Get it on Google Play

The Little EVs That Could Displace Big Oil

The Little EVs That Could Displace Big Oil

Author: Climate One from The Commonwealth Club September 4, 2026 Duration: 58:38
Climate One
ScienceCommentaryNews
While most Americans think of a truck or a sedan when they hear “electric vehicle,” a quiet revolution is happening in other countries on two and three wheels. In China and India, the electric vehicles doing the most to push out oil aren't cars – they're scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and the three-wheeled rickshaws and tuk-tuks that move people and packages through some of the world's busiest cities. According to BloombergNEF’s EV Outlook report, 46% of global sales of two- and three-wheelers were electric last year. Collectively, they’re displacing more oil than cars. Electric delivery vehicles are also starting to show up in bigger U.S. cities. How might even greater adoption of “other” EV types benefit decarbonization?  Guests: Aleksandra O'Donovan, Head of Electrified Transport, BloombergNEF  Samhita Shiledar, Principal, RMI David Zipper, Contributing Writer, Bloomberg; Co-host, Look Both Ways Highlights: 00:00 Introduction 02:37 Aleksandra O'Donovan on the BNEF 2026 EV Outlook 03:54 Aleksandra O'Donovan on adoption of electric two and three wheelers 08:40 Aleksandra O'Donovan on oil displacement from two and three wheelers  13:23 Aleksandra O'Donovan on what electric vehicle adoption means for emissions 18:36 Samhita Shiledar on the difference between US and Indian transportation 20:47 Samhita Shiledar on the reality of switching to electric vehicles for drivers 26:25 Samhita Shiledar on how the transition to EVs affects riders and consumers 33:04 Samhita Shiledar on the future of electric two and three wheelers 35:50 David Zipper on “car bloat”  41:37 David Zipper on what e-bike adoption rates in the US say about demand 47:47 David Zipper on golf cart adoption For show notes, transcripts and related links, visit our episode page at ClimateOne.org Join Climate One for a town hall event on September 28 at 6 p.m. on navigating AI, climate, and the future of democracy. How do we ensure that AI and data centers serve the public good? How does a democracy function when AI is distorting our sense of shared truths? Tickets available at climateone.org/events *** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. *** Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation about our changing planet is often reduced to headlines and political noise, but Climate One moves beyond that. Hosted by Greg Dalton, Ariana Brocious and Kousha Navidar, this podcast from The Commonwealth Club creates a space for the full, complex dialogue we need. Each episode features candid discussions with scientists, policymakers, activists, and thinkers who are on the front lines. The focus is on drawing connections-between personal action and economic systems, between daunting scientific reports and tangible community solutions. You’ll hear analysis that doesn’t shy away from the severity of our situation while actively exploring pathways for genuine progress, from technology and finance to culture and justice. This isn't about alarmism or easy answers; it's about equipping listeners with a deeper understanding of the intertwined challenges and opportunities. Tuning into this podcast means joining a crucial exploration of how we adapt, mitigate, and fundamentally rethink our relationship with the natural world. The dialogue here is built on the idea that confronting the climate emergency honestly, in all its facets, is the first necessary step toward shaping a livable future.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Official website RSS
youtubetiktoklinkedinspotifyapple_musicpatreon
Climate One
Podcast Episodes
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Won't Stop Talking About Climate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:18
How should Democrats campaign on climate? Some are quietly shelving climate-specific language ahead of the midterms in favor of terms like “energy crisis” and “affordability.” But Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island…
As the Midterms Approach, What’s Electrifying the Electorate? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:15
As the 2026 midterms approach, voters are contending with concerns around affordability, the AI boom, and climate disruption in their daily lives. AI data centers have become the wild card in energy politics, driving up…
New Nuclear, Old Challenges. What Now? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:45
Growing power demands – coupled with increasingly frequent climate-driven disasters – have led even staunch environmentalists like NRDC head Manish Bapna to rethink their past opposition to nuclear power. Three Mile Isla…
ENCORE: Protest and Beyond: Annie Leonard On What You Can Do [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:50
Protest is the ultimate in equal-opportunity political action. As Annie Leonard, former executive director of Greenpeace USA says, “Making change is like laying a stone path across the garden. Peaceful protest may be eve…
It’s Too Damn Hot… So What Can We Do? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:39
We all complain about the heat, yet it's a climate threat we routinely underestimate. In the U.S., extreme heat kills more people each year than floods, fires and hurricanes combined. About 16,000 excess deaths were reco…
ENCORE: Benji Backer and Katharine Hayhoe on Finding Common Ground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
At a time when nearly everything feels polarized, Benji Backer is trying to carve out a different path, one where caring about the natural world isn’t a partisan issue. As the founder of Nature Is Nonpartisan, he’s bring…
Hollywood, Baseball, Cage Fights, and… Climate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:03
When it comes to climate, we have the facts, but we aren’t moving fast enough. So we need to get climate education and solutions into the places where people already spend their time. Pop culture offers endless opportuni…
How Do I Say This… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:22
It’s becoming increasingly clear that how we talk about climate change matters as much as the science or policy itself. The words we use carry weight, and climate communicator Susan Joy Hassol says specific word choices,…

12345»