Welcome to Episode 4 (Season 2) of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). This episode continues our conversation with Jonathan Smoke, Chief Strategy Officer at Cox Automotive, and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive.

In Part 1, Jonathan and Stephanie helped cut through the headlines surrounding the EV market, examining what the data actually tells us about the state of EV adoption and why slowing growth may be better understood as market normalization.

In Part 2, we turn our attention to the factors that will determine what comes next. This episode explores the growing importance of hybrids and the used EV market, the role of affordability and charging reliability in consumer confidence, and what it will take for electric vehicles to reach the next wave of mainstream buyers.

We also look at product market fit and the complex mix of price sensitivity, vehicle preferences, and infrastructure trust shaping consumer decisions in 2026.

Listeners will learn about:
• How the rise of hybrids is changing the broader U.S. automotive market
• Why the used EV market could be critical to the next wave of adoption
• How pricing, battery transparency, warranties, and charging reliability influence consumer confidence
• The role affordability and infrastructure play in EV purchasing decisions
• How the U.S. automotive industry can position itself as EV growth normalizes

More than a conversation about sales numbers, Part 2 examines the real-world factors that will shape the next phase of EV adoption and what today's changing market can tell us about the future of transportation.

Whether you work in industry, policy, research, or are simply interested in the future of mobility, this episode offers a data-driven look at the challenges and opportunities that will define the U.S. EV market in the years ahead.

Welcome to Episode 3 (Season 2) of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). In this episode, we welcome Jonathan Smoke, Chief Strategy Officer at Cox Automotive, and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive.

As headlines continue to send mixed signals about the future of electric vehicles, Jonathan and Stephanie cut through the noise with one of the industry's richest automotive datasets. Together, we explore what the numbers actually reveal about the U.S. EV market, why today's slowdown is better understood as market normalization, and what this transition means for manufacturers, infrastructure investment, and the future of the Battery Belt.

Listeners will learn about:

• The data points that tell a more complete story than today's EV headlines
• Why the current market represents normalization rather than decline
• What a healthy EV market could look like in 2026
• How industry leaders are interpreting today's market shifts to prepare for the next decade
• The evolving roles of Jonathan Smoke and Stephanie Valdez Streaty in helping shape the future of the automotive industry

More than a conversation about electric vehicles, this episode provides a data-driven look at one of the most significant industrial transitions in modern history and the factors driving the next phase of growth across the Southeast.

Whether you work in industry, policy, research, or are simply interested in the future of transportation, this episode offers valuable insights into where the EV market stands today and where it may be headed next.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). Today we continue our conversation with Professor William Mustain, Director of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation at the University of South Carolina.

In this episode, Professor Mustain explores one of the biggest shifts happening across the battery industry today. As EV demand begins to normalize and electricity demand accelerates from data centers, industrial electrification, and grid expansion, we examine whether battery energy storage is emerging as the next major driver of growth.

Together, we discuss how this transition could reshape manufacturing strategies, research priorities, and the future of the Battery Belt.

Listeners will learn about:
• Why battery demand is expanding beyond electric vehicles
• How stationary energy storage is changing the way utilities plan for the electric grid
• The role of battery chemistry, critical minerals, and manufacturing strategy in meeting future demand
• How universities and industry are working together to advance research, innovation, and workforce development across the Southeast


More than a conversation about batteries, this episode explores how energy storage is becoming a critical piece of the nation's infrastructure, influencing everything from grid reliability to economic competitiveness.


As the Battery Belt continues to evolve, Season 2 begins by examining one of the industry's most important questions: where will the next wave of battery demand come from? Professor Mustain offers valuable insight into how research, manufacturing, and energy policy are converging to shape the future of electrification.


Whether you work in energy, manufacturing, research, policy, or are simply interested in the technologies transforming the Southeast, this season premiere offers a timely look at the opportunities and challenges defining the next chapter of the Battery Belt.

Welcome to the Season 2 premiere of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). To kick off the new season, we welcome Professor William Mustain, Director of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation at the University of South Carolina.

In this episode, Professor Mustain explores one of the biggest shifts happening across the battery industry today. As EV demand begins to normalize and electricity demand accelerates from data centers, industrial electrification, and grid expansion, we examine whether battery energy storage is emerging as the next major driver of growth.

Together, we discuss how this transition could reshape manufacturing strategies, research priorities, and the future of the Battery Belt.

Listeners will learn about:
• Why battery demand is expanding beyond electric vehicles
• How stationary energy storage is changing the way utilities plan for the electric grid
• The role of battery chemistry, critical minerals, and manufacturing strategy in meeting future demand
• How universities and industry are working together to advance research, innovation, and workforce development across the Southeast


More than a conversation about batteries, this episode explores how energy storage is becoming a critical piece of the nation's infrastructure, influencing everything from grid reliability to economic competitiveness.


As the Battery Belt continues to evolve, Season 2 begins by examining one of the industry's most important questions: where will the next wave of battery demand come from? Professor Mustain offers valuable insight into how research, manufacturing, and energy policy are converging to shape the future of electrification.


Whether you work in energy, manufacturing, research, policy, or are simply interested in the technologies transforming the Southeast, this season premiere offers a timely look at the opportunities and challenges defining the next chapter of the Battery Belt.

Welcome to Episode 4 of The Battery Belt, presented by the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). This episode continues our deep dive with battery expert Jill Pestana, Founder & CEO of Pestana Solutions.

In Part 1, Jill broke down the fundamentals of battery chemistry, why lithium-ion dominates today’s technology landscape, and what emerging chemistries—from solid-state to sodium-ion—mean for the future of mobility and energy storage. In Part 2, we move from the science to the systems shaping how these technologies scale across the Battery Belt and beyond.

This episode explores the path from lab breakthroughs to full-scale U.S. manufacturing, the policy and infrastructure challenges ahead, and how batteries are transforming far more than vehicles. From grid-scale storage to AI and data center demand, we look at the massive opportunities emerging across the Southeast’s rapidly expanding energy ecosystem.

Listeners will learn about:
• What it takes to commercialize new chemistries at scale
• The biggest gaps between innovation and U.S. manufacturing capacity
• How stationary batteries support the grid, AI workloads, and data center growth
• Workforce needs and emerging job pathways across the Battery Belt
• The human side of Jill’s work—and her advice to the next generation of innovators

Insightful, accessible, and grounded in real-world industry experience, Part 2 closes out a comprehensive look at the battery technologies reshaping mobility, energy, and economic development across the Southeast.

Whether you’re in industry, policy, research, or simply interested in the future of how we power our world, this two-part conversation is essential listening.

Welcome to Episode 3 of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Gabrielle Pierre sits down with Jill Pestana—Founder & CEO of Pestana Solutions, battery scientist, educator, and creator of Across the Nanoverse. With 15+ years of experience and over a dozen patents in battery science, Jill is one of the most trusted voices demystifying how batteries actually work.

This episode goes straight to the foundation of the Battery Belt story: the chemistry powering the Southeast’s transformation into an electric mobility and manufacturing powerhouse. Jill breaks down what’s happening inside a battery, why lithium-ion became the dominant platform, and what determines charging speed, lifespan, and performance in everything from EVs to smartphones.

We also dig into the rapidly evolving world of next-generation chemistries—solid-state, LFP, sodium-ion, and more—and explore what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s most likely to define the next decade of innovation.

Listeners will learn about:
• What makes a battery a battery—chemically and functionally
• Why lithium-ion became central to EVs, consumer tech, and storage systems
• How batteries age, degrade, and lose capacity over time
• The promise and limitations of solid-state technology
• How emerging chemistries compare—and when they might reach the market

Part 1 sets the stage for understanding the science and innovation driving the Southeast’s growing leadership in energy storage and advanced manufacturing.

Next week in Part 2, Jill walks us through scaling innovation, grid storage, AI/data center demand, and the human side of building the Battery Belt. Don’t miss it!

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). This week, we’re joined by Alex Poirot, Head of External Affairs at Beep Inc., a proud UGA graduate, and former senior policy leader in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

As electrification converges with AI and autonomous systems, the mobility industry’s center of gravity is shifting—beyond batteries and drivetrains and toward software, autonomy, and integrated AI platforms. That shift is accelerating across the Southeast, where the Battery Belt is rapidly becoming a national hub for next-generation mobility innovation.

In this episode, Alex shares how Beep is leading the deployment of autonomous electric shuttles and what real-world operations tell us about safety, public trust, workforce evolution, and the future of public transit. We also explore how AI-enabled mobility is reshaping infrastructure and regulation—and what that means for Georgia’s growing electric mobility ecosystem.

Listeners will learn about:
• Why the Battery Belt is emerging as a testbed for autonomous mobility
• How AI and autonomy are redefining EV systems and public transit
• The policy changes needed to support safe and scalable AV deployment
• The intersection of EV and AV infrastructure in next-gen mobility

Timely, forward-looking, and grounded in on-the-ground experience, Episode 2 is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of transportation, policy, and the Southeast’s leadership in mobility innovation.

Welcome to the debut episode of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). On the very first episode of The Battery Belt, we welcome Mike Oatridge, Executive Director of the Alabama Mobility & Power (AMP) Center at the University of Alabama.

In this episode, Mike shares firsthand insights from decades of experience across automotive and advanced manufacturing, offering a grounded look at how the region is evolving—fast. We discuss the rapid rise of EV and battery manufacturing in the Southeast, the $78 billion in investments transforming local economies, and how states like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi are positioning themselves at the center of the nation’s mobility future.

Listeners will learn about:
• The origins and momentum behind the Battery Belt
• How public-private partnerships are driving research and innovation across the MAGNET tri-state region
• The workforce and community opportunities emerging from record-breaking clean energy investments
• What industry leaders see coming next in EVs, batteries, and smart mobility

More than a technology story, this conversation reveals the people, places, and partnerships powering a generational shift in transportation and economic development.

Recorded live during a GNEM-hosted webinar and refined for podcast platforms, Episode 1 sets the tone for a series dedicated to the leaders, researchers, and innovators shaping the future of mobility across the Southeast.

Whether you work in industry, policy, research, or are simply curious about what’s coming next, this episode offers a compelling introduction to the Battery Belt story—and why it matters now.

Welcome to The Battery Belt Podcast!