The EVs for Everyone Podcast

If you listen to just one podcast episode this summer, this is it. Expert guest, Mike Murphy, a seasoned political media consultant renowned for his work in high-profile campaigns, including those for Sen. John McCain and governors like Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger joins the show today to talk about the intersection of politics and the EV market. We dive into a new challenge impacting EV...

Be prepared to chuck everything you know about renting EVs out the window because Jared Kinnaird, Rental Car Operations and Revenue Manager at Tom Wood Automotive is on the show today to give us an absolute masterclass on what's *actually* possible with EV rentals today. Remember all those headlines back in January when Hertz dumped 20k EVs onto the market? Jared gives us his unfiltered commentary...

Neeraj Saini, Senior Manager of Connected Car Services & EV Charging, joins me for a quick interview all about EV charging during AutoTech Detroit. Luckily, Neeraj and I had the opportunity to record this episode while sitting inside the Nissan Ariya (on the showroom floor) while we talked all things customer expectations vs. reality in charging speeds, and most importantly, future improvement...

Dr. John Heinlein, Chief Marketing Officer of Sonatus, joined me on-site last week during AutoTech Detroit to set the record straight on what a software-defined vehicle (SDV) is and how OEMs like Hyundai are using SDVs to innovate on some of the most impressive vehicle features in 2024. Hit play on this episode to demystify complex tech jargon so you can truly grasp the significance of SDVs in the...

Richard Bustillo, GM of Brickell Motors in Miami, FL and Scott Lear, President of Dealer Benefit are on the show today to talk about the dreaded EV battery repair. Scott points out that the common kneejerk response at the business office, (aka "call the OEM" or "google it") just won't cut it these days with customers who expect an Amazon-like experience in the F&I department, while Richard giv...

Alan Brown, GM at Sam Pack's Five Star Chevrolet in Dallas, TX and Scott Case, CEO of Recurrent, are on the show today to banter back and forth about the state of the used EV marketplace, pricing fluctuations (aka my EV is worth how much right now?!) and ways in which we can all continue to push EV adoption forward as an industry. This is the conversation about used EVs you had no idea you needed,...

Jimmy Douglas, CEO of Plug, Heather Graham, Digital Director for Bob Bell Automotive and Ed Mallard, Ford Sales Consultant at Bob Bell Ford join me for a quick test drive of the Ford F-150 Lightning during ASOTU CON (with a pitstop at the Starbucks drive-thru). If you're curious about all things Ford Lightning or just some general knowledge on what's available on an electric pick-up truck, don't s...

Dave Colletti, President of ACC Consumer Finance joins me for a quick test drive of the Ford Mustang Mach-E (courtesy of Ciocca Ford of Flemington) as we talk about our early days of working with rideshare drivers (Dave at ACC and for me at Lyft). Dave points out that the game has *completely* changed and it's so much easier now to help experienced rideshare / TNC drivers get into an EV. Press pla...

Gregg Ciocca, Regional VP of Ciocca Dealerships and Dave Colletti, President of ACC Consumer Finance join me for a super fun Ford Mustang Mach-E Starbucks run in beautiful Flemington, NJ (right before Memorial Day Weekend!) Hear all about the cool features of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, some really random Philly / South Jersey trivia, and of course, how Gregg's family legacy in auto retail has helped...

Michael Wood, GM of Jaguar and Land Rover of Virginia Beach and Checkered Flag Volkswagen, along with Susan O'Rourke, VP of Sales and Business Development at Plug, join me during ASOTU CON for an in-depth exploration of EVs in auto retail today. Michael Wood, renowned for his management acumen, and Susan O'Rourke, a seasoned expert in used EVs, unpack the benefits of the single point of contact sa...

The legendary Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford Lincoln, joins the show today along with my co-host, Michael Wheatley, Sales and Business Development Manager at Recurrent to talk about the U.S. auto industry's hesitant approach to embracing EVs. Ed gives an absolute masterclass in this episode highlighting the gaps in EV product knowledge at dealerships while stressing the importance of hands-on expe...

Arun Kumar, Global Co-Leader of the Advanced Mobility Group at AlixPartners joins me today for a candid discussion about EV sentiment in China vs the United States. In the latest International Electric Vehicle Consumer-Sentiment Survey, AlixPartners found that interest in electric vehicles has surged in China, with 97% of respondents open to purchasing EVs, compared to a lukewarm increase in the U...

Amira Aly, Founder at VoltAlytics and a former finance leader at Capital One, Chase Auto, JLR + Aston Martin, Lucid (and Fisker for a hot minute!) joins the show today to help demystify some of the "gray area" surrounding the financing of EVs. Amira is an absolute powerhouse and shares her unique perspective on the complexities of convincing traditional lenders to finance EVs, and the importance o...

Former Tesla (and Lucid) employee turned dealership consultant, Shannon Golbienko joins Savannah Simms and I for a no-holds-bar conversation about Elon, the DTC model, and everything in between! Press play on this episode to hear our candid conversation about embracing change, creating meaningful customer relationships, and remaining dedicated to service excellence in the face of industry shifts....

Meet the brother-sister duo who left their conventional paths to address a critical yet overlooked problem in the EV battery industry: the absence of accurate and quick battery health tests. Steven Chung and Zora Chung from Rejoule are on the show today to talk about their novel approach to using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to revolutionize how battery health is assessed, offering...

Scott Case, Co-founder and CEO at Recurrent and Dan Saidy, Director of Variable Operations at The CAR Group (Norm Reeves Auto Group) join me on this episode at the Auto Intel Summit in Cary, NC which dives deep into the world of depreciation, demand, and dealership dynamics that all contribute to a constantly evolving EV market. Oh, and we also talk about the Volkswagen ID.4 (again) because that h...

Dan Saidy, Director of Variable Operations at The CAR Group (Norm Reeves Auto Group) and Casey Harmon, SVP at RunBuggy join me at the Auto Intel Summit (AIS+NRC) in Cary, NC to talk about a number of nuances that exists when transporting EVs versus traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. And, to top it off, we also discuss one vitally important question: "Who is the best James Bond...

Sharky Laguana, President of the American Car Rental Association (ACRA) a member of the EV Working Group in Washington D.C. and the CEO of Bandago, * explicitly * discusses the challenging transition from ICE to EVs in the car rental industry. I love this conversation so much because Sharky is truly on the front lines of promoting the nationwide shift to EVs, which includes analyzing new battery t...

Ron Frawley, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Magna Powertrain, an experienced engineer with over four decades in the field, is our "EV professor" today as we explore the full spectrum of vehicle propulsion technologies. This episode demystifies the transition toward electric vehicles, portraying it as a gradual shift with varied options catering to different consumer readines...

Michael Wood, GM of Checkered Flag Volkswagen, Jaguar and Land Rover and Savannah Simms, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Simms Auto Group (and co-host for today!) join me for this one-of-a-kind episode that you won't find anywhere else. It's no secret that dealerships now have the chance to become pivotal in the EV transition and empower their staff with in-depth EV knowledge, bu...

Alex Urist, VP of XCharge North America joins me on today's episode to tackle EV charging myths as well as identifying lucrative opportunities (and hurdles) in providing EV charging options for businesses and individual operators alike. Press play on this episode to learn more about the critical factors Charge Point Operators (CPOs) need to consider, such as real estate costs, ROI, and the strateg...

Aaaand SOLD! Kelly Bianchi, President of AuctionVCommerce and Michael Wheatley, Sales & Business Development Manager at Recurrent join me today to talk about the transformation of traditional auto auctions towards a more hybrid experience that supports the evolving EV market. Kelly notes that it's all about enhancing the customer experience for the auctions, with a focus on providing comprehen...

Kraig Quisenberry, VP of Major Accounts at ACV Auctions and Michael Wheatley, Sales & Business Development Manager at Recurrent (and my co-host today!) talk all about EV trends and demand in the EV auction space. Even though some say EV interest is "cooling" among consumers, Michael points out that car-buying site views for EVs surged by 30% in early 2024 reflecting heightened dealer competiti...

Ashley Roseberry, Strategic Account Director for ACV Auctions and Julie Woo, Head of Product for Recurrent (and my co-host today!) dive deep into the challenges faced by dealers in understanding the auction side of used EVs. Julie emphasized the importance of confidence in the market, citing several key factors that affect EVs, while Ashley added that dealers are seeking more information and secur...

Mickey Anderson, President of Baxter Auto, is back on the show today to discuss the recent updates to the EPA / EV Mandate as well as the disconnect between consumer demand for EVs and the government mandates set by the EPA. Don't miss this important episode (with one of the most respected franchise dealers in the U.S.) to hear why dealers play a crucial role in guiding customer demand and advocat...