Episode 2: The New Frontier with Alex Poirot

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Battery Belt, the official podcast of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM). This week, we’re joined by Alex Poirot, Head of External Affairs at Beep Inc., a proud UGA graduate, and former senior policy leader in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation.As electrification converges with AI and autonomous systems, the mobility industry’s center of gravity is shifting—beyond batteries and drivetrains and toward software, autonomy, and integrated AI platforms. That shift is accelerating across the Southeast, where the Battery Belt is rapidly becoming a national hub for next-generation mobility innovation.In this episode, Alex shares how Beep is leading the deployment of autonomous electric shuttles and what real-world operations tell us about safety, public trust, workforce evolution, and the future of public transit. We also explore how AI-enabled mobility is reshaping infrastructure and regulation—and what that means for Georgia’s growing electric mobility ecosystem.Listeners will learn about:• Why the Battery Belt is emerging as a testbed for autonomous mobility• How AI and autonomy are redefining EV systems and public transit• The policy changes needed to support safe and scalable AV deployment• The intersection of EV and AV infrastructure in next-gen mobilityTimely, forward-looking, and grounded in on-the-ground experience, Episode 2 is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of transportation, policy, and the Southeast’s leadership in mobility innovation.