Why do we keep treating batteries primarily as a chemistry problem?

Professor Daniel Auger, Professor of Electrification at Cranfield University, argues that a battery’s real-world performance depends on the complete system, including software, sensors, thermal management, power electronics and the way the battery is used.

In this conversation, we explore why EV battery life remains difficult to predict, how battery-management systems affect usable capacity and safety, and what second-hand EV buyers need to know about battery health.

Professor Auger also discusses the prospects for lithium-sulfur, lithium-air, sodium-ion and solid-state batteries; an experiment that detected induced thermal runaway approximately 15 minutes before it occurred; and why strong battery companies often fail because of finance rather than technology.

A grounded discussion about what it takes to move battery innovation from promising chemistry to reliable real-world systems.

Can battery fires be detected before they become catastrophic?

Professor Daniel Auger explains how novel sensors have consistently detected signs of thermal runaway around 15 minutes before it occurs.

In the full episode, we explore why batteries are not solely a chemistry problem, the limitations of battery-life prediction, lithium-sulfur technology, safety, system design and why promising battery companies fail.

The full conversation launches Tuesday, 22 September at 10:00 AM UK time on The SP Show.

Watch and subscribe:
https://www.youtube.com/@sripopuriphd

Can battery fires be detected before they become catastrophic?

Professor Daniel Auger explains how novel sensors have consistently detected signs of thermal runaway around 15 minutes before it occurs.

In the full episode, we explore why batteries are not solely a chemistry problem, the limitations of battery-life prediction, lithium-sulfur technology, safety, system design and why promising battery companies fail.

The full conversation launches Tuesday, 22 September at 10:00 AM UK time on The SP Show.

Watch and subscribe:
https://www.youtube.com/@sripopuriphd

China dominates much of today's lithium-ion battery supply chain and has become the world's largest electric vehicle market and manufacturing base. But can that advantage last?

Joe Lowry has spent four decades in the lithium industry and watched the global battery supply chain evolve first-hand.

In this episode of The SP Show, we discuss how China built its position in lithium, batteries and EVs, why Europe and the US fell behind, and whether the rest of the world can realistically build competitive battery supply chains.

Joe also shares insights from his career and his book, Lithium Confidential, alongside his views on lithium markets, battery manufacturing, industrial policy and where the global battery industry goes next.

A no-hype conversation about China, lithium and the future of the battery industry.

China now dominates electric vehicles, batteries and much of the lithium-ion supply chain. But how did Western companies allow that to happen, and is China’s lead now impossible to challenge?

I wanted to explore these questions with someone who has witnessed the lithium industry’s development from the inside.

Joe Lowry, widely known as “Mr. Lithium,” has spent four decades working across the global lithium industry. His career has taken him across five continents, including years working directly in Japan and China as Asia’s battery supply chain began to take shape.

Also his podcast, listened to in more than 190 countries, and the author of Lithium Confidential.

In the full episode, we discuss:

• Why Joe believes Germany may not have a significant automotive industry within ten years

• How Western executives underestimated BYD and China’s battery industry

• Why the United States should consider allowing Chinese EVs through forced joint ventures

• Whether Ford, GM and Volkswagen can remain globally relevant

• How Tesla accelerated the EV transition but lost its position as the undisputed leader

• Why Joe considers sodium-ion batteries a distraction outside specific applications

• Whether China has permanently won the battery and EV race

• Joe’s four-decade lithium journey and the personal obstacles he overcame along the way

This is a candid conversation about lithium, China, electric vehicles and the decisions that reshaped the global automotive industry.

The full episode premieres on Tuesday, 1 September at 10:00 am UK time.

Watch on YouTube and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

In this episode of The SP Show, Sri Popuri speaks with Dr Sathiya Mariyappan, CNRS Researcher at Collège de France, about the science, commercial reality and future of sodium-ion batteries.

Sathiya explains why sodium-ion isn't simply a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion, and where its real advantages could emerge, including high-power applications, low-temperature performance, energy storage and AI data centres.

The conversation goes deep into hard carbon anodes, NVP and NVPF cathodes, layered and polyanionic materials, electrolytes, battery interfaces and anionic redox. Sathiya explains how her work helped establish reversible anionic redox and why scientifically exciting battery materials do not always translate into commercially successful cells.

They also discuss why Europe remains behind China in battery manufacturing, whether Europe could lose the sodium-ion race as well, India's opportunity in battery manufacturing, the challenges of scaling research into real products, Sathiya's scepticism around current solid-state battery approaches, and how AI is changing scientific research.

Sathiya also shares her personal journey from a small village in India to battery research at one of France's leading scientific institutions.

A conversation about much more than sodium-ion: how battery technologies actually move from scientific discovery to industrial reality.

The SP Show explores batteries, EVs, energy, AI infrastructure and the industries and investments shaping their future.

Should you buy an electric car in 2026, or are you better off choosing a hybrid, petrol or diesel vehicle?

In Season 2, Episode 1 of The SP Show, Sri Popuri speaks with Charles Essam, Director of New Car, Manufacturer & Media at Auto Trader, about what UK car-buying data reveals beyond the headlines.

They explore why used EVs are selling faster than the wider market, whether electric cars now make financial sense, the truth about battery degradation and charging, and why Chinese brands such as BYD and Chery are gaining ground in the UK.

The conversation also examines:

• Who should buy an EV today and who should wait
• Why more than 1,000 used EVs are listed below £10,000
• Whether Chinese carmakers could enter the UK’s top five
• How far China is ahead of Europe
• Whether established European carmakers can survive
• Where AI genuinely improves the car-buying experience
• Why physical dealerships are unlikely to disappear

A practical, data-led conversation for car buyers and automotive professionals seeking to understand what is really happening in the UK EV market.

Why does China dominate battery manufacturing? Can India build a globally competitive battery industry? What separates successful gigafactories from expensive failures?

In this episode, Srinivas Popuri speaks with Vijayanand Samudrala, President of New Energy at Amara Raja.

With more than three decades of experience, Vijayanand shares lessons on battery manufacturing, industrial strategy, technology innovation, supply chains, startup execution, AI, leadership and the future of the global battery industry.

The conversation covers China's rise, India's opportunities, gigafactory execution, battery startups, manufacturing excellence, supply chains and what it really takes to build a competitive battery ecosystem.

Perfect for professionals working in batteries, EVs, energy storage, manufacturing, policy and investment.