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Meet the Media: Tim Levin, Senior Reporter at InsideEVs

I’m a Senior Reporter at InsideEVs. Before that, I covered the auto industry for Business Insider.  

Can you tell us what types of stories, trends or issues are on your radar now?

I cover the future of the auto industry, which in my biased opinion is one of the most important tech stories of our time. My beat encompasses electric vehicles, autonomous driving, charging infrastructure and anything else that’s fascinating at the intersection of sustainability, technology and transportation. 

Describe the craziest or most fun story you have written.

My first (somewhat harrowing) road trip in an EV stands out. It’s one thing to write about how cars are changing from behind a desk. It’s another to go and live it. 

Long story short, the battery level in the car I was driving plummeted way faster than I expected, but I wound up too far away from any charging stations to change course. I ended up creeping into a remote campsite with barely any cell service and a 6% charge remaining, certain I’d stranded myself. I spent much of the next day in rural Vermont becoming acutely aware of how agonizingly slow EV charging can be—and how painful the EV experience is when you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. 

That trip was stressful, but also eye-opening. 

What story or stories are you most proud of?

I love reading stories that take big, complicated ideas in science and tech and make them digestible. That’s what I strive to do in my work as well. Some stories I’m proud of are deep dives into why Tesla’s cars will probably never drive themselves, why electric bikes are the real heroes of sustainable transportation and why faster EV charging is such a challenging and important problem to solve.

What elements or characteristics do you look for in a story?

I’m interested in stories that matter to regular people navigating the rapidly changing world of transportation. I also try to highlight innovations that feel like small glimpses into the future.

How long have you been in journalism and how did you get started?

I was an editor for my high school’s paper, helming the Onion-inspired satire section. It was all made up, but I guess you could say that was my first newsroom job. A summer internship at Forbes in 2016 introduced me to actual, fact-based journalism. I did some freelancing after college and found my way back into the media business full-time a little over four years ago when I landed a job on Business Insider‘s transportation desk. 

Finish this sentence: If I am not reporting, I am … riding one of my many bikes. 

What advice do you have for PR people that want to pitch you?

My main focus is stories about transportation, technology and sustainability that can resonate with a mainstream audience. So if an ordinary consumer can’t access why some piece of news is important, I’m going to pass. If you’re representing a small or not very public-facing company, help me understand why regular people might want to know about what it’s doing. 

Any pet peeves with PR people?

Nope, not really. But please don’t put me on lists that have nothing to do with my beat. For a while it was crypto. Fortunately, that’s over. 

Tell us a little about yourself (family, interests, hobbies, background, some fact about you that few people know, etc.)

I’m a born-and-raised New Yorker and recent transplant to the West Coast. The consistently gorgeous weather almost makes up for the lack of decent bagels, but not quite. I live in Berkeley, California with my wife and two cats. 

You can follow Tim on X here: @t_levin

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