Fuel Shocks and Future Tech: From $100 Fill-Ups to AI Robots and Wildfire-Resilient Communities

Gas prices don’t just hurt at the pump; they can also reshape the entire car market. I journey off the usual script to trace a real-world chain reaction: oil tankers stuck at a global chokepoint, crude becoming scarcer in the wrong places, and gasoline prices rising even as the US produces huge amounts of oil. Then I address the practical question most drivers are quietly asking: where’s the pain point that will influence your next purchase? 

From there, I analyze the buyer behavior we’ve observed before and what it could mean for the automotive industry this year. First, there's delaying a purchase, then a surge toward hybrids for fuel efficiency, and finally a surprising twist: used electric vehicles can suddenly appear as the smartest “no gas” option when new EVs seem out of reach. If you’re driving a full-size SUV or pickup, we also discuss why $100+ fuel fills can quickly make those vehicles less practical for daily use, and how that shift can increase prices across the broader used car market. 

I also explore the technology shaping mobility’s next decade: Germany’s large humanoid-robot training center and the tough questions about AI safety, bias, and the proper guardrails for robots operating near people. Plus, I explain "world models” that learn from real-world experiences, not just text, and why that could lead to more advanced robotics in factories and beyond.  I conclude this episode with an optimistic story about communities near Sacramento designed to resist wildfires, using ember science, smarter spacing, and durable materials to help restore insurability in high-risk areas. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s shopping for a car or closely watching AI, and leave a review so more people can find The TechMobility Podcast. What’s your pain point: gas prices, safety, or insurance?

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:07

Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast. Brought to you by Playbook Investors Network. Your strategic partner for unstoppable growth. Visit pincommunity.org to get started. I'm Ken Chester.

War, Rising Gas Prices, and the Return of EVs

SPEAKER_03 0:20

On the Docket. Giant robot gym to train humanoid robots. What's next? World models. And wildfire resistant neighborhoods. That's wildfire resistant neighborhoods. To add your voice to the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion, or even suggest a topic for future discussion, call or text the Tech Mobility Hotline, that number, 872-222-9793. Or you can email the show directly. Talk at techmobility dot show. From the Tech Mobility News Desk. Normally I have stories, and I do have stories on cue that I was going to talk to you about. But I want to go rogue from the script, if I could, for a moment. And I want to talk to you about impact. Impact. And what I'm going to talk about isn't political, not going to be political. This has nothing to do with the politics or what's going on right now. What I want to talk about is the dollars and cents and the human behavior relative to the automotive industry and what it's going to mean to you personally. This is based on my years in the industry, what I've seen in previous cycles, and what I think is going to happen in the weeks and months to come. So bear with me for a minute. Entertain this for a minute. Right now, fact there are hundreds of ships filled with oil that cannot make it through the Straits of Hormuz. That represents roughly 20% of all the crude that is basically produced every day. Because those ships can't make it through, the countries that are on the other side that ship it out have to shut down. They have to shut down their oil uh drilling capabilities because their storage tanks are full, they've got nowhere else to put it. And we've talked about this here in the show that shutting down an oil well and starting up that production, and the same goes with refineries, is not easy or quick. That it could take weeks, sometimes months, and the most dangerous time for an oil well or a refinery is in the process when it starts up and when it shuts down. What does this mean for the United States? Let me tell you what you've already seen. You have seen, regardless of where you live, you have seen the price of gasoline increase. Now you're probably wondering, but Ken, you've said on your program that we are the number one producer of crude oil in the world right now through fracking and everything. Why does this impact us? Oil is shipped all over the place. And what happens is being a commodity item, it's going to go to the highest bidder. So if oil is in short supply elsewhere, our suppliers are probably going to ship it because they can make more money sending it somewhere else. And if that's the case, it's going to cause shortages at home. You would think, okay, we keep all our oil at home. Problem is, we haven't built a new refinery in 30 years. Matter of fact, over the last 40, we've closed over 175 oil refineries in the United States. We couldn't take advantage of keeping our oil at home and just doing more, even if we wanted to. Then there's the issue of pipelines. If you are on the East Coast, you don't get the benefit of the Permian Basin. Why? Because you don't have enough uh pipeline capacity to ship the crude over there and you don't have hardly any refining capacity on the East Coast to refine this stuff at the level that's required. So what do they do? In a messed up kind of way, the East Coast imports oil, even though we are oil sufficient, because we can't ship the oil we produce in the middle part of the country to the East Coast. And even if we could get it there, we couldn't refine it because we don't have the facilities. Sad but true, and these are facts. I am sticking to facts. Let's talk about what happens if you are in the market for a vehicle this year. Based on behavior, there is a pain point. And I don't know where it is. I don't know if it's$350,$450,$5 a gallon for gasoline. But there's a pain point out there. And depending on how long things continue to be the way they are right now, there's a risk that those prices will continue to climb. That pain point, here's what happens. People start doing two things. The first thing they do is if you need a new vehicle, you're in the market for a new vehicle, you may defer it. If you're in a point where you can't defer it, or you're looking at the cost of operation, or you are at a point where what you're driving is now not economically feasible, the first thing you're going to do is probably consider a hybrid. Hybrid has better fuel economy and they're available in the market. But the market's already pivoted to hybrids. So if anything, there'll be increased demand. But again, in the auto industry, a capital-intensive industry, they've already baked in their numbers for 2026 and probably locked them in for 2027. They have a limited capacity to increase output. It typically takes if all goes well and they can expand in the country, you're looking at maybe two years, and that's quick. Three to five, more like it. So there's that. Where am I going with this? Well, last year they terminated the EV credits. Now, to be honest, EVs retail sale brand new are being still sold in the United States. Ford still sells them. GM, through Chevrolet predominantly, still sells them, Cadillac 2. Other automakers still sell EVs. Right now, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are doing a land office business in hybrids and EVs right now. And some of those are American-made, by the way. Where are we going? The next step, if hybrids are not available new or used, people are going to take a hard look and say, you know what? A used EV that's maybe two years, three years old doesn't burn any gasoline. Maybe as used, I can make that swing because it's affordable. And if it's built 2023 or newer, it's worth building because it has the current technology, the best thinking right now. What's going on right now might be the best promotion for EVs ever. But it kind of depends where that pain point is. Maybe we never hit the pain point, maybe this is just temporary. And that's possible. It's totally possible. But what if it isn't? Like I said, first thing's going to happen, people will downsize. People will go to hybrids next, new and used. When they've gotten that out the way, people will also take a second look at used EVs if new EVs are too expensive. The people who can't afford a new one will certainly look at a used one, and it's suddenly used ones are in demand because they don't burn gasoline. That's going to push the whole market up. But what happens if you happen to be driving a full-sized truck-based SUV? You know, the kinds of vehicles that Detroit has been making their fortunes on for the last 25 years. And I'm talking stuff like Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe. I'm talking about uh your hype, you know, your Ford Expedition. And then all your full-size pickup trucks. What happens now? Because if it's costing you north of$100 or more to fill it, suddenly it's not so affordable. It's going to spend more time in a yard. You can't afford to run that truck now. There's a pain point out there somewhere. I don't know where it is. Maybe we hit it. Maybe we don't. I'm willing to wager and I hope we don't. But if we do anywhere in the market, here's what I would suggest, depending on what you're driving. Downsizing would be the most capable thing if you can. If you can't, take a hard look at hybrids. There are enough new and used hybrids. If there is a secondary group where you can leverage better performance at a slightly lower cost, that's it, but it's a window. And then finally, you might just consider swallow your pride and consider maybe even a used TV. Maybe that's your second car. Because they don't burn gasoline and even cost kilowatts per hour, the cost of electricity is way less than what you're going to pay per gallon, even now. We're heading in a direction, folks. I guess the next few months we're going to see where we end up. Food for thought. Free from Kenny. Germany has a place where humans are training humanoid robots. You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

In business, opportunity doesn't wait, and neither should you. At Playbook Investors Network, we connect visionary entrepreneurs with the strategies, resources, and capital they need to win. Whether you're launching, scaling, or reimagining your business, our network turns ambition into measurable success. Your vision deserves more than a plan, it deserves a playbook that works. Playbook Investors Network, where bold ideas meet bold results. Visit pincommunity.org today.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

Are you tired of jumping out for apps and platforms for meetings, webinars, and staying connected? Look no further than AON Meetings.com. The all-in-one browser-based platform that does it all. With AON Meetings, you can effortlessly communicate with clients, post virtual meetings and webinars, and stay in touch with family and friends. All in one place and for one place. Here's the best part. You can enjoy a 30-day free trial. It's time to simplify your life and boost your productivity. AON Meetings.com, where innovation meets connection. Get started today and revolutionize the way you communicate.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at Techmobility.show.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Every great business starts with a spark, but taking it to the next level takes strategy, connections, and capital. That's where Playbook Investors Network comes in. We're your strategic partner for accelerating growth, navigating challenges, and capturing market opportunities before your competition does. Your business is more than an idea. Let's make it an impact. Playbook Investors Network. Your future starts here. Learn more at pincommunity.org.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Even a full-size luxury SUV, designed to embrace the driver, should be a statement in refined amenities. Optional seating for eight, and technology for everyone. The new QX56. Exclusively with XM Satellite Radio with XM Nav traffic and a complimentary three-year subscription for both from Infinity.

Humanoid Robot Training And Guardrails

SPEAKER_03 12:40

Do you remember Infinity? Yeah, Infinity. They're the upscale marquee for Nissan. And you're forgiven if you don't really remember them. They're still in the market, they're still trying to sell. We've talked about their attempt at turnaround, but I really, my concern is with Infinity, Nissan's got their hands full just trying to get their act together. That means if the mass market brand is struggling, the luxury brand is going to be in intensive care because it takes a nuanced hand and substantial capital to build a luxury brand that will hold value, attract a clientele that is a cut above, and to move that kind of product. And right now, Infinity's just not there. They're trying. But they really need a Halo car. And we talked about this a few months back. But yeah, and for the record, the QX56 went away for a while, but it's back now. And we'll see what happens. Is it enough? I don't know. Meanwhile, Germany is getting ready to launch the world's largest robotics research and training center where humans train where human trainers will train humanoid robots to carry out everyday tasks. Think about that a minute. Human trainers will train humanoid robots to carry out everyday tasks. This new facility, called the Tum Robojym, is being built through a collaboration between Germany's Technical University of Munich and Metison-based robotics company Nura Robotics. Is this the beginning of an iRobot style future? Where are the guardrails? This is topic A. You know I got questions. You know I got questions. A robot is only as good as the software and or in this case the human training app. Nowhere in this piece does it talk about how they're going to mitigate human bias in their training. Now you would think that's a little odd for me to bring that up because they're being trained to do repetitive tasks, you know, lifting boxes, packing things, things like that. Let me give you a little more information though, first. Located at the TUM Convergence Center near Munich Airport, the site will span approximately 25,000 square feet and serve as a training environment for AI-powered robotic systems. They're gonna invest$20 million. Here's a quote: The interaction between high-end robotics, technology, and cutting-edge academic research in an artificial intelligence will give development a huge, excuse me, boost. I got so many questions. Here's another quote. This this collaboration aims to speed up progress in humanoid robotics and embodied artificial intelligence. As per the researchers, the RoboGym will function as a training ground where robots can repeatedly practice tasks while learning from humans. Let me start with the questions. When I look at this, AI particularly, robotics particularly, and the union of AI and robotics, where you are looking at basically machinery, which is anywhere from semi to fully autonomous, doing activities in proximity to human beings. I mean, first of all, where are the guardrails? Number two, what's to stop? Where are the controls to control how these are trained? What protects those people who end up using these robots or employing these robots from somebody rogue? Now, I'm being okay, so I'm being a little conspiracy theorist right now, but bear with me. What's to stop somebody from coming in at night and running their own little programs to infuse into these things that can be easily hidden, that somebody has some nefarious purposes. Where is the training? Where are the guarding? Where are the guide rails? I go back to a movie, and it seems like I'm when it comes to technology, I'm always referencing movies with you. But here's another one. It's a 2000 movie called iRobot. It starred Will Smith, James Cromwell, and Bridget Monaghan. In that movie, there is a computer company that developed um humanoid assistants. Uh just an army full of them. And it's maintained by a central intelligence, but it's fully autonomous. The problem is that there was being engineered into it some nefarious purposes. And long story short, Will Smith, who played the detective who was trying to figure this out, um, ended up bringing it to an end and exposing it, but not before the main computer that controlled all the humanoid robots tried to stage a coup, really, and take over. And yeah, I know, I know. I I'm a little paranoid on this. I'm more probably Will Smith's character being skeptical. But do you realize when it comes to robotics? Fun fact, the only rules were invented by a sci-fi writer. They're not even not even scientific. You will hear and you might hear about Isaac Asimov. He developed the three laws of robotics, which ironically were uh referred to in the 2004 movie. But here's the thing: his three laws of robotics showed up in a short story he wrote called Runaround in 1942. That's 84 years ago. This is the best we got. What I want to hear, what I want to see, with all this training and going on, bringing in AI and bringing in humans to train uh humanoids how to do what to do. What in their system, since AI has a tendency to hallucinate, protects human beings on a for real. You're gonna bring this machine near me. Even the vehicle you drive is probably the most regulated, most safety-laden item that you even come in contact with. These robots are going to be doing everything from home assistance to you name it, assembly plants. This is what we're talking about. And they're merging AI with all of this. Build in all the technology that we've talked about in the last two years from deep fakes and AI, and AI is getting really good, by the way, at doing stuff. Merge this all together. Where are the guide rails? Where are the protections? Where are the um rows of I don't know, review and revision and verification? How do you turn it off if it goes rogue? You know, just questions. But they're going this way. They're using Chat GPT and all sorts of stuff. I just don't know. How do you factor out human bias or at least mitigate it? That's my question of many. I guess we'll see. A touring prize winner has left Meta to pursue AI that learns from reality rather than text patterns. Is AI 2.0? This is the Tech Mobility Show.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

You've got the drive. You've got the vision. Now you need the right partner to make it happen. At Playbook Investors Network, we power ambitious leaders with the tools, insight, and investment connections to move faster, grow stronger, and lead markets. We're more than advisors, we're your co-pilots in success. Because in business, standing still is not an option. Playbook Investors Network, fueling ambition, delivering results. Visit pincommunity.org.

AI World Models That Learn Reality

SPEAKER_03 21:40

Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch. Like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out. I got more tech for ya. His name is Jan Lakun. He's formerly of Meta, a winner of the prestigious Turing Prize. And in case you didn't know, it's named after Alan Turing. He's regarded as the father of computer science. And this award's giving out every year. Now, Jan's company just raised over a billion dollars to start a company called AMI Labs, a company that's building what they call world models instead of large language models. And although this could take years to commercialize, the prospect of this research will no doubt turn the current AI craze on its head. This is topic B. Full disclosure. They estimate that unlike the typical startup where they expect you to start generating revenue in a year to two years and all this, they said it could take ten years. Ten years to commercialize this thing. Let me tell you why you should know and you should be concerned about this. Right now, AI, artificial intelligence works predominantly by processing ginormous databases, ginor, I mean, just phenomenally large, and assessing patterns and trends and everything, and then making recommendations based on all this, is able to crunch. It's a big, big data crunching machine, big data, which is why you require these big data centers and all these fast data chips, because it takes it looks at phenomenal amounts that no team of people could look at in 20 years and give you things literally in minutes to seconds on how to do and what to do. Let me tell you what a world model is because you need to know the difference. That's a large language model. So AI currently looks at trends and looks and assesses text on what you know, a lot of text. That's how it works. But what's a world model? World model, also known as world simulators, is what they are. It takes their inspiration from metal models of the world that humans develop naturally. Our brains take the abstract uh representations of our senses and form them into more concrete understanding of the world around us, producing what we called models long before AI adopted the phrase. The predictions our brains make based on these models influence how we perceive the world. The researchers give an example. They give you an example of a baseball batter. Batters have milliseconds to decide how to swing their bat, the shorter the time it takes for visual signals to reach the brain. The reason that they're able to hit a hundred mile per hour fastball is because they can instinctively predict where the ball will go. For professional players, this all happens subconsciously. Their muscles reflectively swing at the bat at the right time and location in line with their internal models' predictions. It's these subconscious reasoning aspects of world models that some believe are prerequisites for human-level intelligence. Now, while this concept's been around for decades, world models have gained the popularity recently in part because of their promising applications in the field of generative video. And the example that they use, if most not all, of AI-generated video veer into the uncanny valley territory, watch them long enough, and something bizarre will happen, like limbs twisting and merging in a satellite. While a generative model trained on years of video might accurately predict that a basketball bounces, it doesn't have actually any idea why. Just like the large language models don't really understand the concepts behind words and phrases. But a world model with even a basic grasp of why the basketball bounces like it does will be better at showing it it does that thing. To enable this kind of insight, world models are trained on a range of data, including photos, audio, videos, and text, with the intent of creating internal representations of how the world works and the ability to reason about the consequences of actions, the ability to reason. Remember, AI only looks at trends and patterns in text in large, huge, ginormous databases of text. A world model goes further and actually adds context to what's going on. That's the thing. That's what's really going on. But here's what I want to tell you. If they can overcome the millions of different Roblox facing them to get there, they do believe that these models could most more robustly bridge AI with the real world. And here's the scary part they could also spawn more capable robots. And I say, but robots today are limited what they can do because they don't have awareness of the world around them or their own bodies. That's called being self-aware. World models could give them that awareness, at least to a point. Self-aware, but not sentient. The difference. Self-aware means I understand where I am, how I am, and how I relate to the world which I'm in. Sentient means the ability to think on its own independently and come to decisions independently. Not just and assess patterns, but actually think about it and come to conclusions. Self-aware, not sentient. And we talked about this maybe six months a year ago. The difference about AI models becoming self-aware and maybe sentient, they anticipated it be years. Now, and it's only been a couple of years, now we're looking at maybe ten years. This is where this is going. Technology continues to evolve at lightning speed. Let me tell you who's putting money in, because that is very, very telling. I want to get to that page because it was telling who's making these long-term uh investments. Because some companies uh you're actually going to recognize, and I need to just find it because it blew my mind at some of the folks that were putting money into this project. And I gotta find it. I don't see it. Uh, but I will tell you one name that stood out to me was Toyota Ventures. Toyota Ventures. What do you think is going on? Well, I can tell you. Automakers are transitioning from being automakers to being technical companies to being transportation companies. They're looking at ways both in their plants and in their products to do two things. One, maximize efficiency, two, maximize profit. And if they could have robots with AI with world using world models, how things think, they could do phenomenal things in their plants. Problem is that doesn't spell well for the future of automotive workers. Smarter robots, you need fewer workers. And everybody that you up that you upskill, you're gonna not need as many. So upskill is part of it. There'll still be humans and they'll be doing different things in the factory, but there'll be far less of them. And we're about 10 years out, at least today, as we know it. And there's a lot of big money behind it, including a lot of the companies that you know and are aware of because they see the advantages and are willing to invest for the long term. And that's the thing. Finally, developers are building that first wildfire-resistant neighborhood.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

We are the Tech Mobility Show.com, the all-in-one browser-based platform that does it all. With AON Meetings, you can effortlessly communicate with clients, post virtual meetings and webinars, and stay in touch with family and friends, all in one place and for one price. Here's the best part. You can enjoy a 30-day free trial. It's time to simplify your life and boost your productivity. AON Meetings.com, where innovation meets connection. Get started today and revolutionize the way you communicate.

SPEAKER_03 31:39

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. That's Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at Techmobility.show.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

In business, opportunity doesn't wait, and neither should you. At Playbook Investors Network, we connect visionary entrepreneurs with the strategies, resources, and capital they need to win. Whether you're launching, scaling, or reimagining your business, our network turns ambition into measurable success. Your vision deserves more than a plan. It deserves a playbook that works. Playbook Investors Network, where bold ideas meet bold results. Visit pincommunity.org today.

Building Wildfire-Resistant Neighborhoods

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like, and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out. Near Sacramento, California, a new neighborhood is under construction in the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Now, while it looks like a typical subdivision, it's one of the first developments designed at a neighborhood scale to withstand wildfires. I say it's about time. Welcome to Topic C. We've spent a lot of time talking about the impact of climate change. No, climate change didn't make extreme weather. I'm not going there. But it does make more extreme weather, both more extreme and more often. Nowhere has this been more evident than California. To the point where insurance companies stopped writing homeowner policies because of the continuing risk. If it wasn't wildfire, it was mudslides or floods, you were gonna get hit one of them, and we didn't even talk about earthquakes. California. So imagine how interested I was when I saw this article that talked about developing wildfire-resistant, not homes, neighborhoods. Let me explain. There is an organization called the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, the IBHS. And they're a research nonprofit funded by the insurance agency, industry, excuse me. They have developed materials, procedures, methodologies to not only just build wildfire-resistant and resilient homes, but a whole neighborhood that could be built to resist and be resilient from wildfires. What I learned about researching for this particular piece, most of those fires, most of the home destruction happened because traveling embers, hot embers from the fires land on homes sometimes different blocks away, sometimes miles away. And it's the hot embers that catch a home on fire. I thought it was direct contact with the fire itself, but no, most of the damage actually happens from the embers going up from the nearby woods or the neighborhood and blowing, getting caught in the wind and going and landing somewhere else. The standards that the IBHS developed go further than California's latest billing requirements for high risk for high fire risk zones. From enclosed, ember resistant eaves to dual-pane tempered glass windows that can better withstand extreme heat and a fire. The design considers not just each house, but more importantly, how the homes interact, spacing the buildings at least 10 feet apart, and removing combustible features to prevent fire from spreading between them. Let that sink in. We're talking about a whole brand new neighborhood designed to be resilient from wildfire. What do you think that means? Well, what it means is if you want to live in California and own a home and you're living in one of these neighborhoods, first of all, chances are you can get insurance, which a lot of neighborhoods in California cannot. Number one. Number two, if the unthinkable happens, the chances of your neighborhood still being there when it's done are a lot higher than traditional neighborhoods, older neighborhoods. We've talked at length about steps that individual homeowners and individual small towns in California have spent the money, the insurance companies said spend to make your house wildfire resistant or resilient, and still had their policies canceled anyway. By adopting these standards for a neighborhood gives these homeowners more of a chance to live in California, buy insurance, and still have their home. This neighborhood just outside of Sacramento is called Stone Canyon, and it's adopted their standards, the IBHS standards. And they talk about it at late at length. And this is some of what they talk about. They talked about uh their test facility in South Carolina where they recreate wildfires from embers to wind speed and then use the control test to see how houses perform. And they said of that facility, we can control the ember flow and cast that is coming in that direction. We put out and published really interesting, wonky things about wildfire. But with these new standards, we said, let's just take the most important pieces of the science and make them really plain and usable for developers and homeowners. Fortunately, one of the largest home builders in the United States, KB Home. First of all, they're the national developer behind the project, and they decided to tackle this new level of fire safety about after learning about the research. They saw an example at a building conference, and they realized that they needed to do this. And this is what they learned. They said the home that was built to the old California standards burned fairly quickly because the A the IBHS did experiments, said, here is a set example. A home set to current California high fire standards, a home set to our standards. Same thing, wind, embers, everything. We're going to submit them both to the same environment. The older home caught fire way faster. And in fact, the home at the higher standards didn't burn at all. At the time, KB Home had another development underway in a fire restrone in Escadito near San Diego. On the fly, they changed the design guidelines of the homes to accommodate the higher standards. Now, they call these step-up homes, so bear please bear with me. Out here in Iowa, that's like owning a mansion at the numbers they're talking about here. But the homes, remember this is California, which start at a million dollars and have about 2,000 square feet, are aimed at step-up buyers looking for an upgrade. Let me stop you. Only in California. Out here at a million dollars, you're owning, you're owning a lot of land and a very extremely nice home. At 2,000 square feet, my apartment's$1,350. It's not a very big house for a million dollars. But that's just me. This development near Sacramento, they start in the high$700,000. That's double plus$50,000. That's double the price of what you can buy a brand new home for in uh Metropolitan Des Moines. Typically a brand new home, nice home, not a fancy one, but a nice one. Brand new. Rend you about$300,000 to$350,000. Move California, your basic home, brand new,$700,000. Structure separation is the biggest indicator of wildfire progress. That density. And that's what these new standards do by making it further apart. 10 feet apart is more apart, by the way, than what the state of California requires. Plus some other little tweaks. But the good news is that the technology is there. And not just for California. It's being addressed in California, but you can apply these standards nationwide.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

Every great business starts with a spark, but taking it to the next level takes strategy, connections, and capital. That's where Playbook Investors Network comes in. We're your strategic partner for accelerating growth, navigating challenges, and capturing market opportunities before your competition does. Your business is more than an idea. Let's make it an impact. Playbook Investors Network. Your future starts here. Learn more at pincommunity.org.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at TechMobility.show Are you tired of jumping multiple apps and platforms for meetings, webinars, and staying connected?

SPEAKER_02 42:38

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SPEAKER_00 43:07

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