Hotline: Folding phones in cars, EVs in Mexico

September 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Hotline: Folding phones in cars, EVs in Mexico

The Verge's transportation editor Andrew Hawkins joined the show to answer listener questions about cars, and the conversation revealed something surprising: the most interesting automotive debates right now aren't about horsepower or range, but about where the computer goes, who controls the software, and whether you can build a decent car from off-the-shelf parts.

The Slate Truck and the BYO Infotainment Question

A listener named Brandon asked whether a folding phone like the Galaxy Z Fold could find a real use case in the Slate Truck—an electric vehicle that strips away almost everything. Hawkins explained that Slate's philosophy is to cut costs by eliminating features: no power windows, no radio, no internal screen. Just HVAC, a steering wheel, and manual crank windows. "The idea of a manual crank for your window would probably shock a lot of people," Hawkins said.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **Episode Introduction and News Segment** - Producer Travis Larchek introduces the hotline episode with transportation editor Andrew Hawkins, followed by the 90-second news update.
2 (03:49) **Hotline Start: Andrew Hawkins’ Favorite Transportation** - Andrew reveals his preferred mode of transport before diving into car questions.
3 (04:24) **Question 1: Folding Phones in the Slate Truck** - Brandon asks whether a foldable phone like the Galaxy Z Fold could serve as the infotainment screen in the ultra-minimalist Slate electric truck.
4 (08:37) **Question 2: Camera Bumps Breaking Wireless Charging in Cars** - Maxwell describes how his iPhone 17 Pro Max’s camera bump prevents it from charging on his Tesla’s built-in wireless pad, forcing him back to a cable.
5 (12:37) **Question 3: The One Feature That Matters More Than CarPlay** - An anonymous listener argues they don’t care about Apple CarPlay; they only want good built-in maps, criticizing the subscription-based navigation in their Toyota Land Cruiser.
6 (16:52) **Mid-Episode Ad Break** - A series of ads for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, Horizon 3 cybersecurity, Apple Watch Series 12, and T-Mobile iPhone 18 Pro.
7 (21:00) **Question 4: Why No “Frankenstein” EV Using Off-the-Shelf Parts?** - Jason from Nova Scotia asks why no company simply assembles a car from readily available components (Bosch motors, Panasonic batteries, Magna manufacturing, Google software), learning from Fisker’s failure to over-engineer.

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Show Notes

Transportation editor Andrew Hawkins is here to answer your questions about the confluence of cars and gadgets. Could a folding phone replace a dashboard display? What to do about the iPhone Pro Max not fitting the Tesla's built-in wireless charger? And we hear from a listener who -- shockingly -- doesn't care about CarPlay.