The Amped EV Podcast

The Chevy BrightDrop 400 is a compact, all-electric delivery van built for last-mile fleets. It’s smaller than the BrightDrop 600 but still delivers strong cargo capacity, flexible charging, and driver-friendly features. In this walkaround, we cover driving impressions, cargo space, and charging capability to show how it performs in daily fleet use.BrightDrop 400 Features and Specs:Size: 238.6 inches long, a width of 89.4 inches (without mirrors), and a height of 109.2 inches. (About nine feet tall, seven feet wide, and just under 20 feet long)Service: No belts or oil changes; only coolant and washer fluidEfficiency: Regenerative braking and one-pedal driving extend brake life and return energySafety: Park sensors, forward collision alerts, heated mirrors, and a surround-view HD cameraInterior: Cushioned passenger seat, multiple cupholders, charging ports, and power outlets (120V/240V, up to 7.2 kW)Cargo: 3,710-lb payload, 412 cubic feet of volume, sliding doors for safe street-side deliveries, upfit-ready interiorCharging: Supports scheduled charging, DC fast charge with preconditioning, and on-screen charge status. Delivery mode auto-opens/closes doors to save time at stopsThe BrightDrop 400 blends cargo space, safety tech, and EV efficiency into a smaller footprint for last-mile delivery.www.thebuzzevnews.com

Redline Detection has become a name that no one in the EV service world can ignore. Perhaps best known for its Battery and Coolant Leak Detector (BCLD), the company now supports EV battery leak detection and diagnostics throughout the EV lifecycle, from battery R&D to collision repair and end-of-life handling.  In this episode of the Amped EV Podcast, Redline Detection President Alex Parker talks about the company’s explosive growth, how it developed the BCLD using patented nano leak technology, and why this tool plays an essential role across every stage of an EV’s lifecycle, from battery R&D to collision repair and end-of-life reclamation.www.thebuzzevnews.com

What if students could learn about EVs by building and driving one themselves? Switch Vehicles, a company that combines hands-on education with industry-relevant training, provides that service. Its EV training program enables students and teachers to assemble fully functional electric vehicles.In this episode, Brandon Watt, Marketing Director at Switch Vehicles, and Dan Vincent, lead instructor and retired professor, explain the Switch Lab program. Instead of using emulators or theory alone, students wire, assemble, and test real EV systems. They work on 12V, high-voltage, regenerative braking, and torque response systems – and then get to drive the finished vehicle.The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

How do you train today’s technicians to work on powertrains that barely existed a decade ago—and keep evolving each year? Bosch Mobility took on that challenge with its nationwide EV technician training tour, a hands-on program designed to meet technicians on-site.Brittany Kearns, Project Manager for EV Service Concept at Bosch Mobility, joins The Amped EV Podcast to discuss this mobile training initiative. Bosch launched the tour in 2024 to address the growing demand for EV technician training across the United States.Kearns explains how the one-day, face-to-face program brings cutaway vehicles, diagnostic tools, and essential equipment directly to workshops. The tour targets technicians, students, and educators – giving them the confidence to work on EV platforms like the Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf, Tesla models, Ford Lightning, and Chevy Blazer EV.Expanding Technical Depth and Responding to FeedbackFeedback from the field led Bosch to expand the curriculum with advanced training modules and deeper diagnostic content.  Kearns shares how Bosch is also addressing regional training needs, including diesel education and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).Bosch supports shops as they transition to servicing connected, software-defined vehicles.  She emphasizes that technicians must go beyond mechanical repairs and understand software updates, sensor calibration, and system diagnostics. As EVs evolve, Bosch continuously updates its tools and educational offerings to keep pace.Evolving EV Technician Training Curriculum and Public EducationKearns notes a growing number of hands-on EV training programs across the industry and sees that trend as critical. These resources help close knowledge gaps—not just for technicians, but for the public as well. www.thebuzzevnews.com

As more drivers switch to EVs, businesses must expand reliable, convenient charging in shopping centers, public parking, and other high-traffic areas. Brant Hastings, North American President of ABB E-mobility, joins The Amped EV Podcast to discuss the ABB E-mobility C50 charger. This 50-kilowatt DC fast charger serves retailers, urban areas, and public charging locations. Hastings explains how the ABB C50 charger meets the rising demand for EV destination charging. It offers dual-port functionality and a compact design that fits shopping malls and parking garages.How Retailers Can Adapt to EV ChargingHastings says retailers have much to consider when adjusting to EV growth and the barriers faced when installing chargers. He also examines why destination charging drives EV adoption. Hastings shares insights into charging infrastructure changes and the role of digital integration and loyalty programs. He explains how public chargers help drivers who lack home charging access."When drivers can charge during their normal activities – when they can check it off as part of a routine that they already have – it reduces that perceived effort and that time commitment and alleviates a lot of this range anxiety," he says.How the ABB E-Mobility C50 Charger Hopes to Make EV Charging Simple for Businesses Hastings explains ABB E-mobility’s strategy for simplifying charger management, ensuring retailers support EV adoption without adding complexity.   Watch the episode above for a deep dive into the future of destination charging and the challenges of expanding EV infrastructure. Learn how solutions like the ABB C50 charger create a more accessible EV charging network. The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

When you think of electric vehicle battery life, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Anxiety? Degradation? With EV adoption being a fairly recent concept, it's fair if you set your expectations low. However, real-world data shows EV batteries degrade by just 1.8% per year, according to Charlotte Argue, Senior Manager of Sustainable Mobility at Geotab. In fact, after 10 years, an EV battery should retain over 80% of its original capacity.Geotab analyzed 5,000 EVs in fleet applications and found battery degradation rates improved, dropping from 2.3% per year in 2019 to 1.8% today. The study focused on light-duty fleet vehicles, including those in municipalities, government agencies, and field service operations – cases when vehicles often experience harsher conditions and higher usage than personal EVs.On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, Argue explains how EVs can offer fleet operators a cost-effective investment. A Geotab study of 750,000 fleet vehicles across seven countries found that 75% of gas-powered vehicles could switch to EVs and still meet their range requirements. Forty-one percent of fleet operators would save money by transitioning to EVs, she adds.Frequent fast charging and high temperatures accelerate battery degradation. Vehicles relying on DC fast charging in hot climates degrade faster. However, many fleets can reduce stress on batteries by using slower charging methods during natural downtime. This approach lowers costs and extends battery lifespan.“We’re seeing that battery health is not something fleet owners need to fear,” Argue tells us. “In fact, with the right data and operational strategies, EVs are proving to be a cost-effective and long-lasting alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles.” The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

The complexities of EV battery technology are getting more and more... well... complex. But, while attributes like range, longevity, durability and chemistry tend to get much of the limelight, there's one aspect of EV battery R&D that sits in the background without getting the fanfare it rightly deserves: Testing."As the battery is becoming more and more important as the propulsion energy storage system, there's a lot of testing and a lot of validation that needs to be done," says Don Wright, Unico vice president of engineering. "Those tests are very demanding, and as the battery packs start to change and we're getting into higher voltages and higher powers, the test equipment that goes along with it needs to change as well. This is where we're starting to see the transition to much higher power systems and higher voltages for our test equipment; we even have battery pack test systems that go up to 2,000-3,000 volts for very large applications."On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, Wright highlights the importance of adapting test equipment to accommodate emerging trends, expectations and new business possibilities regarding the future of battery-swapping technology, and what we know about the integration of solid-state batteries in EVs. The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

Imagine the difference an additional 40% payload per trip could make to a refuse fleet. That's what Parker Meeks, CEO of Hyzon, is hoping to give haulers in the North American market looking to move away from diesel via Hyzon's hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse trucks, which are now being tested in the U.S. in partnership with New Way, a refuse truck body manufacturer, and Recology, a San Fransisco-based hauler."While [all-electric refuse trucks] can do the work on a micro level going job to job house to house, the weight of the batteries creates a situation where most battery trucks can only do about 40-50% of a day's work, because there's a significant weight penalty that's on the truck because of how heavy those batteries are," Meeks says. "So, what we're seeing in most battery-electric trucks is up to a 40% payload penalty, meaning they can carry only 6-7 tons of trash. That's a big problem, because to accomplish the same refuse collection in a single day, you're either making 40% more trips or you're buying 25-40% more trucks. That is the fundamental reason why refuse fleets are so excited to try our truck because we believe we have a vehicle that is the only viable zero-emission refuge collection vehicle on the market today." In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, Meeks breaks down how the performance of Hyzon's hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse vehicle compares to all-electric or trucks with internal combustion engines, how Hyzon is addressing common hydrogen-related challenges like fueling and infrastructure, and how Hyzon has adapted what it learned from running this truck in Australia for the North American market. The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

Efficiency is a critical pillar in EV powertrain design. Ideally, EV components manufacturers want to convert every single available kilowatt stored within the battery into energy capable of driving the vehicle, and getting as close to perfect as possible is one of the holy grails of design. That's why engineers spend endless hours finding ways to mitigate the effects of heat and friction, because even seemingly tiny saves in these areas can make a huge difference when it comes to an EV's performance.With over 2.5 million electric drive systems (and counting!) delivered, GKN Automotive knows this as well as anybody. "It's really critical that the EV powertrain is designed to consume the least amount of waste possible to increase the range availability of the vehicle and give the driver a better experience when it comes to things like range anxiety or charging," says Ben DeLand, director of electrical hardware engineering, GKN Automotive. "In EVs, a mountain of R&D money and effort has been spent, and I think over the past 10 years we've seen massive gains in efficiency."In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, DeLand gives his thoughts on the overlap and complexity in EV and all-wheel drive systems, how GKN Automotive aims to provide versatility in its EV powertrain solutions, the significant EV powertrain advancements that have been made over the past decade, and more.The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com

Fleet electrification is tricky. Many fleet locations never planned to one day convert their vehicles to run using electric powertrains, and therefore lack the adequate electrical infrastructure to easily make the switch. The good news is that upgrade solutions are typically available, and today there are lots of partners out there who can help fleets get started. The bad news is that the upgrade process can involve lengthy wait times – sometimes up to two years – due to factors like utility management and equipment shortages.Tom McCalmont, CEO and co-founder of Paired Power, says his company has developed what he calls a novel solution that both circumvents the need for extensive grid upgrades and also significantly accelerates the installation process: PairTree, a pop-up solar canopy that offers freedom from costly construction and infrastructure upgrades required by traditional solar canopy installation."Over the last 10 or 12 years, solar has gotten dramatically cheaper, but the one type of solar that has not gotten dramatically cheaper is solar carports. And the reason they haven't is ... because they have a massive foundation, with steel and concrete going into the ground. It's a very labor-intensive process to construct the actual overhead canopy and it's slow," McCalmont says. "So, we thought about that problem. The PairTree has a ballasted foundation with a light attachment. It can be attached to the ground with ground screws, but it's not a massive foundation like you would do with a traditional canopy. All of that can be accomplished in one day with two workers."In this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, McCalmont discusses the challenges related to fleet electrification, why some fleets are turning to microgrid EV charging systems, and the adaptability of these charging systems to different geographic conditions.The Buzz: www.thebuzzevnews.com