How did the world's most successful company become completely dependent on a single country for its survival… and how does that story translate across industries? We talk with Patrick McGee of the Financial Times about his book, Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company. The episode explores to what extent the lessons of Apple’s China story translates to Western automakers racing to compete with a new generation of Chinese EV competitors.
Gabe Klein has experience across the worlds of entrepreneurship and policy, including a leadership role at Zipcar and - most recently - as head of the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Gabe explores how policy and infrastructure affect technology adoption. Gabe shares insights from scaling startups like Zipcar and navigating municipal and national government initiatives for EV infrastructure, electric school buses, and more. He also lends a unique perspective to the pace of AV deployment from robotaxis to trucks.
Igino Cafiero of Bear Flag Robotics recounts his entrepreneurial path to autonomous technology for farm tractors, culminating in the company's acquisition by John Deere. Cafiero delves into the pressing issue of labor shortages in agriculture and how autonomy offers a solution without displacing existing labor. He shares the specific technological hurdles involved, such as GPS-denied environments and complex obstacle detection. Finally, Cafiero discusses his current role at John Deere, emphasizing the synergy between startup agility and corporate scale in driving the future of farming, and articulates a vision for autonomy and AI to unlock unprecedented levels of agricultural productivity.
Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic joins Anything That Moves to discuss the future of supersonic flight: why did it disappear with the last flight of the Concorde? Why is now the time to bring it back? And… despite the name, might supersonic cruise be boomless?
After listening, check out the company’s first supersonic flight here (and here for those itching for the full two hours.)
Ian Arthurs of Circular joins Anything That Moves to discuss why sourcing and procuring new materials is hard. Why has recycled plastic historically cost more than virgin plastic? Is that "green premium" possibly bridgeable with better data?
Gary Ong of Celadyne cuts through the noise to break down the "why" of hydrogen. What it is hydrogen useful for today, and why has so much hope been pinned on it for tomorrow? What needs to be true for it to be a game changer in the energy economy?
Mike Murphy shares insights from his work at EV Politics on how partisan political affiliations influence EV ownership and adoption dynamics. Mike also delves into the economic, infrastructural, and regulatory challenges facing EV adoption, as well as how seriously to take Chinese competition in the EV market.
If this episode so moves you to buy EV Politics merchandise, Mike has kindly offered listeners a 10% discount at the EV Politics store. Just enter the code MANIV at checkout.
What can be learned from the operational experience of a combined 3.2 million vehicles under management? Join Oana Duma and Zingha Lucien as they dive into the world of commercial fleets, unpacking key insights from Arval and Element’s annual (in our opinion, blockbuster) Barometer Report. Discover why electrification of commercial vehicles seems to lag passenger vehicle electrification, what to make of telematics data, and possible contrasts emerging between North American and European markets. Brace yourself for bold perspectives on the future of fleets and some electrifying (forgive us) takes on the place of BEVs in today and tomorrow’s commercial fleets.
Venki Padmanabhan joins the podcast to discuss all things manufacturing, supply chain, and labor in the mobility world. So many promises have been in mobility innovation... Venki talks about what is involved in actually building the damn thing. He also suggests a new paradigm for labor relations in the automotive world, and answers whether a sub-$20,000 vehicle is even possible anymore.
Mike Granoff, former Board Director at Better Place... and Maniv's Founding Partner, looks back at the audacious startup that tried - and failed - to spur large-scale vehicle electrification 15 years back. Mike explains the logic behind the startup's battery swap model, and explores why the company declared bankruptcy six years and $850M in investment after its founding. Mike even tackles his decision to back Better Place in place of Tesla's Series B investment round.
For bonus Better Place reading, Mike's reflections on the ten year anniversary of the startup's founding can be found here.
Roy Fridman, CEO of C2A Security, shares a (possibly) contrarian view of automotive cybersecurity: away from disaster prevention and towards product enablement. Roy shares why cybersecurity is not the "world's worst insurance policy" and what shifting in-car value from hardware specs to software capabilities means for players across the automotive value chain.
Steve LeVine, Editor of The Electric and author of The Powerhouse, joins Anything That Moves to talk about the battery supply chain, second life for lithium batteries, and where human psychology meets the charging challenge. Plus: a discussion of why this transition is so tricky for ICE automakers and why it is so hard to take new battery chemistries to market.
A note to our listeners:
You'll forgive Steve and Meir for geeking out with some deep industry battery acronyms – they couldn't help themselves; for the rest of us, here's a glossary of terms.
Steve's book, The Powerhouse, is a great resource if you want to dig deeper.
LFP (Lithium-iron-phosphate) – Lower energy density, cheaper than the main alternatives; in theory, longer range and safer (less likely to blow up).
NMC (Lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt) – Most common in today's vehicles. Higher energy density, longer life cycle, and more expensive than LFP.
NCA (Nickel-cobalt-aluminum) – Most common in Tesla's higher-end models. More expensive than LFP, batteries are similar to NMC packs with better lifespan.
Long-time Florida State Senator Jeffrey Brandes and current President of the Florida Policy Project joins the podcast. Jeff sheds light on the elegant simplicity at the center of today’s gas tax, why it is so essential to maintaining roads and other infrastructure, and how even a modest increase in EVs on the road is going to leave a dent. He makes the case that whatever follows the gas tax will have to contend with everything from fragmented tax collection and enforcement to data privacy concerns.
Diarmuid O'Connell, current board member of Volvo Cars and former VP of global business development at Tesla, shares a podcast’s worth of first-person Tesla lore. Hear his views on the company’s original raison d’etre, why it’s proven to be so uniquely polarizing, and why he doesn’t think its success is easily replicable today. Bonus: the scene – Christmas 2008: A startup in trouble, managers being forced to dip into their own pockets to make payroll…even if you know how this story ends, there’s nothing like hearing it from the source.
Nicole Nason, ex-US Federal Highway Administration, ex-NHTSA, and current VP of Federal Affairs at Boeing, joins the podcast. Tune in to hear how she got a ride in one of the first Tesla vehicles, why she challenges the notion that federal policy has lagged on mobility innovation, and get her hot take on electrifying the skies. Plus - a dire warning to mobility startups who sleep on hiring a government affairs team and the first and last Kardashian reference on Anything that Moves.
Is impact investor Assaf Harlap, owner and board member of importer and distributor Colmobil, worried about the new direct to consumer OEM business model? Tune in for his hot takes on the new Hyundai and on the staying power of dozens of new Chinese automakers in Western markets. Plus: why the automotive market in Israel is an interesting case study (but really!) and where a car dealer sees an existential threat to his business model (surprise: it's not ride-sharing.)
CEO and Co-Founder of Harbinger Motors, John Henry Harris, on the untapped sweet spot of electrification, the secret life of a 3PL bean counter, and the world record for the fastest hot tub. BONUS - lots and lots of chassis talk.
In a follow-up to a November 2020 episode with Zoomo, Jules Flynn, the company's Chief Operating Officer, reflects on how 2020 "hot take" has matured into 2022 fact: that e-bikes have become the most economically sensible vehicle for many modes of urban logistics. He explains why verticals such as food and grocery delivery have been early adopters to this trend, and what the world of urban logistics might look like once large parcel services adopt light electric vehicles en masse.
Adam Goldstein, longtime mobility executive and former CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, discusses the link between electrification and energy independence, the state of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, and the role of government in encouraging EV adoption. Listen for a discussion on electrification, and stay tuned for a bonus question on the secret life of cruise ships.
Rodrigo Martinez, Founder and CEO of Kolors, discusses why he believes that LATAM intercity busing is ripe for digitization. Rodrigo breaks down why intercity busing in Mexico and other emerging markets serves the role of domestic flights in the US and Western Europe, and explains how Kolors aims to improve the passenger experience with ancillary products and services. He argues that the industry can learn much from successful airline business models, and suggests that the “Uberization” of transportation has changed how mobility companies approach customer acquisition.
For more information on Kolors, see https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/03/mexico-citys-kolors-wants-to-disrupt-intercity-busing-in-latin-america/