Cheap EVs, Rural Chargers & -20°C: What Could Go Wrong?!

Summary

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Everything Electric Podcast

Episode: Cheap EVs, Rural Chargers & -20°C: What Could Go Wrong?!

Host: The Fully Charged Show (Jack Scarlett, Robert Llewellyn, Imogen Bogle)
Date: March 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This lively and insightful catch-up episode sees regular Fully Charged presenters Jack Scarlett, Robert Llewellyn, and Imogen Bogle debrief after a recent three-person EV road trip across rural Wales. The team dives into the current state of affordable electric vehicles, the challenge of charging infrastructure outside urban centers, innovations in clean energy storage, and the evolving mainstream appeal of EVs—sprinkled with anecdotes, friendly banter, and reflections on how far the industry has come. Major topics include small/cheap EVs, the reality of rural charging, winter range challenges, the design legacy of classic cars, and future plans for the show and for the presenters themselves.

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Key Discussion Points

Presenters' Recent Adventures and Industry Updates

• Imogen’s Paris Interview ([02:31]):

  • Imogen returns from Paris after interviewing Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand.
    • “He was just beautifully, wonderfully articulate…we really spoke about what's required in order to make small EVs actually possible in Europe.” — Imogen ([04:01])
  • Renault’s strategy: freezing regulations to make small EVs affordable and profitable, and thoughts on which classic Renault to electrify next (hint: possibly not the Spider).

• Robert’s Return from Australia ([08:37]):

  • Robert’s focus: gravity-based electricity storage (Green Gravity) and visiting a huge solar farm paired with battery storage.
  • “That combination of solar and batteries is becoming the supremely, you know, the supremely dominant electricity generating technology around the world on a scale that's hard to imagine.” — Robert ([09:06])
  • Abu Dhabi now delivers a constant 1 GW of solar+battery power, rivaling nuclear or gas.

Feature Segment: The Affordable EV Road Trip

• The Wales Adventure ([11:16]):

  • Motivation: To test and celebrate the new wave of small, affordable EVs before the arrival of the much-hyped Renault Twingo EV.
  • Vehicles: BYD Dolphin Surf (Jack), Citroen ëC3 (Imogen), Leapmotor T03 (Robert).
  • Route: The A470 through the heart of Wales—a region notorious for sparse charging infrastructure.
  • “One thing we learned quite quickly—Wales. Rural Wales. Charging infrastructure, I would say is somewhere in…the 1970s.” — Jack ([12:16])
  • Fun, camaraderie, and logistical headaches: Downloading confusing apps, setting offensive passwords, and the challenges of rural charging in heavy rain prompted a lot of creative swearing from Robert ([13:41]).
  • Real takeaway:
    • “I'm not certain that we proved that you can in fact do massive road trips in the cheapest, smallest range EVs on sale. It's actually quite challenging, if the truth be told.” — Jack ([14:19])
    • However, the sheer choice of £20k-class EVs is cause for optimism.

• Past vs. Present Progress ([15:55]):

  • Robert’s early EV road trip in a first-gen Nissan Leaf (70-mile range, charging at B&Bs): took 3 days for a journey they can now accomplish in a day.
  • Modern budget EVs like the Leapmotor T03 can now do 120 miles per charge, even in poor weather.

• Sense of Place and Scenery ([15:06]):

  • Imogen: “It was sensationally beautiful…there are just some fantastic landscapes here in the UK. It was breathtaking.”
  • Plus, the joy of discovering “strange, obscure locations” rarely visited otherwise.

Industry Trends: Small Cars, Big Impact, and Cold Weather EV Testing

• Kia EV2 Experience ([17:42], [19:38]):
  • Jack had an exclusive first drive of the Kia EV2, including Norway’s extreme winter range test (down to -20°C).
  • “It's got all the good things about a big car, but it's a really small car…You feel high and mighty and imperious and it's hugely spacious inside…It does all that for you, but it's teeny weeny.” — Jack ([19:38])
  • Imogen: “It's a big car for a small person. It's a small, big car. A big car.” ([20:23])
  • Note: Extreme cold (-20°C to -30°C) seriously taxes batteries and the human body alike ([20:49]).

The Future is Here: EVs as “Just Cars”

• The Shift to Mainstream ([30:33]):

  • Discussion of a Volvo TV commercial thanking early EV adopters and presenting the new EX60, a car with a thousand-mile range.
    • “We no longer call it an electric car now. This is just a car.” — Robert ([30:33])
  • Reflections on how, after years of niche status, EVs are finally poised to simply be “cars” for more people.
    • “My friend’s buying a Renault 5…not because it's electric…It's just the thing that makes the most sense for him financially, in terms of his requirements.” — Jack ([32:04])

• Renault 5 Electrification Philosophy ([32:46]):

  • Fabrice Cambolive on the R5: “Obviously the car should never have a petrol engine. It should not be a hybrid…It is fun because it's an electric car.” — relay by Imogen

• Industry Resistance and Structural Challenges ([33:39]):

  • Robert notes persistent resistance from well-funded lobbies and negative press, especially as policy deadlines approach. ([33:39])

Personal Updates & Reflections

• Jack’s Upcoming Sabbatical ([23:23]):
  • Jack is preparing for a 3–4 month trip around Japan, with the channel pre-stocking content before his departure. He expresses FOMO over missing major EV launches but excitement for his travels.
• Imogen’s and Robert’s Roles:
  • Imogen will handle more car reviews in Jack’s absence, including press trips to Ibiza and Barcelona.

Anniversary Reflections & Life Lessons

• Jack’s Birthday Moment ([35:09]):
  • “I just think I'm getting better at being happy with each passing year…if you're listening to this and you're 25 and you're riddled with anxiety, don't worry, I was too. And it's, it's 32 is the new 21, I've decided.” — Jack ([36:36])
• Wisdom from Robert:
  • “It is still possible at my age to say the most inappropriate things that you then regret for the rest of your years that you've got remaining. You know, I still managed to screw up plenty of times…” ([37:02])
• Podcast closes with birthday wishes and a friendly, comedic sign-off.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• “We really spoke about what's required in order to make small EVs actually possible in Europe…freezing some of the regulations is so necessary in order to drive out cost and make them affordable and profitable.” — Imogen ([04:01])
• “I remember more swearing from you, Robert Llewellyn, in the space of five minutes in that Welsh car park than in the five years that I've known you.” — Jack ([13:42])
• “...I'm not certain that we proved that you can in fact do massive road trips in the cheapest, smallest range EVs on sale…But certainly it highlighted what a wonderful variety there now is at that £20,000 price point, which was unthinkable two years ago.” — Jack ([14:19])
• “That car didn't [need to be charged]. And I thought, that is amazing that this tiny little car can do those sort of distances in the rain, on motorway, at motorway speeds.” — Robert ([16:47])
• “I've never forgotten for one moment my first drive of the Polestar 5...that's made an impression.” — Robert ([27:55])
• “We no longer call it an electric car now. This is just a car.” — Robert, on the Volvo EX60 advert ([30:33])
• “My friend…not interested in electric, he's not interested in cars…he's buying it because it's just the right choice for him.” — Jack ([32:04])
• “If you're listening to this and you're 25 and you're riddled with anxiety, don't worry, I was too. And it's, it's 32 is the new 21, I've decided.” — Jack ([36:36])

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Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• [02:31] Imogen on Paris interview and Renault’s small EV strategy
• [08:37] Robert on gravity-based power storage and solar farms
• [11:16] Road trip in rural Wales: Small EVs, sparse charging
• [13:41] Hilarious car park password and swearing moment
• [15:55] Robert’s story: Early EV travel vs now
• [17:42] The Kia EV2 and Norway’s -20°C range test
• [30:33] Discussion of the “just cars” moment and Volvo’s advert
• [35:09] Jack’s birthday reflection on happiness with age

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Tone & Atmosphere

• Humorous, friendly, conversational, with plenty of light-hearted reminiscence and witty asides.
• Honest about the difficulties and frustrations of EV ownership, balanced with infectious optimism about accelerating progress.
• Laced with memorable anecdotes and personal reflections.

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Conclusion

An engaging catch-up that encapsulates the current state of the EV world: relentless innovation, persistent infrastructure challenges, the growing accessibility of affordable models, and the steady normalisation of electrification. Through real-world road trips, interviews with industry leaders, and playful on-air chemistry, Jack, Robert, and Imogen remind listeners that the electric future is not only arriving—but is already woven into everyday life.

Listeners are left with a sense of excitement for what's next, both in electric mobility and for the Fully Charged team’s adventures.

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Transcript

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[A]

Hello and welcome to this episode of the Everything Electric podcast. I'm Jack Scarlett and I'm doing the intro this week because Imogen and Bobby couldn't decide which of them should do it. So I stepped in and I didn't actually ask what I'm supposed to say. That sounded roughly right, didn't it?

[C]

Right, yeah, probably the. Probably the best. It's the best one that I've ever heard other than Imogens which are always immaculate and faultless.

[A]

Of course the listeners won't know that's actually the 97th take that we did of that I had panic attacks on the first 96. I'm joined by Robert Llewellyn, TV's Robert Llewellyn and Imogen Bogle. We thought we might just have a little one of those quarterly I suppose ish catch ups that we have on the podcast sometime between because we've been on a wonderful trip together recently. We did our first three presenter road trip video. We're going to do a little bit of debriefing about that. We're going to talk about what we've been up to in recent weeks and what's coming up on the channel in weeks to come.

[B]

Our three free YouTube channels on EVs and clean energy tech are funded by our fun packed test drivetastic events in the north west and Greater London and our events down Under. Next up, everything electric north 2026 plus check out everythingelectric store for merch and

[A]

much more busy start to the year. Imogen, how are you? What's been keeping you busy?

[B]

Well, what have I been doing? I have just got back from Paris where I interviewed the CEO of Renault, Fabrice Kambaliv, which was great. He was just beautifully, wonderfully articulate. So that will be coming out, or I think that will already be out by the time that this comes out. I've done lots of techy stu stuff, seen, you know, some fantastic turbo machines, some big trucks, battery recycling. It's actually been a very, very busy start to the year. And super techy, which, you know, I really enjoy.

[A]

And this is the new ish Renault CEO who's got very big shoes to fill because his predecessor was the champion of the Reno lution. Yuck. Which, no, have I got that wrong?

[B]

Kind of. And this is where it is definitely confusing. So I think you're referring to Luca Di Meo, who was super charismatic and amazing. And yes, I need a renolution, which I can never quite say. He has then since been replaced by. Oh, my God, I'm gonna do a live Google. I'm so sorry, everybody. Renault, there's been an interest.

[C]

I didn't know. I only know those two. Okay.

[B]

Francois Provost, definitely not how you pronounce his name, but Fabrice Cambaliv is actually the CEO of the brand. So not CEO of Renault Group, but CEO of the Renault brand as well as chief growth office dacier.

[A]

Understood.

[B]

So it's a bit of a, like, complicated puzzle, but, you know, main thing is big dog.

[A]

And it was a good chat.

[B]

It was a good chat. We really spoke about what's required in order to make small EVs actually possible in Europe. We spoke about how much freezing some of the regulations is so necessary in order to drive out cost of those small EVs and actually make them affordable and profitable. We also spoke a little bit about, like, if they're delving into their, you know, catalog of icon, which one is next to Electrify? And I asked the question, given that the Twingo, the original Twingo that came out in 1992, was loosely based on the Espace from the 80s, is that the next one to Electrify? He said it hadn't been decided, but I think it makes sense. It's not going to be the Spider. So, yeah, he. He was, he was delightful. It was a great chat.

[A]

I thought they discontinued the Espace ages ago, but I. I had a ride in one in France and it is shock. A big, huge SUV these days has completely lost all the kind of clever boxiness that it was once defined by. Not the only perpetrator of Course, But God, wouldn't that be nice if they could bring it back as a giant spacious mpv.

[B]

Oh, and I'd encourage everyone to Google original Espace and it's one of those.

[C]

The design is fantastic.

[B]

It would make total sense in this day and age to bring it back in that like true to that original design language. Oh, it's. And also what a great antidote to huge SUVs. It is a much more efficient way to carry around multiple people, in my opinion.

[A]

I years ago did a video for Everything Electric where we visited a company in France called Transition 1 and their whole vision was a €5,000 EV conversion kit that fits any car. Alas, it was an ill fated company but it was a memorable trip. And one of the things I remember especially is that the chap had his meeting room in his sort of workshop was a Mark 1 Renault Espace on bricks with the seats turned around to face each other. So it was like a little kind of cubby, you know, private and important business discussions in the most French way possible.

[B]

That is so, so excellent. I love that. I mean of course as fast. It does mean room, doesn't it?

[C]

It does.

[A]

Do you believe so?

[C]

Eh, mais oui, septinement. But just to give a balance because you know, I would hate for us to be accused of being, you know, very pro. One particular company, neighbors of ours whose children were at school with mine when they were at primary school many years ago. Just for the viewers information, my children are roughly the same age as Jack and Imogen. They were. The dad was driving them to school and the lovely George was sitting in the back that I, I remember him very fondly. He's now a plumber. He said, dad, I can smell burning. And they all got out of the car and it burst into flames. And when by the time we got there to pick them up to take them to school, there was a sort of framework and some smoke. There was nothing. I mean like every. There's literally a steel frame and I think it would have been a fiberglass body. It would have been the very early version of it. It was quite an old car even then when. Or. Oh, it wasn't. They didn't buy it new, they bought a second hand. But it just underlines the fact that vehicles can catch fire. And there was always those things about, oh, electric vehicles are all catching fire. My experience of petrol vehicles was they just caught fire all the bloody time and they still do.

[B]

Well, do you know what, that is so funny because as soon as you said that story Some sort of memory came from the back of my mind. I remember we were driving back from Wales circa 1998, maybe a bit later now, let's call it 2000. And the same thing happened to our Renault S bath that we had growing up. I remember at school talking about phase changes of material so going from solid to liquid to gas.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And there was this big melted bit of the bumper that had been solid. Melted and then solidified again. And my mum was like, you know, ever looking for the learning opportunity. Take this into school and say you've learned about face change.

[C]

Face changing in large plastic mouldings. Well, that is kind of worrying. Then there were at least two Renault Espaces that just burst into flames when they had children in them.

[B]

But, you know, we live to tell the tale and.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

And EVs are safer than petrol cars in that regard.

[C]

So we do know that.

[A]

So we're agreed that if they bring the Espace back, we'd like them to bring back most of the attributes of the original, maybe omit a few, like the tendency to burst into flame. Yeah, from time to time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Robert, you've been back in the country for a little while now. Post a stint in Australia. How have you been? What have been your favorite things that you've shot and worked on since you've been back?

[C]

I've definitely been. I've definitely been damp because it's rained every day except for two since I've been back, which is. But I mean, actually the two things I've done which are. Were quite impressive, which we haven't put out yet, which I recorded in Australia are the gravity electricity storage system. Green gravity. Amazing, amazing technology. I'll talk about that in a moment. But the other one was the. A big solar farm. So it's, you know, we've all. Now, everyone has seen a big solar farm, but when you're actually in the middle of it, and this is a solar farm with just under a million panels, it is, you know, it is a spectacle to, to witness. And also the batteries, I think that was the thing that, that combination of solar and batteries is becoming the supremely, you know, the supremely dominant electricity generating technology around the world on a scale that's hard to imagine. I mean, I've just done a news episode where there's a report from Abu Dhabi where they have now a constant supply of 1 gigawatts from solar and batteries. So 24 hours a day, summer and winter, doesn't matter. It actually generates 4 or 5 gigawatts but because of the batteries, it's absolutely constant throughout the day. There's a guaranteed supply of 1 gigawatt which is, you know, like a nuclear power plant or like a big gas gas turbine, you know. So those things are happening so fast and I'm just trying to sort of keep a tab on them because as soon as you go, oh my God, they've got a 4 gigawatt hour battery, that's the biggest one in the world. And you hear about one up the road that's got 10 gigawatt hours and it'll, you know. So that stuff is outside cars, but within cars. I mean, the one I can't help looking forward to a bit. Next week I get the Xpeng G6 for a week and we're filming that all over the country and doing all sorts of things with it. And I do remember driving that in Australia a couple of years ago and going, this is very nice. Yeah, I like this car. Yeah, but, but then our, you know, our leap motor. Oh, not our leap motor. That was what I drove. But our three vehicle trip was enormous fun and really interesting. I think we should point out that we effectively chose a route pretty much with the least charging and the least sort of. Yeah, the least charging of any road in the uk.

[A]

Right.

[C]

So there's no other road, I think in the middle of Norfolk or Scotland there's more charges and they'd all work.

[A]

I think we should set the scene for this a little bit. This was a. This was a special trip and a special video that we've been meaning to do for a little while. And we've been looking. Well, it was a couple of things. Number one, we've been looking for an excuse for the three of us to do a car video together for a long time. Number two, we've been interested in doing something that kind of celebrates the wide selection of really small, really affordable EVs that we now have before an especially exciting small, affordable EV shows up, the Renault Twingo to sort of assess what's the current benchmark.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So we went to Wales. We did a little road trip down a road called the A470, which is a road straight through the middle. Is it the A470, is that right? Yeah, straight through the middle of Wales from north to south in a BYD Dolphin Surf. That was me. A Citroen EC3 that was Imogen, and a Leap Motor T03, which was Bobby's vehicle of choice. And we had a wonderful time. One thing we learned quite quickly Wales. Rural Wales. Charging infrastructure, I would say is somewhere in, would we say the 70s, the 1970s. Where would you place it?

[C]

Decades wise, kind of 2017? I'd go up to.

[B]

Yeah, it was great fun. And I. I mean, sometimes you have shoots which are so mentally exhausting because what you're doing is quite intense. We have very limited time. There's lots of people on site and it is like you're really, really concentrating and then sometime have these shoots which are just total joy and you can just totally enjoy. And I had the two dogs in the car, so there were many points in that journey where I was like, oh, yeah, no, I am at work, this is. And I am on camera. But it was also just such great fun to hang out. Us three as well.

[C]

Yeah, no, it was good. I just want to quickly add that my password for the app that we had to download is the most. Because I have sometimes created rather obscene passwords. It was the most blatantly, ridiculously immaturely offensive password I've ever put together.

[B]

I'm so glad you said that because it was mine. Like some. Quite, quite a PG13 variation of like bum bum poo head.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I heard more swearing from you, Robert Llewellyn, in the space of five minutes in that Welsh car park than in the five years that I've known you prior to.

[C]

It was.

[A]

It was an emotional evening in the

[C]

rain, trying to put the bloody. And I mean, because that. It is definitely. That is an age thing. There's a time. There was a time even 10 years ago. Well, I could have completed that task quite easily. And something happens to a brain my age where you just go, oh, for goodness sake. I can't remember whether I put my name in. Right. What's the number of the thing? Oh, God. Just. Yeah, don't enjoy it.

[A]

In terms of any kind of vaguely sensible takeaways from that video, we won't spoil it too much. We won't tell you which of the cars was our favorite or anything like that. I'm not certain that we proved that you can in fact do massive road trips in the cheapest, smallest range EVs on sale. It's actually quite challenging, if the truth be told. But certainly it highlighted what a wonderful variety there now is at that 20,000 pound price point, which was unthinkable two years ago. Three years ago. Yeah, and we're tripping over them now. We could do that video again tomorrow with three different ones. We could. You know, there are cars that we missed out because, you know, we couldn't get them booked in on time. So, very encouraging trip and a real kind of sign of the times, I feel.

[B]

And I made the other thing that, you know, as Robert's mentioned, it has rained relentlessly since about November and it was raining throughout this entire journey. However, it was sensationally beautiful and I think it was a really good reminder that actually, despite this bleak rain that is getting into everybody's soul, there are just some fantastic landscapes here in the uk. It was breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking. And llan did know such an interesting town because, you know, one of those ones that obviously the Victorians decided that holidays were a thing and made all of these seaside towns and it's got these. These gorgeous tall buildings. Just. That is the joy that we get to see these strange, obscure locations that we'd have no reason otherwise to go to. So it was a good school trip. Really good.

[C]

It was. It was very good. And also, I think. I mean, I just want to say that I tried to do a similar trip 12, 13, 14 years ago in a Nissan Leaf, so in the first generation Nissan Leaf. And it was much, much harder, you know, in terms of charging. The only charges I could find were at bed and breakfast, where people were people who ran bed and breakfasts that had. That put a charger in their car park area or whatever outside the house. So I had. It took three days to do the journey we could have done in a day. I mean, we took it easy because we were filming this, but it took three days to get to Snowdonia. And then. And it was nightmare because, I mean, also because that car could only do about 65, 70 miles in the weather we were doing, whereas the leap motor, for all its many restrictions, was doing 120 miles on a charge.

[B]

Charge.

[C]

I could have actually got home when we finished in Cardiff. I really. That was unnecessary. I did stop and charge because I needed to stop, but I didn't. That car didn't. And I thought, that is amazing that this tiny little car can do those sort of distances in the rain, on motorway, at motorway speeds. You know, that was.

[A]

It was.

[C]

I was very impressed. I got more impressed with it as we went.

[A]

You grew very fond of your real

[C]

love affair over the course of that video. Yeah, because it started out, I was. When it arrived, I went, oh, for pity's sake, why have I got this one?

[B]

I did love the fact that they were all in variations of blue. So together they did look cute. Cute. It was like some kind of, I don't know, fully charged budget version of the Italian job with the Minis. Unfortunately, none of us went over, over

[C]

any cliffs, so we didn't write, we didn't rob any banks. We really, we really let the side down.

[B]

But Jack, you've had quite a Kia EV2 heavy start. Yeah. Which I don't think you're sad about at all.

[A]

Yeah. It's funny the way it's worked out. It has very much defined my first few months of content because we went and looked at it in a studio. The Production ready Kia EV2 at the start of the year and then moments in fact on that launch, we were informed that we might have the opportunity a couple of weeks later to have a world exclusive first drive in it. The first video has already gone live. We went to Norway and we participated in the world's biggest and harshest EV range test. So this is something the Norwegian EV Association, I think does every year. They basically get as many new cars as they can. They all drive north from Oslo until they die. And it's basically to assess if you are an Norwegian and you're trying to drive to your, you know, cabin in the fjords, which I think you just get assigned one at birth in Norway, as far as I can tell what would be the real range. So we did that on Kia's behalf in an EV2 prototype. The results were very impressive. You can see that video on the channel already. And then in a couple of weeks time or maybe shortly after this podcast goes live, in fact, the first drive and kind of mini review of that car is going to go live, which Imogen. I can see Imogen rapidly scanning the production schedule. Make sure that I'm right about the timings. At some point roughly before or after this podcast goes out, a video will be live, which is our world exclusive first drive of the Kia EV2. Spoiler alert. It's quite good.

[B]

I can confirm that this podcast will be going out on a Monday and tomorrow. If you're listening to this live Tuesday 3rd March, you can see that first world excursion first drive.

[A]

Can I tell you the thing that I really liked about that car? Because I think you'll appreciate this, Imogen. I think, and I said this in the video, I think it's a real tonic for our big SUV fixation because it, it's got all the, it's got all the good things about a big car, but it's a really small car. You feel fantastic at the wheel. You feel high and mighty and imperious and it's hugely spacious inside and all of that good stuff. You know, the reasons we buy big cars that we don't need is to kind of feel like, you know, safe and secure and up high. It does all that for you, but it's teeny weeny. You sort of look out over the bonnet and it confuses your brain because there's so little of it. So I was very impressed with that, very excited for that video to go live.

[B]

You have totally summed me up there, because that is precisely why I enjoyed the Citroen EC3. It's a big car for a small person. It's a small, big car. A big car. That's what I love. I love the seat of a suv, but in a small footprint. So I can't wait to see it. And I'm very envious. Although. Just tell us you went below minus 10 and I don't think that was pleasant.

[A]

No, no, it was. We saw minus 20 during the EV range test, actually, when we. When the car died as it was getting dark, it was -20, which was fun and interesting. I've always wondered what -20 would feel like. It feels a bit like -5 for the first two or three minutes and then you start to die, is what it is. That would be the. Is how I would describe it. Quick story from that event. One of the other cars participating was driven by two Norwegian television journalists. I think they were doing it for the local news and when they ran out of range, they were up the top of a big hill where it was minus 30. And they phoned the kind of organization said, you can come pick us up in the tow truck now, but don't do it just yet because we've got a TV spot in 30 minutes, so don't come too soon. So they delayed their pickup time. I think they were up there for a good hour and apparently some of their fingers were multiple times the size that they were originally by the time they got back down the hill. So, yeah, I would advise against. If ever you find yourself participating in a Norwegian EV range test in winter, don't delay, delay. Don't delay rescue when it's offered to you.

[B]

I just think that sits so low down my bucket list of things. I am not good with the cold, as we also discovered in Wales.

[C]

We did discover. Yeah.

[B]

And I was cold, not so much because of the weather, but the hotel that we did stay in in the middle night was cold.

[C]

I was going to be kind and say less than warm, but you're right, it was cold. This episode is brought to you by Hankook. The Hankook Ion Tyre is built exclusively for electric vehicles, engineered to deliver what EV drivers need most confident grip, quietness, energy efficiency and long mileage. As the official tyre partner of Formula E, Hank Hook proves its EV technology is at the highest level of performance and brings that same innovation to every ion tire on the road.

[B]

But, Jack, you. You've got quite an exciting next few months as well, which we've been planning for for quite some time to kind of, you know, make this a seamless transition. But do you want to tell the listeners where. What's happening next?

[A]

Yes, I'm going traveling this year. I'm taking a little sabbatical and I'm going to do a little bit of traveling for three or four months with my other half. It's a trip that we've been dreaming of doing for a very long time. We're going to go gallivanting around Japan for three months, which is the stuff of dreams and thankfully, everything electric have been very supportive and have said, yes, you may have a job when you come back, which, thank you again. We've been stockpiling really great episodes to ensure that you don't miss me too much on the channel while I'm away. But it's. It's extremely exciting. What I am finding very quickly is the FOMO is setting in because we're now in the window where I'm receiving emails inviting me to launches of stuff that I'll not be here for. And for goodness sake, it's all the stuff that I really. For example, three days after I leave the country to go on my big trip of a lifetime. Three sodding days after I leave Ioniq 6 press launch, first drive. Drifting it around a racetrack.

[C]

Yeah, that's you.

[A]

You'll be drifting it around a racetrack. Polestar 5, that's coming up. I'll miss that. That'll be you, Bobby.

[C]

I know. So excited.

[A]

So I might be the first man ever to sort of be traveling around Asia on the trip of a lifetime while sort of grumbling that I'm not. Not somewhere in Europe driving a new car. But, you know, these things aren't going anywhere. I'll catch up on them when I get back. What I am doing is getting as many in as I possibly can before I go. And two I have managed to squeeze in in the time before I depart are the world car of the year, the Mercedes cla, which we are overdue a review on. I'm going to get really in depth with that one and spend a good week and a half with it before filming it and then we've got the BMW iX3 UK launch coming up in a few weeks time which is a biggie. That car rocked my world when I saw it in a studio and everything I've heard from people who have driven it very much echoes that sentiment. So. God, what a year. What a year for cars.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It's been a funny old thing because I know that your FOMO as soon as you are away it will just completely dissolve. But I can well imagine how it feels at this present point in time and especially because I think as we distribute episodes between us presenters, you guys obviously take most of the car stuff. I do a lot of stuff where I don much ppe and it's very techy. I'm in either in a premier inn or an industrial estate, some combination thereof. And so you going away does open up. I need to do a few more cars. That's just sort of the nature of the resources that we have and I'm not sad about it. And when came in and were like could you go to Ibiza in March? I'm like yes.

[A]

Oh, I forgot about that one.

[B]

Yes, I can do that. Can you go to Barcelona for ex 60? I can do that. That is okay. So it's, it's. We. I mean you are going to be absolutely missed and I'm so glad that we've bagged a load of stuff so that you know, as far as the audience is concerned they won't notice too much and hopefully won't miss you too much because you will still be on the channel. But that's like a couple of silver linings.

[A]

I am very excited genuinely to see you guys driving some of the amazing cars that are coming out this spring summ and, and seeing those episodes go live on the channel because my goodness, there's. It's just a relentless slew of incredible new electric cars this year. It really is. I'm. I'm really noticing that so far this year I, I mentioned this when we did our new cars guide at the top of the year that we always do. One of the kind of trends that I predicted is that electric cars, cars in general just going to get a bit more interesting again this year, a bit more desirable and I, I really think there's something in that. I really think that everyone's been so stressed about got platforms and software and batteries that that other thing of like is this button nice to press has been neglected somewhat and is making a bit of a comeback this year. So that's exciting.

[B]

Well, I think the Thing that was, was I had a little chuckle to myself was that Polestar 5, which Robert, you obviously drove last year.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That next drive has come through and I'd say normally there's a lot of politeness of like, who's available? But Robert, you're straight in with like. Yep. But also, if anyone else is available, that, that's also. That one has to be you when you did the first.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it is, it is one of those cars where I've definitely, you know, there's numerous mental frailties kicking in as the years pass. But, you know, there's been times when I've said, oh, we should review this car. And everyone's gone quiet in the team because we already had reviewed that car and I'd reviewed it and I'd completely forgotten. But I've never, never forgotten for one moment my first drive of the Polestar 5. You know, that, that made. I think that's the thing you can sense. Oh, that's made an impression. And with all the caveats, you know, it's an expensive, high end luxury sports car. That's all absolutely, you know, taken into account. But it is an extraordinary machine. It really is. It's the first time I've, for a long time that I've, I've gone, oh, my God. Okay, this is a huge next step. This is a really big change in the materials that are used in the technology that's. That's at play there. It is an extraordinary machine. So I'm very. And I really only drove it around, you know, the Millbrook test track. You don't really get an idea of what it's like to drive any distance. But, yeah, it was very impressive. The other thing I thought was, I just wanted to mention, and if we can, I'll try and make sure we can put it in here, a fascinating advert by Volvo. Did you see that? I only found it online. It was like a TV commercial. But it says thank you to all the people who were early adopters of electric cars. And it shows all the things like trying to get the charger to work in the rain, plugging in in the snow and standing outside waiting for it, sitting in a cafe with a coffee because you've got to wait for your car to charge. I mean, quite depressing, dark Swedish footage of a Volvo. It's a Volvo. Yeah, they're all Volvo. But they are admitting this was really tough. This is really hard. And what reminded me of it is their last line, Jack, because what you just mentioned, and at the very End of it. They say, thank you to all the people who've done this because now it's okay. And there's a wonderful bit where a woman's driving and looking anxious and her battery gauge goes from 3% to 2%. She can't find the chart. And then she sees the charger and the lights are on and it works. And she. You know, that moment that we now all experience. Oh, there's the charges. Oh, there's loads of them and they all work. And there's lights on and you plug the damn thing in and it works. And it said, thank you to all those. And now we've reached the point where we've made a car for those people, which is the new Volvo, Jack, you'll know which one.

[A]

Ex 60, I would guess.

[C]

Yes. It's smaller, not a massive one, which

[A]

you actually basically never have to charge

[C]

because you never have to charge a

[A]

thousand miles of range. It's astonishing.

[C]

Yeah. And there's a. There's a fantastic shot of it coming out of a tunnel and it says, we've made this car for you to say thank you. And we no longer call it an electric car now. This is just a car. And I just thought, that is at last that first hint of that thing, because I've. That's the thing I've sort of waffled on occasionally. You know, I'm looking forward to that moment. We just call it a car. And. And you, I think, inadvertently, Jack today said. Said there's some really exciting cars coming out. But we all knew you meant electric cars, but you didn't need to say it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's a long way around of commenting on that moment, but it's a. It's an intriguing advert because it doesn't pretend it finally doesn't show a. A car driving through an empty city, which there's so many TV adverts and, you know, car commercials where they're always. Or either a beautiful mountain road or an empty city. Where's. Who's. Where's the empty city? I want to go there, where there's one Volv driving down a really wide street with nothing else there. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, do you know, it's so funny because I think, Jack, you started in the business five or six months before I did, so we're both coming up to having been here for five years, and the change in that time is extraordinary, let alone the 16 years that you've been focusing on this as well, Robert. So it just. And I. You almost wonder, did Volvo listen to. To your Roundings about, can we just call them cars? When do we go that?

[C]

Yeah,

[A]

that does feel like the kind of right tone of voice with which to discuss this going forward. It's not niche anymore. You don't have to kind of, unless you live somewhere obscure, inconvenience yourself in order to enjoy one. A friend of mine is buying his first car quite soon. He's about my age. Being a Londoner, he doesn't really didn't need one growing up and I think with some gentle steering from myself, I think he's going to end up getting a Renault 5. He's not interested in electric, he's not interested in cars. It's just the thing that makes the most sense for him financially, in terms of his requirements. He's not buying it because it's electric or because he wants an electric car, he's buying it because it's just the right choice for him.

[B]

Well, in Fabrice Kambla's interview that we did yesterday, and that interview will have already gone out, he did talk about how Renault are still pursuing hybrid cars, which I know will cause some consternation to our audience and definitely generate some debate, but he was like, you know, you've got to choose the right powertrain for the right car to some extent. And some people just said, oh, can't you make a hybrid version of the Renault 5? And he was like, no, because it is better as electric. Obviously the car should never have a petrol engine. It should not be a hybrid. That would totally compromise it. This is an electric car. It is a leading electric car and it is fun because it's an electric car. And I was like, wow, that's nice. And that's also going to mean that people like your friend buy it because it's great, not because it's electric. It's essentially just a really fun automatic, basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, goodness.

[C]

We've gone quiet now. I'm agreeing and thinking how. I mean, it is, though. It's very hard not to, because I don't want to harp on about the past, but it's hard not to reflect occasionally on how rapid the change has come and also how there's still resistant, you know, there's still kind of, of negative voices about it when. And, you know, plenty of that going on and yet all the statistics are showing constantly increasing sales against all the odds. I mean, it's a really confusing world to make sense of, I think, is that you will hear and also things like the ban on the sales of combustion only vehicles. You know, I was Always skeptical about that anyway. But it's just they always get pushed back and pushed back because. But they don't get pushed back because the wind's blowing. They get pushed back because there's an enormous army of very well funded people lobbying and pushing and criticizing and publishing articles and getting front pages to say evs don't work and everyone hates them. You know, so it's still, there's still a battleground there.

[B]

Well, I think, because I'm like, God, we could go down a whole new rabbit hole. So let's definitely save that debate for another time. But come to the end of this podcast. The thing we have not mentioned today is that it is, in fact Jack Scarlet's birthday.

[C]

Happy birthday, Jack.

[A]

I'm old and I'm glad

[B]

you're the youngest on this call, but that's true.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I'm going to ask you the question that I ask my family. Sometimes they like this question, sometimes they're like, oh, please shut up. But on your birthday, what is the best thing about your previous year and what's the thing you are most looking forward to this year? And it can be however small or big, work related or non work related.

[A]

Biggest thing this year, easy doing. Embarking on the trip of a lifetime, going to a country that I've never visited before and have always wanted to go to. Best thing from the last year, I, I wouldn't necessarily pick an individual moment, but as I was saying to you guys off camera a moment ago, I just think I'm getting better at being happy with each passing year. I think I. And this is not a revelation, everyone realizes this, but just care less about what other people think. More self assured, understand myself better, better at looking after myself. So if you're listening to this and you're 25 and you're riddled with anxiety, don't worry, I was too. And it's, it's 32 is the new 21, I've decided.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's something, I think that's just like the best thing to hear. And in this world, especially this world that feels largely uncertain, to be able to feel happy in oneself is such a privilege. And I do think it's something that becomes easier with age. There is no way I would go back to being 23, 24. No, it gets better.

[C]

I can tell you with the great wisdom of my many years that it is still possible at my age to say the most inappropriate things that you then regret for the rest of your years that you've got remaining. You know, I still managed to screw up plenty of times and I'm like, well, I. I will use a slightly rude term. When I was in Australia, my wife and daughter were there and I got up one morning and was making breakfast for them. I don't know how it always ends up me doing that. But anyway, I said, oh, I woke up this morning and I. And I thought. My first thought was, oh, wait a minute, am I the asshole? As in I'm the really awful person that they have to put up with because that's how. Yeah, so that can still happen.

[B]

And that is a question, Jack, that I hope you ask your other half as you celebrate your birthday today. Hopefully her answer is no.

[A]

No.

[C]

Because what I got was two people sitting at a kitchen table in total silence. It wasn't a comment one way or the other. No, it was. They were mirrors. That's what how Judy explained it. We were mirrors to show you that yes, you are the. Isn't that lovely. Sorry about that. Use some bad language on the podcast. It's not. Not sensible at all.

[B]

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[C]

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[B]

offers actionable guidance to help organizations integrate security throughout development. It's a clear roadmap for turning intent into execution, strengthening resilience while lowering complexity and cost. Operationalize secure by design in your organization. Visit cisecurity.org well, before we round out, what have you got in store for your birthday today? To celebrate?

[A]

I'm gonna go to a lovely dinner this evening with my girlfriend and my mother whose birthday it was also a couple of weeks ago it was all of our birthdays inside the last two weeks. So it's sort of everyone's birthday dinner and then I'm gonna go to the pub and get pissed tomorrow. The old one too.

[B]

Well, I mean, I think I speak on behalf of also the audience that just A Happy birthday B When you get to your travels, have the most amount of time. We're not jealous even a little bit. No, we're immensely jealous and we can't wait to have you back when you do come back as well.

[A]

Well, thank you very much. I will of course be hanging onto every episode while I'm away and watching your excellent work driving cars. I wish I was driving, albeit from possibly a beach with a pina colada.

[B]

Oh well, should we leave it there, chums?

[C]

I think we should.

[A]

I think we ought.

[B]

Who's going to do the honours? Round us out.

[A]

Go on.

[C]

Do you think you do? Oh, I don't mind. You do it.

[B]

You do it, Robert, you.

[C]

I'll do it. I'll do it. As always, it's been a. Well, it's been a delight. This has been real. Has been too much fun. This doesn't feel like a difficult podcast interview or anything like that. It was really a joy to speak with you. And yes, as Imogen said, Jack, please do have an amazing time. I really, really look forward to hearing how you get on. I would just like to say to everyone, please do come along to our live events. If you're ever near anywhere any of them are, there's plenty of information about them around. Please do tell your friends and family and your annoying uncle who thinks that hydrogen is the future. I just thought I'd throw that in

[B]

there

[C]

to watch this show and to subscribe to us. And please subscribe if you haven't. And also, as always, if you have been. Thank you for listening.