CES Reset: AI, Robots, Nvidia & China’s Next Move in the Auto Industry | At The Wheel #13

Описание: In Episode #13 of At The Wheel, Joe White and Tu Le break down what CES 2026 actually told us about the future of the auto industry — and why the real story isn’t electric vehicles anymore, but AI, robotics, autonomy, and who controls the data.

This episode connects the dots between Las Vegas and Detroit, from Nvidia’s dominance at CES to the shrinking Detroit Auto Show — and what that contrast says about where mobility is headed next.

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🤖 CES Wasn’t About Cars — It Was About AI & Robots

CES has effectively become the Nvidia show, and that matters. Joe and Tu unpack:
• Why Nvidia is positioning itself as the “Switzerland” of AI and autonomy
• The explosion of physical AI, embodied AI, agentic AI, and robotics
• Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics’ push toward humanoid robots at scale
• Why “Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS)” may quietly become a new OEM revenue stream
• How automation inside factories is finally becoming real, not hype 

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🚗 Detroit Feels Smaller — And That’s the Point

While CES looked forward, Detroit looked backward.
We discuss:
• Why the Detroit Auto Show now feels analog and legacy-heavy
• The continued reliance on trucks, SUVs, and off-road branding
• How diminished global relevance reflects deeper strategic risk
• Why U.S. OEMs are running out of time to answer a simple question:
What happens when Chinese brands arrive? 

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🇨🇳 Geely, Great Wall & the China Question

Chinese automakers didn’t come to CES for show — they came to test the wall.
Joe and Tu analyze:
• Geely’s very deliberate signaling around U.S. market entry
• Why Volvo’s underutilized U.S. factory matters
• How Chinese OEMs are thinking in 24–36 month localization windows
• The political tension between “foreign investment welcome” and “national security risk”
• Why dealers may flip faster than politicians once product is available 

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🧠 Autonomy, Data & Capital Decide the Winners

Autonomy isn’t a feature anymore — it’s a capital game.
We explore:
• Why Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy are now a when, not an if
• Who actually has the balance sheets to run robotaxi fleets and data centers
• The growing role of Amazon AWS, Google, Nvidia, and Oracle
• Why OEMs may never own the data — only rent access to it
• How software, not manufacturing, is becoming the competitive moat 

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⚠️ The Hidden Cost: Policy Whiplash

Ford, GM, and Stellantis have already written off $30B+ in stranded EV investments — and the turbulence isn’t over.
Joe explains:
• Why automakers are begging Washington for policy stability
• How USMCA uncertainty threatens North American supply chains
• Why Canada and Mexico may move faster than the U.S. to attract Chinese OEMs
• The real cost of stop-start industrial policy 

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🎯 Bottom Line

The auto industry is no longer defined by engines or batteries.
It’s being reshaped by AI, data, autonomy, geopolitics, and capital access.

CES showed the future.
Detroit showed the risk.
China is testing the door.

And the next three years may decide who survives.

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