When you think about autonomous drive technology you probably don't think of Florida, but one state Senator is trying to change that. Senator Jeff Brandes has been working to make Florida a hub of autonomous drive testing and deployment ever since joining the state's legislature in 2011. With a background in military logistics and the shipping business Brandes brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities presented by the new world of autonomous mobility policy and regulation.

The gang gets together just before the start of CES to look at some of the big news that's breaking ahead of the most important (non-car-show) car show of the year. The biggest early-breaking CES news is Aurora Innovations exiting stealth mode, revealing their partnerships with Volkswagen and Hyundai, and generally transforming the autonomous drive technology landscape. Johan Jungwirth, the Chief Digital Officer of the Volkswagen Group, joins the conversation to explain why VW joined forces with Aurora and where he sees the partnership heading.

Autonocast host and famed Cannonball Runner Alex Roy has set another cross-country record for electric cars, this time in a brand-new Tesla Model 3. This week he tells Kirsten and Ed what he loved and hated about the Model 3, how he survived the midwest in midwinter with the heater on low, and why Model 3 owners may not use Autopilot as much as Model S and X owners.

For all the focus on consumer markets for new mobility technologies, commercial vehicles will be some of the first to adopt autonomous and electric drive technologies. One firm attempting to electrify "last mile" delivery vehicles is Chanje, a Los Angeles-based electric vehicle and energy solutions company. Alex, Kirsten and guest host Josh Hartung of PolySync sit down with Chanje COO Joerg Sommer to find out how and why he sees delivery fleets moving into the future.

One of the dynamics that makes the world of new mobility technology so fascinating is the contrast between the giant, decades-old automakers and the much smaller high-tech startups that seek to partner or compete with them. Perhaps the most important question this dynamic raises is: how can the giant industrial firms respond to new technological threats and develop new businesses while maintaining their profit machines? Peter Schwarzenbauer, board member of BMW Group, joins us this week to answer this and other questions from the strategic perspective of a major automaker.

Autonomous drive technology may be creating a new generation of car fans, but it's got a long way to go before matching what Forza Motorsport has done. Alex and Ed caught up with Forza founder Dan Greenawalt at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and picked his brain about his hugely influential game series, the evolving nature of automotive enthusiasm, and the links between gaming and mobility technology.

Discussion of the latest autonomy news was cut short this week in order to make time for a conversation with Nutonomy President Dr. Karl Iagnemma. We learn why Nutonomy's latest pilot looks at consumers rather than algorithms, where to spot its autonomous Renault Zoes, and whether there are still opportunities for new autonomy startups.