Costing The Earth vs Coastal Net Worth? How the World can Harness Home-Grown Energy!
About this episode
Explore the rapidly evolving landscape of clean energy and electric vehicles with host Robert Llewellyn and guest Professor Deborah Greaves, President of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. The discussion spans the mainstreaming of EVs—highlighting BYD's breakthrough five-minute flash charging—before diving deep into the massive scale and potential of offshore renewable energy. Greaves shares fascinating insights into how offshore wind technology has grown from tiny demonstration projects to massive multi-megawatt installations, alongside the critical challenges of decarbonizing marine transport and protecting coastal infrastructure.
Jaguar Ipace
"...there was a Jaguar I-Pace, there was a Porsche Taycan there, there was a Nissan Leaf in front of me..."
A luxury electric SUV made by Jaguar. It runs entirely on battery power and was Jaguar's first-ever fully electric car.
An all-electric luxury crossover SUV produced by Jaguar Land Rover. Launched in 2018, it was the brand's first battery-electric vehicle and features a dual-motor setup providing all-wheel drive and sporty driving dynamics.
Porsche Taycan
"...there was a Jaguar I-Pace, there was a Porsche Taycan there, there was a Nissan Leaf in front of me..."
A high-performance electric sports car made by Porsche that looks like a sleek four-door sedan and charges incredibly fast.
A battery-electric sports sedan produced by Porsche, featuring an innovative 800-volt electrical architecture for extremely fast charging. It is known for delivering Porsche's signature handling and performance in an EV package.
Nissan Leaf
"...there was a Jaguar I-Pace, there was a Porsche Taycan there, there was a Nissan Leaf in front of me..."
A small, affordable electric hatchback made by Nissan. It was one of the very first electric cars that regular people could buy.
A compact five-door hatchback electric car introduced by Nissan in 2010. It is historically significant as one of the first mass-market, affordable electric vehicles sold globally.
flash charging
"...most extraordinary breakthrough that BYD have just demonstrated, they're flash charging, from sort of 10 to 80% in under five minutes..."
Super-fast charging for electric cars that can fill up most of the battery in just a few minutes, almost as fast as filling up a gas tank.
An ultra-fast electric vehicle charging technology capable of replenishing a significant portion of a battery's capacity in minutes, often utilizing extremely high power outputs (e.g., 500 kW or more) and advanced thermal management.
BYD
"...most extraordinary breakthrough that BYD have just demonstrated, they're flash charging..."
A massive Chinese company that makes electric cars, buses, and batteries. They are one of the biggest sellers of electric vehicles in the world.
Build Your Dreams (BYD) is a major Chinese manufacturing conglomerate and one of the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturers. They are highly vertically integrated, producing their own batteries (including the famous Blade battery) and microchips.
sodium battery
"...and the cost of batteries coming down and sodium batteries and now solid state batteries are being developed very rapidly."
A new kind of battery that uses salt (sodium) instead of lithium. They are cheaper to make and use materials that are easy to find, though they don't hold quite as much energy yet.
An emerging battery technology that uses sodium ions as charge carriers instead of lithium. While they have lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries, they are significantly cheaper, safer, and utilize highly abundant raw materials.
solid state battery
"...and sodium batteries and now solid state batteries are being developed very rapidly."
A next-generation battery that uses solid materials inside instead of liquid. This makes them much safer, faster to charge, and able to hold more energy in a smaller space.
An advanced battery technology that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in traditional lithium-ion batteries. This promises higher energy density, faster charging times, and improved safety.
Deborah Greaves
"And the current president of the IMRS is Deborah Greaves. And I sat next to her when we had dinner and she's just amazing."
An engineering professor at Oxford University who is an expert on how to generate clean energy from the ocean using wind, waves, and tides.
Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oxford and President of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST). She is a leading expert in offshore renewable energy, focusing on wave, tidal, and floating wind technologies.
EMEC
"...but the site of EMEC that's the European Marine Energy Centre where you will have visited that's in Auckland yeah that's amazing..."
A special testing facility in Scotland where scientists and engineers test new machines that make electricity from ocean waves and tides.
The European Marine Energy Centre, located in Orkney, Scotland. It is the world's leading facility for testing wave and tidal energy converters in real sea conditions.
Hankook
"This episode is brought to you by Honkuk. The Honkuk ion tyre is built exclusively for electric vehicles..."
A well-known tire company from South Korea that makes tires for all kinds of cars, including electric race cars.
A prominent South Korean tire company founded in 1941. They produce high-performance tires and are the official tire supplier for the Formula E electric racing series.
Formula E
"As the official tyre partner of Formula E Honkuk proves its EV technology..."
A professional racing series, similar to Formula 1, but where all the race cars are powered entirely by electricity.
The premier single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars, sanctioned by the FIA. It serves as a competitive testing ground for manufacturers to develop and showcase electric powertrain and battery technologies.
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