Sandy Munro on Telo, Redwood, and Ford’s Bold Play Against China’s EV Giants!

Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Sandy Munro on Telo, Redwood, and Ford’s Bold Play Against China’s EV Giants!
Host: Robert Llewellyn
Guest: Sandy Munro (Automotive Engineer, Munro & Associates)
Date: August 18, 2025

Overview

This episode features a wide-ranging and lively discussion between host Robert Llewellyn and renowned engineer and automotive expert Sandy Munro. The conversation dives deep into the realities and challenges of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, cutting-edge developments at exciting new companies (Telo, Redwood Materials), Ford’s strategic moves against China’s EV dominance, and the urgent skills crisis facing American and European manufacturing. With trademark wit, irreverence, and a touch of indignation, Robert and Sandy examine not only technology, but also the social, economic, and educational currents shaping the future of sustainable transport and industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EV Uptake in America and Market Realities

Timestamp: 05:02–08:27

Despite political and media pushback against renewables, sales of electric vehicles in America are rising.
Sandy highlights that direct experience with EVs tends to convert skeptics:

“If you get people into an electric car… It’s very difficult to get them to go back to, ‘Hey, let’s put a little more gas in.’” (Sandy, 07:57)
Anecdote: Sandy leases a Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, praises its luxury and performance, and tells a story about convincing his chiropractor to test-drive it—ending with genuine surprise at the EV’s appeal.
Battery storage demand in Canada is so high that some are buying up cheap Canadian batteries for export to the U.S.

2. Ford’s Secret Announcement & Reactions to Jim Farley

Timestamp: 08:42–10:40

Robert references a compelling recent talk by Ford CEO Jim Farley.
Sandy can’t share details but hints at a major, game-changing Ford announcement:

“It’s completely contrary to everything that everybody else is saying… You’re going to get a kick out of it. I was super blown away.” (Sandy, 09:53)

3. Telo & The Next Generation of Compact EV Trucks

Timestamp: 11:01–15:50

Munro passionately discusses the Telo truck, calling it a “step change” in EV design—compact but ultra-capable:

“Two inches shorter than a Mini Clubman... but I can put 4-by-8 plywood in it laying flat, and close the door.” (Sandy, 12:07)
Praises Telo’s innovative engineering, “everything is engineered and it’s brilliant.”
Sandy cryptically references a breakthrough Telo battery system he cannot yet disclose but says it’s something he’s advocated for 20 years:

“Gobsmacked… That vehicle coming in at the price they want to sell it for—All day long.” (Sandy, 14:08)

4. Slate: Modular Vehicles for the Next Generation

Timestamp: 14:08–15:50

Slate impresses Munro with its upgradable, convertible platform:

“I can buy it as a pickup truck… add seats, turn it into an SUV… turn it back… as my family grows, I can add more stuff. This is the perfect—like the Mini, only on steroids.” (Sandy, 14:33)
Asserts it could be an ideal lifelong vehicle for young drivers.

5. Trades Skills Crisis in the US and Europe

Timestamp: 16:03–21:29

Both discuss a severe shortage of skilled tradespeople—toolmakers, mechanics, plumbers—in US and Europe.
Sandy skewers the US/UK education system’s bias against trades:

“Why are we looking at anybody that goes into the trades as a dummy?... The only thing I can’t fix is a crack it [sic] on.” (Sandy, 19:00)
Tells story of a young plumber making $150k/year, owning multiple vehicles and a house by 23.
Blames the university-for-all push for eroding the manufacturing workforce:

“It’s called milking the morons… You get these kids… lied to in high school…” (Sandy, 20:44)

6. Chinese Manufacturing Dominance & The Cost of Outsourcing

Timestamp: 21:29–26:33

Both acknowledge China’s exceptional manufacturing prowess—“they’re really good at making things”—pointing out that America, Germany, and Japan helped train China’s industrial workforce.
Concern that the West is repeating the mistakes of empire by outsourcing its manufacturing.
Sandy draws a cautionary parallel with the Roman empire:

“They outsourced.” (Sandy, 22:06)

7. Redwood Materials: Rethinking Battery Recycling & Circularity

Timestamp: 22:11–28:32

Sandy describes a visit to Redwood Materials, lauding their innovative and surprisingly simple lithium recycling process:

“[Redwood] take batteries in, roll them around, heat them up, gases burn off… they grind themselves down to nothing… Then they just use a skimming process for each density.” (Sandy, 23:03)
Many batteries from crashed cars are simply redeployed for stationary storage.
Emphasizes the near-absurdity of old myths about EV batteries being “thrown away”—real-world examples like a Rotterdam stadium using 15-year-old Nissan Leaf batteries for solar storage.
Shares a practical tip: buy an old Leaf and cheap solar panels for DIY home energy, with his monthly power bill at only $11 thanks to solar and batteries. (27:40)

8. Solar Economics & Un-politicizing Renewables

Timestamp: 28:45–33:22

Solar is often more affordable than traditional roofing; more UK homes now have solar “built in from the get-go.”
In Australia, solar’s cross-party appeal comes from sheer economic sense:

“Solar panels initially… were seen as a liberal progressive, blah blah… now you see a house without solar and go, ‘look, there’s one!’” (Robert, 32:00)
Robert asserts wind, solar, nuclear aren’t political—they’re just technology.

9. The Fate of the Chevy Bolt and the South American Opportunity

Timestamp: 34:08–39:21

The Chevy Bolt’s journey: “First Bolt was a piece of crap… then fix everything, then shut it down.”
GM + Hyundai/Kia alliance aims to conquer South America’s challenging roads and exploit the continent’s lithium, cobalt, bauxite resources.
Sandy predicts: “I know everybody’s saying, ‘Oh, well, we’re going back to diesel.’ No, we’re not… Teenage kids are coming up and they aren’t going to want that crap.” (Sandy, 38:25)
Expresses excitement for the flood of next-generation vehicles from Ford, Telo, Slate, Aptera, etc.

10. Regulatory Gridlock and Automotive Innovation

Timestamp: 39:47–41:39

Legacy auto companies are hampered by decades-old regulatory requirements and testing hoops.
Newcomers like Telo and Slate are more agile, unencumbered by “standards for 1957.”

11. Can American Startups Compete? Rivian, Lucid & The Tariff Threat

Timestamp: 41:39–44:16

Lucid’s future is secure thanks to funding from Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
Rivian, despite early success, faces existential threat from new tariffs targeting Chinese-made components:

“The tariffs are going to kick the daylights out of them… They’ve got a $3 billion problem.” (Sandy, 43:32)
Cites the dangers of outsourcing knowledge and manufacturing:

“If you don’t manufacture, you go out of business because manufacturing is where you find out the rules and regulations for… the next generation of design…” (Sandy, 44:57)

12. The Lost Art of Making Things: Historic Perspective

Timestamp: 47:48–54:20

Both mourn the loss of domestic manufacturing capacity in the US and UK.
Sandy tells how, growing up, all household goods were made locally.
Criticizes the legacy of GE’s Jack Welch and a profit-over-production mindset.
Warns that ceding core manufacturing (like ball bearings or magnet technology) for cheap imports leads to strategic weakness.

13. Only Manufacturing (and Agriculture) Create Real Wealth

Timestamp: 53:54–55:10

Munro’s worldview:

“There’s only one way, as far as I’m concerned, to generate wealth, and that is with manufacturing… Without manufacturing, you have a service economy that’s doomed to failure. And just ask the Romans, they’ll tell you all about it.” (Sandy, 53:54)
Says “service economies create peasants,” and that reluctance to discuss these uncomfortable truths gets him labeled a bigot and outdated.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Telo truck’s design revolution:

“This is a step change from everything else… 2 inches shorter than a Mini Clubman, but I can put 4-by-8 plywood in it laying flat.” (Sandy Munro, 12:07)
On trades skills & education failure:

“The only thing I can’t fix is a crack it [sic] on… This is the biggest problem we got in the States right now. No tool makers means, hey, no tools.” (Sandy Munro, 19:00)
On recycling batteries, not throwing them away:

“Batteries will last longer than the car… even when it has worn out we’re still not going to throw it away, it’s too valuable.” (Robert, 22:29)
On the importance of manufacturing:

“If you don’t manufacture, you go out of business because manufacturing is where you find out the rules and regulations for… the next generation of design…” (Sandy Munro, 44:57)
On wealth creation and economic doom:

“Without manufacturing, you have a service economy that’s doomed to failure. And just ask the Romans, they’ll tell you all about it.” (Sandy Munro, 54:20)

Key Timestamps for Segments

05:02 – Start of EV sales and cultural dynamics in the US
08:42 – Ford’s secret announcement and Jim Farley’s leadership
12:07 – Telo truck: size, design, battery innovation
14:14 – Slate’s modular EV concept explained
16:03 – US/European trades skills crisis
21:29 – China’s rise as manufacturing powerhouse
22:41 – Redwood battery recycling process
27:40 – DIY home solar, battery economics, Sandy’s $11/month bill
34:08 – Chevy Bolt’s failures and South America’s EV opportunity
39:47 – New vs legacy automakers: regulation bottlenecks
43:32 – Threat of tariffs to Rivian and Ford
47:48 – Reflections on the collapse of domestic manufacturing
53:54 – Manufacturing as the source of real wealth

Tone & Style

The dialogue is frank, witty, at times indignant, but always passionate and laced with practical anecdotes. Both host and guest are unafraid to criticize industry leaders, policymakers, and cultural attitudes, but do so with humor and a desire for real-world solutions.

Summary for Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of EVs, manufacturing, and sustainability. Sandy Munro shares hard-earned insights—from the shop floor to the boardroom—reminding us that technological progress is inseparable from social systems and human skills. The episode provides hope in new products and recycling breakthroughs but warns of the need to rebuild the skills and manufacturing capacity that make true progress possible.

Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EV Uptake in America and Market Realities

Timestamp: 05:02–08:27

Despite political and media pushback against renewables, sales of electric vehicles in America are rising.
Sandy highlights that direct experience with EVs tends to convert skeptics:

“If you get people into an electric car… It’s very difficult to get them to go back to, ‘Hey, let’s put a little more gas in.’” (Sandy, 07:57)
Anecdote: Sandy leases a Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, praises its luxury and performance, and tells a story about convincing his chiropractor to test-drive it—ending with genuine surprise at the EV’s appeal.
Battery storage demand in Canada is so high that some are buying up cheap Canadian batteries for export to the U.S.

2. Ford’s Secret Announcement & Reactions to Jim Farley

Timestamp: 08:42–10:40

Robert references a compelling recent talk by Ford CEO Jim Farley.
Sandy can’t share details but hints at a major, game-changing Ford announcement:

“It’s completely contrary to everything that everybody else is saying… You’re going to get a kick out of it. I was super blown away.” (Sandy, 09:53)

3. Telo & The Next Generation of Compact EV Trucks

Timestamp: 11:01–15:50

Munro passionately discusses the Telo truck, calling it a “step change” in EV design—compact but ultra-capable:

“Two inches shorter than a Mini Clubman... but I can put 4-by-8 plywood in it laying flat, and close the door.” (Sandy, 12:07)
Praises Telo’s innovative engineering, “everything is engineered and it’s brilliant.”
Sandy cryptically references a breakthrough Telo battery system he cannot yet disclose but says it’s something he’s advocated for 20 years:

“Gobsmacked… That vehicle coming in at the price they want to sell it for—All day long.” (Sandy, 14:08)

4. Slate: Modular Vehicles for the Next Generation

Timestamp: 14:08–15:50

Slate impresses Munro with its upgradable, convertible platform:

“I can buy it as a pickup truck… add seats, turn it into an SUV… turn it back… as my family grows, I can add more stuff. This is the perfect—like the Mini, only on steroids.” (Sandy, 14:33)
Asserts it could be an ideal lifelong vehicle for young drivers.

5. Trades Skills Crisis in the US and Europe

Timestamp: 16:03–21:29

Both discuss a severe shortage of skilled tradespeople—toolmakers, mechanics, plumbers—in US and Europe.
Sandy skewers the US/UK education system’s bias against trades:

“Why are we looking at anybody that goes into the trades as a dummy?... The only thing I can’t fix is a crack it [sic] on.” (Sandy, 19:00)
Tells story of a young plumber making $150k/year, owning multiple vehicles and a house by 23.
Blames the university-for-all push for eroding the manufacturing workforce:

“It’s called milking the morons… You get these kids… lied to in high school…” (Sandy, 20:44)

6. Chinese Manufacturing Dominance & The Cost of Outsourcing

Timestamp: 21:29–26:33

Both acknowledge China’s exceptional manufacturing prowess—“they’re really good at making things”—pointing out that America, Germany, and Japan helped train China’s industrial workforce.
Concern that the West is repeating the mistakes of empire by outsourcing its manufacturing.
Sandy draws a cautionary parallel with the Roman empire:

“They outsourced.” (Sandy, 22:06)

7. Redwood Materials: Rethinking Battery Recycling & Circularity

Timestamp: 22:11–28:32

Sandy describes a visit to Redwood Materials, lauding their innovative and surprisingly simple lithium recycling process:

“[Redwood] take batteries in, roll them around, heat them up, gases burn off… they grind themselves down to nothing… Then they just use a skimming process for each density.” (Sandy, 23:03)
Many batteries from crashed cars are simply redeployed for stationary storage.
Emphasizes the near-absurdity of old myths about EV batteries being “thrown away”—real-world examples like a Rotterdam stadium using 15-year-old Nissan Leaf batteries for solar storage.
Shares a practical tip: buy an old Leaf and cheap solar panels for DIY home energy, with his monthly power bill at only $11 thanks to solar and batteries. (27:40)

8. Solar Economics & Un-politicizing Renewables

Timestamp: 28:45–33:22

Solar is often more affordable than traditional roofing; more UK homes now have solar “built in from the get-go.”
In Australia, solar’s cross-party appeal comes from sheer economic sense:

“Solar panels initially… were seen as a liberal progressive, blah blah… now you see a house without solar and go, ‘look, there’s one!’” (Robert, 32:00)
Robert asserts wind, solar, nuclear aren’t political—they’re just technology.

9. The Fate of the Chevy Bolt and the South American Opportunity

Timestamp: 34:08–39:21

The Chevy Bolt’s journey: “First Bolt was a piece of crap… then fix everything, then shut it down.”
GM + Hyundai/Kia alliance aims to conquer South America’s challenging roads and exploit the continent’s lithium, cobalt, bauxite resources.
Sandy predicts: “I know everybody’s saying, ‘Oh, well, we’re going back to diesel.’ No, we’re not… Teenage kids are coming up and they aren’t going to want that crap.” (Sandy, 38:25)
Expresses excitement for the flood of next-generation vehicles from Ford, Telo, Slate, Aptera, etc.

10. Regulatory Gridlock and Automotive Innovation

Timestamp: 39:47–41:39

Legacy auto companies are hampered by decades-old regulatory requirements and testing hoops.
Newcomers like Telo and Slate are more agile, unencumbered by “standards for 1957.”

11. Can American Startups Compete? Rivian, Lucid & The Tariff Threat

Timestamp: 41:39–44:16

Lucid’s future is secure thanks to funding from Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
Rivian, despite early success, faces existential threat from new tariffs targeting Chinese-made components:

“The tariffs are going to kick the daylights out of them… They’ve got a $3 billion problem.” (Sandy, 43:32)
Cites the dangers of outsourcing knowledge and manufacturing:

“If you don’t manufacture, you go out of business because manufacturing is where you find out the rules and regulations for… the next generation of design…” (Sandy, 44:57)

12. The Lost Art of Making Things: Historic Perspective

Timestamp: 47:48–54:20

Both mourn the loss of domestic manufacturing capacity in the US and UK.
Sandy tells how, growing up, all household goods were made locally.
Criticizes the legacy of GE’s Jack Welch and a profit-over-production mindset.
Warns that ceding core manufacturing (like ball bearings or magnet technology) for cheap imports leads to strategic weakness.

13. Only Manufacturing (and Agriculture) Create Real Wealth

Timestamp: 53:54–55:10

Munro’s worldview:

“There’s only one way, as far as I’m concerned, to generate wealth, and that is with manufacturing… Without manufacturing, you have a service economy that’s doomed to failure. And just ask the Romans, they’ll tell you all about it.” (Sandy, 53:54)
Says “service economies create peasants,” and that reluctance to discuss these uncomfortable truths gets him labeled a bigot and outdated.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Telo truck’s design revolution:

“This is a step change from everything else… 2 inches shorter than a Mini Clubman, but I can put 4-by-8 plywood in it laying flat.” (Sandy Munro, 12:07)
On trades skills & education failure:

“The only thing I can’t fix is a crack it [sic] on… This is the biggest problem we got in the States right now. No tool makers means, hey, no tools.” (Sandy Munro, 19:00)
On recycling batteries, not throwing them away:

“Batteries will last longer than the car… even when it has worn out we’re still not going to throw it away, it’s too valuable.” (Robert, 22:29)
On the importance of manufacturing:

“If you don’t manufacture, you go out of business because manufacturing is where you find out the rules and regulations for… the next generation of design…” (Sandy Munro, 44:57)
On wealth creation and economic doom:

“Without manufacturing, you have a service economy that’s doomed to failure. And just ask the Romans, they’ll tell you all about it.” (Sandy Munro, 54:20)

Key Timestamps for Segments

05:02 – Start of EV sales and cultural dynamics in the US
08:42 – Ford’s secret announcement and Jim Farley’s leadership
12:07 – Telo truck: size, design, battery innovation
14:14 – Slate’s modular EV concept explained
16:03 – US/European trades skills crisis
21:29 – China’s rise as manufacturing powerhouse
22:41 – Redwood battery recycling process
27:40 – DIY home solar, battery economics, Sandy’s $11/month bill
34:08 – Chevy Bolt’s failures and South America’s EV opportunity
39:47 – New vs legacy automakers: regulation bottlenecks
43:32 – Threat of tariffs to Rivian and Ford
47:48 – Reflections on the collapse of domestic manufacturing
53:54 – Manufacturing as the source of real wealth

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Summary

Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EV Uptake in America and Market Realities

2. Ford’s Secret Announcement & Reactions to Jim Farley

3. Telo & The Next Generation of Compact EV Trucks

4. Slate: Modular Vehicles for the Next Generation

5. Trades Skills Crisis in the US and Europe

6. Chinese Manufacturing Dominance & The Cost of Outsourcing

7. Redwood Materials: Rethinking Battery Recycling & Circularity

8. Solar Economics & Un-politicizing Renewables

9. The Fate of the Chevy Bolt and the South American Opportunity

10. Regulatory Gridlock and Automotive Innovation

11. Can American Startups Compete? Rivian, Lucid & The Tariff Threat

12. The Lost Art of Making Things: Historic Perspective

13. Only Manufacturing (and Agriculture) Create Real Wealth

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps for Segments

Tone & Style

Summary for Listeners

Summary

Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EV Uptake in America and Market Realities

2. Ford’s Secret Announcement & Reactions to Jim Farley

3. Telo & The Next Generation of Compact EV Trucks

4. Slate: Modular Vehicles for the Next Generation

5. Trades Skills Crisis in the US and Europe

6. Chinese Manufacturing Dominance & The Cost of Outsourcing

7. Redwood Materials: Rethinking Battery Recycling & Circularity

8. Solar Economics & Un-politicizing Renewables

9. The Fate of the Chevy Bolt and the South American Opportunity

10. Regulatory Gridlock and Automotive Innovation

11. Can American Startups Compete? Rivian, Lucid & The Tariff Threat

12. The Lost Art of Making Things: Historic Perspective

13. Only Manufacturing (and Agriculture) Create Real Wealth

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps for Segments

Tone & Style

Summary for Listeners