Anything that Moves

Join Dan Crain , CEO of Robot Toolworx , to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and the high-stakes world of heavy industry maintenance and sustainment. From fixing aircraft carriers to repairing excavators, the physical world has long relied on analog processes—whiteboards, paper manuals, and "the guy who knows where to hit it with the hammer." Dan shares how Robot Toolw...

Detroit automakers have written down ~$50 billion in EV investments over the last two years, scaling back factories and slashing projects. Meanwhile, China has built a clear lead in electric vehicles, batteries, and adjacent technologies. Maniv’s own Mike Granoff joins the podcast to dissect ⁠ Michael Dunne's explosive article in The Free Press . ⁠ They break down the cascade of missed opportu...

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 automake...

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 infrastr...

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 environm...

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 li...

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...

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...

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&#39...

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 h...

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...

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 gover...

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 exi...

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 logisti...

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...

Graham Doorley, CEO of Solo AVT, discusses why he believes that fully electric, autonomous-enabled, long-haul trucking is coming sooner rather than later, and how Solo AVT’s ground up Class 8 truck, the SD1, plays into the future of electric, autonomous trucking. Graham breaks down how the company approaches regulation, why diesel big-rigs can't be easily retrofitted for electrification or autonom...

Loan My Descourvieres, StartUp & Technology Group Vice President at Valeo, breaks down the role of Tier 1 vehicle suppliers in the automotive supply chain and how they can foster technological innovation. She touches on new e-bike powertrains, how Valeo has survived the chip shortage, and why Tier 1 suppliers make ideal design partners for early-stage mobility startups.

Dr. Peter Mertens, an automotive industry veteran, breaks down the role of startups in the automotive ecosystem. Building on his 35 years of experience at Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Tata Motors, Volvo Cars, and Audi, he touches on how Israeli innovation encourages the world’s largest automakers to adopt new technologies, and how new EV brands are increasingly competing with legacy OEMs and Tie...