Car Stuff Podcast Ep 346: No Volkswagen EVs, Rethinking the Cupholder, Cybercab Surprise

Jill Ciminillo is back in the co-host seat this week, and joins Tom Appel for a number of fresh news stories. First up, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which skipped the 2026 model year here in the U.S., will also be skipping 2027. The German automaker promises that the retro-themed electric van will be back for 2028. Listen in for details. Jill and Tom note that Tesla is no longer exporting the popular Model Y from the U.S. to Canada, and is instead bringing the small crossover into the country from German, where the EV maker has a large assembly facility. Speaking of Tesla, it has become clear that the maker is building versions of its autonomous Cybercab equipped with steering wheels. The company has not confirmed this, but Car Stuff Podcast listeners report seeing the steering-wheel-equipped vehicles on the road in several cities. Thanks to listener Celio for reporting his Miami sitings to us. Still in the first segment, Jill talks about Korean tire maker Nexen, and the brand’s move to gain acceptance in the U.S. market. In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Nissan Senior Manager for Vehicle Performance Development, Chris Fischer. Chris shares the surprising backstory of the modern cupholder, specifically those found in the Infiniti QX65 premium midsize crossover. There’s much more to this story than you might imagine. In the final segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Where is it Built?” quiz, including a bonus question about clown movies. Really. Tom wraps up the show with his quick impressions of the sporty Subaru WRX. Jill is a syndicated automotive writer, currently serving as an editor at large for Consumer Guide Automotive and co-host for the Consumer Guide Automotive Car Stuff Podcast. You can find her work on U.S. News and World Report, CarGurus.com, The Drive and GreenCars.com -- among other websites. She is also a prolific TikToker, posting new content every day to give you "your daily dose of drive." twitter/instagram/threads: @jillciminillo twitter/instagram: @girlinthetrunk tiktok: @jillciminillo bluesky: @jillciminillo.bsky.social