EvC Podcast Episode #56: Buzzkill - Understanding the Shift in Media Perception Towards EVs

Podcast Episode #56

Special guest Dr. Simon Evans, Deputy Editor & Senior Policy Editor at Carbon Brief joins hosts David, Sara, and Ed to tease apart EV fact from fiction.

They examine why the attention EVs seem to draw is disproportionate to the number of EVs on the road today. Has the volume of negative EV media stories increased, or does it just seem that way to EV enthusiasts? What consumer concerns are legitimate regarding EVs, and what concerns are overblown by the media?

About Our Guest

Simon Evans is deputy editor and policy editor at Carbon Brief. Simon covers climate and energy policy. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from Bristol University and previously studied chemistry at Oxford University. He worked for environment journal The ENDS Report for six years, covering topics including climate science and air pollution.

Show Notes

00:02:01 – Factcheck: 21 misleading myths about electric vehicles

00:04:59 – Electric vs. Gas Cars: Is It Cheaper to Drive an EV?

00:06:37 – IPCC Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report 

00:10:30 – Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars - Finally picking up pace, but challenges on the road ahead 

00:12:15 – Good Politics Bad Policy – Why governments should end their subsidies for electric vehicles 

00:17:25 –  U of T researchers model the health benefits of electric cars, find 'large improvement in air quality'

00:18:45 – Roles of diffusion patterns, technological progress, and environmental benefits in determining optimal renewable subsidies in the US 

00:20:13 – Politics in the U.S. energy transition: Case studies of solar, wind, biofuels and electric vehicles policy

00:27:20 – Stop, Look & Listen - Five point plan to protect drivers from a rush to net zero is backed by MPs, motorists and campaigners

00:31:20 – Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains: The Basics

00:37:12 – Alberta Budget 2024: Electric vehicle groups question fairness of new $200 annual tax

00:43:46 – Yes, frigid weather may reduce your EV battery range. Here's how to prepare

00:48:24 – Hydrogen vs Electric Cars: Which is Better for the Future?

About Your Hosts:

David Keith is Professor and Founding Faculty Director, Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago. He is the founder of Carbon Engineering and was formerly a professor at Harvard University and the University of Calgary. He splits his time between Canmore and Chicago.

Sara Hastings-Simon studies energy transitions at the intersection of policy, business, and technology. She’s a policy wonk, a physicist turned management consultant, and a professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development.

Ed Whittingham is a clean energy policy/finance professional specializing in renewable electricity generation and transmission, carbon capture, carbon removal and low carbon transportation. He is a Public Policy Forum fellow and formerly the executive director of the Pembina Institute, a national clean energy think tank.

Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems
www.energyvsclimate.com

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