Tag: drive

Ford CEO Jim Farley Launches New Podcast ‘DRIVE’ featuring Jimmy Kimmel and Dax Shepard

May 19, 2022

Cover art for podcast DRIVE with Jim Farley

It’s hardly a surprise that Ford CEO Jim Farley is a car guy. As a kid he was nicknamed Jimmy Car Car—a moniker that follows him to this day—and there’s hardly a moment when Jim isn’t talking about cars. 

But he now has a new claim to fame: He’s the host of a new podcast called DRIVE premiering May 25. Jim is stepping behind the mic to interview friends, comedians, and fellow auto enthusiasts about the ways cars unite us all.

In anticipation of DRIVE’s premiere, For the Record caught up with Jim to find out what attracted him to podcasting, the passion that exists around car culture, and what he’s learned along the way. 

What led you to do a podcast in the first place?

I’ve been passionate about cars basically my entire life, and the podcast was a chance to connect with others about our mutual love for the things that get us around. Having these conversations helps me recharge my batteries and connect with my love for cars outside of business.

Ford CEO Jim Farley standing in a Ford manufacturing plant

Drive is a show about passion and what drives you, through the lens of cars. Why did you choose podcast as a medium for this conversation?

It seemed like the best platform to capture a full conversation. I learn by talking to people, and sometimes you need a solid block of time to dig deep with someone.

Your podcast guests include Dax Shepard, Jimmy Kimmel, The Duke of Richmond, and Patrice Banks. How did you decide on those individuals? What made their stories speak to you?

Each of my guests fascinates me in different ways. I wanted to talk with people from different walks of life who also shared a love of cars. When we first started, we had a big list of people we wanted to talk to and just narrowed it down over time.

There are so many different ways to be passionate about cars—driving, collecting, racing, fixing, general trivia—what do you think makes them such a beloved item and symbol for people?

Everyone has a story in their life that’s linked to a car. You don’t have to be a car collector or auto exec to connect through these stories. People are passionate about vehicles. Yes, they can physically take you from point A to point B, but what happens on these journeys is often what you remember.

What have you learned since creating and hosting this podcast?

Well first, I learned how to host a podcast! When I first started, I wasn’t all that good. But I got better. And I’m extremely grateful to my guests like Dax and Jimmy, who were gracious with their time and advice about how to do this. 

Second, in talking to some really inspiring people, I learned that almost none of them had a sense of destiny that they’d find success or be great. All of them had doubts, failures, and adversities. It was humbling, and a reminder that what matters is the sense of purpose and passion to do what you love and do it well, not the sense that everything will work out.

What is your go-to song or podcast for listening in the car?

Whatever my kids want to listen to! They are in charge!

What drives you, personally?

A duty to my family and my grandfather, who was employee #389 at Ford. I truly believe Ford can help make the world a better place, and that’s a legacy I’m willing to sacrifice for.

Curious what you can expect once DRIVE premieres? Find out by listening to the trailer below.

How To Drive With Spotify and Waze

March 17, 2022

Music and road trips pair well together—and so do Spotify and the navigation app Waze. In 2017, Spotify and Waze teamed up to bring your favorite artists and music directly into the Waze app, enabling a more musical, enjoyable journey in which users could get both the best directions and playlists in the car without having to switch screens. 

Since then, plenty of Spotify and Waze users have been able to navigate with Waze from within Spotify as well as access their Spotify playlists from within Waze and easily change tracks.

 

Car Thing From Spotify Is Now Officially Available in the U.S.

February 22, 2022

Listeners, start your engines: Car Thing is officially here. 

Back in April 2021, we announced our exploration of a smart player that could seamlessly fill your car with a world of music, news, entertainment, talk, and more. Then in October, we unveiled our limited release of Car Thing to Spotify Premium users. Now, after these successful explorations, we’re excited to share that the device is available to purchase in the U.S. for $89.99.*

Designed for your drive

We developed Car Thing because we saw that our users desired a more seamless and personalized in-car listening experience, no matter the year or model of their vehicle. With Car Thing, even more audio fans can access Spotify’s entire catalog of music and podcasts across an even wider range of vehicles. 

Car Thing enables listeners to play their favorite music and podcasts quickly using “Hey Spotify” voice commands, as well as simple taps, turns, and swipes—allowing listeners to start playing that hit song or the latest podcast episode before they pull out of the driveway. (And it makes it even more effortless to switch to something else when the mood strikes.) 

A seamless in-car audio experience 

During our exploration phase, we discovered a lot about how people listen in the car, and for many users, how Car Thing can help improve that experience. We learned two major things from device owners: First, users were listening to Spotify in the car more than they had before. Second, Car Thing made it simpler to play exactly what they wanted, thanks to both the product interface (which they enjoy more than their previous in-car media) and the ease of using “Hey Spotify” to control what they wanted to listen to.

Plus, we heard from drivers some requests that we are working to incorporate into future Car Thing updates. These include Night Mode, which dims screen brightness in the evening, and an Add to Queue command, which lets you queue up your favorite music and podcasts by simply using your voice. This exploration and innovation is part of our ongoing commitment to building a truly frictionless experience for users across devices—in the car, at home, or on the go.

Whether it’s using your voice, touch, or physical controls, Car Thing is intuitive and responsive during every in-car situation. Previously, Car Thing was only available to select eligible users in the U.S. who had joined the waitlist. Now, we’re excited to make the device generally available in the U.S. and bring it to even more users. 

Car Thing is now available to purchase for $89.99 and requires a Spotify Premium subscription plan along with a phone with a mobile data connection. You can find more details about how to use the device at carthing.spotify.com.

*Users will need a Premium account to use the device.

5 Things to Know about Spotify’s Latest Test

May 17, 2019

Americans spend 70 billion hours behind the wheel each year. That’s a lot of time spent on the road. So what you do—and what you listen to—to help you get through those long hours in the car matters. That’s why Spotify is trying to learn more about people’s listening habits and preferences to help create an unparalleled experience for our users.

Here’s what you need to know about our test:

  1. We’re testing how people listen in the car through a voice-controlled music and podcast device called “Car Thing.”
  2. While we know there has been some speculation about our future plans, Car Thing was developed to help us learn more about how people listen to music and podcasts. Our focus remains on becoming the world’s number one audio platform—not on creating hardware.
  3. The test will be done in the US only, with a small group of invited Spotify Premium users.
  4. We might do similar voice-specific tests in the future, so don’t be surprised if you hear about “Voice Thing” and “Home Thing.”
  5. We don’t have any current plans to make this specific device available to consumers, but the learnings from our test will dictate how we develop experiences everywhere you listen.