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Service Stations of the World

Service Stations of the World

Charging Status | EV Podcast May 11, 2026 49 min
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About this episode

After a whirlwind Shanghai motor show trip, the hosts compare what they’re seeing in China’s EV market—lots of brand strategy, very few Western cars, and BYD’s extreme-temperature fast-charging demo in a freezer at minus 31°C. Back in the UK conversation turns to Chery’s La Paz premium play (targeting Volvo) and its UK timing and powertrains. They also share practical impressions from the JQ8, plus UK-specific notes on Huawei-related infotainment barriers and charging upgrades for the Citroen EC3.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

pre-production unit

"…to drive the new La Paz L8, which was a very late pre-production ⁓ unit, which was quite fun."

A pre-production unit is an early build of a vehicle used for validation, media driving, and final tuning before mass production. It can differ from the final production car in software, trim details, or minor hardware.

Car

Galaxy Geely Ex5

"...Vs. I've just had the Xpane G6. I've just had the Geely EX5. And we just need something different. Speaker 1:..."

The Galaxy EX5 is an electric car from Geely’s Galaxy lineup. It’s the kind of model people mention when they’re comparing different EVs they’ve tried. The main point is that it’s an EV you can consider if you want a different option than what you’ve already driven.

Brand

Huawei

"One of those reasons for us not getting some of that stuff, I think is the Huawei issue. Because lots of the cards have got Huawei hardware software and we don't particularly like that over here."

Huawei is a big technology company. The hosts are saying some Chinese cars use Huawei systems, and that’s part of why those cars (or features) may be less welcome in other markets.

Car

Peugeot 408

"... China for a moment. Just going to talk about the Peugeot 408. Okay. ⁓ At the time of recording the embargoes j..."

The Peugeot 4008 is a compact SUV made by Peugeot. The podcast mentions it while talking about Peugeot models that are available. It’s relevant because it’s one of the SUV options people may consider.

Term

plug-in hybrid

"…I'm in the plugin hybrid in that… having spoken to lots of people that drove the battery electric version of it on the same day…"

A plug-in hybrid is a car that can drive on electricity when you charge it, but it also has a gasoline engine as backup. That can make it easier to travel farther without worrying about the battery.

Term

battery electric version

"…having spoken to lots of people that drove the battery electric version of it on the same day, they had lots of the same things to say about that as with the plugin hybrid."

A battery electric version runs on electricity only. It doesn’t use a gasoline engine, so the main difference is how it’s powered and charged.

Term

WLTP

"So it's about 280 miles WLTP, which for a car of its kind, it is sort of a grand tourer. ...we were getting over the WLTP figure."

WLTP is a lab test number used to estimate how far a car can go on a charge. The hosts are saying their real driving range was even better than that estimate.

Concept

grand tourer

"So it's about 280 miles WLTP, which for a car of its kind, it is sort of a grand tourer. ...you would possibly hope that at some point they come out with a longer range version."

A “grand tourer” is basically a car meant for comfortable long-distance trips. They’re saying this EV’s range makes it feel like it could handle that kind of driving.

Car

Citroën ë-C3

"Speaker 1: It's a habit. So the Citroen EC3 Urban is that a... Speaker 2: So Citroen EC3 light basically. essentially the same car as the EC3, but it's got a small battery. It can only slow charge."

This is a Citroen electric car variant. The big difference discussed is its battery size and how fast it can charge—by default it’s mainly for slower charging, with an option to charge faster.

Term

30 kilowatt

"Speaker 2: You can pay an extra 440 quid and it can then charge to a whopping 30 kilowatt. ...but it probably drives better than the standard EC3."

30 kW is how much power the charger can deliver to the car. More power usually means you can add charge faster (though it still won’t be instant).

Term

slow charge

"Speaker 2: So Citroen EC3 light basically... it's got a small battery. It can only slow charge. You can pay an extra 440 quid and it can then charge to a whopping 30 kilowatt."

Slow charging means the car charges at a lower power, so it takes more time. It’s contrasted here with faster charging that you can pay to enable.

Car

Vauxhall Frontera

"Speaker 1: I think it was a 7-seater version. Aircross. Got you. Yeah. Speaker 2: Which is the Vauxhall Frontera. Yes. Yeah."

The Vauxhall Frontera is another car the hosts say is closely related to the Citroen they were talking about. They mainly comment on styling and the interior feel.

Brand

Arc Fox

"The amount of things I didn't recognize like Arc Fox. Yeah, no idea. ⁓ Just loads and loads of different things."

Arc Fox is a Chinese car brand, likely focused on electric vehicles. The hosts are just saying they saw it and didn’t recognize it.

Brand

BYD

"One of the things that confused me, I don't know if you noticed this, BYD have got two logos in China. They've got their main BYD logo and they've got this weird, I guess this is a Chinese symbol..."

BYD is a major Chinese automotive brand known for mass-market electric vehicles and large-scale battery production. In the segment, the hosts notice BYD using two different logos in China, suggesting different sub-brands or positioning for different product lines.

Brand

Xiaomi

"Yeah, but yeah, just loads of like crazy cars, that's Xiaomi's that we don't get here and just, yeah, but very few Western cars."

Xiaomi is better known for phones and gadgets, but it’s also making electric vehicles. The hosts are listing it as one of the many brands they saw in China.

Car

Volkswagen Id3

"... a Western car, it was an odd experience, like an ID3. I saw one ID3 the entire time. ⁓ yeah, it's it's..."

The Volkswagen ID.3 is an electric hatchback, meaning it’s a small car that runs on electricity. It’s made by Volkswagen and is meant for everyday city and commuting use. The podcast mentions it because it’s a common EV model people may see and drive.

Car

D9 Denzer

"...erry branded vehicles and the rest were like BYD, Denzer, BYD, ⁓ Denzer. What am I thinking of? Speaker 2:..."

The D9 is an electric car model that was mentioned while the speakers were talking about different EVs in a group. The key idea is that it’s one of the vehicles they encountered in that context. The podcast is using it as a reference while discussing options.

Brand

Xpeng

"Yeah, Volkswagen were there, but that's their joint venture product with X, I think it's Xpeng they do a joint venture with."

Xpeng is a Chinese electric-car company. The hosts are saying Volkswagen works with Xpeng on some models, so what you see in China is likely made for that market.

Brand

iCar

"Yeah. Like the J Tor brand for those who don't know is also a cherry subsidiary like iCar. And they had these really rugged ⁓ SUVs that look really cool, but the iCars, I can see why you like the look of them."

iCar is a brand name under the Cherry umbrella. The discussion is about whether iCar cars will be sold in the UK and what they look like.

Brand

J Tor

"Looks pretty cool to be fair, but I was more impressed with the J Tor really. Yeah. Like the J Tor brand for those who don't know is also a cherry subsidiary like iCar."

J Tor is a brand name used by a bigger car group. The hosts are saying it’s part of Cherry’s lineup and focuses on rugged-looking vehicles.

Term

right-hand drive

"Yeah, I’m not too sure. But yeah, I believe they are coming to the UK because they announced some right-hand drive variants of the V23 or V27 at the show. So we shall see what happens with that."

Right-hand drive means the driver sits on the right side of the car. Some countries require this, so car companies have to adapt the vehicles before they can sell them there.

Concept

Euro NCAP

"Don't forget they've got some other really big right-hand drive markets. think we might already have it if it weren't for the fact that they have to get through Euro NCAP when it comes here."

Euro NCAP is a European safety testing program. It checks how safe a car is in crash tests, and brands have to meet those rules to sell in Europe.

Concept

five-star safety award

"Because obviously all these different markets, they made quite a lot of noise when I was there about having 54 five-star safety awards. But a five-star safety award in Malaysia, which is a big market for them, is very, very different to Euro NCAP."

A “five-star safety award” refers to a top rating from a safety-testing organization, indicating strong crash-test performance. The hosts emphasize that a five-star result in one country’s program (Malaysia) may not translate directly to Europe’s Euro NCAP expectations because the test focus can differ.

Term

pedestrians

"But a five-star safety award in Malaysia, which is a big market for them, is very, very different to Euro NCAP. And they don't need half the stuff and like passing, it might be that passenger safety is a factor, but pedestrians not."

Pedestrians are people walking outside the car. Safety tests can include scenarios that check how well a car protects pedestrians in crashes.

Brand

Cherry

"Yes. But yeah, the show Cherry had one building to themselves. So they had the entire cherry stand, all of their brands and then, ⁓ I just, yeah, it was mad."

Cherry is a Chinese car company. They often show multiple related brands at the same event, not just one single lineup.

Car

Z9 Denza Z9

"BYD had their flash charging demonstration. So they had these cars. I one was a Fang Chang Bell three and one was a Denza Z9 GT."

The Denza Z9 GT is an electric car model from Denza. In this segment it’s used as an example of a car that can charge very quickly in freezing conditions.

Term

minus 31 degree fridge

"They had it at a minus 31 degree fridge, basically, or freezer showing how fast it could charge even at those temperatures."

Very cold weather can make EV charging slower. They’re saying the demo was done at around -31°C to prove it still charges quickly even when it’s freezing.

Term

flash charging

"but BYD had their flash charging demonstration. So they had these cars. I one was a Fang Chang Bell three and one was a Denza Z9 GT."

Flash charging means charging an EV very quickly. The point they’re making is that BYD claims it can still charge fast even in freezing temperatures.

Brand

Fang Chang Bell three

"So they had these cars. I one was a Fang Chang Bell three and one was a Denza Z9 GT."

The hosts mention another EV model besides the Denza Z9 GT in BYD’s charging demo. The name in the transcript is a bit unclear, but it’s clearly a second car they showed charging in the cold.

Term

wheelbase

"called the L8. So it's the same wheelbase as the Tiggo nine, which we reviewed last year."

Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear wheels. It affects interior space (especially rear legroom) and can influence ride comfort and stability because it changes the car’s overall geometry.

Term

rear legroom

"It's a seven seater. Whereas this is a five seater. So they've made the rear legroom a bit better..."

Rear legroom is how much room your legs have in the back seat. More rear legroom usually makes the back seat more comfortable on longer trips.

Term

calibration

"there's a lot of tweaking and it needs to be done... for our roads... there's a bit of calibration to do in terms of the ride..."

Calibration means adjusting the car’s settings so it drives the way it’s supposed to. They’re saying it may need tuning for the roughness and style of roads in the UK versus China.

Car

Chery QQ3

"Speaker 1: it's turning to the cherry podcast actually. There is the QQ3, ⁓ which is supposedly coming to the UK quite soon. So it's a little golf polo size car, ⁓ which actually looks quite cool."

They’re talking about the “QQ3,” a small city-sized car that they think is coming to the UK. They compare its size to small popular hatchbacks and say it looks good.

Car

CLA shooting break

"Speaker 2: And, ⁓ the CLA shooting break, the video's not out yet, but, very similar interior to the GLB. There were a few things I preferred on the GLB, but"

The CLA shooting break is a Mercedes wagon with a sleeker, coupe-like shape. They’re saying the inside looks very similar to the electric GLB.

Car

Mercedes GLB

"Speaker 2: So nice. Nice. Yeah. ⁓ what else have I driven? I've done the Mercedes GLB. The videos out on that one, ⁓ the electric GLB. That was lovely."

The Mercedes GLB is a practical SUV from Mercedes. Here they’re talking about the electric version and saying it feels similar inside to another Mercedes model they mention.

Car

Audi Etron

"⁓ They were really good. And the last Mercedes electric car I drove, which I can't remember what it was, that might've been an original GLB. I remember. It was at an SMMT day. I was kind of like, nah, it's all right. ⁓ But I sort of expected more. I thought it was pretty brilliant actually. Loved it. Really nice interior as well. And actually when you compare the pricing of it to that Audi A6 e-tron I had recently, ⁓ it looks like a bargain at only 60 grand or... ⁓ whatever it was in the one I tested. And the interior and stuff was way better in fairness."

The Audi e-tron is a fully electric SUV made by Audi. It’s meant for regular driving like a regular family car, but it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. People talk about it because it’s one of the well-known electric SUVs you can actually buy and drive.

Car

A6 Audi A6 Etron

"⁓ They were really good. And the last Mercedes electric car I drove, which I can't remember what it was, that might've been an original GLB. I remember. It was at an SMMT day. I was kind of like, nah, it's all right. ⁓ But I sort of expected more. I thought it was pretty brilliant actually. Loved it. Really nice interior as well. And actually when you compare the pricing of it to that Audi A6 e-tron I had recently, ⁓ it looks like a bargain at only 60 grand or... ⁓ whatever it was in the one I tested. And the interior and stuff was way better in fairness."

The A6 e-tron is an electric Audi car. It’s designed to be a more comfortable, higher-end EV for regular driving. The podcast brings it up because the speaker is talking about how good the electric Audi experience was.

Car

Audi A6 e-tron

"And actually when you compare the pricing of it to that Audi A6 e-tron I had recently, ⁓ it looks like a bargain at only 60 grand or..."

The Audi A6 e-tron is Audi’s electric take on the A6, aimed at comfort and everyday usability. The host uses it as a price benchmark for another EV.

Car

Geely EX5

"I've got, as I said, I've got the Geely EX5 arriving tomorrow. ⁓ So mine went back yesterday. So video on that coming soon."

The Geely EX5 is an electric car from Geely that the host is getting soon for a review. They’re basically saying, “watch for the video.”

Car

Geely JQ8

"actually I did drive the JQ8 a couple of days before I went to China actually. ⁓ yeah, you were doing that while I was in Milan. How was it? ... what's weird is so that car comes in either a six seat or seven seat version."

The Geely JQ8 is a big electric family-style car with multiple seats. The host explains that the six-seat version is awkward to access the back because those middle seats don’t fold, and they say it’s very quick.

Term

accelerator down

"It's rapid. think it's got 420 horsepower. Gee. It is really quick. There's a, there's a bit of delay when you put your accelerator down, once, give it three seconds and it just takes off so quick."

“Accelerator down” just means you press the gas pedal hard. The host is saying there’s a brief pause before the car really surges forward, and then it pulls quickly.

Car

7 Jq7

"...peaker 2: I mean, it's not that dissimilar to the JQ7, I suppose, but they've rounded it off a bit, hav..."

The “7” is a vehicle model being mentioned, but the transcript doesn’t show the full name. The speaker is using it to compare with another car they’ve talked about. Without the full model name, it’s best to treat it as a reference point in that comparison.

Term

infotainment system

"so the infotainment system in the five and the seven is a big square screen, really high res, really quite nice to use. because the, because the TIG, not TIGO, because the GQ8 is essentially a TIGO nine, an older TIGO nine in China, the screens are the same as the TIGO seven."

The infotainment system is the car’s main screen and controls for things like music, maps, and settings. The host is saying some versions feel more “premium” than others because of the screen and software.

Term

option extras

"One thing I quite like is there's no option extras. There's one trim level for each of the seven or six seats. And that's it. The only option extra is the color and the Alloys."

“Option extras” are add-ons you pay for beyond the standard equipment level—like upgraded wheels, paint, or packages. The host says this Geely model has minimal add-ons, with the main choices being color and alloy wheels, and much of the equipment included by default.

Topic

SMT

"We've got SMT in a few weeks, which should be that annual drive day we do, which should be quite good fun."

SMT sounds like an event with an annual “drive day,” meaning people get to drive cars. The host is saying they have that coming up soon.

Car

Suzuki eVitara

"I've had the Suzuki eVitara delivered today. So I'll be doing a review of that probably early next week, I would imagine."

The Suzuki eVitara is Suzuki’s electric version of the Vitara-style small SUV. The host is getting one to review, so it’s part of the episode’s “new EVs coming up” theme.

Car

Evitara

"...r 2: Looking forward to that. I've had the Suzuki eVitara delivered today. So I'll be doing a review of tha..."

The Suzuki e Vitara is an electric version of the Vitara SUV. The speaker says they received one to review, so the discussion is likely about how it drives and how practical it is. It’s an EV you’d look at if you want a compact SUV but powered by electricity.

Car

Mercedes CLA

"And not sure when that will come out. I've still got released that Mercedes CLA video as well, but I'm trying to have a few things in stock..."

The Mercedes CLA is a smaller Mercedes car with a coupe-like shape. The host is referencing a video they’ve already made about it.

Car

Mercedes GLC

"The day before SMMT actually, I've got the Mercedes GLC launch, the UK launch."

The Mercedes GLC is a Mercedes small-to-medium luxury SUV. The host is saying there’s a UK launch coming up, so it’s part of the news cycle they’re covering.

Topic

SMMT

"The day before SMMT actually, I've got the Mercedes GLC launch, the UK launch."

SMMT is an automotive industry event the host is planning around. Here it mainly matters because it affects when launches and reviews happen.

Car

Smart Hashtag 5

"I've got the, as I said, the Gilex 5 and I've got the Smart Hashtag 5, which is a very similar sized car to that GLB you drove, I believe."

The Smart Hashtag 5 is an electric small SUV/crossover from the Smart brand. The host is saying it looks really cool and talking about its size compared to another model.

Concept

embargoed

"It's all in, it's all embargoed stuff. So you've seen like ID3 and ID Polo now, I think. But there are four more to come from that same event."

“Embargoed” refers to information being released only after a specific time/date set by the manufacturer or event organizers. The host says the VW reveals were embargoed, meaning they’ve seen details but can’t publish until the embargo lifts.

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