EV Café Takeaway

This week we sit down with Glenn Saint, a pioneering figure in the UK's electric vehicle industry. As a former Chief at Arrival, Glenn shares candid insights about the company's innovative journey, its eventual challenges, and its lasting impact on the EV landscape. Now at Prospedia Capital, Glenn offers valuable perspectives on the future of sustainable transport, the power of learning from mista...

Volta Trucks' Director of Business Development Carla Detrieux masterfully flips the script on Paul Kirby and John Curtis, transforming a standard interview into a mutual exploration of authenticity and purpose. Known to her family as "Vegeta" for her passionate temperament (after the Dragon Ball Z character), Carla shares her journey from hospitality to EV innovation, including the dramatic moment...

We sit down with “EV royalty” Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO at Zapmap. Discover how Melanie’s passion for sustainability led her to transform a simple spreadsheet into the UK’s leading EV charging platform, now trusted by thousands of drivers every day. She explains how Zapmap compiles live data from over 70,000 charge points, offering users real-time insights to help them conquer rang...

Join John Curtis and Paul Kirby as they welcome Professor Richard Allan from the University of Reading—a leading voice in climate science and contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Together, they explore how climate change data translates into tangible impacts on our daily lives and the essential role that decarbonising transport plays in mitigating global heating. Pr...

Join the whole EV Café crew as we ring in the New Year with a look forward to 2025!

Cosy up with the whole team this Christmas Day as we take a look back at the year that was 2024. 

This week on The EV Café Takeaway , hosts Paul Kirby and Sara Sloman sit down with Phil Clarke, Founder and CEO of TUAL, to explore groundbreaking solutions to the challenges of commercial fleet electrification. Phil reveals how TUAL’s power bank-based charging infrastructure provides flexibility where grid capacity is limited, turning even the toughest-to-reach locations into EV-friendly hubs. Di...

Join hosts Sara Sloman and Sam Clarke on this week’s episode of The EV Café Takeaway as they welcome Amy Carter, EV Operations Manager at DAF Trucks. Amy shares her inspiring journey from mechanic to leading EV initiatives, while also opening up about her personal experience with transition and the resilience it required. Dive into discussions on key projects like the Z HIT program, advancements i...

In this episode of The EV Café Takeaway, hosts John Curtis and Sara Sloman sit down with Tom Rowlands, Managing Director of Global EV Solutions at Corpay. They explore how Corpay integrates various brands like Allstar, PlugSurfing, TravelCard, and Mina to offer comprehensive payment solutions in the electric vehicle industry. Tom discusses maintaining a startup culture within a global corporation,...

In this episode of the EV Café Takeaway, hosts John Curtis and Paul Kirby sit down with Taco Olthoff, Director of the Electric Vehicle Unit at Bridgestone Webfleet. From his beginnings as a saxophonist and former bankruptcy lawyer, Taco shares his unique journey into the world of EV fleet management. Discover how his passion for building and creating drives innovation at Webfleet, helping fleet ma...

Join hosts John Curtis and Sara Sloman in this insightful episode as they sit down with Matt Adams, Transport Policy Manager at the Renewable Energy Association (REA). Discover how the REA advocates for over 500 companies in the renewable energy sector and plays a pivotal role in shaping EV policy. Matt shares his journey from studying politics to influencing EV infrastructure and discusses the ch...

Join John Curtis and Paul Kirby as they sit down with the multifaceted Rick Parfitt Jr—musician, racing champion, and electric vehicle enthusiast. Rick shares his exhilarating journey from the racetrack to the stage, revealing how his passion for cars evolved from classic engines to electric powerhouses like his Porsche Taycan. Dive into Rick’s insights on sustainability, the future of EV technolo...

In this episode, Naomi Nye of Drax Energy Solutions shares her transformative journey from finance to a leadership role in EV infrastructure, blending technical expertise with a customer-focused mindset. Naomi reflects on how early personal hardships, like a serious accident at sixteen, taught her resilience and shaped her proactive, collaborative approach. With Drax, Naomi advances renewable, fle...

Dr. Isobel Sheldon OBE, a self-taught pioneer in battery technology, has dedicated her career to advancing sustainable transportation and cleaner air. Driven by childhood asthma and a fascination with electric vehicles, she broke into battery engineering without a traditional Ph. D., instead receiving an honorary doctorate recognising her lifelong contributions. Her journey spans early plug-in hyb...

Jess Shanahan takes us through her exciting career spanning motorsport and journalism, up to recently becoming a team principal in the E-Scooter Championship. After a transformative 2,500-mile EV road trip, Jess transitioned into the e-mobility space, focusing on sustainability and combating EV misinformation. Now, as the head of RM Electric, she blends her motorsport experience with her passion f...

Join Paul Kirby and John Curtis as they welcome Adam Hall, Director of Energy Services at Drax. They explore how Drax has evolved from traditional coal power generation to pioneering sustainable biomass energy solutions. Adam discusses Drax Electric Vehicles’ comprehensive services, offering businesses a full turnkey solution for fleet electrification—from vehicle suitability assessments to long-t...

In this episode of The EV Café Takeaway, hosts Paul and John chat with Alec Peachey, founder of the popular industry news website Transport and Energy and annual event Transport & Energy Forum. Alec shares his journey from local journalism to uniting the transport and energy sectors. After facing redundancy during the pandemic, he turned challenges into opportunities, fostering collaboration i...

Join hosts Paul Kirby and John Curtis as they sit down with Colin Boyton from GreenFleet, one of the masterminds behind the EV Rally. Colin shares the inspiring story of how he pioneered the EV Rally of Scotland during COP26 and grew it into a major event showcasing electric vehicle capabilities and infrastructure across the UK. Beyond his professional achievements, Colin opens up about his person...

Join Sara Sloman as she sits down with Guinness World Record holders Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker, and Richard Parker. Discover how Sam and Kevin achieved not one but two EV world records: the longest journey by an electric vehicle on a single charge and the greatest distance traveled by an electric van. Learn about the meticulous planning, efficient driving techniques, and cutting-edge telematics fro...

We were lucky enough to be joined by Mike Cutts of Iveco, Stewart Murphy of Royal Mail and Paul McCormack of Decarbon Logistics to discuss the growing area of zero emission deliveries and last mile deliveries in particular. From Postman Pat to the Iveco eDaily, there is something here for everyone! The chat was steered by Jonny Berry ably supported by Paul Kirby, Sam Clarke, and Sara Sloman. Watch...

Adrian Fielden-Gray shares his journey as co-founder of Be. EV, a customer-focused CPO, highlighting the importance of humility in business leadership. Adrian discusses the balance he and his partner, Asif Ghafoor , bring to the table, emphasising their complementary strengths and shared vision. He reflects on how their tenacity and commitment to supporting employees through shared successes have...

In this special episode, Richard Parker and James Dewhurst from Webfleet join to discuss their data-focused contributions to the GreenFleet EV Rally. Covering 1,500 miles across diverse vehicles, the rally provided key insights into EV performance, particularly in challenging real-world scenarios. The episode looks at the importance of refining EV data for better fleet management, improving driver...

Jackie Barker, OEM Strategy Director at Keyloop and 2024 Woman of the Year, joins the discussion. Jackie shares her journey in the automotive industry, emphasising the importance of diversity, inclusivity, and mentorship. She highlights how she has transformed her team to achieve gender balance and advocates for creating opportunities for women in automotive. Jackie also opens up about her persona...

Not a normal EV Café Takeaway today as we are just lining up the next episode. Today we get to delve into the archives of a brilliant, fun, and moving chat with a guy called David Beeney. You’ll remember that the EV Café absolutely stand on the importance of mental health, with both John Curtis and Paul Kirby being mental health first aiders, and David Beeney brings this subject to life, as he is...

The EV Café’s own Richie Martin delves into his journey from organising The Installer Show to becoming a driving force in the electrification and sustainability space. He opens up about the personal losses that shaped his resilience, and how early experiences of adversity fueled his passion for connecting with people. Richie shares his love for angling as a surprising outlet for recharging, and di...