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Beating the blockade with EVs and batteries – with Gautham Ram and Ruben Valiente
The smarter E PodcastShow Notes
As global energy markets face renewed volatility – from geopolitical flashpoints to supply disruptions – a key question is back in focus: how do we deliver energy security when fossil-fuel supply is no longer guaranteed?
In this episode, we explore how flexibility – powered by EVs and batteries – is emerging as a frontline solution to energy security challenges.
First, Gautham Ram (TU Delft) changes the narrative on EVs as a grid liability. Instead, he outlines how millions of electric vehicles could act as a vast, distributed storage network, effectively turning transport into a strategic energy asset.
From smart charging to V2G, we explore how intelligent coordination – and not just new infrastructure – can ease grid congestion, absorb renewable generation, and reduce reliance on imported fuels. We also unpack the use cases driving AC vs. DC charging, bidirectional technology, and battery lifetimes – and why scaling these solutions will depend on standards, interoperability, and consumer confidence.
Then, live from the Battery & Business Development Forum 2026 in Frankfurt, Ruben Valiente of Maxxen Energy shares a ground-level view of Europe’s rapidly expanding battery storage market.
His message is timely: while battery cells remain dominated by global supply chains, Europe’s strength lies in system integration, local engineering, and getting projects deployed rapidly. As markets grapple with uncertainty, new approaches like vendor-backed financing are helping to de-risk investments and accelerate deployment, which is absolutely critical in these moments when resilience is thrown into question.
With EV fleets increasingly acting as mobile energy reserves and utility-scale batteries stabilizing grids, this episode connects the dots across a rapidly evolving storage landscape and shows how, in an era of disruption, flexibility may be the ultimate hedge against energy insecurity.
With a focus on smarter inverters and the power of distributed energy systems, this episode looks at how solar is redefining energy security – and why resilience may be its most important role yet.
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