Shift is sponsored by Gentex Corporation.

Gentex is a long-time supplier of electro-optical products for the global automotive,

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Visit Gentex.com to check out the latest in digital vision, connected car, and dimmable glass technologies. Hi everybody. Welcome to Shift, a podcast about mobility. I'm Pete Bigelow, your

host and reporter at the Automotive News.

Hi, it's Leslie Allen. I am the editor of Shift magazine.

And it's Alexis St. John, covering tech and suppliers.

Joining us on the podcast this week is Ben Volko, CEO of and for vehicular data. But before we get to Ben, Leslie, Alexa, obviously a lot going on in the

mobility world once again this week. Probably first and foremost has been, I think I've lost count how many more companies have

have announced that they are going public via special purpose acquisition

corporations. Leslie do you do you have a count or do you remember what

what one sticks out to you this week? No Pete I don't have a spat counter running

right now but if I did I'm sure it will be off the charts right now.

There have been so many of these deals, and for those of you who aren't

familiar with what this is, these are special purpose acquisition companies,

and some people call them blank check companies.

They are a vehicle for startups to go public by hitching on to existing public

companies that form just for the sake of taking these startups public.

And we've seen quite a few of them in the mobility space. I know we've had a few in the

LIDAR area. You know, like you said, some of the LIDAR companies electric vehicle

companies whether it's the vehicle or are you know some of the companies that are

focused on the charging aspects in particular. I think I saw a private

...