The future of electric car batteries

Our second episode explores the promising future of battery technologies for electric vehicles. The conversation revolves around the decentralization of battery production, the need for sustainable supply chains, and the benefits and drawbacks of closed-loop systems for battery materials. My guests also tackle potential technical solutions for the issue of limited EV range and strategies to prolong battery lifespan.

Mujeeb Ijaz is the founder and chief executive officer of Our Next Energy, a U.S.-based battery startup. As a battery systems engineer, he has over 30 years of experience in electric vehicle development and battery systems technologies. His career has focused on advancing the adoption of electric vehicles through advances in battery safety, range and cost. Previously, he led teams at Ford Motor Co. where he was involved in the development of the Ford Edge HySeries Drive, the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999, and the Chrysler ENVI project. He also served as president of A123's Venture Technologies unit, where he and his team led the development of lithium-ion battery solutions for electric vehicles, and most recently was a senior director at Apple, where he developed novel energy storage solutions. Mujeeb holds 31 U.S. patents in battery technology and power management systems and is a graduate of Virginia Tech University.

My second guest, Jessica Robinson, is a co-founder and partner at Assembly Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in and strategically advises entrepreneurs and mobility companies. Prior to founding Assembly Ventures, she also co-founded the Michigan Mobility Institute, an organization that develops top talent in the mobility industry. She also served as Director of City Solutions at Ford Smart Mobility, where her team led go-to-market strategies across the company's mobility portfolio. She was also instrumental in building Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing organization. Prior to that, she worked at Techstars, a global investment firm. To that end, she is a micro-lender to women entrepreneurs in Detroit, a mentor to startups, a judge for pitch competitions, an advisor to the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund at the University of Michigan, and a member of the advisory board for the MS Robotics program at Wayne State University. Among her accomplishments, she was named a Next City Vanguard, an award for young, innovative urban planners who are driving change in global cities. To that end, she was a delegate to the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program and was appointed by the Governor of Michigan to the Michigan's Workforce Development Board, representing mobility companies across the state. Jessica graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Anthropology.

You can find the IAA MOBILITY Visionary Club Podcast episodes on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Audible, and Apple Podcast. For the second episode, I had the privilege of collaborating with the IAA MOBILITY team, Force of Disruption GmbH, and the Boston Consulting Group again.

Thank you very much!

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