, Thomas reflects on his career shaping cars like the Audi TT, his work with RUF, the rise of bespoke and experiential vehicles, and the boundary-pushing LFG off-road supercar developed using augmented reality. The episode closes with an unvarnished critique of legacy brands, modern automotive leadership, and where design succeeds—or fails—when history is ignored.

Singer’s Founder & New CEO Explain Why Analog Cars Still Matter

In this episode of MotorTrend’s The Inevitable, we visit Singer Vehicle Design’s headquarters in Torrance, California, for an in-depth conversation with Singer founder Rob Dickinson and CEO Raj Nair, former Ford executive and Multimatic leader.
The discussion spans how Singer scaled without sacrificing craftsmanship, why quality trumps speed, what it takes to run a low-volume automotive manufacturer, and why analog driving experiences still matter in an EV-dominated world. Rob and Raj also share insights on hypercars, motorsports, customer obsession, and Singer’s future—from Porsche 911 restorations to Willow Springs Raceway.

Rivian’s AI Master Plan: Hands-Free Driving, R2 + LiDAR, and the Road to Personal Level 4 Autonomy

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.

Designing the New Scout: Chris Benjamin on Rivian Comparisons, EVs, and the Future of Off-Roading

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.