UCLA and XPrize: FuturizeX: The Future of Transportation

UCLA and XPrize: FuturizeX

The Future of Transportation

UCLA and XPrize FuturizeX: Transptation.

Tesla Model X.

And a Model S, with a second Model X in the background.

Ooof, not much headroom for the center seat, and man they look tight in the middle and back seats.

Awesome windshield tho. Night doesn't do it justice.

17" touchscreen carryover is still good looking.

Consumption tab.

Not bad looking in black.

Talk time!

The City of LA guy talked a lot. Maybe too much. He was very good but would've loved to hear more from the others.

And that's the night.

UCLA and XPRIZE's second FuturizeX Speaker Series event, The Future of Transportation. Speakers included Joshua Schank (Chief Innovation Officer, LA Metro), Richard Kim (Head of Global Design, Faraday Future), J.R. DeShazo (Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation), Rob Lloyd (CEO, Hyperloop Technologies), moderated by Laura Nelson (Transportation writer, Los Angeles Times) and introduced by Peter Diamandis, Founder and Executive Chairman of XPRIZE.

For such a star-studded lineup I was hoping for more discussion on the future of transportation and technology, with a little less policy, particularly with the CEO of Hyperloop there! Sadly it was more of a near-term/medium-term autonomous vehicle, public transit, and regulation discussion, of which LA Metro understandably dominated the conversaion.

Real highlight of the night was Tesla being there, with two shiny new Model X's and a Model S! Got to see first-hand how small the Model X was inside, as it's very tight for seven. The middle row center seat, if you're taller than 5' 6" or so, forget it, while the back seats looked even less pleasant. But definitely nifty to get some real seat time in Tesla's newest vehicle. And it looks good from the outside; the gimmicky falcon wing doors definitely attract attention (when they work)!