Toyota Makes MORE Hybrids, Waymo Hits The Highway, and Chat GPT Gets More attitude

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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Transcript

0:01

Good morning, and it's Thursday, November 13. This is the automotive State of the Union. I'm Paul J Daly. This is Kyle Mountsier. Today we're talking about Toyota making even more hybrids. Waymo, hitting the highway in chat. GPT, getting a little more attitude or a little less attitude, depending on what you do. I know it does. We got, we do. We have two announcements to get it to real quick. Number one, we are going to be in LA, Los Angeles. Oh, I'm sorry I Spencer, I messed you up on the West Coast. Just one west coast, baby. And if you're not watching, you're missing out, because you got to see this old school, like hydraulic infused, like large convertible sedan that Kyle and I are just in graphic first time. It's our first, first execution on the West Coast ever. We're going to be at auto mobility LA, which is the day before the LA Auto Show with our podcast partner cars commerce, and our press and content sponsor Kirby, so that we can bring you what's happening at the mobility show. We're gonna have a podcast stage. You got a couple surprises there. We hope you can join us. If you do and you're close by or you want to get out there, we have a 25% off code for you. You can go to LA, auto show.com, forward slash me, M, E, L, A, auto show.com, forward slash me. So you can get a discount on that registration. Hang out with us. They have some they have a really amazing stage, and it's just a great, great show. It's in LA there's a lot nicer than it is in the Northeast. I hear way nicer. It's gorgeous out there. You should come join us. If you're on the West Coast, stop by. Say, Hey, hang out with us. We'll be having a lot of fun. Yeah, and if not, can drive some cars there. They got, like, cars everywhere. We're gonna drive, everyone we can everything. We're actually right near the rivian display. If I look in that properly, I don't think we can drive. Yeah, maybe they have a little obstacle course. Why not? We'll do the thing. And if you can't be there, which we understand, make sure you follow along. Get the newsletter a more than cars.com you get the newsletter, and also follow us on LinkedIn, because we're gonna be putting a bunch of the content that we're filming there to bring this show to you. We have one more announcement. We have in ASOTU Edge webinar this Wednesday or next Wednesday, the 19th, this Wednesday, it's Thursday now, yeah, November 19. We're talking about optimizing profitability across multiple acquisition channels and rooftops with our friends. Drew Hill lead used vehicle director at what is it? Cloninger, is that where he is? Cloninger, yeah. And I did, wow. There you go. And Derek Hansen always great to be with him from the auto great, great purview on the industry overall. So everybody's talking about acquisition, everyone's talking about how to do it across multiple rooftops. You can go to more than cars.com and just register for the webinar so you can be there or get the recording. There you go. All right, let's talk about some news as US moment EV momentum is slowing. 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 Yeah, no surprise here in North Carolina, Toyota's new $14 billion plant in Liberty, North Carolina is its largest battery investment yet in us, it's going to power hybrid production in Kentucky and Alabama, with plans for EV and plug in hybrid output eventually from the factory itself, roughly half of their US sales are already hybrids or EVs, led by by hybrid only Camrys and Siennas. You have a hybrid Sienna. Oh, it's so nice. The rav4 is going to become 100% hybrid in 2026 with plug in sales expected to quadruple. Here's a quote from David Christ North Toyota of North America brand chief. He says, regardless of where regulation goes, we'll have the capacity to support our compliance needs. So they're like, we're ready, yeah, I mean, one the minute the rav4 goes 100% high, game over, because that's their highest selling model. And, you know, the Camry and the Sienna already getting insane gas mileage compared to their competitors, on the hybrid model with the plug in to complement, it is a way for more and more people in the US to kind of, like, tip their toes into what do I get? I get better gas mileage, or I start to plug my vehicle and Toyota, we've been big proponents to their strategy, and I think they're going to end up with multiple power trains, probably a grass across. Gas, hybrid, plug in hybrid, Ev, even hydrogen, they've been talking about. And that level of like opportunity, when you look at how big the country is, how disparate different areas of the country are when it comes to electrification, is just going to give them the best opportunity to be in more places them one, yeah, that's gonna their. Their percentage is about to go way up. I wonder. When is that rev going all like, all hybrid six. Yeah, you go, would you like the hybrid or the hybrid? Would you like the hybrid or the hybrid? That's the way it is with the Sienna, and it's magical. 35 miles to the gallon. Oh, in a van, in a van, speaking of all. Most in a van. Oh, we're gonna take our first Waymo ride in LA this next week. Way Mo, they have a commanding lead already in the autonomous vehicle race, and they're now launching the first ever Robo taxi service on highways across three major US cities, the move distances and even further from rivals like Tex Tesla and zoox. Basically new highway service rolls out in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. We can do it from the airport, maybe initially, for limited riders weren't wearing this milestone extends way Mo's reach into San Jose and introduces airport pickups at San Jose International. The Waymo driver has shown Waymo driver. Is that? What is that periodical? It's a report being the driver. Yeah, okay. Has shown 91% fewer serious injury crashes compared to human drivers. Oh my gosh. Waymo now operating over 2500 vehicles and logging more than 100 million driverless miles. That's a lot. Here's a quote from Jacopo sannazaro, and I say that right? He's the project manager with for Waymo. He says the Waymo driver does not get tired, does not lose focus, and does not make emotional decisions behind the wheel. Interesting. I've never seen a human driver, let me, let me also just say like we're still training the robots. Okay, so we are emotional people. There's gonna be something baked in there, is my guess. But either way, I keep going back to the experience is amazing. The more of these we have on the road, the more consistent the driving behavior comes and for for anything that is ride share or ride share capabilities, this, just like, totally takes out any guessing on am I going to have availability? Am I going to get there on time? Where am I going? Is it going to be safer, like 91% fewer serious injury crashes? That's That's an insane stat, like, and it's very It's so early, only 2500 vehicles, you start to see that triple. I am interested to see how it drives on highways, because I feel like that's a little bit more variability. You think, actually the highway is the easier part. I mean, when you think of Tesla, full self drive, and like, even, you know, like the Ford, Ford blue cord blue, it's like, no, it only works on the highway. Because that's the easier part, right? Things are happening. Even though you're driving faster, there's way fewer things that can happen. You're moving in one direction. Everyone's going the same speed. You know exactly what people can get on and off. You don't have to go full stop, start, which is a very hard Oh, yeah, no. Bikes, no. Weird people, like, there's just, I mean, there's weird people, but they're contained in their cars. Yeah, that's true. I want to say, speaking of weird people, but it doesn't work, but it just would be great. It's fine. Keep going. Open. AI is rolling out GPT 5.1 it'll be a slow rollout over the day. They're calling it a smarter, more engaging upgrade to its August release of GPT five, complete with expanded personality settings and model matching enhancements. GPT 5.1 includes instant and thinking variants where it doesn't automatically select, but you can select as a user optimized for speed, clarity and task persistence. New personality presets also include candid, quirky, nerdy, cynical and a few more, adding tone flexibility, users will begin to see the model auto matching and personalization tools in the settings throughout today and tomorrow. Most likely have you see upgrade follows a lot of backlash to GPT five and competition from anthropic as well as grok Fiji Simo open AI, CEO of application, says we're well past the point of one size fits all. Okay, have you? Have you looked to see if the settings are live in yours? Yet? I am seeing 5.1 but I'm not seeing in the seeing, like auto instant thinking, but I'm not seeing the the additional like it oh, I want, you know, this type of personality. You know, I've been thinking about this. I've never really adjusted the personality. I've got some special instructions in my GPT that's like, you know, give me direct answers. Don't sugarcoat it, but it's still, it still does, and I don't want it to, so maybe I'll pick the candid personality and, you know, see if he just give me the answer. I think this, it'll be, it'll be a it'll be a bit more Kyle. It'll be we I need Kyle mode straight to the point. Don't hold back. Amazing. I think Kyle mo would be amazing. I'm gonna name mine Kyle. We should make a Kyle and a Paul mode and hand it off as a GPT. Oh, that would be so funny. But this is just another iteration. I think it's a natural progression and more customization. I wonder what the efficacy is going to do with the customization, because sometimes I think people who don't know what to do with customization actually make it harder for themselves to use a tool so but then again, the people who are but imagine writing ad copy with all of these different possible things, right? Like, that's that's exciting to me. You think about like, Oh, give. Me some candid, give me some quirky, give me some I guess you could say that anyway. I guess that's one of the things. If you know how to use it right anyway, you could already, you know, you have a candid personality. You have a quirky personality. You have it right? And all of a sudden it's like, this just is like macro level adjustments. I don't know what's the best route with it. Today, we'll get Kyle mode fired up and get going. Look, we hope you have an amazing Thursday. We hope you pay attention to what's going on around you, so you can take care of the people, and they can take care of the business, and the whole thing just moves in a circle. We'll see you here tomorrow morning. You