Welcome to EV Quest — your source for electric vehicle insights, based in New Zealand. Hosted by Adrian Maidment, the podcast features a weekly roundup of the latest EV news from Aotearoa, Australia, and around the world, often joined by Riz Akhtar from Carloop. You'll also hear interviews with key figures from the EV industry and the wider sustainability sector, along with reviews of the latest electric vehicles.

Andrea Persico, Director of Amped Consulting, works on EV projects from transitioning fleets to new technology trials.

With 20 years diverse experience in business and project management, Andrea is a skilled communicator and problem solver. Andrea started her career in sales and management of the family Electrical Wholesale business, and has more recently worked in Electric Vehicle Sales and EV charging projects for domestic, public and fleets.

In between she has started and run a ridiculous range of businesses, from vintage car tours in Tuscany, beekeeping in NSW, and a not for profit Library of Things. She is passionate about climate action and a rapid transition to electric technologies, and ensuring that vulnerable communities are not left behind in the transition.

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Andy Hoang is a dynamic leader with over 27 years in the auto industry and a proven track record in driving customer-focused business transformations across Australia, the US and Asia Pacific markets. Currently, Andy is Head of Leapmotor Australia and is responsible for managing the launch of the all new C10 and REEV into the market managing the dealer network, sales and marketing. Previously, he was serving as the Head of Business Development and Sales at Stellantis Australia, overseeing national sales and customer experience for Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Fiat Pro and Abarth. With extensive experience in customer experience strategy, digital transformation, and operations, he has successfully led teams at companies like Ford, Mitsubishi and VinFast, delivering impactful results in brand management, marketing communications, sales, and business growth.

Andy Larmour is a Principal Tax Director at KPMG and its national lead and subject matter expert on the taxation of electric vehicles. Andy is a well-known public speaker who regularly addresses conferences and online forums to discuss the tax consequences of owning and leasing vehicles for both employees and employers, with a particular focus on novated leasing and, more recently, subscription-based arrangements for motor vehicles. Andy is a Chartered Tax Advisor and Registered Tax Agent and has recently gone through his own personal journey of procuring an electric vehicle.

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I'm a retired professional electrical engineer, who was one of the founding partners of AUSTEK ENGINEERING P/L. We provided design and consulting services to the industry for 35 years.

Since retirement, I have completed 5 ICE EV Conversion car projects, including a Holden Barina, MGB , MGF , Toyota 40 series Landcruiser and a John Deere Gator ATV.

I'm just starting my 6th conversion project being a Fiat X19 2 door, sports car.

Bryce Gaton is passionate about all things EV. He has more than fifteen years of experience with EVs and works to support and inform business, government and the general public through the EV transition support consultancy EV Choice. (EV Choice provides services in all aspects of the EV Transition including fleet EV Transition planning, policy advice and copywriting on all aspects of EVs, EV charging and the wider aspects of the EV transition, along with public information lectures and webinars).  He is also a writer for Australia’s premier EV news site, TheDriven.

Some of Bryce’s more recent work includes membership of the Project Steering Committee for an accredited course for electricians on EV charging and a Standards Australia sub-committee that developed two Publically Available Standards for understanding domestic and commercial EV charging needs and solutions.

In his spare time Bryce writes on EV topics for Renew magazine as well as being the writer behind the EV car model Fact Sheets and webpage found on the AEVA (Australian Electric Vehicle Association) national website. 

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Byron started his motoring journalism career when he joined John Mellor in 1997 before becoming a freelance motoring writer two years later.He wrote for several motoring publications and was ABC Youth radio Triple J's "all things automotive" correspondent from 2001 to 2003.He rejoined John Mellor in early 2003 and has been with GoAutoMedia as a senior product and industry journalist ever since.With an eye for detail and a vast knowledge base of both new and used cars Byron lives and breathes motoring.His encyclopedic knowledge of cars was acquired from childhood by reading just about every issue of every car magazine ever to hit a newsstand in Australia.The child Byron was the consummate car spotter, devoured and collected anything written about cars that he could lay his hands on and by nine had driven more imaginary miles at the wheel of the family Ford Falcon in the driveway at home than many people drive in a lifetime.The teenage Byron filled in the agonising years leading up to getting his driver's license by reading the words of the leading motoring editors of the country and learning what they look for in a car and how to write it.In short, Byron loves cars and knows pretty much all there is to know about every vehicle released during his lifetime as well as most of the ones that were around before then.

Racing video games, car-spotting on road trips, and helping wash the family VL Calais Turbo as a kid were all early indicators that an interest in cars would stay present in Chris’ life, but loading up his 1990 VW Golf GTI Mk2 and moving from hometown Brisbane to work in automotive publishing in Melbourne ensured cars would be a constant.With a few years as MOTOR Magazine’s first digital journalist under his belt, followed by a stint as a staff journalist for Wheels Magazine, Chris’ career already speaks to a passion for anything with four wheels, especially the 1989 Mazda MX-5 he currently owns.From spending entire weeks dissecting the dynamic abilities of sports cars to weighing up the practical options for car buyers from all walks of life, Chris’ love for writing and talking about cars means if you’ve got a motoring question, he can give you an answer.

Chris Vanderstock is an electric vehicle enthusiast and advocate with over 16,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, Electric Chris. He is also the plaintiff in the High Court Case, “Vanderstock versus Victoria”, contesting the Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Tax which has been dubbed as the world’s worst EV policy. Chris is passionate about promoting the benefits of electric vehicles and his YouTube channel covers a wide range of topics related to EVs including reviews, news, and tutorials. He is also a strong advocate for making EVs more affordable, sustainable transportation, and is committed to making a difference in the fight against climate change.

Dan is passionate about shifting Australia to 100% renewable energy. He has built social movements around climate change, developed renewable energy projects and is the co-founder of Amber, a purpose-led electricity retailer designed to accelerate the transition.

Amber gives customers direct access to the real-time wholesale energy price so they can unlock the benefits of cheaper renewable power. Amber has now raised more than $120m to deliver their vision of a future where renewables plus automated smart devices in our homes can replace coal fired power stations.

Before Amber, Dan worked for Tesla where he developed the South Australian Virtual Power Plant, the Boston Consulting Group where he advised electricity companies on disruptions occurring in the electricity market and Hawaiian Electric where he designed Hawaii’s community solar program. He has degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Commerce (Economics).

Prior to this, Dan built movements around social and environmental issues. Back in 2009, Dan was running climate change campaigns with 40,000 young people in the lead up to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. He also founded the 2006 Make Poverty History concert, featuring U2 and Pearl Jam which inspired 50,000 Australians to join the campaign to end extreme poverty. This campaign was credited with influencing the Australian Government to increase their aid budget by billions of dollars a year. For this work, Dan was the Victorian Young Australian of the Year.

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David is the founder and host of Beyond EV, a YouTube channel that aims to guide and inspire BYD enthusiasts and potential buyers with reviews, tips, comprehensive research and technological insights. As the founder and host, my goal is to create engaging content around BYD products and models as they enter new markets, offering a deep dive into what makes their vehicles and technology stand out from the pack. Beyond EV prides itself on sharing independent research and in depth insights into BYD products from a BYD vehicle owner, and with a focus on digital storytelling, ensuring that every viewer gains the information they need to make informed decisions about their automotive future.

Dr. Patricia S. Lavieri is a Senior Lecturer in Transport Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her goal is to contribute to the development of more sustainable and equitable societies that leverage smart technologies. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and her background includes qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in the field of consumer choice modelling. She has high-impact contributions to the modelling of user preferences for emerging transport technologies and services, such as ride-hailing, bike-sharing, and electric, connected, and automated vehicles. She currently leads a research group focusing on electric vehicle charging behaviour and demand modelling for integrated transport and energy systems.

An operational firefighter, EV early adopter, charging & electrification specialist, Emma Sutcliffe’s unique combination of interests led her to establish EV FireSafe, the only global database of verified electric vehicle battery fires.

Funded by the Australian Department of Defence & collaborating with a global network of experts, Emma & her team provide data-driven learnings that enhance the safety of civilian & military emergency responders managing incidents involving electric vehicles, with a focus on those occuring at EV charging sites. Their work is freely available at evfiresafe.com & you can connect with Emma at emma@evfiresafe.com & LinkedIn.

Frank has over a decade of experience in the novated leasing and finance industry, having been in the field since 2011. He has held various roles and developed a deep expertise in novated leasing. Frank is dedicated to building and maintaining strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, and he is committed to delivering the highest quality service and leasing experience to his customers.

Key Tasks as Paywise BDM:

- Building and sustaining strong relationships with both current and prospective clients is a top priority, aiming for lasting partnerships.

- Performing research to analyze market trends, identifying clients, and evaluate the competitive landscape.

Gino Casha is the Head of Segway-Ninebot Australia and Director of Sales & Marketing at 360 International trading.

A EV enthusiast and having over 25 years in the telecommunications and technology sectors, Gino has held several director level positions at global company’s such as Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson and US tech company Asurion. Gino brings a wealth of experience in strategic development for global brands in the dynamic area of sales, retail and technology  innovation.

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Harman is the Smart Cities Lead at GHD Digital and works with senior stakeholders for GHD’s strategic clients to lead the development of innovative solutions  for smart infrastructure to improve the overall quality of life in our communities, to navigate complex business issues and facilitate change, with the goal to achieve sustainable growth in today's competitive business environment. Harman brings with him over 22 years of global experience in executive and management roles with various technology-related businesses in the US, Dubai, India and Australia. In the past, he served as the Chief Digital Officer at Brady Family of Companies in the US, where he led the organisation to be awarded the “Most Innovative Workplace” in North Carolina in 2017.

Harman holds an MBA from London Business School and is a regular speaker on smart technologies, applied innovation and digital transformation. He serves as the Secretary of the Board for Australian Smart Communities Association (ASCA), a Vice-Chair on the board of Our Future Cities and sits on Standards Australia’s committee for Smart City Systems to foster the development of standards and sharing of best practices in the ever-evolving space of smart and sustainable cities.

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Jack Quick has proven himself as one of the most prolific motoring journalists despite still being relatively fresh to the industry. He joins the CarsGuide team after spending four years at CarExpert in various roles.Growing up on a farm in regional Victoria, Jack has been driving cars since before he could even see over the wheel. He also had plenty of experience operating heavy machinery. In fact, he currently holds a Heavy Rigid license.On the farm, Jack spent a lot of time bush bashing in his family’s 1992 Suzuki Sierra soft-top and 1985 Holden Drover ute, and this helped fuel his life-long obsession with cars. He currently owns a 2020 Suzuki Jimny for nostalgic purposes.

Jade Credentino is the Founder of Baby and Car and Driver in Aus, two platforms dedicated to helping everyday Australians—including families—make confident, informed car-buying decisions. With a background as an automotive journalist since the age of 25, and automotive since 20, she’s built strong relationships with leading car brands and now creates trusted content that simplifies the road to buying a brand new car in Australia.

Lee Herbet is the creator and driving force behind “Not a car guy”. The channel was started as a way to educate people about life with an electric car. With his history in adult training, marketing and communications, Lee has fostered an engaging style and a keen community. Lee and his team explain the world of electric cars in an easy to understand manner for those who are keen to learn not just about electric cars, but electrifying everything.

Les Posen is a Clinical Psychologist by profession, specialising in helping patients deal with long term anxieties featuring transport: flying, driving, bridges, tunnels, elevators as well as other phobias.He transitioned to BEV in 2021 - a Tesla model 3 Long Range - after a life time of driving manual and automatic internal combustion cars, both petrol and diesel. This started him on a path to electrification which then included domestic solar power, then a Tesla PowerWall, and a Tesla wall charger.He has just taken delivery of a Launch Model Y AWD due to his Model 3 being too small for his needs: partner, 95 yo old mother and her walker, and a large German Shepherd Dog.Like so many BEV drivers, he can’t see himself going back to a non-electric vehicle, and maintains a low key approach to helping those contemplating a move to electric, using much of the knowledge he’s acquired over his career helping patients change their long practised habits - as long as they want to change!

In 2021, Mark founded go EV, a provider of electric vehicle charging solutions. Under Mark's leadership, go EV has become a trusted supplier of EV charging solutions, providing high-quality equipment to customers across Australia and across various market segments. Staying ahead of the latest in technological trends has enabled go EV to work with great supplier partners offering innovative charging solutions that are ready to support the growth of the Australian EV industry and transition our transport systems to net-zero carbon emissions.

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Mathew is an electrical engineer in the Sustainable Energy Consulting team at Powerplant Project Services, focusing on grid connections for sustainable energy assets. He leverages his extensive knowledge of electric vehicle technology and EV charging solutions, driven by developing network solutions that support the adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy generation. Mathew has a portfolio of over 50+ EV Charger designs, Roadside Assistance EV charging solutions, and is particularly passionate about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

As the founder and CEO of Flow Power, Matthew van der Linden’s vision is to create better energy retail options that help transform the way the Australian market uses electricity.

Matthew founded Progressive Green in 2009, which became Flow Power in 2017. Matthew has developed a number of innovative tech-based energy solutions to support customer needs across the NEM, including the energy management tool kWatch. 

Matthew’s passionate about utilising technology and education to facilitate change. He focuses on connecting Australian consumers to energy market signals, in order to help them make the right choices for the renewable energy future.

Michael is the Head of smart for LSH Auto Australia, the exclusive retailer of smart vehicles in the country. With over 25 years in the automotive industry, he brings practical insight into the shift towards electric vehicles. Michael helps guide first-time EV buyers through the realities of ownership — from choosing the right model to understanding charging and day-to-day use.

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Nathan Gore-Brown created ZEV Integrations following 30 years in the automotive industry and 8 years as a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) specialist. As one of Australia’s leading authorities on transport decarbonisation and electric vehicle strategies. Nathan is a specialist in electric trucking and has guided Governments and the private sector on best practice implementations in the low/no carbon space. His automotive career has spanned everything from marketing, sales and training roles at Aston Martin’s headquarters in the UK; to a State Manager for the Caterpillar dealer in the Northern Territory and launching Queensland’s first Tesla store. He is the QLD director of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association and has launched Test EV to offer EV battery health testing.

Nicholas Wodzinski is a Product Manager at Amber Electric, leading the development of the EV charging product that is helping Australians to charge at home when energy is cheapest and cleanest. With ten years of experience building software products, Nicholas has played a key role in advancing the EV transition—as Head of Product at Chargefox, Australia's largest and most used public charging app, and now at Amber.

Pete is the National President of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia, an EV advocate and Thought Leader in the Renewable Energy industry with the primary objective of creating an Electrified community supplied by renewable sources while minimising our reliance on fossil fuel alternatives. TOCA provides services to both its members and the greater EV community through member forums, events and industry advocacy. TOCA provides balanced feedback to both government bodies and the greater EV industry to guide the uptake of electric vehicles and support services. Pete’s other social drivers are his local community and services to regional Australia for EV owners. Pete lives in the Southern Highlands of NSW, his home is 100% self powered by Smart Solar Power and Storage for the household usage and two electric vehicles.

Peter brings over 25 years of experience in Salary Packaging and Novated Leasing. With a comprehensive background in servicing clients of all sizes across various market sectors, Peter excels in building long-term relationships with like-minded partners and tailoring solutions to meet clients’ unique needs.

He enjoys working closely with clients to formulate strategy, demonstrate innovation and identify continuous improvement opportunities to ensure ongoing success and growth of our workplace benefits offering.

Peter is passionate about providing highly personalised service and care. He is dedicated to achieving the fastest response times imaginable whilst working with client stakeholders to improve member participation and engagement..

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Raymond Hsieh, Sales Manager at MSI, with 10 years of engineering experience and 5 years in the EV charging sector, specializing in the Australian market.

Richard is a lifelong technologist with a passion for electric vehicles and renewable energy. He drove his first EV in 2014, and has been an EV owner since 2019. He loves taking long and challenging journeys in his EV, having toured the outback and lapped the country on 100% electric power. Having driven virtually every EV on the market in Australia (and beyond), and with a one day EV driving record of over 1900km, he is well-equipped to respond to any questions and concerns of both current and prospective EV owners.

Cube, the MSI’ partner for EV charger installation: Richard Brian Potterton, the Technical Director at Cube Automation & Electrical Group, a Queensland based smart home expert.

He lead Cube’s technical integration of MSI EV charger, ABB free@home, Samsung SmartThings, voice controls (e.g. Alexa routines), lighting, HVAC, blinds, security, entertainment, and solar energy management.

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Riz is the founder of carloop, specialising in Australian EV data, fleet insight reports and trends. He has a passion for the automotive sector, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia while building the industry of the future. He writes for Australia's leading EV publication, The Driven, is the director of Australian EV Association and co-hosts the leading Australian EV podcast, The EV show by Ludicrous Feed.

Ross is a robotics engineer by background and has spent the last eight years getting involved wherever the standards, codes, regulations and market design considerations relating to the infrastructure supporting EVs in Australia is being considered.  His latest venture is Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia, a business focused on solving challenges in the EV industry.

Ross and his wife own a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in hybrid and a Polestar, and live in Melbourne

Ross is an ex-police officer and Commonwealth Public Servant in Canberra who hasworked on sustainable transport policies at the federal departmental level. He was key to Australian embassies internationally transitioning to Electric Vehicles. Hehas lobbied local Councils for better charging infrastructure at key locationsin the ACT, NSW and QLD. He bought his Tesla in 2020 and has a keen interest in new and emerging EV battery technologies. He started regular Tesla education sessions in the ACT as part of his role in the Tesla Owners Club of Australia and is now the Vice President responsible for the Club's national event and education program.

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Sam Evans, @TheElectricViking, is one of Australia’s biggest EV Youtubers and thought-leaders. He is an Aussie guy passionate about cars, solar, wind, batteries, robotics and AI. As Peter Diamandis says, the future is better than you think.

EVSE was inspired by a trip to Europe in 2014 by its two founders Brendan Wheeler and Sam Korkees, where they were amazed to find the breadth of EVs available and charging stations lining the streets of Amsterdam. Since then, EVSE has quickly grown from startup to one of Australia’s leading EV charging solutions providers covering home, workplace and fast public DC Charging.

With over 25 years of experience, Sam has carved a niche for herself in novated leasing and salary packaging and has worked with several of the industry's most recognised providers, including Smart!Sam got her start at just 20, working in her family’s business. She was helping motor dealerships show customers how novated leasing could make buying a car more affordable—and honestly, she was hooked. She loved seeing how something as simple as the right advice could make a big difference in someone’s life. That’s what’s kept her going all these years: a genuine passion for helping everyday Aussies save money and feel confident about their choices. Currently in the market for a new EV herself, Sam knows exactly all the tricks of the trade to save on her next car. She’s all about keeping things simple, real, and easy to understand.

“Training the workforce of tomorrow in electric and zero emission vehicle technologies”

Simon Faure has been in the automotive industry for over 20 years, including roles as a Senior Diagnostic Technician for both BMW and Subaru brands, as a Mechanical Assessor for Allianz Insurance, and is currently working in the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) sector.

Simon is currently the Program Lead and Subject Matter Expert for Electric Vehicle Training at Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI), which is located at the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) in Docklands Melbourne. He overseas and delivers training for LEV’s and ZEV’s, as well as creating courseware and supporting the automotive industry with training solutions. Simon and his team are leading the way with upskilling Victoria’s workforce to meet the servicing and repair demands of the quickly expanding EV market.

Some of Simon’s training programs at BKI include:

• Basic Electric Vehicle Safety Training and Awareness.
• Depowering and Reinitialising Battery Electric Vehicles.
• Inspecting & Maintaining Battery Electric Vehicles.
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Safety, Inspection & Maintenance.

Simon has also spent significant time training with current EV technologies, training at the China New Energy Vehicle Technology Training Centre and the Great Wall Motors (GWM) production factory and research centres in Beijing, and visiting BYD Headquarters and VISION Batteries Research and Development Centre in Shenzhen China. He has also studied the latest in Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) technology and has also completed training at Toyota’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence.

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Tim identifies and works with partners who can help Amber deliver maximum value to their battery and EV customers. He has over 10 years experience in the renewable energy industry and is passionate about the energy transition.

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Calling out the make and model of every single car he saw as a toddler might have challenged his parents’ patience, but it was clearly a starting point for Tim Nicholson’s journey into automotive journalism.Tim launched the program, Fender Bender, on community radio station JOY 94.9 during completion of his Master of Arts (Media and Communications). This led to an entry role at industry publication GoAuto, before eventually taking the role of Managing Editor.A stint as RACV’s Motoring Editor – including being an Australia’s Best Cars judge – provided a different perspective to automotive media, before leading him to CarsGuide where he started as a Contributing Journalist in September 2021, and transitioned to Senior Editor in April 2022, before becoming Managing Editor in December 2022.

Ludicrous Feed is a Sydney-based YouTube channel that started in 2018 after Tom purchased his Tesla Model S. He wanted to show the reality of Australian daily life with his family and an electric vehicle. Tom provides straightforward candid insights into key issues around EV adoption such as vehicle range, charging infrastructure and road trip planning. The weekly live stream is an opportunity for industry guests to directly engage with audience members from the EV community. Tom also has a Powerwall 2 coupled with rooftop solar and has reviewed many other electric vehicles for the channel including brands such as BYD, Polestar, MG, Hyundai, Genesis and Kia.

Hi legends! I’m Yousef – Product Owner for the EV ecosystem at Smartgroup. I’ve been zipping around in EVs for years (yep, I’ve got two in the garage), so this isn’t just a job – it’s kind of an obsession. At Smartgroup, we’re building an EV world that actually makes sense for real people – simple, smart, and zero BS. Think less tech talk, more real talk. Let’s make EVs easy – and maybe even fun!”