Freelander Goes Electric?! AI's Power Problem & Megawatt Charging!

In this episode of the Everything Electric podcast, Robert is joined by fellow presenter Imogen Bhogal. What starts as a quick catch-up soon descends into a slightly unhinged conversation about the surprising return of the Freelander as an EV joint venture in China, the staggering energy demands of AI and data centres including battery systems measured in tens of gigawatt-hours that rival the power consumption of entire cities, and Robert's unexpected VW fandom...!   Links to stories:  https://electrek.co/2026/03/31/freelander-suv-reborn-sharp-off-road-ev-images/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/30/toyotas-new-luxury-ev-china-receives-3100-orders-in-1-hour/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/27/used-ev-sales-boom-new-ev-sales-drop-28-percent-q1-2026/    https://electrek.co/2026/03/26/byd-recruits-james-bond-launch-new-longe-range-luxury-ev/    https://www.utilitydive.com/news/worlds-largest-grid-battery-part-of-google-xcel-energy-agreement/813793/    00:00 – Intro: A "First Best" Guest?!  01:35 – Freelander Returns?! JLR's China EV Strategy  13:55 – April Fools  17:40 – The Rise of Mega-Batteries  26:25 – Electric Trucks & 1.5MW Charging  31:40 – The US EV Market: What's Really Happening?  34:05 – Renewables vs. Politics  37:40 – Are These "Dark Times" Temporary?  41:25 – Upcoming Reviews: BYD & Volvo  43:55 – Accidental VW Loyalty...  48:25 – Everything Electric Harrogate Preview  50:55 – Final Thoughts & What's Next   Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show    Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverythingElectricShow   Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become an Everything Electric Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Everything Electric newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialeverythingelectric To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: [email protected]   EE NORTH (Harrogate) - 8th & 9th May 2026  EE WEST (Cheltenham) - 12th & 13th June 2026  EE GREATER LONDON (Twickenham) - 11th & 12th Sept 2026 EE SYDNEY - Sydney Olympic Park - 18th - 20th Sept 2026