Hopeful Perspective Amid Crisis

In this episode of the Everything Electric podcast, Robert is joined by fellow presenter Imogen Bhogal. What starts as a quick catch-up soon descends into a slightly unhinged conversation about the surprising return of the Freelander as an EV joint venture in China, the staggering energy demands of AI and data centres including battery systems measured in tens of gigawatt-hours that rival the power consumption of entire cities, and Robert's unexpected VW fandom...! Links to stories: https://electrek.co/2026/03/31/freelander-suv-reborn-sharp-off-road-ev-images/ https://electrek.co/2026/03/30/toyotas-new-luxury-ev-china-receives-3100-orders-in-1-hour/ https://electrek.co/2026/03/27/used-ev-sales-boom-new-ev-sales-drop-28-percent-q1-2026/ https://electrek.co/2026/03/26/byd-recruits-james-bond-launch-new-longe-range-luxury-ev/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/worlds-largest-grid-battery-part-of-google-xcel-energy-agreement/813793/ 00:00 – Intro: A "First Best" Guest?! 01:35 – Freelander Returns?! JLR's China EV Strategy 13:55 – April Fools 17:40 – The Rise of Mega-Batteries 26:25 – Electric Trucks & 1.5MW Charging 31:40 – The US EV Market: What's Really Happening? 34:05 – Renewables vs. Politics 37:40 – Are These "Dark Times" Temporary? 41:25 – Upcoming Reviews: BYD & Volvo 43:55 – Accidental VW Loyalty... 48:25 – Everything Electric Harrogate Preview 50:55 – Final Thoughts & What's Next Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverythingElectricShow

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