Compiled by Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery
Amping up with season two of Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast
Last month, LiSTNR and carsales announced the return of Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast, returning after its debut season.
In the first half of 2023, electric vehicle (EV) new car sales jumped to 8.4%, a 120% increase on 2022, with one EV model now Australia’s best-selling passenger vehicle.
Co-hosted by motor racing journalist and commentator Greg Rust, and carsales’ consumer editor, Nadine Armstrong, the podcast series will keep listeners up to date with the latest developments in the world of electric vehicles.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery caught up with Nadine Armstrong ahead of the podcast launch.
Before getting to the second season of the podcast, Armstrong reflects on the reaction to the first season by saying “It was really exciting, to be honest.”
“We jumped in knowing that there was a need and a genuine desire for education around EVs, but we had a really, really great response from general consumers. The whole point of the podcast has been around helping people. At carsales, we have a bit of responsibility – we’ve got a really big reach, so we need to give a really balanced message around EVs.
“There are still a lot of challenges and a lot of hurdles for people, so slowly tapping away at that has been really rewarding. Season one has helped us do a lot of that myth-busting, and to help people feel better about it – whether or not they’re ready to take the step right now.”
With the second season of Watts Under The Bonnett, the team have got double the episodes to play with. Episodes will be released every fortnight on a Thursday, for a total of 28 episodes.
“It’s a really similar format – we’ll have a key theme where we dig into a certain area of EV ownership and get some specialists on,” said Armstrong.
“Meet An EVer is a really popular segment where we get somebody that’s bought an EV and they just talk about what it’s been like, because we’ve learnt that the motivations for getting an EV are very different for everybody. Also, the news cycle is pretty crazy at the moment, so the fortnightly updates will actually be really helpful as well, to just keep up to date with what’s happening.”
Outside of the news cycle, Armstrong said that the team choose what topics to cover based on what people looking to buy an EV are asking.
“We get a lot of active, engaged people online – I’ve spent this morning having a great chat with a bunch of people on a Facebook forum. We’re learning what people talk about, because that’s the kind of things we want to address. Sometimes you can get so deep into a topic that you forget some of the really basic stuff. So understanding what consumers and would-be buyers are thinking and talking about, is really important.
“We mapped out the next year of episodes, but I guarantee that’ll change six months in. A new topic will come up or there’ll be different incentives, so it’s a bit of a moving beast. We’ve got a good idea of what we’ll cover, but we’re also still pretty flexible around it.”
Ultimately Armstrong said that she hopes listeners learn something from the podcast, especially if they’re in the market for a new car.
“It’s a real education piece to be honest, we know from surveys that we do at carsales that people intend on buying an EV soon. If they’re looking at buying a car now, they’re certainly considering an EV, so that education is really important. As the product base grows in Australia, more and more questions arise.”
[Listen to Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast here]
Will Joe Rogan move his podcast after his current contract expires?
Joe Rogan‘s contract with Spotify expires next year, sparking rumours that he may move The Joe Rogan Experience to another platform – possibly Elon Musk’s X.
“It’s a situation where you are damned if you do, and you are damned if you don’t,” Arete Research founder Richard Kramer told The Verge.
“If you do keep him, Spotify will be locked into paying Rogan as much or more than before, at a time when they need to contain costs. If you don’t keep him, then it’s really tough because your biggest property and source of sales within the ad business — walks.”
[Listen to The Joe Rogan Experience here]
James Corden to launch a new podcast in deal with SiriusXM
After leaving CBS’s The Late Late Show in April, James Corden is set to launch a new interview podcast on SiriusXM.
This Life of Mine with James Corden, which is expected to premiere in early 2024, will feature in-depth conversations with the world’s biggest stars, discussing the people, places, moments, and memories that made them who they are today. From favorite music and movies to books and advice, the show will seek to tell the untold stories of some of the most well-known public figures.
“I am thrilled to be joining SiriusXM,” Corden said in a statement.
“It’s a dream to have a space to engage in deep conversations with the people whose work and talent I greatly admire.”
“James Corden is an incredible talent who is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s president and chief content officer.
“With a career that spans acting on stage and screen, developing and launching hit series such as Carpool Karaoke, and of course his iconic eight-year run as a late night host, James has been a trailblazer in the entertainment business. We’re so honored to welcome him to the SiriusXM family as he begins this next phase of his illustrious career and makes his mark in audio.”
People will have to sign up to SiriusXM to assess the podcast, as it will only be available for subscribers.
Head Game’s Ant Middleton speaks to Jackson Warne in first media interview since his father Shane Warne’s passing
On Nova Podcast’s Head Game, Jackson Warne for the first time in 18 months opened up about his father’s passing and shared with host Ant Middleton the impact that his ‘best mate’ had on him, and took listeners inside the moment he received the devastating call.
Ant: “So like you said that was a moment that really changed your life. And then you know, the obvious one is the passing of your father. Like I remember, do you remember where you were? When you got the news?”
Jackson: “I was with my girlfriend, my sister Brooke, and her partner, and then my mum. And we just got the call. Hung up the phone and we just sat in silence for hours.
“But I can still very vividly remember, you know, seeing my phone and who was calling I’m like well hang on. He’s with my dad. Very weird that he would be calling me and not my dad. So I’ll answer it and then yeah, shit, it’s real. And then you sort of just go on to like a complete shock. Like you don’t you sort of don’t want to accept it.”
[The full interview can be found here]
Audible announces season two for Chantelle Otten’s Sex Therapy podcast
Audible has announced that season two of Chantelle Otten’s podcast Sex Therapy is set for a planned 2024 release with casting due to commence in the coming weeks.
Chantelle Otten is a psycho-sexologist, relationship expert and the founder of Australia’s largest sexology practice. She is the bestselling author of The Sex Ed You Never Had, and the director of the Australian Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine.
As a sex and relationship therapist, her mission is to open conversations that are usually considered ‘taboo’ and make them fun, enjoyable, and conversational. During the anonymous, recorded sex therapy sessions on the Audible Original podcast, audiences heard from real patients with real questions, issues, and desires, as Chantelle worked with the participants to discover their truths and help them find paths to sexual pleasure.
Chantelle Otten, host and psycho-sexologist, said: “My day-to-day sessions are usually completely private, so to be able to tell authentic and important stories to such a large audience with Audible has been such a huge honour. I’m excited to continue this journey with my listeners in season two of Sex Therapy, as we explore more authentic and important stories together.”
The Bakersfield Three podcast explores a case where the truth is more shocking than fiction
After three friends are murdered or go missing within a two-month period, their mothers begin connecting the dots, leading to disturbing results.
Acast‘s The Bakersfield Three podcast is a 15-part series that delves into a real-life case involving kidnapping, torture, murder and more, launching on Wednesday, November 8.
The Bakersfield Three is the culmination of five years of reporting, research, and interviews by Emmy-Award winning journalist Olivia LaVoice and features exclusive interviews with key players as crucial events in the case unfolded.
LaVoice said: “This case is unlike any I’ve ever encountered. The twists and turns have often felt endless. The case has many layers and is both deeply emotional and intriguing.
“It’s complex, fascinating, mysterious, and often gut-wrenching. Listeners will hear every twist and turn unfold the way it did in real-time and will get to know the players in the case on a deep level – particularly the mothers of The Bakersfield Three, who have truly gone through the unimaginable.”
[Listen to The Bakersfield Three here]
