Powering the Future: AIs, EVs & The Road Ahead

Join host Chris Kirby for an unmissable episode recorded at the Asset Finance Connect Summer Conference, where innovation meets insight. This special edition dives deep into the transformative forces reshaping mobility, finance, and operations — featuring candid conversations with leading voices in the industry.Key Highlights:The Future of Electric HGVs  – Karim Haji, Managing Director at Scania Financial Services unpacks the challenges and slow adoption of electric HGVs in the UK, the critical role of charging infrastructure, and why depot-to-depot logistics may lead the EV charge.AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement – Richard Huston, Managing Director & Co-Founder of VAMOS shares a grounded view on AI’s role in asset finance operations, how human-AI collaboration is transforming back-office workflows, and why full automation isn’t the goal — yet.Synthetic Sales Agents & Smarter Journeys – Tony Lynch, Founder of CarPass.ai explores how conversational AI is revolutionising online sales experiences and predicts the decline of traditional websites in favour of AI-first interfaces.Navigating the EV Transition – Dom Surlis, Specialist Consultant at Ayvens highlights the bifurcated EV market, where fleet adoption outpaces retail. He emphasises the challenges with residual values of EVs and notes that incentives like salary sacrifice are vital, but incomplete without used market solutions. Driving Policy & Market Stability – Tom McLennan, Director of Policy & Public Affairs at BVRLA notes that market volatility, policy uncertainty, and infrastructure concerns continue to hamper EV growth. Their members are central to vehicle electrification in the UK, but are burdened by depreciation, uncertain demand, and changing policies.From the evolving electric vehicle (EV) landscape to the practical and powerful applications of artificial intelligence (AI), this episode brings together expert perspectives on what’s driving change today and where we’re headed next. This special episode of Auto Futurecast is packed with insights for OEMs, mobility startups, and EV enthusiasts seeking to understand the road ahead.