How do standards improve vehicle design? | with Tim Yerdon of SAE International

In this episode of The Garage, host John Heinlein interviews safety expert Phil Koopman on the complex challenges of scaling autonomous vehicle fleets from hundreds to hundreds of thousands. Koopman identifies key hurdles, including mass software failures, broad safety definitions, infinite edge cases, and legal accountability gaps, stressing that machine learning's lack of common sense requires human oversight for rare events.

Recorded live at Auto Tech 2026, this episode of The Garage features ZF North America President Ramiro Gutierrez explaining how software is transforming traditional chassis hardware like steering and suspension into dynamic, customizable driving experiences. He highlights how software-defined vehicles enable hardware reuse, over-the-air performance updates, and major innovations like steer-by-wire technology.

Recorded live at Auto Tech 2026, this episode features AutoMobility Advisors' Chip Goetzinger discussing the rise of software-defined vehicles, embedded connectivity, and changing OEM-supplier relationships. He also explores emerging automotive trends like vehicle commerce and digital identity, along with insights from his background as an amateur race car driver.

Recorded live at AutoTech 2026, host John Heinlein speaks with Stellantis's Mel Roberts on how AI and small language models (SLMs) are transforming the automotive user experience. They discuss the strategic deployment of AI in vehicles, focusing on local processing for low latency, predictive maintenance, and balancing physical controls with digital UX design.

Recorded live at AutoTech 2026, this episode of The Garage features Subaru's Amy Sgrignoli discussing how the brand prioritizes safety and customer experience in connected vehicle technology. Sgrignoli also shares her philosophy on servant leadership and introduces her new podcast, Learn to Lead Differently.