Inevitable

Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles

De: Mike Colias

Narrado por: Michael Butler Murray

The question is no longer if electric vehicles will happen, or even when they'll happen, but how. Veteran automotive reporter Mike Colias takes you inside the transformation in this thoroughly reported profile of the hard pivot in the car business, a $2 trillion industry undergoing the biggest change in its 120-year history—a change that is already sending ripples across the entire global economy.

Colias documents the inevitable shift from pistons to electrons from every angle, taking you inside the boardrooms where executives battle over their EV strategies to take on Tesla and, more recently, emerging Chinese powerhouses such as BYD. He brings you to family-run car dealerships deciding if they'll sell EVs—or sell their businesses. He follows entrepreneurs along lonely stretches of road that will soon need charging stations. He talks to power-train engineers whose skills were once the beating heart of the automotive industry but who now find themselves being replaced by coders.

Inevitable is a deeply enjoyable and smart book that uses masterful storytelling to capture the expanse and dynamism of the transition to electric vehicles in profound detail, bringing to life its seismic effects on everything and everyone.

©2025 Mike Colias (P)2025 Ascent Audio

Best Book on EVs - Fun and Authoritative

I’ve listened to several books on electric vehicles, and Inevitable ranks among the best. It’s certainly the most current, offering a clear-eyed, up-to-date account of a rapidly evolving industry. Mike Colias, an experienced journalist with The Wall Street Journal, brings sharp reporting skills and a gift for storytelling to this ambitious survey. The result is a fast-paced, highly readable book—at times, it even feels like a page-turner.

This is not a deep historical account of EVs, but rather a sweeping overview of the challenges facing automakers and car buyers as the industry undergoes a fundamental transformation. The central premise is clear: the decision to go electric has already been made, but implementing it has proven far more difficult than expected.

Colias brings the story to life by focusing on the individuals behind the transition. He offers insightful profiles of key players, including Jim Farley (Ford), Mary Barra (GM), and RJ Scaringe (Rivian), grounding complex technical and economic issues in human terms. While the book covers the full landscape of EVs in the U.S., Tesla’s influence looms large. As Colias writes: “This book is not about Tesla. But it wouldn’t exist without Tesla. Whether in name or not, Tesla’s influence is on every page. The extent to which Musk forced traditional automakers down the electric path cannot be overstated.”

The book excels at explaining a wide range of industry issues in accessible terms. Why are car dealerships struggling with the EV transition? Why is public charging infrastructure lagging so far behind? What’s involved in building a battery factory from scratch—or sourcing the raw materials to fill it? Why is automotive software so difficult to get right, and why is it now mission-critical for every automaker?

If the book has a limitation, it’s in its scope. The rise of Chinese EV manufacturers, arguably the most dynamic force in the global market today, receives scant attention. Similarly, the subject of autonomous driving—closely intertwined with the future of EVs—is touched on only briefly.

Still, these omissions don’t detract from the book’s overall value. Inevitable is an essential read for anyone interested in the radical transformation now reshaping the auto industry.

Rating: ★★★★★ — Highly recommended.