Overview
CES Tech Talk podcast, in season 6, features interviews with experts bringing you an insider’s look at what’s new and trending in consumer electronics, and at CES. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe to get the latest. In episode 28, MotorTrend President Alex Wellen discusses the iconic publication’s endurance in the tough publishing industry, and how tech is changing the car driving and buying landscape.
So, you’re considering a switch from your legacy car-engine type to EV. If you’re like most consumers, you’re concerned about performance and which brand offers the best options for your lifestyle. MotorTrend is a highly trusted resource for decisions like this, with a 75-year history of building audiences through unbiased and expert evaluations. The MotorTrend publication group is a heavy-hitter in its sector with a monthly audience of 26 million across web, TV and print, as well as 110 million social followers. For streaming TV, MotorTrend offers exclusive originals, live events, motorsports and every episode of Roadkill, Bitchin' Rides, Top Gear America, Motor MythBusters and more. Find out how MotorTrend gets it all done as its president, Alex Wellen, shares behind-the-scenes insights in episode 28, MotorTrend Explores What’s in Your Driving Future, of the CES Tech Talk podcast series.
Takeaways
- Even as EV cars proliferate in the market place, gas-fueled cars aren’t DOA. Wellen maintains that internal combustion engines will remain of American roads “will be here for a long time.”
- Today’s car consumers are seriously considering a move to EV vehicles but they’re deeply concerned about finding the right one; for that reason, MotorTrend is prioritizing content that helps prospective buyers make the most informed decision possible.
- The autonomous vehicle sector has significant hurdles to overcome before AVs are mainstream. However, Wellen expects that they’ll be on American highways, lots of them, in about five years.
They Said It
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MotorTrend, most people know the magazine, they know Car of the Year, but it's actually a global, multimedia organization. We have TV networks, we have direct-to-consumer, we have now FAST [TV channel], we have a studio. We're on a number of other platforms, including our website. So it's a big platform that reaches about 26 million unique users every single month.
Alex Wellen (00:42)
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We [have the] preeminent, largest library of all automotive content, from "Roadkill" to "Top Gear" to a whole bunch of different programs…We have a new animated show coming out this year. And so I think we’ve got to entertain. We have to embrace the joy, that is the joy ride, and then also help people get in a car that makes them feel good, and feel safe, and feel connected.
Alex Wellen (03:42)
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MotorTrend at CES 2023
This famous brand in publishing, entertainment and content was showcased at CES via a session in the C Space Studio at ARIA.
Alex Wellen, President and General Manager, MotorTrend Group
As the top executive for MotorTrend Group, Wellen oversees all aspects of the organization’s strategic direction with responsibility for the performance of the MotorTrend app and motortrend.com digital platforms, as well as MotorTrend Buyer’s Guide, MotorTrend TV Network and more. Wellen joined MotorTrend following 12 years at CNN Worldwide. His technology proficiency was honed during his time as a tech intellectual-property litigator. He holds a law degree from Temple University and a systems engineering degree from Rutgers.
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