Show notes
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribeCollectively, the electric stack (batteries, motors, chips, power electronics) has gotten about 99% cheaper since 1990. It is quietly remaking every machine that turns electricity into motion, heat, or work. Problem is, China makes most of it. Sam D’Amico, co-author of “The Electric Slide” and founder of Impulse Labs, is betting the US can still claim a piece of that stack. He’s starting with a battery-powered induction cooktop. We talk about why domestic manufacturing matters, what America would actually have to build to compete, and how Silicon Valley’s founder world really thinks about climate change, geoengineering included.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction02:52 – From VR headsets to kitchen appliances07:07 – How a pizza oven inspired a battery stove10:07 – Peak demand, at home and on the grid13:25 – Which appliances could use a built-in battery16:46 – Electric stack 1: the four technologies20:28 – Electric stack 2: power electronics and motors25:21 – China bets on hardware, the US bets on AI30:08 – Why not just buy it all from China?33:51 – Why engineers need to be near the factory38:39 – How much does the US need to make at home?45:19 – US EV policy and letting Chinese cars in47:49 – Batteries in appliances vs. one home battery52:04 – Impulse’s plan: its tech in other brands’ stoves55:17 – What’s next after the stove57:14 – Has Silicon Valley stopped caring about climate?
