Directly Current: The EV Politics Podcast

Max speaks to John Heilemann, journalist with Puck News and analyst with NBC to discuss how the candidates are treating (or not treating) EVs in the final sprint to election day, and WTF is going on with Elon Musk and Trump. Listen to John's Podcast at Puck Find out more about the American EV Jobs Alliance

There’s no question when it comes to selling EVs in the US, or making a profit on them, Tesla is king. But between an erratic CEO, public scrutiny over delay after delay on self driving promises, and signs of flagging demand in key markets like California, there’s some reason to have doubts. Nonetheless, their recent Q3 results exceeded expectations and saw an ambitious growth forecast. To break it down, I needed someone who has a handle on not just Tesla as a stock, but the auto industry at large in this strange but precipitous moment. On this episode, Max speaks with Bloomberg’s Corey Cantor, who works for their NEF division specifically covering electric vehicles and the auto market. Let’s talk Tesla, emerging competition from Hyundai Motor Group and General Motors, and the long-term future of the EV market in the US amidst booming hybrid sales. Learn More About The American EV Jobs Alliance Subscribe To Us In Your Podcast App

Max speaks with Secretary of the DOT, former South Bend Mayor, and 2020 Demoratic primary candidate Pete Buttigieg to talk EVs, jobs in the USA, and improving infrastructure with NEVI. Spoiler: his office doesn’t think every American needs to get an EV tomorrow, but he wants to set the US up for success in the global stage so that we don't fall behind. Learn More About The American EV Jobs Alliance: https://evpolitics.org  Subscribe To Us In Your Podcast App: https://audioboom.com/channels/5137915-directly-current-the-ev-politics-podcast

EVs and Chinas have become intertwined, mostly because China has developed an unassailable lead in making the most important, and most expensive component of any electric car. They aren’t just a political target just of Donald Trump, who led the charge on an all-out trade war in his first term in office. The current Biden administration is imposing a 25% tarriff on any vehicle with a Chinese battery pack, and it’s unlikely a Harris successor White House would change that. Either way, the best batteries are being made in China, and it’s an all out race between the United States and our allies like South Korea to compete while stalling the damage from their China’s lead. For this episode Max speaks with The Information’s Steve LeVine, who runs their reporting on the battery arms race and EVs at large, aptly branded The Electric. Steve is a career journalist who’s covered international affairs in countries like Russia and Kazakhstan, the market for oil in the wake of the soviet union, and most recently, the chaotic new economy and arms race happening with batteries. He even wrote a book about it in 2015. The story of EV batteries is also the story of the world’s greatest superpowers duking it out. Let’s get up to speed with him. Steve's newsletter The Electric: https://www.theinformation.com/features/the-electric Steve's 2015 Book, The Powerhouse, on How US Labs Invented The Modern Rechargeable Battery: https://www.amazon.com/Powerhouse-America-China-Great-Battery/dp/0143128329/ Learn More About The American EV Jobs Alliance: https://evpolitics.org Subscribe To Us In Your Podcast App: https://audioboom.com/channels/5137915-directly-current-the-ev-politics-podcast