Motor Mouth with David Booth

Much has been written and said about U.S. President elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, some flattering some not, but what cannot be denied is that neither man does anything in half measures. Now that Trump has won the election, in fairly dominant fashion it must be said, much speculation is making the rounds as to what role Musk will have in the 47th president’s administration. Musk poured a reported US$130 million into Trump’s campaign war chest, so he’ll be looking for some kind of input into how the US government moves forward on segments near and dear to his wallet: namely, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, social media and space exploration. Today we’ll hear David’s thoughts on what role Musk will play in the administration and what policies he’ll promote. And why that US$130 million is looking like money well spent, particularly in terms of turning Musk’s robotaxi dream come true.

Game changer. Two words that seemingly crop up every time an emerging electric vehicle technology, or even a new EV itself, make headlines. But in almost all cases, that new tech or that new vehicle is far from game-changing, and so stokes more skepticism, if not outright cynicism, about the electric vehicle industry. David Booth, aka Motor Mouth, has long called the bluff on many of these so-called game changers, but on this week’s episode of the Motor Mouth Podcast we find the man himself bestowing just such a description on some tantalizing zero emission sorcery from, of all automakers, Renault. Has the French company really solved the puzzle that has perplexed the industry for over a century now? That is, zero emission running with no associated range anxiety. Following that discussion David recounts an amazing experiment he experienced first hand in an Alberta laboratory involving a very unorthodox method of creation of hydrogen that could very well be, well, game changing.

Looking back on Season 3 of the Motor Mouth podcast, we tackled some weighty subject matter, from the existential threat the Chinese electric vehicle industry poses to Western automakers to the continuingly weird Elon Musk/Tesla saga, and from the looming cancellation of EV mandates in North America and Europe to asking will it be the economy or the environment that determines the future of cheap EVs. But we started the season out with a fun episode about David’s unlikely path into automotive journalism, so we’re wrapping things up with an equally joyous ride recounting exotic supercars Motor Mouth’s driven in the past few months in Europe, along with his raving review of France’s National Car Museum.

Yes, it’s been a week or so since Tesla shareholders approved Elon Musk’s multi-billion dollar payday, but you’re never truly full informed on this or any other automotive-related topic until you hear from David Booth, aka Motor Mouth. As usual, he’s in fine form with a number of original takes on Musk, and then provides some interesting scenarios for the future of the man and his remarkable electric vehicle machines. David then turns his attention to a couple of incredible new automobiles, the first the fire-breathing, 16-cyclinder Bugatti Tourbillon that is a showcase for a one-of-a-kind powerplant and with a reported top speed north of 400 km/h. And the second the Lotus Emeya, an all-new electric vehicle that is said to be the fastest charging EV on the planet. Yes, two very different kinds of propulsion systems, but each worthy of David’s attention, admiration, and as you’ll hear, astonishment.

Trying to figure out what’s going on with Elon Musk, and by association Tesla, is always a challenge, but Motor Mouth has never shied away from offering his opinion on the motivations of Lord Elon. And with Musk’s somewhat erratic behaviour over the past few months roiling the good ship Tesla, it seems only sensible to question what might be behind some of those controversial moves. As usual, David has a fresh take, that while perhaps not a popular one amongst the Tesla fan club members, is worth listening to and one that you won’t find anywhere else. He also squeezes in his opinion of the 2026 Kia EV3, a just announced model that has piqued his interest.

This week David Booth tackles some electric vehicle content, beginning with Motor Mouth channeling his inner Marshall McLuhan to explain that the problem with public skepticism about EVs isn’t so much the medium but the messaging. Then we’ll switch gears, or at least powertrains, to find out why David has big praise, and high hopes, for the latest and coming-soon wave of plug-in hybrid models. PHEVs have been making headlines recently, with General Motors announcing they are getting back into the PHEV business, and other automakers doubling down on their efforts to bring all-new Plug-in hybrids to market. Possibly at the cost of new EVs. And finally David will report on a recent trip to Southern California where he became one of the first automotive journalist in the world to drive the all-new Porsche Tie-con. And just as with his experience with the first-gen high-performance all electric sport sedan, he came away very impressed, particularly with some interesting advances in battery pre-conditioning temperatures.

If you caught last week’s Driving to the Future panel, you’ll know there is much uncertainty surrounding Canada’s self-imposed 2035 deadline that mandates the discontinuation of new gasoline vehicles for sale. Other countries are following suit, but the hurdles to get there are numerous and, according to some panelists, insurmountable by that date. David Booth was part of the panel, and following the discussion decided to come up with his own version of the legislation: call it the Motor Mouth Mandate. He offered up his plan in a column last week that was crafted as an open letter to federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who if the polls are to be believed, could very well have this issue come across his desk at 24 Sussex Drive.

The evolving electric vehicle landscape is shaping up to be a heavyweight battle pitting good old U.S. ingenuity versus Chinese low-cost battery and vehicle production. In this episode of the Motor Mouth podcast, David makes the argument that if countries stick to the 100 per cent EV mandate of 2035 many have adopted, many of the traditional automakers — think Volkswagen, Toyota and General Motors — will find it difficult to survive in a segment dominated by inexpensive EVs from Telsa and Chinese manufacturer BYD. Don’t miss this wide-ranging discussion that includes David’s hot takes on how protectionism, tariffs and union wages will inform the EV segment in the next decade.

In this week’s Motor Mouth podcast David Booth goes back to his riding roots, which started in a small northern Quebec community aboard a Honda CT70. He also talks about his favourite motorcycles he’s owned, his dream bikes and his early days of being a motorcycle reviewer (which preceded his automotive journalism career). He also touches upon some of the two-wheelers coming out in 2024 that have got his motor running, and gives his opinion on the emerging electric motorcycle segment. That segues into a discussion about the prospect of hydrogen-powered bikes, and he wraps up by discussing the next generation of motorcyclists.

In this week’s Motor Mouth podcast David Booth extols the virtues of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel to power heavy duty trucks and passengers vehicles. And he expands on his most recent Motor Mouth column, which highlighted the challenge for fire departments in putting out electric vehicle fires, and some ingenious solutions that are being explored.

In news that severely rankled environmentalists, the E.U. voted to extend the life of internal-combustion engines past Europe’s much-ballyhooed 2035 deadline on the sale of fossil-fueled cars. Closer to home, power providers are warning that the surfeit of clean, green electricity we Canadians take for granted will be severely challenged by our rush to electric cars. Host David Booth discusses the issue with Stephen Beatty of Toyota Canada Inc., Francis Bradley of Electricity Canada, Daniel Breton of Electric Mobility Canada and Karl Dums of Politics & Governmental Affairs, Porsche AG.

In this week’s Motor Mouth podcast David Booth chronicles the many, and increasing, missteps the eccentric billionaire has made recently and how this trend could see the demise of the incredible electric vehicle company Elon Musk has built.