In this episode of Climate Solutions, he explains how his latest book, The Powerhouse, tells a remarkably similar story of global energy interdependence, the protagonist this time being batteries rather than oil. Weaving expertly between chemistry, geopolitics and everything in between, Steve tells a story of Chinese domination, where US and European automakers and battery manufacturers race to catch up with an ecosystem reliant on Chinese minerals and processing.He forecasts a decade of intense innovation, particularly in battery cell design, where he argues that nickel must give way to lithium to encourage adoption. By 2030, he sees a dramatic shift to autonomous electric vehicles and, much to our delight, a rapid upscaling of V2G technology. He believes 2030’s winners are being decided as we speak, offering a stark warning to dithering incumbents. We hope you will enjoy the chat as much as we did.
Steve LeVine is a renowned journalist and author whose career has spanned The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times and Newsweek, primarily in foreign affairs roles. He has written three books and is a senior fellow on the Foresight, Strategy and Risk Initiative at the Atlantic Council and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Steve’s first book was about the geopolitics of oil.
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