Installing an EV charger in an apartment building isn't always straightforward as limited electrical capacity, strata approvals and the cost of upgrading older buildings can all make the process difficult.

In this episode of The EV Charging Podcast, Solar Choice speaks with Carter Li, founder of SWTCH, a Canadian company specialising in EV charging solutions for apartment buildings and shared parking facilities.

Carter shares how his own experience trying to install an EV charger in his apartment building led him to start SWTCH. We discuss the challenges facing apartment residents, how buildings can install chargers without expensive electrical upgrades and what strata committees and building managers need to consider.

We also look at Australia's growing EV market, the arrival of more affordable Chinese electric vehicles and what increasing EV ownership means for apartment charging infrastructure.

Topics covered:

• Why apartment EV charging can be difficult
• How SWTCH got started
• Managing electrical capacity in older buildings
• Strata approvals and the role of building managers
• Installing chargers without major electrical upgrades
• Australia's EV market and the growth of Chinese EVs
• Preparing apartment buildings for future EV demand

Just Jeff Sykes and Daniel Carson running through the EV news that mattered without a guest, plus everything Jeff saw fresh off a trip to China.

They dig into Ampol's ~$225 million acquisition of Evie Networks and the petrol giants racing into charging, then Jeff reports back from what he saw in Wenzhou:

• Charging stations with 100+ chargers
• 86 EV brands (including BYD, Xiaomi and Li Auto)
• NIO's battery swapping that pulls a full pack in two and a half minutes
• Geely's Horizon vans dominating the commercial segment
• Countdown-timer traffic lights, and
• Electric heavy trucks with swappable battery packs.

An honest look at how far ahead the EV transition already is overseas, and what's hopefully coming to Australia next.

Brought to you by Solar Choice. Compare free quotes for solar, battery, EV charging, heat pumps and aircon at solarchoice.net.au

Petrol cars could soon be the ones with range anxiety. And some of the world's biggest carmakers may not survive the shift to electric.

In this episode of The EV Charging Podcast, Jeff Sykes and Dan Carson sit down with Sam Evans, creator of The Electric Viking and one of Australia's best-known independent EV voices, to unpack where the global car industry is heading.

Sam shares why he believes Chinese EV manufacturers caught Western and Japanese carmakers sleeping, why decades of brand loyalty could disappear faster than expected, and why buying a hybrid today may carry more risk than many drivers realise.

We also explore:

• Can Toyota, Ford and other legacy carmakers catch up?
• Why Chinese EV manufacturers have moved so quickly
• The electric ute Australia is still waiting for
• Why Sam thinks petrol cars could eventually suffer "range anxiety"
• The rapid evolution of EV batteries and charging
• How rooftop solar could accelerate EV adoption in Australia
• How The Electric Viking grew to hundreds of thousands of subscribers
• Paid car reviews, sponsorships and independence in automotive media

It's a wide-ranging and unfiltered conversation about EVs, batteries, China and the disruption reshaping the global automotive industry.