Things Tom Chempananical Has Said on Podcasts

“We'd walk into places and we'd be like, we'd like to put 100 chargers in this particular location. And that's not something that utility companies could handle in some areas. … The biggest thing we have learned along the way has been share it early and share it often and make sure you're connected with the utility partners on what your plans are. Because with the overall power situation just being tighter, there's less flexibility or excess capacity.” — Tom Chempananical, The Energy Gang

Asked whether Amazon runs into grid-connection limits when adding chargers, he says early requests overwhelmed local capacity. Amazon now shares long-range forecasts with utilities so they can build ahead of demand, a lesson that echoes the strain data centers are putting on the grid.

The Energy Gang · 2026-11-10 Permalink → Listen →

The Energy Gang Around 30:45 into the episode

Emily Barber

So there are some places in the U.S. that require it, in California, for example, where we have installed solar as an example. It's still in a pretty small scale, if I put it in context of the broader network, but we are doing it where it's required and where it makes sense.

Speaker 3

…of issues at times? I guess in particular, because you're at that more local level, you're on the distribution grid, which may have a different set of challenges from what's being faced on the transmission network. I mean, as I say, do you find problems? And if you do, how do you get past them?

Tom Chempananical

I would more regard it as teething things that we had had early on, especially along the way, where, you know, we'd walk into places and we'd be like, we'd like to put 100 chargers in this particular location. And that's not something that utility companies could handle in some areas. In some areas, they had excess capacity that could deal with it. What we have found over the years is by us sharing this more longer range forecast with our partners and them sort of almost building to that or planning to that along the way, we've been able to accomplish more of it quicker than most people have thought about before. But that is a continuously evolving journey as well. And it…

Speaker 3

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Amy Myers-Jaffe

So my understanding is that Amazon's pretty optimistic about electrification. You know, you hear people with these very conservative targets. I'm going to get the 20% or I'm going to get the whatever. But Amazon thinks that the potential here is quite large, correct?

Tom Chempananical

Yeah, and we've been happy with the results that we've seen. Emily sort of shared some of the outcomes that we've seen. As we've gone through the process, there are challenges with anytime you're making such a step change in technology or within transportation in general. It's a meaningful step…

Speaker names come from our own diarization. The position is estimated from where the line sits in the episode.

“It's simple things like how do you tow vehicles when something goes wrong with them? You can't tow an electric vehicle similar to how you tow a diesel vehicle. … A regular repair shop cannot deal with the high voltage battery that's on a vehicle. … So you need the repair infrastructure to upgrade, to be able to handle aluminum, because the body panels are usually aluminum on these vehicles to reduce weight.” — Tom Chempananical, The Energy Gang

Asked about the biggest obstacles in electrifying Amazon's delivery fleet, he says the underestimated part was the support ecosystem around the vehicles, beyond chargers and range: towing, repair, tires and collision work.

The Energy Gang · 2026-11-10 Permalink → Listen →

The Energy Gang Around 51:16 into the episode

Tom Chempananical

We think about them as opportunities, I guess. Yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry,

Speaker 3

I apologize for that. But

Tom Chempananical

…Range was going to be one that we needed to go solve for. I think the part that we didn't quite appreciate and have learned to appreciate and done a lot of work around has been this is a bit of an ecosystem that has got to move as well. It's not just about what we do ourselves because there's a whole support ecosystem that's got to come along with it. And that ranges from all kinds of things. It's simple things like how do you tow vehicles when something goes wrong with them? You can't tow an electric vehicle similar to how you tow a diesel vehicle. So you need the towing infrastructure to come along that lets you do it. When you're thinking about repairing a vehicle, A regular repair shop cannot deal with the high voltage battery that's on a vehicle. So, you need the repair infrastructure to upgrade, handle aluminum, be able to handle aluminum because the body panels are usually aluminum on these vehicles to reduce weight. How do you get…

Amy Myers-Jaffe

dictates why you would have a limited number of OEMs involved in the process because that would at least simplify it, I suppose.

Tom Chempananical

It does, but at the same time, I think that what we have found is, and this is interesting, like the places where there are consumer vehicles, a bigger penetration of electric consumer vehicles that are there, irrespective of the OEM that's delivering it. We actually find it easier to get there.…

Speaker 3

So, what about you, Emily? Do you have another challenge that's been particularly difficult for you? What was the word you used? Tommy, you said an opportunity or something. We describe it as a headache. But what have been the most difficult opportunities you face? Let's put it that way.

Speaker names come from our own diarization. The position is estimated from where the line sits in the episode.

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