New Podcast Shines Light on the People Powering Australia’s EV Charging Transition

PRESS RELEASE

As Australia moves to accelerate its shift to electric vehicles, the infrastructure behind the transition is undergoing its own rapid evolution. From public fast charging networks to the complex task of electrifying apartment car parks, there’s no shortage of technical, regulatory, and commercial challenges to work through. A new podcast hosted by Jeff Sykes and Dan Carson is attempting to bring some of those behind-the-scenes efforts to the surface.

The EV Charging Podcast, now seven episodes in, explores the current state and future direction of EV charging in Australia by talking directly with the people building the sector. It’s a space where founders, engineers, and advocates discuss the practical realities of enabling large-scale EV uptake—and what’s still getting in the way.

The format is straightforward: each episode features a guest with direct experience in a specific part of the EV ecosystem. Past guests include Tim Washington of JET Charge, Paul Fox of Evie Networks, and Ross De Rango of the Electric Vehicle Council, among others. Conversations cover everything from grid integration and tariff structures to public perception and policy gaps.

The show’s co-hosts both come from the energy advisory space. Sykes is CEO of Solar Choice, and Carson leads EV partnerships for the same company. Their approach is less about promoting products or platforms and more about facilitating open-ended, practical conversations.

“There’s a lot of complexity in this space, and much of it isn’t visible to the average EV driver—or even to many policymakers,” says Carson in the show’s first episode. “We wanted to create a space where the people doing the work could explain what’s really involved, in their own words.”

Diverse Perspectives on a Shared Challenge

One of the recurring themes across the podcast is how context-specific EV charging can be. While public fast charging often grabs headlines, many of the trickiest issues are occurring behind closed garage doors and inside apartment basements.

An early episode with Ross De Rango zeroes in on the strata sector, where many residents are eager to install chargers but run into barriers around shared infrastructure, billing, and future-proofing. These challenges are becoming more pressing as EV uptake rises and planning regulations catch up.

Another episode with Ed Harvey from New Zealand-based Evnex touches on the potential role of locally manufactured hardware and the specific needs of smaller markets, while David Watson of Ohme discusses smart tariffs and how EV charging can better align with grid conditions and renewable generation.

Throughout the series, there’s a clear undercurrent: the EV transition is no longer hypothetical, but many of the frameworks and systems that need to support it are still being built—often reactively.

Bridging Technical and Social Gaps

While the podcast does delve into technical matters like load balancing and software integration, it also pays attention to the human elements of the transition—questions of fairness, accessibility, and consumer experience.

In a recent episode, Catherine Van Der Merwe and Geordie Zafiris unpack some of the persistent myths surrounding EVs, particularly those related to performance and environmental impact. The discussion also touches on emerging technologies like bidirectional charging and some of the cybersecurity considerations that may come with them.

These topics are especially timely as governments at both state and federal levels introduce new incentives and regulations to support EV uptake, while also beginning to grapple with the longer-term implications for the electricity grid and broader transport system.

A Work in Progress, Just Like the Sector It Covers

The podcast isn’t overly polished or academic, and that seems to be part of its appeal. The conversations are grounded, sometimes informal, but largely focused on sharing knowledge across what is still a relatively small but fast-growing industry.

While it may not have the reach of international EV media outlets or government-backed initiatives, The EV Charging Podcast is quietly building a niche audience among those looking to better understand the technical, financial, and political threads shaping EV charging in Australia.

For listeners working in energy, transport, local government or property development—or simply those trying to get a home charger installed in an apartment block—it offers useful context from those navigating the same path.

Episodes are available on most major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Buzzsprout, with new conversations released weekly.

As Australia works to bring its vehicle fleet in line with climate and emissions targets, projects like this play a small but valuable role in connecting the dots—and the people—driving the transition.

New episodes are released monthly and are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Solar Choice.