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Episode #1195: Toyota doubles down on hybrids with a $14B battery bet. Waymo hits the freeway ahead of Tesla in the autonomy race. And OpenAI unveils a “warmer” GPT-5.1 with customizable personalities and smarter responses.

We’ll be at Automobility LA at the LA Auto Show next Thursday, November 20 hosting the LA Auto Show Sessions. Thanks to our friends at Cars Commerce and Curbee for making it possible. 25% off registration with code MoreThanCars. https://laautoshow.com/me

Show Notes with links:

• As U.S. EV momentum slows, Toyota is increasing its already big bet that hybrids, not full electrics, are the future of American green driving, anchored by a massive new battery plant in North Carolina.
  • Toyota’s new $14B plant in Liberty, NC is its largest U.S. battery investment yet.
  • The facility will power hybrid production in Kentucky and Alabama, with plans for EV and plug-in hybrid output.
  • Roughly half of Toyota’s U.S. sales are already hybrids or EVs, led by hybrid-only Camry and Sienna models.
  • The RAV4 will become 100% hybrid in 2026, with plug-in sales expected to quadruple.
  • “Regardless of where the regulation goes, we will have the capacity to support our compliance needs,” said David Christ, Toyota North America brand chief.
• Waymo has a commanding lead in the autonomous vehicle race now launching the first-ever robotaxi service on highways across three major U.S. cities. The move distances it even further from rivals like Tesla and Zoox.
  • New highway service rolls out in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, initially for limited riders.
  • This milestone extends Waymo’s reach to San Jose and introduces airport pickups at San Jose International.
  • The Waymo Driver has shown 91% fewer serious-injury crashes compared to human drivers.
  • Waymo now operates over 2,500 vehicles and has logged more than 100 million driverless miles.
  • “The Waymo Driver does not get tired, does not lose focus and does not make emotional decisions behind the wheel,” said project manager Jacopo Sannazzaro.
• OpenAI has rolled out GPT-5.1, calling it a smarter, more engaging upgrade to its August release of GPT-5—complete with expanded personality settings and model matching enhancements.
  • GPT-5.1 includes “Instant” and “Thinking” variants, optimized for speed, clarity, and task persistence.
  • New personality presets include Candid, Quirky, Nerdy, Cynical, and more, adding tone flexibility.
  • Users will begin to see model auto-matching and personalization tools in settings.
  • The upgrade follows user backlash to GPT-5 and competition from Anthropic powering Microsoft tools.
  • “We’re well past the point of one-size-fits-all,” said Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications.

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