'Auto Trends' Explores The Lowrider Culture, Reversing California's Discriminatory Cruising Policies And EVs

Olivia Fonseca, who is a member of the Sacramento Lowrider Commission, is featured with her 1950s Chevrolet lowrider. (Photo Credit: OF)

This weekend on Auto Trends with JeffCars.com Olivia Fonseca and Joe Ayala, who are members of Sacramento Lowrider Commission, joins us to talk about the history and lifestyle of the lowrider culture. 

We'll also explore how the California-based advocacy organization is helping to infuse lowrider electric vehicle education in the school system. 

More importantly, we'll discuss the instrumental role this group played in reversing discriminatory cruising polices targeting Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the state of California. In fact, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Saturday, October 14 lifting the restriction on lowriding cruising that was enacted in the 1950s.

'Auto Trends' Talks Rural Black Town Vs The State As Ford Builds A Mega Electric Vehicle Campus (Two Part Show)

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company

In September 2021, Ford Motor Company announced the creation of a mega electric vehicle campus known as Blue Oval City, which is based in Stanton, Tennessee. Stanton is located approximately 50 miles outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

Ford’s $5.6 billion dollar electric battery and manufacturing campus will be the largest in the Ford world, according to representatives from the automaker. The sleepy little Town of Mason, Tennessee, which is located just five miles away from the site of the new Mega campus, is being led by an all-black administration. 

SiriusXM’s ‘Auto Trends’ Talks To The Attorney And Client Whom Were Awarded A $137 Million Discrimination Judgement Against Tesla (Two Shows)

 

While Tesla is winning the electric luxury car race in terms of sales and record setting stock prices, making it the most valuable automotive company in the world, they’re bringing up the rear with regard to race relations with the Black community.

According to the latest industry data, Black car buyers account for 4 percent of Tesla’s annual new vehicle sales. Black workers and managers, account for 10 percent and 4 percent, respectively, of the company’s workforce. Moreover, up until 2019, Linda Johnson Rice, whose father founded Ebony Magazine, was the first and only African American to serve on the automaker’s board, until she and two others opted not to stay on as directors.

'Auto Trends' Talks Race, Gender And The Auto Industry With Three Automotive Professionals

 

In honor of Global Diversity Awareness Month, 'Auto Trends' holds its first ever round table discussion centered around race, gender and the auto industry. The conversation features three white collar automotive professionals, which also includes the host of the show. The conversation is frank, non scripted and authentic.  In fact, its so