On This Week’s DnA: Mobility Changes in the Capital of the Car — Planning the Hyperloop; Everything Talks: Two Bikes Talk

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The L.A. Auto Show has arrived in town, but does it have the buzz it once did? As Angelenos trade in cars for bikes, buses and trains, DnA looks at…

The L.A. Auto Show has arrived in town, but does it have the buzz it once did? As Angelenos trade in cars for bikes, buses and trains, DnA looks at the changing nature of mobility in the capital of the automobile. Listen to the entire show here. Above, the Honda FCEV Concept car.

The broadcast explores how the hydrogen fuel cell car is having its “coming out party” this year, creating a divide within the green car community; and it delves into the evolution of the autonomous car. Is anyone ready to give up control of the wheel? Can a computer navigate the unexpected on the road? With Jerry Hirsch and David Undercoffler of the Los Angeles Times.

Then DnA takes a look at another sci-fi transit idea that a coalition of scientists, designers and investors are hoping to turn into a reality: the Hyperloop. Craig Hodgetts, professor of architecture and urban design at UCLA, talks about a new “suprastudio” for graduate students that will explore the design and planning of Elon Musk’s ultra-high-speed tubular connection concept.

On Everything Talks, with Tom Saunders, a “fixie” has a run-in with a 27-speed Felt Verza City bike.

NOTE: In the segment on hydrogen fuel cell cars, Jerry Hirsch talks about Elon Musk’s contention that hydrogen is dangerous because it is a volatile space fuel. After taping the segment, news broke that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had announced a formal safety probe of Musk’s own Tesla Model S, following fires in two of its US-based cars.  In the same week, Fortune magazine named Musk its Businessperson of the year.