“Shift” podcast host Molly Boigon talks to Gary Cygan Jr., director of vehicle software and electronics engineering at GM; Steffen Fuchs, senior partner at McKinsey & Co.; Andrei Iordache, global senior director of automotive presales at HERE Technologies; and Christopher Prediger, regional president for the Americas in Bosch’s Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division as a part of an Automotive News Congress panel on software-defined vehicles.

They discussed whether artificial intelligence is an enabler of more advanced SDV technology — or whether it’s still just hype.

Doug Bolduc, managing editor of Automotive News Europe, also joins Boigon to talk about how Chinese automakers’ growing presence at the Paris auto show put the pressure on Western automakers to show up with impressive new offerings.

“Shift” podcast host Molly Boigon talks to the Zero Emission Transportation Association’s Albert Gore about how the Trump administration’s actions on fuel economy and emissions standards may impact battery and other technology investment in the U.S.

Larry P. Vellequette, who covers Toyota, Subaru and Mazda for Automotive News, also joins Boigon to talk about how gas guzzlers are driving up new-vehicle inventories while consumers shop for more fuel-efficient vehicles. His reporting suggests that the war in Iran is hitting the dealer lot.

“Shift” podcast host Molly Boigon talks to PwC’s U.S. automotive leader C.J. Finn about how automakers should keep an eye on technologies from startups and universities to keep costs down while managing multiple powertrains.

Hannah Lutz, assistant managing editor at Automotive News, also joins Boigon to discuss the robotics and software-defined vehicles panels at the 2026 Automotive News Congress in Detroit.