Ross De Rango, founder and CEO of Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia, brings a robotics engineer’s precision and a decade of EV policy experience to this episode. Formerly head of energy and infrastructure at the Electric Vehicle Council, Ross has shaped standards, codes and market design across Australia’s EV landscape. In conversation with Dr Greg Trainor and Neil Belford, he explains why the grid should welcome electric cars, why second cars are the easiest to electrify, and how plain language can cut through industry jargon. Ross tackles the myths of grid collapse and battery fires, reframes range anxiety with a petrol fairy analogy, and unpacks the challenge of charging for households without off-street parking. He also outlines what vehicle-to-grid needs to scale, from manufacturer warranties to affordable hardware. We also flip the script, and Ross asks Neil about his recent EV purchase.

A practical, myth-busting listen for anyone weighing up an EV.

(09:00) Electrifying Australia’s road transport needs 40% more power

(17:00) Why EVs support the grid, not threaten it

(19:43) Total cost of ownership: petrol versus electric running cost
(26:00) The petrol fairy: reframing range anxiety

(28:09) Charging without off-street parking

(50:00) Neil’s EV purchase and the missing key

The views and opinions expressed by the guest speaker during this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer or any other organization they may be affiliated with.

Our guest shares personal experiences and insights based on their individual journey, and listeners should understand that these reflections are meant for informational purposes only.
Any advice or opinions presented in this podcast should not be construed as professional guidance, and individuals are encouraged to seek their own counsel regarding their specific situations.

Wired For Energy is a production of Network Edge, with episodes produced and edited by Posterboy Media.

To find more information about the energy transition visit - www.networkedge.io

Eric Davids, Head of Strategy for Octopus Energy US, explains how the company is transforming customer engagement across both regulated and deregulated US energy markets. Drawing on his background as a US Marine intelligence officer and former Chief of Staff at Uplight, Davids outlines Octopus's philosophy of treating customers as active participants in the energy transition rather than passive price takers. The episode explores behavioural nudges and plunge pricing for EV charging, the Intelligent Octopus tariff that shields customers from price volatility, and the rising wave of prosumer opportunities including balcony solar and battery export rights. Davids highlights how Octopus uses technology as an enabler of genuine human connection—not a replacement for it—and reflects on the "mounting coalition" of stakeholders convinced customers are essential to solving affordability, reliability and demand growth challenges. Highly relevant insights for the Australian market.

(06:48) Background: Marines service through to energy sector entry

(11:39) Octopus UK operations and round-table customer service model

(14:42) Octopus US strategy in regulated and deregulated markets

(23:40) Behavioural nudges, plunge pricing and EV charging science

(28:00) Texas ERCOT foundational market and prosumer opportunity

(32:03) Intelligent Octopus tariff protecting customers from extreme price exposure

(39:00) Final reflections on innovation, AI aggregation and grid integration

The views and opinions expressed by the guest speaker during this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer or any other organization they may be affiliated with.

Our guest shares personal experiences and insights based on their individual journey, and listeners should understand that these reflections are meant for informational purposes only.
Any advice or opinions presented in this podcast should not be construed as professional guidance, and individuals are encouraged to seek their own counsel regarding their specific situations.

Wired For Energy is a production of Network Edge, with episodes produced and edited by Posterboy Media.

To find more information about the energy transition visit - www.networkedge.io

Malaya Toll and Andrew Steer, both with 25+ years leading digital transformation and utility systems across Australia and internationally, join Greg and Neil to discuss the national electricity market reform roadmap and delivery challenges. They examine whether NEM reform is on track for 2026 milestones, revealing NEM is slightly behind schedule despite momentum shifts across the industry. Key topics include the surprising success of community batteries in expanding energy access, supply failing to meet surging demand from EVs and data centres, the overwhelming complexity of overlapping regulations, workforce constraints, and the case for distribution system operators (DSOs) to manage low-voltage networks autonomously. They also explore how customer information systems must evolve to support flexible trading arrangements, and why regulatory frameworks need standardisation across geographies.

(02:42) Is the NEM on track or falling behind 2026 milestones

(05:52) Community batteries as a raging success story

(21:32) Reform fatigue shifting to industry momentum

(33:51) Data centre load growth and grid stress challenges

(40:24) Low voltage network visibility and DSO model benefits

The views and opinions expressed by the guest speaker during this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer or any other organization they may be affiliated with.

Our guest shares personal experiences and insights based on their individual journey, and listeners should understand that these reflections are meant for informational purposes only.
Any advice or opinions presented in this podcast should not be construed as professional guidance, and individuals are encouraged to seek their own counsel regarding their specific situations.

Wired For Energy is a production of Network Edge, with episodes produced and edited by Posterboy Media.

To find more information about the energy transition visit - www.networkedge.io