The Fully Charged Show Podcast

This week Robert is all by himself, but has a wealth of stories and things to talk about.   From busting more myths and HYPER fast charging, to burning Teslas and burying nuclear waste.   All the stories mentioned are linked below:   Nissan (Finally) Go All Electric https://www.electrive.com/2023/09/26/europe-nissan-to-launch-new-evs-only/   Batteries are getting as cheap as chips! https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/global-cell-prices-fall-below-100-kwh-for-first-time-in-two-years?mc_cid=ad17812806&mc_eid=1059c8382d   https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/electric-car-ev-battery-lithium-price-b2414865.html   NEW Electric Lambo! https://electrek.co/2023/08/18/lamborghini-unveils-first-electric-car-lanzador-ev/   More Turbine FUD https://climatecrocks.com/2023/01/20/one-more-myth-busted-no-wind-turbines-not-killing-whales-either/   Affordable Dolphins https://electrek.co/2023/09/20/byds-affordable-dolphin-ev-japan-take-on-toyota/   SUPER, then ULTRA, now HYPER Fast Chargers! https://www.electr

In this episode, Robert meets Tom Jensen, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of FREYR Battery. He also holds an MSc in Finance and Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics. With a profound commitment to revolutionizing the energy landscape, Tom's leadership has propelled FREYR to the forefront of battery technology. With a background in engineering and a passion for environmental stewardship, he steers the company towards eco-conscious innovations in lithium-ion and solid-state batteries. FREYR Battery has also recently redomiciled to the USA, where it hopes to expand even further.

Helen Czerski is a British physicist, oceanographer, and presenter for the Fully Charged Show. She is known for her expertise in fluid dynamics, particularly her research on the physical properties of bubbles and their impact on various natural phenomena.  Czerski has a strong passion for making complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public and her work has contributed to promoting scientific literacy and fostering curiosity about the natural world. In this episode, she drops in to talk about her new book ‘The Blue Machine’ which has already been featured as Radio 4’s book of the week.

Bondi Energy retrofits multifamily and commercial buildings with heat pumps and other energy-efficiency equipment and is passionate about affecting positive change in the environment through energy-efficiency projects, co-founded by Belinda Gilbey and Aaron Graben. They are both based in Toronto, Canada. Belinda is an entrepreneur with a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Ottawa. After working in the renewable energy sector she learned all about heat pump technology and saw the mass benefits. Aaron was originally one of Belinda's customers and after setting up Bondi together, he played a key role in establishing Bondi as a prominent player in energy-efficient retrofits for multifamily and commercial buildings.   

Emily Pontecorvo is an accomplished American journalist renowned for her expertise in environmental reporting and sustainable energy. She also holds a Masters in Science Writing from MIT. Emily is a staff writer at Heatmap News. Previously she was a staff writer at the nonprofit climate journalism outlet Grist, where she covered all aspects of decarbonization, from clean energy to electrified buildings to carbon dioxide removal. In this episode, Robert and Emily discuss future hydrogen use, carbon capture, MIT, oil refineries, home electrification and US state policy.

Returning to the podcast today is the CEO of BC Hydro, Chris O'Riley. BC Hydro is the proud sponsor of FC Live Canada. With a strong background in engineering and finance, he navigates the complexities of power generation, transmission, and distribution. O'Riley's innovative vision drives sustainable initiatives, emphasizing clean energy and environmental responsibility. To ensure a reliable supply of this critical product, BC Hydro is spending approximately $2.9 billion per year over the next 10 years to refurbish and expand its electricity assets.  Under his guidance, BC Hydro advances its role in shaping the province's energy landscape. O'Riley's dedication to public service extends beyond his role, fostering collaborations and community engagement.

Prof. Donald Sadoway is a prominent scientist renowned for his breakthroughs in materials chemistry and renewable energy. As a professor at MIT, he's acclaimed for developing the innovative "liquid metal battery," a potential game-changer in renewable energy storage. His work has earned him prestigious awards and recognition, including membership in the National Academy of Engineering. Sadoway's pioneering research and commitment to sustainable energy continue to make a lasting impact on the field. After seeing Donald’s TED talk ‘The missing link to renewable energy’ from 2011, Robert has been a fan and is very excited to talk to him. They discuss all sorts of future battery technology including Donald’s critical views on solid-state batteries. If you’re a battery nerd, this episode is for you! You can watch the 2011 TED Talk on the link below.

James Carter is a mobility futurist, and thought leader with a LinkedIn following of over 60,000. He has rich experience in Automotive that spans 20 years and 3 different continents. James grew up in rural Australia around cars, raced go-karts and went on to join Toyota Australia following his studies at university. He now resides in Toronto, Canada. James started Vision Mobility where he currently is the principal consultant in 2016. With the intention of becoming a shining light on 'New Mobility' by showing the direction that automotive and transportation will present in the future, with a focus on EVs.  In this episode Robert and James talk about the debatable growth of hydrogen, Toyota’s short-lived relationship with Tesla, Ford's progression and more. 

Henry Firth and Ian Theasby are the dynamic duo behind BOSH!, a brand that has taken the plant-based culinary world by storm. With their infectious energy, creative recipes, and a mission to make plant-based eating accessible and exciting, Henry and Ian have transformed the way people think about food. Originally hailing from Sheffield, Henry and Ian's journey into the world of plant-based cooking began when they embarked on their own individual paths toward healthier living and have a huge social media following. They debuted the Carbon Zero Kitchen at Fully Charged LIVE in Farnborough and were a total hit and will be appearing at both the upcoming Amsterdam and Sydney FC shows.  In this episode, Robert and the BOSH! boys talk through their new book ‘BOSH! Meat’ In this episode, Robert has dared to cook one of the trickiest recipes from the book, vegan bacon. 

Emma Pinchbeck is the CEO of Energy UK, a position that she has held since July 2020. She is an expert in whole-economy decarbonisation and the energy transition. She also holds several board advisory positions. From 2016 to 2020, she served as Deputy CEO of the trade body Renewable UK. She also holds an MA from the University of Oxford. Emma is fresh from an appearance on BBC Newsnight, in which she discusses poor government policy stopping the building of renewables sites like onshore and offshore wind turbines. She also mentions how even war-torn Ukraine has built more turbines than the UK did last year, the full interview can be watched on the link below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001nr5g/newsnight-is-uk-losing-net-zero-race

In this episode, we welcome back Andy Palmer onto the pod. Andy is a chartered engineer and automotive executive. Having served in leadership positions at both Nissan and Aston Martin. At Nissan, Andy is best remembered for transforming the product line-up, but was also responsible for Business Strategy and Product Planning, Global Sales & Marketing, IT and the company's Electric Vehicle and Battery business. During this time in Japan, Andy was credited with pioneering the development of the Nissan LEAF electric car.

This week we welcome on to the podcast, Colin Walker, Transport Analyst at Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Colin’s spent 16 years working on campaigns and advocacy in the charity sector, working for charities Warchild, Save The Children, Mind and Plan International UK.  Colin joined ECIU in August 2022 from British Cycling, where he worked as the organisation’s lead for London and the central regions for four years. Besides developing the sport and contributing to the sport’s ongoing elite success, he focused on efforts to improve the diversity of participation in cycling, and realising the environmental and societal benefits of cycling as a means of transportation. Colin and Robert discuss what the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit does including fact-checking common misinformation about climate change and Evs.

On today’s podcast, recorded around Robert’s own kitchen table are returning guests, Roger Atkins and FC presenter, Imogen Bhogal. Roger is one of the most informed speakers working today having spent 15 years around EVs and 38 years total in the automobile industry. As a Linkedin "Top Voice", he boasts 300,000 followers on the platform. Before joining FC, Imogen Bhogal graduated from the University of Oxford with a first in Mechanical Engineering before working for Jaguar Land Rover as an Aerodynamics Engineer and later at Arrival as Head of City Engagement and Integration. Roger, Imogen and Robert go all over the battery map in this episode discussing battery advancements, Roger’s recent trips, new books, mining the ocean and board game 'Settlers of Catan' even gets a shout out. Stay tuned until the end to hear Roger lower the tone with an odious, yet hilarious analogy for climate change. If you would like to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, it really helps the podcast grow. Thank you in advance.

In this episode, we welcome David Borlace onto the pod. Before embarking on a career as a YouTube presenter, David gained a BSc in Technology from the Open University and spent more than 30 years in retail and project management, working with people from all walks of life. That experience highlighted the importance of winning hearts and minds in any activity requiring collective action and the value of remaining pragmatic and outcome-oriented. Through his YouTube channel, ‘Just Have a Think’, David combines those characteristics with a sprinkling of wry humour, addressing the climate emergency facing our civilization and investigating ways we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we transition to a more sustainable future. Recently, David joined Robert as a panelist at Fully Charged Live where many were fascinated by his eloquent yet easy-to-understand approach, get ready for more of the same in this episode.

This week, Robert welcomes Dr Hannah Ritchie. A Senior Researcher in the Programme for Global Development at the University of Oxford. She is also Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher at the online publication, Our World in Data. Her research appears regularly in the New York Times, Economist, Financial Times, BBC, WIRED, New Scientist, and Vox. Her forthcoming – Not the End of the World – provides an optimistic, evidence-based look at our environmental problems and how to solve them. In this episode Robert and Hannah discuss her new book 'Not The End Of The World' and the research that inspired her to write it. Please leave a 5-star review for us here, it's lovely for us to get the feedback and also genuinely helps the podcast grow. Thanks in advance. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-fully-charged-podcast/id1449137711

In this episode, Robert welcomes an innovator, engineer, and advisor at the intersection of mobility and energy, Claire Miller. Claire works with businesses that are starting, scaling, and transforming to meet the urgent need to decarbonise. Previously, as Director of Tech & Innovation, Claire was a member of the founding team at Octopus Electric Vehicles. Claire led the delivery of the world's first ‘Powerloop’ domestic vehicle to grid (V2G) trial, and architected the digital environments of the start-up EV leasing business. She is an enthusiastic educator and tech communicator, sharing knowledge and experience through media, conferences, and events with a diverse range of industry and academic audiences. Fresh after seeing each other at Fully Charged North, Robert and Claire talk about the success of the Live show and all things V2G. Please leave a 5-star review for us here, it's lovely for us to get the feedback and also genuinely helps the podcast grow. Thanks in advance. https://podcasts.apple.com/g

In this episode, Robert welcomes Lylla Younes, senior staff writer at Grist on to the the podcast. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Here Lylla covers environmental investigations and environmental justice. She was previously a reporter and developer at ProPublica, where her work mapping cancer-causing industrial pollution in Louisiana helped lead to the suspension of Formosa Plastic’s permit in St. James Parish, and won the 2020 Nina Mason Pulliam Award for Outstanding Environmental Reporting. In 2020, she was part of a team that wrote a peer-reviewed paper linking COVID deaths to air pollution. In this episode Robert and Lylla discuss a wide range of topics and some of her her articles, including how Berkeley became the first city in the United States to ban natural, fossil gas hook-ups in new buildings.

In this week's podcast, we have a bit of a break from the norm and have made a special compilation episode with some of Robert's favourite chunks of FC goodness from over the last year. Guests include Sandy Munro, Jack Scarlett, Graeme Cooper, Darren Palmer, Dan Caesar, Chelsea Sexton, Helen Czerski and more.    As Robert mentions in the intro, we would be very grateful if you wanted to leave us a 5-star review on the Apple Podcast App. It's the only way we can rise up the official rankings and spread the word. We appreciate your kind comments in advance.    If you would like to listen to the full versions of each podcast, here are their full titles.    Sandy Munro - Are Tesla Just Unbeatable? Darren Palmer - The F150 Lightning, V2X and more with Darren Palmer The Inevitability of a 100% Renewable Energy Supply with Rosie Barnes Cheaper Teslas? Chinese Threat? With Elliot Richards Fusion, Whale Earwax and Flat Earth? With Helen Czerski Eytan Lenko on Supercharging Australia New vs Old - Is This An 'Existent

On the podcast today is first-time guest and Ford CEO, Jim Farley. Prior to joining Ford in 2007, Farley was group vice president and general manager of Lexus, and the group vice president responsible for all Toyota Division market planning, advertising and merchandising Under Farley’s leadership, Ford has boosted investment in electric vehicles to more than $50 billion and has set ambitious targets for scaling their production to 600,000 EVs a year by the end of 2023 and more than 2 million by the end of 2026. Recorded over Zoom at the FC North show in Harrogate, Robert and Jim pull the curtain back and talk EV software, electric transits, battery plants, how the Prius came to be and more. 

On today’s podcast, recorded at the first FC North event (And yes, Harrogate is in the north) is returning guest, Roger Atkins. Roger is one of the most informed speakers working today having spent 15 years around EVs and 38 years total in the automobile industry. Roger is also the founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook LTD. As a "Top Voice" on Linkedin, he boasts 300,000 followers and his material attracts over 1 million views every quarter. On the last day of the show, Roger and Robert lock in to talk about everything from the Chinese EV industry to trawling the seabed to the origins in Scrapheap Challenge to well, dog poop. Apologies in advance. Make sure to watch until the end to see Roger’s specially-written outro song.