EV Brief Podcast

In this episode of the EV Brief Podcast, Jonathan was fortunate to sit down with Mark Peters, General Manager Fleet, Innovation & Business Intelligence for Transit Systems; one of the largest bus operators contracted to Government in the country. Mark's technical and business experience ensures he is across all of Transit Systems' business units, and he is fixed firmly on a zero-emissions future for the fleet.

Timestamps:

00:19 - Introduction

01:50: Mark's role

03:42 - The importance of data 

04:20 - Transit Systems' zero-emission fleet strategy

05:13 - The appetite for fleet electrification nationally

08:30 - Driver training for electric buses

09:40 - Mark's thoughts on the electrification transition

 10:29 - Technical details of buses, and balancing charging in the depot

13:05 - Will depot design change as electrification takes hold?

14:10 - Charging the buses

15:50 - Bus efficiency

17:20 - Regional travel and electric buses

19:18 - Any operational cost savings over the diesel fleet?

20:48 - Battery degradation in the fleet

21:51 - Battery chemistry

22:22 - Hydrogen fleets - will we see them in Australia?

23:35 - Medium to large scale hydrogen generation

24:51 - Solar and battery infrastructure at the depot

26:16 - Wrap up

Three EV-focused friends sit down at a table and discuss zero emissions transport on World EV Day.

Danny Thai is the founder of zecar.com, a one-stop-shop for electric car news, comparisons, data and clean energy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannythai123/

Shaun Garrard has extensive experience across the automotive and electric vehicle sectors in the Asia Pacific region, including with Tesla Australia and WM Motor in Shanghai.

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

01:25 - What's happening this week in EVs

02:50 - Shaun's background

06:20 - Do western countries see China as a serious automotive player?

08:35 - Wan Gan - the man behind China's EV dominance

13:30 - Talking NIO

18:07 - Battery swapping; will it work in Australia?

22:00 - The cost of charging infrastructure

26:40 - Tackling residential charging issues

29:20 - EV Uptake in Australia

30:15 - Are there benefits from not being first; will it pay off to watch other countries makes the switch to EVs from fossil fuel

30:50 - Carrot + stick - how to drive people into EVs, and what should Australia's national strategy be?

37:20 - Which future products are we looking forward to?

Christopher Vanderstock and co-plaintiff Kathleen Davies are bringing a claim in the High Court of Australia against the State of Victoria to challenge the ZLEV Act. They argue that the State of Victoria lacks the constitutional authority to impose such a charge. As Australia begins the slow transition to electrification and states look to increase revenue, This case has important ramifications nationally.

Find out more about the High Court challenge here: https://equitygenerationlawyers.com/cases/vanderstock-v-victoria/

Follow Chris on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/chrisvanderstock

Timecodes:

0:00: Introduction

01:55: What is the Victorian ZLEV Act?

08:25: How is the EV and PHEV owner charge administered?

10:35: The Commonwealth is supporting Chris's challenge

25:20: What currently excites Chris about the future of electrification in 2022?

 29:08: EV news wrap up of the day

Thanks for following EV Brief! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your favourite podcast network. You can get in touch with us and stay up to date with the latest EV news and reviews at EVbrief.com

EV Brief Podcast #42

In this episode, Jonathan chats with Polestar Automotive Australia's managing director Samantha Johnson. Ms Johnson holds a considerable amount of automotive industry experience, including with Harley Davidson and Volvo Cars. She is passionate about sustainability, design and technology, and was recently appointed to Australian Electric Vehicle Council's board of directors. Jonathan and Samantha discuss the brand's recent launch in Australia, semiconductor shortages and supply chains, the Polestar's current and future model range, and the brand's core values around environmental sustainability.

Timecodes:

/0:00: Introduction

/01:20-What differentiates Polestar?

/04:30-Does Polestar's family tree affect its ability to act as a start up?

/05:40-Polestar 2 sales ambitions in Australia

/07:35-Polestar 2 delivery times in Australia. Is the brand facing delays?

/09:10-The Polestar 3 SUV is confirmed for a 2023 release in Australia

/10:16-How has the semiconductor shortage affected Polestar in Australia?

/11:05-Polestar Spaces (showrooms) coming to Australia

/12:50-Polestar's 7-day money back guarantee

/14:01-Servicing, roadside assistance and battery warranty

/14:24-The Polestar service network

/15:07-The brand's core sustainability values and its climate neutral car

/18:34-The importance of in-car software, and how it will differentiate the Polestar brand

/20:39-EV charging infrastructure in Australia

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Apologies for the audio quality; this episode was recorded in the restaurant of the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney, April 2022. 

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Thanks for tuning in! Please get in touch with any questions and comments! If you enjoyed the interview, please leave a review and subscribe to ensure you don't miss future episodes! For the latest EV news, analysis and reviews, visit our home at EV Brief

In this episode, I sit down with Teague Egan (via Zoom) for a chat about all things lithium. Teague is the founder and CEO of Energy X, and his company plans to revolutionise lithium extraction, increasing efficiency, yield and speed over traditional evaporation extraction methods with its patented nanotechnology membranes. As developed countries rapidly push for a clean energy future, how will the world supply enough lithium for renewables, electric vehicles and energy storage? How can this be done sustainably?   

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:29 Teague Egan's background 

03:37 What is EnergyX and what do they do? 

06:21 LiTAS technology from EnergyX 

08:05 Using sodium to extract lithium; Elon's point of view 

10:30 LiTAS technology implementation to enhance EV production 

12:19 What is EnergyX doing to improve efficiency of lithium extraction? 

15:26 Who are EnergyX's customers? 

16:38 LiTAS technology in the developing world 

18:02 Sustainability and EnergyX 

21:42 Tesla and its 4680 cells 

25:38 Solid state battery technology 

30:08 Driving clean energy into the hands of all consumers 

31:40 Aiming for 1000 mile batteries 

32:40 EnergyX's timeline for rolling out pilot plants and production 

34:50 Teague's assessment on the biggest issues facing the energy transition and our climate 

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Thanks for tuning in! Please get in touch with any questions and comments! If you enjoyed the content, please leave a thumbs up and hit subscribe to ensure you don't miss next week's show! For the latest EV news, analysis and reviews, visit our home at https://evbrief.com

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In episode 39:

Thanks for tuning in! Please get in touch with any questions and comments, and please subscribe to ensure you don't miss next week's episode! If you enjoyed the content, please leave a review if you have time! It really helps the show's exposure. Find EV Brief on your favorite platform via Anchor - https://anchor.fm/ev-brief-podcast

In this week's episode: 

0'00" - Introduction; 

2'20" - Revel's NYC ridehshare plan hits a snag

3'55" - CATL extends battery cell supply deal with Tesla for LFP batteries

6'04" - Xpeng holds IPO and raises $1.8 billion USD

7'20" - New South Wales announces $490 million package to boost EV uptake

14'04" - Nissan announces EV360Zero plan

 15'35" - Wrap up 

Thanks for tuning in! Please get in touch with any questions and comments, and please subscribe to ensure you don't miss next week's episode! If you enjoyed the content, please leave a review if you have time! It really helps the show's exposure. -- If you'd like to contribute to the running of the show, you can support the podcast on a monthly basis from as little as $1! Every cent will go into great EV content, and expanding the show to new audiences! Thank you for your support! www.patreon.com/evbriefpodcast Find EV Brief on your favourite platform via Anchor - https://anchor.fm/ev-brief-podcast

This week on the podcast, I chat with Daniel Bleakley, tech entrepreneur, engineer, environmental advocate, and creator of viral web series Coal Miners Driving Teslas.

Daniel returned to his hometown of Clermont in North Queensland, driving his Tesla 2,000 km (1,243 mi) from his current home in Melbourne. Clermont also happens to be a major hub for Australia's coal industry, and Daniel knows many people employed in the sector.

He gives friends and family (and anyone interested) a drive of his Tesla Model 3 performance, and for every single person, this is their first experience of an electric car.  We talk about the inspiration behind this series, renewable energy and climate activism, the social inequality behind emissions in Australia, and just what you can do to advocate for cleaner air and cleaner vehicles.

Daniel's links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CoalMinersDrivingTeslas

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MinersInTeslas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoalMinersDrivingTeslas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coalminersdrivingteslas/

Music used under license from Soundstripe: Elastic Peach by Two Dudes: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/7095

Thanks for tuning in! Please get in touch with any questions and comments! If you enjoyed the content, please leave a thumbs up and hit subscribe to ensure you don't miss next week's show! For the latest EV news, analysis and reviews, visit our home at https://evbrief.com

Next week on 24 May 2021, the government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is set to introduce a raft of incentives for the purchase of new and used zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Shane Rattenbury MLA is the Attorney-General of the ACT, and holds a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister for Water, Energy, and Emissions Reduction. The Minister joins me on EV Brief Podcast this week to discuss the ACT's Transition to Zero-Emissions Vehicles Plan, climate change strategy, renewable energy, how the Territory can be EV ready, and more. For more information on the Attorney-General: Legislative Assembly for the ACT  For more information on the ACT's climate change strategy: ACT Climate Change Strategy Links also below: ACT Government Transition to Zero-Emissions Vehicles Plan: https://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/1188498/2018-21-ACTs-transition-to-zero-emissions-vehicles-Action-Plan-ACCESS.pdf ACT Government ZEV Incentives: https://www.environment.act.gov.au/cc/zero-emissions-vehicles Shane Rattenbury MLA - Legislative Assembly for the ACT: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/tenth-assembly-members/kurrajong/rattenbury-shane ACT Government Climate Change Strategy: https://www.environment.act.gov.au/cc/act-climate-change-strategy Recorded 20/5/21. -- Timecodes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:18 - ACT's 100% renewable electricity reality  01:18 - Energy storage in the ACT 02:43 - Gas-free government buildings and the transition away from fossil fuels 04:45 - How do Australian states and territories work effectively with a federal government when they have differing energy and climate policy objectives? 07:15 - Will the ACT roll out renewables resources within its borders? 08:58 - Benefits of a just transition to clean energy , and interest-free loans 09:58 - Energy inequality 10:29 - The future of energy storage 11:42 - The ACT's incentives to encourage EV uptake 15:30 - Transitioning government fleets to zero-emission vehicles 16:15 - Trialing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) in the territory 18:45 - Why trial FCVs in the ACT? 20:12 - Tackling transport emissions from heavy and commercial vehicles 21:32 - Public transport is key to reducing emissions and congestion 23:39 - Challenges associated with transitioning government fleets to ZEVs 25:20 - Outlining policy and regulation around EV charging infrastructure in the Territory 28:08- Rolling out a DC fast-charging network in the ACT 29:29 - What motivates and inspires the Minister in his environmental advocacy? -- Thanks for tuning in! Get in touch with any questions and comments by heading over to our website evbrief.com and please subscribe to ensure you don't miss next week's episode! If you enjoyed the content, please leave a review if you have time! It really helps the show's exposure.