Welcome to the eMobility Marketing Podcast! Duncan Forrester—former brand leader at Volvo, Polestar, Volta Trucks, Automobili Pininfarina, and McLaren—joins Theo to share his lessons on building trust, crafting narratives, and steering EV startups through today’s toughest challenges. From luxury EVs to electrified trucks and hypercars, Duncan has helped launch some of the most recognized names in mobility. His biggest insight: startups win not just by creating great products, but by proving, milestone by milestone, that they can deliver. That’s how you earn the trust of investors, suppliers, media, and customers. We cover why disruption sometimes backfires, the underused power of air pollution as a marketing message, and how policy certainty shapes mainstream adoption. Duncan also reflects on what he learned building Polestar into Tesla’s first real competitor, how to avoid confusing customers with technical jargon, and why startup life—though difficult—is far more rewarding than working in a legacy OEM. If you’re a founder, marketer, or mobility professional, this episode is a masterclass in building credibility, simplifying the EV story, and creating brands that resonate with real people. Chapters 00:00 Building Confidence & Credibility 01:06 Finding a Brand’s True Essence 02:08 Outside-In Communication & Truth to Power 03:11 Shocks Moving from OEMs to Startups 05:10 Competing with Giants & Maintaining Credibility 06:17 Lessons from Launching Polestar 08:29 Convincing Investors: Proving Ability to Deliver 10:12 When Disruption Backfires (Volta Cargo Boxes) 12:56 Air Quality as an Untapped EV Narrative 15:47 Barriers to Mainstream Adoption 18:20 Complexity of Powertrain Choices 20:45 Stop Talking Tech—Speak Customer Language 22:05 First Steps for EV Startups Today 24:06 Policy Certainty & the Role of Government 25:44 Most Proud Marketing Project 27:21 Birthday Party Argument for EVs 29:09 Startup Life Lessons & Personal Ownership 31:32 Why Everyone Should Spend Time in a Startup Connect with Nexxt Industry Website: ⁠www.nexxtindustry.com⁠ Linkedin: ⁠Nexxt Industry⁠ Facebook: ⁠Next Industry⁠ Hosted by Theo Reichgelt LinkedIn: ⁠Theo Reichgelt⁠ Connect with Duncan Forrester LinkedIn: Duncan Forrester Website: www.rocketeercars.com Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com.