Directly Current

Directly Current brings you candid conversations with policymakers, industry leaders, and everyday drivers about how EVs are reshaping America.

April 22, 2026

Directly Current Episode 40: The Future of the Grid and EVs, with Zach Woogen (VGIC)

Many new EVs like GM’s EV pickup trucks, Ford’s upcoming UEV, and Tesla’s Cybertruck are capable of exporting onboard power from their large batteries into someone’s home to act as a bckup generator, or even back into the grid to act as a grid stabilizer that could save people money…

April 21, 2026

Directly Current Episode 39: Why Kia Isn’t Slowing Down on EVs in America, ft. James Bell

James Bell is the head of PR and comms for Kia in America, and he’s overseen the brand evolve from being a budget/used car alternative into a premium competitor, particularly in the EV space. Hot on the heels of announcing the affordable EV3 for the US, James speaks with Max…

March 22, 2026

Directly Current Episode 38: Ford’s Alan Clarke on Building An Affordable EV Pickup Truck

Alan Clarke, executive director of Advanced EV Programs at Ford, joins Max to discuss his team’s work on the Universal EV Platform—an ambitious plan to make low-cost, next-gen vehicles that make the existing Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning look old-school. Ford’s first BEV efforts were well received but had…

March 16, 2026

Directly Current Episode 37: Affordable EVs are a Must for the Auto Industry, with Ed Kim (AutoPacific)

Ed Kim joins Max from AutoPacific, where he’s the chief analyst, to discuss data and insights he’s gotten from working with nearly every major OEM on EVs’ near future outlook. The good news? There’s lots of work on affordability. Also, Republicans really are warming to EVs, as our own polling…

February 10, 2026

Directly Current Episode 36: Positive Signs Ahead for EVs (yes, really!) with Corey Cantor, ZETA

Corey Cantor from the Zero Emissions Transportation Association (ZETA) joins Max to discuss some positive trends for EVs going into the new year. 2025 was a rough year for EVs with the axing of federal support after Republican-led legislation dropped the $7,500 credit on new vehicles, and sales have shown…

February 4, 2026

Directly Current Episode 35: The State of Chinese Cars with Kevin Williams (InsideEVs)

Staff writer for InsideEVs and auto journalist Kevin Williams joins Max to discuss his experiences reporting on and driving Chinese EVs. How compelling are they in 2026 and how do they stack up to Western automakers? What does he make of Canada’s new policy to lift tariffs on them and…

January 27, 2026

Directly Current Episode 34: Polling on Chinese EVs; Partisan Gap Shrinking; New CA Tax Credit with Mike Murphy

After a holiday hiatus, Directly Current is back! Veteran political guru and EVs for All America and American EV Jobs Alliance founder, Mike Murphy, joins Max to chat about his conversations with Governor Newsom about a new California EV tax credit that could fit into the state budget. He also…

November 12, 2025

Directly Current Episode 33: The Multifamily Charging Problem In California with Dan Krassner

Executive director of EVs for All America, Dan Krassner, joins Max to discuss the work that our team has been doing in California to make installing EV charging in apartments and multifamily units a lot easier. Californian apartment dwellers make up more than the population of at least 30 US…

November 8, 2025

Directly Current Episode 32: Electric Era’s Bet on Retail EV Charging, with Quincy Lee

Ex-SpaceX engineer and founder Quincy joins Max once more to talk EV charging with his company Electric Era’s new launch, RetailEdge. It’s a sleek unit that uses AI and a friendly interface to make charging easier while allowing retailers who host charging sites to get customers in the door of…

October 28, 2025

Directly Current Episode 31: The Utility Side of EVs with Dawn Neville (PSE&G)

PSE&G is New Jersey’s largest utility and is over a century old, but under Dawn Neville’s team they’re doing an agile and decent job of adapting to EVs with programs that subsidize home charging and forecast load for necessary grid uprades. Max speaks with Dawn to learn more about the…