Slowdown, what Slowdown?
Dr Andy Palmer, former COO at Nissan and former CEO of Aston Martin joins Cleaning Up to discuss the future of EVs
What will it take for electric vehicles to truly dominate the transportation landscape? Can traditional automakers adapt quickly enough to the EV revolution, or will new players overwhelm them? And how close are we to fully autonomous driving?
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Dr. Andy Palmer, a pioneer in the electric vehicle industry. With over 45 years of experience in the automotive sector, Andy has witnessed the industry's transformation firsthand — from his early days as an apprentice to senior leadership roles at companies like Nissan and Aston Martin.
Andy shares the story behind the development of the Nissan Leaf, the world's first mass-market EV. He delves into the challenges of bringing this groundbreaking vehicle to market and how it kickstarted his journey from "piston head" to "battery head."
We also explore Andy's time at Aston Martin, where he tried to steer the august British sports car manufacturer towards an electric future — at one point James Bond was lined up to be the first customer of an electric Aston Martin — and why that effort ultimately failed. Andy provides keen insights into the rapid evolution of battery technology, the role of government policy, and the future of autonomous driving.
To listen to the episode, find Cleaning Up on your podcast platform of choice, or watch the video on YouTube here.