EV Geek Podcast

Tesla may have just found a clever way to extend the life of its older Full Self-Driving hardware — and it doesn’t involve swapping chips. A newly published Tesla patent suggests the company can run higher-precision AI models on existing hardware like HW3 and HW4, using software optimizations instead of new silicon. In this episode, we break down what the patent actually says, how it works, and what it means for millions of Tesla owners worried their cars may be left behind. We also discuss: • Why HW3 is falling behind • How Tesla uses software to push hardware limits • What “FSD Lite” could mean for older vehicles • Whether HW3 can realistically support future FSD updates • Why this patent may be more about buying time than saving HW3 forever

Hello everyone and welcome to this episode of the Friday Charge brought to you by EV Geek Studios! Today, January 16th, 2026, we're diving into various electric cars news, including updates on EV Go and Kroger, and Tesla's decision to stop selling FSD. We'll also cover the best-selling EVs of 2025, discuss Tesla supercharging, and explore relevant china news in the automotive sector. This is your essential electric vehicle update!

Kia has just pulled the covers off the brand-new EV2 at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show, and it might be the most important electric car of the year. With a projected starting price of around €30,000, is this the affordable, stylish, and practical EV that finally makes electric mobility accessible for everyone? Join us for a detailed first look at the Kia EV2 as we explore every angle of this exciting new B-segment SUV. From its bold "Opposites United" design to its surprisingly premium and tech-filled interior, we're covering it all.

For years, we've asked who will win the self-driving car race: Tesla? Waymo? Mercedes? But what if the real winner isn't a car company at all? This is the story of how Nvidia, the company famous for powering your video games, is positioning itself to become the universal "brain" inside almost every autonomous vehicle. While companies like Tesla build closed, vertically-integrated systems for their own cars, and Waymo focuses on geofenced robotaxis, Nvidia is taking a different approach. At CES 2026, Nvidia unveiled Alpamayo, a new, open platform for autonomous driving. The goal isn't to build a single car, but to arm every other automaker—from Mercedes-Benz to JLR and Lucid—with the AI firepower to compete. Alpamayo shifts from just "seeing" the road to "reasoning" about it, allowing the car to explain its decisions and navigate unpredictable "edge cases" that have stalled the industry for years. This sets up the ultimate platform war. On one side is Tesla's closed ecosystem, learning from billions of miles of data from its own fleet. On the other is Nvidia's open ecosystem, aiming to become the "Android of Autonomy" that powers hundreds of different car models. The first car to feature this new brain, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA, is just the beginning. The race for the future of driving is no longer about which car will win. It's about who will build the mind that powers them all.

On today's episode, Joel and Sebastian drive a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS, courtesy of Everett Chevrolet (everettchevyauto.com). Questions? Comments? Interested in being a guest? Email us at [email protected]