#127, Hey, we’re back: coronavirus halts auto world

What this episode covers

The Weekly Driver Podcast took a brief hiatus during the continuing coronavirus crisis. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia both live in Sacramento, Calif., and are adhering to the social distancing regulations. But we're back to discuss how the pandemic is affecting the automotive industry. Our usual headquarters is the Aldrich kitchen. Bruce lives with his wife Alene, a physician's assistant, and their Doberman, Indy, a few miles from where I live with my wife, Gretchen, a ceramic artist and retired teacher, and our two cats, Willow and Mia. The Weekly Driver Podcast co-hosts James Raia (left), Bruce Aldrich and consultant Indy discuss how the coronavirus has affected the auto industry. Images © Alene Aldrich/2020 With an indoor podcast broadcast not wise, we set up remotely in Bruce's backyard. And we kept our distance for episode #127. Coronavirus affects auto sales Like every facet of business and personal lives, coronavirus has drastically impacted every component of the automotive world. New car sales have plummeted. Brick and motor car dealerships are closed. The gig economy for Uber and Lyft drivers is awful. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich (front) and James Raia discuss the coronavirus on Episode #127 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Car and truck manufacturers have stopped production, although it took some carmakers longer than others. Notably, Tesla delayed the closure of its San Francisco Bay Area production facility until company founder Elon Musk finally acquiesced under pressure. In China, the world's largest car market, Geely is now finalizing vehicle purchases by dropping new keys to customers via drones. Bruce and I discuss all of the areas in our new episode. Please join us. The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected]. All podcast episodes are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform: Google Play iTunes Spotify Stitcher iheartradio