Giles Parkinson On Australia’s EV Boom, Electric Utes & Solar Revolution! | Fully Charged Podcast

In this episode of The Fully Charged Show Podcast, Robert Llewellyn sits down with Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of RenewEconomy, The Driven, and One Step Off the Grid—Australia’s go-to sources for EV and clean energy news. They dive into Australia’s rapid shift to renewables, the household solar boom, and why independent media plays a crucial role in educating the public, policymakers, and politicians. With an explosion of new EV options—including Range-Extending Electric Utes designed for Australia’s ute-obsessed drivers—they also unpack Tesla’s declining sales and how fresh competition is reshaping the market. The discussion covers vehicle-to-grid technology, the political and economic forces driving (or stalling) clean energy adoption, and how capitalism is proving that sustainability equals cheaper energy—forcing industries to adapt, regardless of political resistance. Plus, they tackle big-picture topics like decarbonising mining, nuclear energy, and Fortescue’s clean energy ambitions. Want to hear more from Robert and Giles? Then see them live on stage at Everything Electric AUSTRALIA NSW at the Sydney Show Ground. Get your tickets here: https://everythingelectric.show @EverythingElectricShow @fullychargedshow 00:00 Introduction 01:55 Come to our live show! 02:16 Giles Parkinson, Founder & Editor at The Driven 08:20 Tesla sales plummeting, fiercer competition and charging chitchat 19:08 Electric vehicle sales are up! 24:54 Vehicle to Grid 31:00 Impact of elections in Australia 38:29 Decarbonising mining 41:55 The nuclear argument and battery storage 48:44 Real Zero not Net Zero 50:40 Hoping it was a write-off... 53:42 Concluding thoughts Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fullychargedshow Why are our episodes now sponsored? https://fullycharged.show/blog/dan-caesar-on-x-insta-youtube-and-why-we-made-a-contro[…]s-on-fully-charged-everything-electric-electric-vehicles-uk/ Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become a Fully Charged SHOW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/fullychargedshow To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected] Everything Electric AUSTRALIA NSW - Sydney Showground - 7th, 8th & 9th March 2025 Everything Electric LONDON (UK) - ExCel - 16th, 17th & 18th April 2025 Everything Electric CANADA - Vancouver Convention Center - 5th, 6th & 7th September 2025 Everything Electric SOUTH (UK) - Farnborough International - 10th, 11th & 12th October 2025 Everything Electric AUSTRALIA VIC - 14th, 15th & 16th November 2025 #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electricvehicles