AI in Automotive Podcast · Jayesh Jagasia

AI in Automotive - #503 - Mike Kent, GridBeyond & Alex Iriondo, MontaUntitled Episode

·46 min·1 clip

Jayesh starts the new season with a clear premise. He argues that automotive and energy are converging fast, and that this is opening up new opportunities for energy companies, automotive OEMs, fleet owners, operators, and the wider ecosystem around them. AI is the accelerator. The episode treats it as an enabling technology rather than a topic on its own, because the real challenge is coordinating vehicles, charging, and energy systems. Jayesh then shifts to the fleet manager's point of view. He contrasts the familiar decision framework for ICE fleets with the newer questions raised by electrification, where acquisition cost and operating cost still matter but charging and grid interaction now sit inside the model. Mike and Alex help unpack that shift. Their explanation stays practical and grounded in how fleets actually make decisions, with a focus on where the energy layer changes those decisions. The conversation spends time on total cost of ownership. It treats TCO not as a simple spreadsheet exercise, but as a structure that now has to include load management, depot charging behavior, and the implications of flexible energy use. The show also leaves room for the education problem. The guests note that many fleet managers are still learning the electricity side of the equation, because they are used to thinking in diesel, fueling, and maintenance terms. That gap matters. The episode shows how partners can work alongside operators to explain energy markets, flexibility markets, and the value hidden in depot loads that can be managed more intelligently. Bus operators in the UK come up as a useful example. They show how understanding tends to deepen over time, especially after years of real-world electrification work. A depot charging fifty vehicles at once is not just a logistics question. It is also a possible source of revenue and operational advantage if the load is managed well. The discussion ends by looking ahead. It points toward virtual power plants, vehicle-to-grid, and vehicle-to-building as near-future possibilities that could change how fleets are acquired, operated, and managed.

As heard by us

A steady guide to fleet electrification and the energy and auto worlds converging around it.

This episode treats fleet electrification as more than a vehicle swap. It places utilities, OEMs, fleet owners, and operators in the same frame, and Jayesh keeps it grounded by starting with total cost of ownership before moving into charging, load management, flexibility…

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Why you'd press play

You want fleet electrification explained through operations, energy markets, and the decisions behind TCO.

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