As the EV Future barrels into the passenger vehicle market, it is transforming the global battery industry toward large scale, commercial manufacturing operations that are supported by emerging regionalized supply chains. Global sales of 6.6 million Electric Vehicles in 2021 consumed over 280 GWh of Lithium-Ion Battery Cells valued at almost 30 B USD. This is double the EV Battery market of 2020.

In this episode we consider the transition to EV from the perspective of multiple stakeholders:

• Car manufacturers
• Utility providers
• Battery manufactures (and the supply chain)
• Government
• Consumers (with different vehicle uses and in different locations)

Biography:

Ron Turi is a battery engineer who owns and operates Element 3 Battery Venture, LLC, a small, but well-equipped development lab centered on lithium battery design that provides contract services for battery end users, cell makers and materials suppliers to the battery industry. Ron is a chemical engineer with 30 years of experience in the lithium-ion battery industry, starting with electrode coating and moving to cell and to battery level development / design. Ron is engaged in projects  for startup companies and larger companies involved in multiple emerging battery technologies with a focus on EV applications

Areas of discussion

• Market capacity
• Fuel pricing
• Labour shortages
• Ongoing market restrictions
• Importance of confidence
• Impact of low economic growth
• Resilience of the low cost carriers

Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6652962252913729536/

The Endeavour Programme has developed an artificial intelligence technology that can be applied to improve the performance of major projects.

Key takeaways:

1. Throughout history, the construction industry has rapidly adopted ‘mechanical’ technology, but the management and design of projects is still dominated by humans using programmes such as excel, primavera and autocade
2. An AI machine is like a mechanical mind. It uses billions of data points to predict the probable time and cost outcome of a project in ways that humans simply cannot do
3. By gaining a greater understanding of this probable outcome, humans (AI machines don’t make choices!) can make more informed management decisions throughout the project lifecycle
4. Used correctly, AI allows Governments to better understand the requirements of a project, and make better decisions on how it will allocate resources to match social need
5. Important decisions now need to be made at the policy level. The data generated from infrastructure is valuable.  Where Government has paid for the infrastructure, it should have open access to that data

Clare is an award-winning environmental expert and sustainability strategist.

Key takeaways

• Although widely used, sustainability is a jargonistic word which is not immediately self-explanatory.  ‘Wellbeing’ (social, indigenous, economic and environmental) is a term people can more closely relate to, measure and understand
• If the key project evaluation tools are economic (GDP contribution/IRR), the infrastructure delivered will prioritise these requirements (at the expense of broader long-term wellbeing)
• Government is responsible for setting the strategic wellbeing framework for large scale capital projects – the market then delivers to these standards.  However, pressure from the business sector remains a key driver of business and government wellbeing practices
• The shift to a wellbeing (or sustainable) approach requires a top-down and bottom-up cultural shift.  This can only be achieved through focused, structured and timely wellbeing training

Episode references:

• https://nz.linkedin.com/in/clare-feeney-b96926b
• https://www.clarefeeney.com/
• https://esst.institute/

Key takeaways:

• A Portfolio is the totality of an Organisation’s investment required to achieve its strategic objectives. An Organisation can have one or multiple Portfolio’s depending on its business model.
• A Program is a temporary organisation structure created to coordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a number of related Projects. Program’s deliver outcomes and benefits related to and aligned with an Organisation’s strategic objectives.
• A Project is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business outputs according to a specified business case. Projects can be stand alone or form part of Program.
• Operated effectively, the layered approach:
  • Provides leadership will a single line of sight from strategy to output.
  • Allows an organisation to clearly set out, monitor and evidence how it will achieve its stated strategic aims.
  • Provides quantifiable data for performance reporting and progress
  • Enables effective risk management across all levels

Richard is the Global Head of Infrastructure at KPMG where he leads a team of nearly 3,000 people.  Richard is an authority within the infrastructure industry.

Key takeaways:

• Infrastructure drives quality of life – society functions on the strength of its infrastructure
• Covid, and the rising societal awareness of climate change, is releasing the ability of Governments to be more radical than ever before
• Governments and the industry are facing three key challenges:
  • How to prioritise investment
  • How to leverage technology to improve delivery
  • How to increase the long-term skills and resilience of the construction industry
• The quantum and speed of infrastructure funding required now outstrips the resources of Government – unlocking the trillions of dollars available from the private sector is a priority
• The energy (renewables) and transport (electrification, digital connectivity and automation) sectors are being transformed – the burning platform now exists to make wholesale changes to these markets
• Sustainability is a global issue – climate change cannot be isolated to a single industry or geography

Following the publication of “Know your options” Frank joined us to discuss what level of private sector participation a government can and should have in delivering long-term infrastructure projects.

Key takeaways

• Although ‘Traditional’ models are compared to PPP, all models involve some level of private sector participation. This begs the question: What is the right level of participation for a specific project?
• To find the ‘optimal’ approach, Government must first agree and rank its objectives for a project. Common objectives often include the desire to transfer risk but deliver at the lowest possible cost – these are conflicting and need to be ranked to find an optimal solution
• The status quo must always be tested. External events (economic growth, Covid-19, new policy) result in constantly changing objectives for Government.  The right level of private sector participation two years ago may not be the right level now
• Soft market testing can provide confidence in a new approach in a timely and efficient manner. For the cost of a coffee, potential issues with an approach can be identified early, and addressed before being released to the wider market

Following his excellent article ‘A 10 Point Public-Private Partnership Plan for National Economic Recovery in the USA’ (link in comments) David joined us to discuss the state of the infrastructure in the USA and how the acceleration of PPP programs can provide a solution.

Key takeaways:

1. For decades, investment into new build infrastructure, or maintenance of existing infrastructure, has been deferred. This policy has created a modern-day infrastructure crisis in the US
2. The level of investment now required is substantial, even within the context of the US economy
3. Unless projects cross state boundaries (such as roads or bridges), the States control how infrastructure is procured. States operate autonomously in relation to State issues. Therefore, there are potentially 50 different approaches to how infrastructure is procured
4. Taxation is central to the American psyche.   Convincing the public or politicians to invest now and take the long-term social or economic view on payback is extremely challenging
5. PPPs can be a solution to the crisis, but work is required to create a unified approach and provide investors with the confidence to enter this complex market

Article link:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-point-public-private-partnership-plan-national-economic-baxter/?trackingId=dwLntuny8xEpNmYa7WeMMg%3D%3D