Driving with Dunne

Ms. Lu Zhang moved from Inner Mongolia to the United States at the age of 20 to study material sciences at Stanford. Shortly after graduation, she founded her first company - one that made her independently wealthy. Today she leads Fusion Fund, a Palo-Alto based venture capital company that focuses on early stage investments. Ms Zhang is recognized as one of the top 25 leading female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. I met Lu at a private gathering of venture capital leaders gathering earlier this year. She struck me as an exceptionally smart and driven individual. In this episode, we will learn how Lu thinks about risk and how she picks winners. We will also discover the meaning of her name and what kind of cars she drives. Hint: One is German and the other is made in America. Lu Zhang, Founder, Fusion Fund, on the Driving With Dunne podcast. #DrivingWithDunne / #ZozoGo https://twitter.com/Dunne_ZoZoGohttps://www.instagram.com/zo.zo.go/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/

Electric vehicles are expensive, out of reach for most customers. The average price of EVs sold in America last year was $65,000. The story in Europe was similar. China offers more affordable EVs. But they are driven by batteries that deliver dramatically lower range or power – or both. Who wants to buy an EV that is not quick off the start ? Or one that causes you range anxiety? Are we stuck in EVs-are-too-damn-expensive land forever? No, at least not for long, according to Vincent Pluvinage, the fascinating scientist, physicist and co-founder and CEO of OneD Battery Sciences. Born in Belgium, educated at Michigan and Stanford, Dr. Pluvinage now spends his time at the OneD labs in Palo Alto devising ways to make batteries less expensive. The secret ingredient is silicon. But as you will learn from listening to Vincent, making better batteries is never simple or easy. #DrivingWithDunne / #ZozoGohttps://twitter.com/Dunne_ZoZoGohttps://www.instagram.com/zo.zo.go/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/

Most modern cars come with adaptive front lighting, park assist, surround-view and rear view cameras, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and collision avoidance. But how do these magical powers work? These systems use image sensors that continuously sample the vehicle’s operating environment. A machine vision processor in the system controller analyzes the data and determines what actions the car should take. Yes, we humans are still behind the wheel but the car is doing a lot of the work for us. That is where Scottsdale Arizona-based onsemi comes in - designing, engineering, manufacturing, testing and packaging smart sensors. Billions of them, every year. How smart are the sensors? How reliable? And how safe from cyber attacks. Ross Jatou, GM at Onsemi's Intelligent Sensing Group walks us through today's tech promises and realities.

This discussion features Marie Thompson, a Partner at Powerhouse Ventures, who specializes in early-stage software startups that decarbonize energy and mobility. She shares insights from her transition from oil and gas to climate-focused investing. Marie explains how software is enhancing the electric vehicle charging experience, citing companies like AmpUp that optimize user interactions. She also emphasizes the importance of a strong founding team and advocates for diverse hiring. Plus, she encourages everyday investors to consider climate-focused portfolios.

Electric vehicles remain expensive, out of reach for most customers. The average price of EVs sold in America last year was $65,000. The story in Europe was similar. China offers more affordable EVs, but they are driven by batteries that deliver dramatically lower range or power – or both. Who wants to buy an EV that is not quick off the start ? Or one that causes you range anxiety -- and sometimes range panic? Are we stuck in EVs-are-too-damn-expensive land forever? No, at least not for long, according to Vincent Pluvinage, the fascinating scientist, physicist and co-founder and CEO of OneD Battery Sciences. Born in Belgium, educated at Michigan and Stanford, Dr. Pluvinage now spends his time at the OneD labs in Palo Alto devising ways to make batteries less expensive. The secret ingredient is silicon. But as you will learn from listening to Vincent, making better batteries is never simple or easy. Let's find out why. #DrivingWithDunne / #ZozoGohttps://twitter.com/Dunne_ZoZoGohttps://www.instagram.com/zo.zo.go/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/

John Voelcker, an automotive journalist and EV expert, dives into the alarming "boom and pop" events that left Ford, Rivian, and Bolt drivers stranded during fast charging. He unpacks the complexities that hinder non-Tesla charging networks, from hardware issues to software failures. Discussing the impact of inconsistent grid power and the varied responsibilities between chargers, dealers, and automakers, Voelcker shares insights on preferred charging networks and his top EV picks.

Graphite is a core component of lithium-ion batteries, accounting for up to 30% of the value of a battery cell. Today, Chinese companies utterly dominate refining, producing 93% of all processed graphite globally. America is now hell-bent building its own batteries and battery supply chains. Since 2021, American car makers and battery manufacturers have announced more than $60 billion in new battery plants across the United States. Still, the US is totally reliant on China for graphite. But that is changing fast. Meet Nico Cuevas, Founder, Urbix Resources, a Mesa Arizona startup specializing in clean and efficient graphite processing. Founded in 2014, Cuevas and his co-founders are racing to scale up innovative processing of graphite that they import from dozens of mines around the world, including from Brazil, Turkey and China. Will Urbix be able to compete with China, the graphite beast?

John Thomas, COO of Autel Energy North America, shares insights into the troubled EV charging landscape. He highlights the frustrations faced by new EV owners, from broken chargers to complex public systems. John emphasizes Autel's mission to enhance the charging experience with reliable home and public solutions. He discusses the importance of partnerships to simplify the charging process, the future of seamless plug-and-charge technology, and the need for better service standards in the industry. John's vision aims to transform how we power electric vehicles.

Imagine a future in which car buyers choose a make and model based not on acceleration, handling and braking but on their digital cockpit experience. How well does the navigation work? How rich are the media options? How quick and intuitive is the interface. Guess what? That future is already here. People, especially younger people, want to enjoy their digital life inside the vehicles while they are in stop and go traffic delivering kids to school or going to work. In a recent survey of iPhone users, 67% of respondents said that their next car must offer Apple Carplay compatibility or they would look somewhere else. This is very good news for Apple of course. And for Google Play. And to Tesla. But it could be disastrous news for legacy automakers who continue to struggle with software development and execution. Richard Windsor, leading global expert on future technology, calls it an existential crisis. #DrivingWithDunne / #ZozoGo https://twitter.com/Dunne_ZoZoGohttps://www.instagram.com/zo.zo.go/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/

Meet Joe Lowry, a man who in the battery minerals world is known as Mr Lithium. Lowry got his start in lithium at just about the same time that lithium ion batteries first started powering made-in-Japan consumer electronics like the Walkman. He has direct first hand experience working shoulder to shoulder iwt leading lithium players in Japan and in China. And he is on a first name basis with the founders in lithium mining from Australia to South America to North Carolina where he now lives. In this episode, we learn why lithium prices exploded in 2022. And where they are likely to head over the next five years.#DrivingWithDunne / #ZozoGo https://twitter.com/Dunne_ZoZoGohttps://www.instagram.com/zo.zo.go/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/