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KQED's Forum

Car and Gas Prices Are Shooting Up. How Will Drivers Respond?

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Cars have become dramatically more expensive in the United States in recent years, with the average price hitting a record of $50,000 in 2025. But now the market faces both higher sticker prices and a surge in gas prices stemming from the war in Iran. In the past, U.S. consumers have relied on relatively affordable fuel to justify buying large cars such as SUVs and trucks. In fact, most U.S.-based automakers don’t even make sedans and compact cars anymore. California, however, has been pushing drivers to buy more electric cars. We talk about how the current rise in car prices and fuel costs along with government policies are affecting the U.S. auto market. Guests: Edward Loh, head of editorial, MotorTrend - an automotive media company Scott Moura, professor in civil and environmental engineering and acting director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley Jessica Caldwell, head of insights, Edmunds - an automotive information and car buying website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for KQED podcasts comes from Landmark College, offering executive function support and social coaching for neurodivergent individuals at the Bay Area Success Center.

0:11.8

Learn more at landmark.edu slash success center.

0:16.4

Jamie Lang and Sophie Haboo have arrived on Disney Plus.

0:21.6

We're having a baby. We're having a baby.

0:22.6

I've always wanted to be mom.

0:25.6

And we're bringing you on our journey through everything.

0:28.6

I have no idea what we're doing.

0:29.6

Thank you. I have more of an idea.

0:31.6

I think of it like a Tamagotchi.

0:33.6

At the end of all of this...

0:35.6

We're going to have a little baby.

0:37.8

Raising Chelsea, a Hulu original series streaming April 2nd exclusively on Disney Plus.

0:43.4

18 plus subscription required T's and T supply.

0:47.5

From KQED.

0:50.3

Alexis Madrigal here.

0:51.7

We've got a pledge break going right now, so you get a bonus on the pledge-free stream podcast or on our replay at night.

0:57.0

I write these meditations on the people and places of the bay. We call it one good thing.

1:01.0

Many leaders of the disability justice community gathered yesterday to celebrate the life of Alice Wong, who passed away late last year.

1:09.0

Wong founded the Disability Visibility Project and spearheaded

1:12.0

many other efforts to make cultural change in the way that our world hears, sees, and engages

1:17.5

with disabled people. One of the speakers explicitly called out the context of the moment that

1:22.5

in our area and in our country, there's a renewed interest in eugenics, the things that run in our blood,

...

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