Everything Electric Podcast

In this special, and slightly sillier episode of the Everything Electric podcast, Imogen Bhogal turns the tables on our founder, Robert Llewellyn. 
 
As Robert celebrates his 70th birthday, the pair look back on an extraordinary six-decade career spanning bespoke shoemaking, fringe comedy, cult sci-fi fame, and becoming one of the world's leading voices for electric vehicles and clean energy. 
 
They chat about Robert's time on Red Dwarf and the show's enduring legacy as one of the BBC's most-watched programmes (outperforming Top Gear, dare we say it?). There are also fond memories of Scrapheap Challenge, the bizarre Mojave Desert story involving a children's deckchair and a 3,500-foot flight, the hidden psychology behind the Carpool series, and of course, Robert's slightly alarming habit of writing far too many books.
Enjoy! 
 
Ghost Camera is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Camera-Robert-Llewellyn/dp/1789651816 
 
Watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/edkwTFblDMA
 
00:00 – Introduction: A different kind of podcast 
01:40 – Robert's 70th Birthday & The "Umarell" nickname 
07:05 – The Geodesic Dome & School Expulsion 
10:32 – Life as a Bespoke Shoemaker 
13:00 – "The Joeys" and discovering the joy of comedy 
18:50 – Becoming Kryten: The Red Dwarf years 
24:10 – Red Dwarf vs. Blackadder & The BBC 
28:30 – Scrapheap Challenge: 5mm aggregate and flying junk 
37:20 – The birth of Carpool and "Suicide Cameras" 
42:20 – Pitching Fully Charged to a confused BBC 
46:10 – Ghost Camera: Writing, Optimism, and AI
54:00 – Conclusion: Humour as the "spoonful of sugar"

 
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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To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]
 
EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026 
EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026
EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026

Recorded live at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Elliot Richards sits down with Dr. Zhu Lingbo "LB", CTO of CATL's International Business Unit, for a conversation about the battery technologies that are reshaping the automotive industry.

From 3-minute charging and 1,500 km batteries to the reality of solid-state development, this episode delves into the breakthroughs, bottlenecks, and global power struggle defining the future of EVs. 
 
LB Zhu explains how CATL's latest Qilin and Shenxing battery platforms are pushing energy density, charging speed, and weight reduction further than ever before, and why the company believes lighter batteries may matter just as much as bigger ones.
 
In this episode: 
CATL's 3 min 44 sec charging breakthrough 
350 Wh/kg "Condensed State" batteries 
Why EV weight is becoming a major battleground 
The real timeline for solid-state batteries 
CATL's expansion into Germany and Europe 
The future of battery recycling and circular supply chains 
China vs Europe in the global battery race
 
0:00 CATL's Vision for the Future of EVs 
2:18 Qilin vs Shenxing: CATL's New Battery Breakthroughs 
5:41 3-Minute Charging: How Fast Can EVs Really Get? 
8:02 Sodium-Ion Batteries & the Next Chemistry Shift 
10:27 Why EV Weight Is the Industry's Next Big Battle 
14:20 Why 500 Wh/kg Batteries Aren't Ready for Cars 
16:15 The Truth About Solid-State Batteries 
19:06 Europe's EV Slowdown & Global Electrification Trends 
23:18 Inside CATL's Expansion Into Germany 
27:25 Battery Recycling & the Circular Economy Future 
31:48 What EVs Will Look Like in 2036

 
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
 
Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff

Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow

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Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0

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Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show

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Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric

To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]
EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026
EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026
EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026  #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electric-vehicles-uk #CATL #EVBattery #ElectricVehicles #SolidStateBattery #FastCharging #EVTechnology #BatteryTechnology #ElectricCars #Shenxing #QilinBattery #EverythingElectric #EVNews #ChinaEV #BatteryInnovation #FutureOfTransport #Electrification #SodiumIon #BatteryRecycling #EnergyStorage #BeijingAutoShow

EVents season kicks off in earnest, with the biggest car show ever held on planet earth. Where else, but in Beijing? But is its scale covering some cracks in the car market more generally and China specifically, Dan Caesar & Elliot Richards think it might be. From inside the cockpit of a CATL battery powered vertical take off and landing craft they predict take off for some, crash landings for others.
Want to see and test drive an array of battery EVs, but can't make it to the major autoshows overseas? Then come join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show
THIS WEEK! - EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026
EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026
EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026
EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026
To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]
Check out our sister channel Everything Electric TECH: https://www.youtube.com/@EverythingElectricShow
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#fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electric-vehicles-uk

Welcome to a special live episode of the Everything Electric podcast, recorded right in the heart of Oxford Street thanks to  @renaultgroup .
 
This is a rare, unfiltered conversation with three of the most influential voices in clean energy and human behaviour: 
Greg Jackson (CEO, Octopus Energy) 
Rory Sutherland (Behavioural Science, Ogilvy) 
Robert Llewellyn (Fully Charged) 
We're living through a strange moment. Clean energy is advancing faster than ever… yet the global system still clings to fossil fuels, geopolitical instability, and outdated market rules. So what's really going on? 
 
In this episode, we explore: 
Why fossil fuels are fundamentally inefficient (and losing ground) 
The surprising psychology behind EV adoption (spoiler: it's not about saving the planet) 
How the UK's electricity pricing system is distorting costs 
The idea of an "energy pension" and how solar could deliver ~11% returns 
Why countries like China are racing ahead while others hesitate 
Standout moments: 
"Oil and gas are like an abusive partner… it's never going to be different." 
The "Château Pétrus" analogy that perfectly explains energy pricing 
Why petrol stations might soon look… completely outdated 
"You just plug it in like a phone. Shut up."
This conversation is about technology, economics, human behaviour, and what the future will actually feel like. Enjoy! 
 

00:00:00:00 Welcome and a little caveat! 
00:01:10 Ad Break 
00:01:32 Set the scene
00:05:20 Greg Jackson, Rory Sutherland & Robert Llewellyn 
00:07:00 Why? 
00:09:41 Robert Llewellyn on Efficiency and Internal Combustion Engines 
00:11:18 Rory Sutherland on EV Hostility 
00:16:14 The Energy Crisis and Fossil Fuel Industry "Audacity" - Greg Jackson 
00:20:53 Oil and Gas - an "Abusive Partner"?! 
00:22:56 Market Reform and the Future of BP and Shell 
00:28:10 Harm Reduction vs Perfectionism 
00:30:45 The Norwegian Paradox and Imported Emissions 
00:33:11 Marginal Pricing: The "Pint of Beer" Analogy 
00:34:31 Overcoming the Standard of Perfection in New Tech 
00:37:46 Greg Jackson's Three Magic Wishes for Energy Reform 
00:40:14 AI Data Centres and Localised Pricing 
00:43:46 The Perception and Politics of Electric Vehicles 
00:45:52 Behavioural Science: Social Copying and the Sigmoid Curve 
00:48:21 The IKEA Effect: Loyalty through Sunk Effort 
00:50:11 Induction Hobs and the Benefits of Electrification 
00:51:03 Reframing Clean Tech as an "Energy Pension" 00:53:08 Preppers and "Freedom Cars" in Texas 
00:54:39 The Success of Global EV Test Drives 
00:56:53 Micro-Mobility and the Quiet Streets of China 
01:00:08 Displacing Global Fossil Fuel Consumption 
01:03:03 Symbolic Action vs. Meaningful Energy Change 
01:04:45 Closing Remarks and Audience Farewell
 
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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Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec
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To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]
EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026 
EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026 
EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026

EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026  
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In this episode of the Everything Electric Podcast, Robert Llewellyn sits down with Professor Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at Oxford University, to reveal why electricity currently only tells 20% of the global energy story.

They delve into tackling the "hidden 80%", the mobility and heating sectors still dominated by fossil fuels; and explore why our current system is "astonishingly inefficient," wasting two-thirds of all energy inputs as heat. Jan explains how shifting to electrification at scale could cut total global energy demand in half and tackles the biggest myths and milestones of the transition:

The Grid Threat: Why data centers pose a more significant regional challenge to the grid than 100 million electric vehicles.
Critical Materials: Is the world really running out of lithium, or are we entering an era of "urban mining" where 95-97% of battery materials can be recycled?
The China Factor: A look at the "mind-blowing" scale of solar adoption in China and the declining utilization of their coal plants.
Beyond Climate: Why electrification is now a primary lever for energy security and economic resilience in a volatile world.

From the efficiency of heat pumps to the emergence of industrial heat batteries , this episode connects the dots on what the next phase of the energy transition really looks like.  
 


00:00 A little error...

03:22 Fragile Fuel Systems and Global Crises

05:53 The Myth of North Sea Energy Security

07:44 The Colossal Scale of Global Oil Consumption

08:44 The 20/80 Rule: Why Electricity Isn't Everything

10:41 Efficiency: Why Electrification Halves Energy Use

12:47 China's Solar Revolution and Coal Reality

15:52 The Mindset of the New Generation of Engineers

18:51 Market Tipping Points: Cheaper, Faster, Lighter

22:26 Data Centers vs. EV Grid Impact

28:04 Raw Materials, Lithium Mining, and Circular Economies

34:02 SMRs, Fusion, and Carbon Capture: The Reality Check

41:41 Energiewende and Global Energy Access

48:14 The Next Big Thing: Industrial Heat Batteries

52:40 Domestic Advice: Batteries vs. Solar

 


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
 
Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff

Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow

Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above

Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0

Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/

Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show

Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec

Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric

To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]
 
EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026 
EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026
EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026
EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026  
Tags: #EnergyTransition #Electrification #CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #NetZero #ClimateSolutions #EnergyEfficiency #ElectricVehicles #EVs #HeatPumps #Decarbonization #Sustainability #FutureOfEnergy #CleanTech #GreenTechnology #EnergySecurity #BatteryRecycling #CircularEconomy #Lithium #UrbanMining #ChinaEnergy #GlobalEnergy #ClimateAction #LowCarbon #EverythingElectric #JanRosenow