It's Good To Torque - The WhichEV Podcast

Send us a text Chinese car brand Changan landed in the UK in September 2025, and the automaker means business. In the latest episode of WhichEV's It's Good To Torque podcast, host James Morris sits down with Changan UK Managing Director Nic Thomas to dissect the biggest story in motoring: the Chinese automotive onslaught. Discover the Deepal SO7, Changan's promising first family EV, re-engineered for the European driver in just three months! How are Chinese companies outpacing legacy brands? We discuss their rapid-fire decision-making, the battle for affordable small EVs, and the urgent need to fix Britain's charging infrastructure. Tune in to understand why the EV market is "living in exciting, really exciting times", and why Chinese brands are angling for a huge slice of the pie. Support the show

Send us a text Will Chinese cars dominate the UK? 🤔 Hosts James and Tim discuss the rapid rise of brands like Chery, MG, and BYD. Forget outdated myths; they're delivering high-quality, tech-rich EVs at aggressive prices that should worry established rivals. This isn't just a trend—it's a revolution happening at lightning speed, mirroring the Japanese auto invasion of the '70s, but faster. Tune in to WhichEV's new "It's Good to Torque" podcast to discover why your next car might be Chinese. Support the show

Do EV batteries need to be bigger, or are they already big enough? In this episode of the WhichEV podcast, James and Stef discuss emerging technologies such as Theion's, which promises to triple the range available for the same size and weight as a battery today. This could end the much-discussed "range anxiety" once and for all. We also talk about exciting new releases including the Lotus Eletre, Kia EV9, Maseratie Grecale Folgore, Audi A6 Avant e-tron and Cupra Born. Music by Soonripe Collective.

Now that there are two electric racing series regularly on broadcast TV screens - Extreme E and Formula E - James and Stef discuss whether either one can really replace the excitement of petrol-powered competitions like Formula 1 in this episode of the WhichEV podcast. Or does electric racing provide something different to traditional motorsport? Music by Soonripe Collective.

Environment Minister George Eustice has claimed that because EVs are heavier, they emit more tyre and brake pollution. But he's clearly wrong, particularly about the brakes. In this episode of the WhichEV podcast, James and Stef explain why Eustice's claims are incorrect, and how EVs really are the best way to make car transportation greener. Music by Soonripe Collective.

With petrol pumps empty and queues round the block for those that are open, James and Stef discuss the recent events and how EVs have prevailed during the crisis. Stef explains why he loves his diesel car so much. They also talk about how Toyota's CEO seems to be in a war against battery-electric vehicles, which makes James and Stef sad. Music by Soonripe Collective.

Now Stef has returned from California, he and WhichEV editor James Morris had a chance to go on a date at Fully Charged OUTSIDE. They discuss the best bits, including the first Tesla Model Y in the UK, the Nissan Ariya, and an army of IONIQ 5s. They also talk about the Audi Q4 e-tron, which James has been driving for the last week. Music by Soonripe Collective.

Octopus Electric Vehicles aims to make it cheaper to own an EV. WhichEV editor James Morris talked to CEO Fiona Howarth about how the company plans to achieve that, the current state of play with EVs, and whether hydrogen is really a viable alternative to battery electric. Music by Soonripe Collective.

This edition of the WhichEV podcast welcomes special guest Norman Crowley, founder of the Cool Planet Group and AVA, a leading force behind classic car EV conversions and major shareholder in Electric Classic Cars. Norman and WhichEV editor James Morris discuss the idea of converting classic cars to electric, including Norman's own Ferrari 308. We also discuss the value of putting electric engines in existing cars, as well as reimagining famous designs in electric form via a concept AVA calls "hyperclassics". Music by Soonripe Collective.

With the price announcements of the i4, and iX, is BMW committed to electrification again, and will it succeed? James and Stef discuss the possibilities. The i3 is continuing to please, and the iX3 is imminent, meaning electrification could be the next Neue Klasse for BMW, leading the company to a renewed future where it continues to dominate the luxury car market. We also consider whether Ford is making a similar play with the F-150 and Mustang Mach E. Music by Soonripe Collective.

Could Volkswagen really challenge Tesla in the electric vehicle market? Or is the ID.4 GTX too limited to compete with the Model Y? Does Tesla have too many technological advantages? Maybe Mercedes will pose a better challenge with the EQS. James and Stef get a bit too Model X-rated as they discuss the pros and cons in the latest WhichEV podcast. We also consider the value of VW's MEB platform, which can be found in the ID.4, Skoda Enyaq iV, and even Audi's Q4 and Q4 Sportback. Warburton's new electric bread delivery truck makes us say "crumbs", too. Music by Soonripe Collective.

After the first Extreme E competition in Saudi Arabia, James and Stef discuss whether electric motor racing is actually any good, in the latest episode of the WhichEV podcast. They also ask whether the UK plug-in grant reduction was really such a bad thing, considering how many manufacturers have dropped their prices as a result, including Citroen, Peugeot, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW and even Tesla. Stef also explains how he went to Hawaii to research electric vehicles, not swim with turtles and hang out at the beach. Music by Soonripe Collective.

With the UK government reducing the plug-in electric grant and the maximum price eligible, James and Stef discuss whether this is going to stall the EV revolution, and whether Volkswagen's Power Day will have a more positive effect, particularly now Audi is no longer developing new fossil fuel engines. But with lots of great new EVs arriving this year, including the Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and MG Marvel, as well as Gridserve investing in the Electric Highway to fix UK motorway charging, is the momentum now too great to fail? Stef is also back from his long, woke shower. Music by Soonripe Collective.

We invited Ed Thomas, Managing Director of ebike company Mark2 to join us on the latest WhichEV podcast episode. WhichEV editor James Morris and Ed discuss the Swytch conversion kit, how ebikes fit into the emobility revolution, the different ebike designs and their strengths, escooters, and much more. But Stef stayed in California being woke. Music by Soonripe Collective.

The EV revolution may look unstoppable, but 20 years ago there was another great electric car on the market - until the manufacturer killed it. Could this happen again? With Ford planning to go electric in Europe by 2026, Jaguar Land Rover going electric by 2025, the VW ID.3 the second bestselling car in Europe across all fuel types in December, and BEVs now 6.9% of UK car sales, it looks unlikely. But there still many forces amassing against BEVs. James and Stef discuss the possibilities. We also learn just how woke Stef is. And it's a lot. Music by Soonripe Collective.

EVs are starting to sell in considerable numbers, but the charging infrastructure isn't keeping up, with UK councils only planning to install 35 chargers each by 2025. This week, James and Stef discuss the current state of charging in the UK, including the report by Connected Kerb, which says that people will only be happy to switch to EVs if they have local charging. This has also been backed up by a recent MIT report, which also argues that a multi-faceted approach is the best one. But street charging will clearly be central, which is why Shell has purchased Ubitricity, as will driveway charger sharing services like Co Charger's, and the focus on bookable hotel parking charging from YourParkingSpace. Charger forecourts like Gridserve's will play an important role, too. But one thing's for certain - we need more chargers for the massive explosion in the EV market. Music by Soonripe Collective.

It's been a bumper year for electric vehicles, so Stef and James look back at the top stories and developments in the EV market across 2020 in the latest WhichEV podcast. We discuss the massive increase in EV sales in 2020, how EVs are now selling more than diesels in Europe, the Nissan Leaf turning 10 years old, the MG5 EV, Tesla Battery Day 2020, and VW's ID.3, which is part of Volkwagen's huge investment in electrification. GRIDSERVE opened its first electric forecourt, which will help allay people's range anxiety fears after the UK government announced a ban on new fossil fuel car sales from 2030. Apple could be developing an autonomous EV after all, and Britishvolt indicates an electric focus in new industry in the UK. It's a huge bumper podcast edition with something for everyone. If you like electric vehicles, that is. Music by Soonripe Collective.

Charging infrastructure is the biggest impediment to EV adoption, but what if your car could recharge itself via its own solar panels, like the Aptera 3? Or will GRIDSERVE's EV charging forecourts help? Electric cars are almost good enough now, but people are still worried about how they can charge them. James and Stef discuss the issues in this week's podcast. Also how EVs caused COVID-19 and stole the US election for Biden. Horrible things. Music by Soonripe Collective.

The UK has imposed a ban on sales of new internal combustion engines from 2030 as part of the plan to achieve net zero greenhouse emissions, which means that in the future we will see a lot of more electric vehicles on the road. In this podcast special, we explore how the batteries in electric vehicles do not last forever, and do have an ‘expiration date’ when the decay process starts. We ask what happens to these batteries once they are at the end of their lives? Gian Matteo Sacchetti reports on the challenges of recycling Lithium-Ion batteries. Music by Soonripe Collective.

#AstonGate and the hate campaign by laggardly fossil fuel carmakers against EVs is the main focus of Stef and James's discussion in this week's podcast, which appears to have been prompted by the 2030 UK ban on new diesel and petrol car sales. We also discuss the chances of the forthcoming hydrogen fuel cell-driven 2021 Toyota Mirai and the company's announcement of a greater focus on battery EVs next year. Stef gets obsessed with pleasuring yourself in a Tesla, and so much more. Music by Soonripe Collective.