What connects a career rooted in the automotive world to leading research and development at one of the world's fastest-growing EV charging companies? Today, Richard Earl, Director of R&D at EO Charging, reflects on his professional journey and discusses the challenges and opportunities within the rapidly evolving electric vehicle industry.
With a nod to Steve Jobs' famous words, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward," Richard takes us through how his experiences shaped his vision for the future of energy autonomy, where smart energy technologies are at the forefront of the EV revolution.
In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, we'll explore the world of electric vehicle charging from the perspective of a company that's making waves on a global scale. Founded in 2014, EO Charging provides cutting-edge, end-to-end EV charging solutions to some of the world's largest corporations, including Amazon, Tesco, and DHL. Richard shares insights into how EO is tackling the complexities of electrification, from managing corporate fleets to addressing emerging consumer concerns like "charge anxiety."
We'll dive into the UK government's 2035 zero-emission mandate and the significant hurdles still faced, such as the lack of incentives and clarity that could hamper mass EV adoption. Richard emphasizes that while government policies may be inconsistent, businesses are moving forward with electrification due to its clear financial and environmental benefits. He also highlights the role of new technologies, such as the ISO 15118 protocol and smart charging innovations, that are set to transform not just EV performance but also the charging experience itself.
How does a company like EO Charging help organizations achieve their net-zero targets? And what is needed from governments to align policy with the ambitions of a greener future? Join us as Richard Earl explains how EO Charging is creating a new ecosystem of energy autonomy and what lies ahead for the EV industry.
As we connect the dots between the present and the future of EVs, what role do you think governments should play in supporting the transition? Let us know your thoughts!
[00:00:03] [SPEAKER_00]: How is the future of electric vehicle charging shaping up? And what are the key challenges that lie ahead in the widespread adoption of it?
[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Well today I'm excited to be joined by Richard Earle, Director of Research and Development at EO Charging.
[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: A company that is at the forefront of designing innovative charging solutions for electric vehicle fleets.
[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So today we're going to explore the current state of EV adoption, the role of technology in advancing smart and vehicle-to-grid charging,
[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and how EO charging is helping major corporations from Amazon to Tesco to make that shift to electric fleets.
[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_00]: But what does the future hold for EV charging infrastructure?
[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_00]: And how can government policies and new technologies help overcome some of the barriers to full electrification?
[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Well it's time for me to take you on a trip to Ipswich here in the UK, where you can join myself and Richard in conversation about all this and much more.
[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: So a massive warm welcome to the show Richard. Can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do?
[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, hi and thank you very much for the invitation to speak today. It's a real privilege.
[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm Richard, I'm the R&D Director at EO Charging.
[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Now EO Charging is a UK-based company who's electrified a lot of the world's fleets.
[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_01]: So Amazon, DHL, Tesco's, we've been going for 10 years and we've had a real rollercoaster journey working out how best to help customers electrify.
[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_01]: But in terms of me, my background, I'm an engineer by trade. I did electrical engineering university and then halfway through university I decided actually I want to go and work with cars.
[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I want to go and have some fun. So I ended up working for an engineering consultancy as part of the Ford empire.
[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I spent seven years designing engine controllers, writing safety critical code, playing with engines, prototype cars and having a great time.
[00:02:05] [SPEAKER_01]: But then I needed to get a job close to home. And so I found a company in smart metering just around the corner.
[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I spent 10 years designing smart meters and working heavily in the energy industry and ended up being the program manager for the rollout of the SMETS 1 and SMETS 2 electricity and gas meters in the UK.
[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And at that point I'd had enough and I wanted to get back into cars and strong environmental passions and found EO charging just around the corner.
[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And what an excellent opportunity to get into electric cars.
[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_01]: So I started six years ago when we were, I was employee number eight and designing, you know, very simple dumb domestic chargers.
[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And since then we've grown to over 200 people and we've electrified some of the world's largest fleets.
[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And I've taken on a number of roles across the business, predominantly all technical, but now very much focused on the introduction of new technology into the company, which is can be new products, new protocols, new regulations, and then also representing EO within the wider industry.
[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm chair of the BIMA EV infrastructure group, which is the sort of the trade association for manufacturers in the UK.
[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And I respond to all of the government consultations and policy invitations and on behalf of EO.
[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_01]: So a broad range of product management, product development and industry representation.
[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: What a great story.
[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And listening to your origin story there reminded me a little of the Steve Jobs quote that you can't join up the dots looking forward and you have to look backwards.
[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Because looking at your career there, you were all about the automotive world.
[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And then you went off on an almost side mission into the world of smart meters and sustainability and all the things around that.
[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And ultimately, though, you needed that to take you back into the automotive world.
[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_00]: But I bet you never thought that at the time.
[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, absolutely.
[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_01]: It's funny.
[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Looking back a year into working for EO, I was able to look back and go pretty much over the last I'm using every skill that I've built up over the last 30 years.
[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_01]: So I was doing mechanical prototypes using engineering skills I picked up in A-level DT.
[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I was doing software design skills that I picked up in when I was doing automotive stuff.
[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_01]: I was liaising with vehicle OEM manufacturers.
[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_01]: Again, my automotive side, I was working with load management.
[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: We were talking about updates to grid regulations from my energy days and essentially and then building and delivering products using program management skills I picked up in the energy company.
[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, absolutely.
[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm very lucky in that I'm using all the skills that I've built up over the last 30 years.
[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01]: It's not I did one job and then moved to another job and never use those skills again.
[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Every day I'm constantly using skills or knowledge that I've picked up.
[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's a real privilege to do that.
[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And right now you're in the heart of an incredibly exciting space.
[00:05:15] [SPEAKER_00]: There are so many sustainability goals being mentioned over here in the UK and the US with years such as 2030 and 2035.
[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_00]: And I've got to ask, from what you're seeing, is the government adequately prepared to meet its mandate for all new cars to be zero emission by 2035?
[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Seems incredibly ambitious, but what are you seeing here?
[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd say yes and no.
[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd say yes in that the desire, the ambition and the realisation that we have to meet these targets is there.
[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And that is often half the battle.
[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_01]: If the government or the legislators are not convinced about something, then it won't happen.
[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_01]: So the goals are clear, the legislation is clear and we need to make it work.
[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_01]: I think what we're going through at the moment is, on one hand, a very much a classic change management exercise.
[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_01]: But, because we're transitioning from petrol to electric, but at the same time, this is on a massive national scale, once in a lifetime opportunity, which we very rarely go through.
[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_01]: So for that process, we need a really strong change management leadership as we go through the various curves of change.
[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So, for example, is the communication clear on the need for change?
[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Is there a clear plan on how we deliver the infrastructure?
[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Have we made it as easy as possible for customers to change?
[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I think those are the bits where we're potentially lacking.
[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think because the goal is there and the ambition is there, we will work through those issues we're currently facing and we will deliver it.
[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm optimistic.
[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm very optimistic about what we've got ahead of us.
[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_01]: But there is a lot to do and it's not necessarily purely technical.
[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of it is very human, unfortunately, and that's often the more difficult one to resolve.
[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think from the outside, looking in for many people listening, there seems to be almost conflicting messaging around that change.
[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_00]: So from what you're seeing, how has the lack of clarity and the phasing out of some of the incentives by the UK government, has that impacted EV adoption from what you're seeing?
[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I would say yes.
[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I think it was in September last year when Rishi Sunat, the prime minister, announced they were revoking the 2030 ban and pushing it back to 2035.
[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that had two major impacts.
[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that spooked the investors and the customers.
[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_01]: It's, oh, why do I need to invest now?
[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Psychologically, a goal seven years away is significantly closer than a goal 12 years away.
[00:08:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And seven years, you're like, oh, okay, I can see that.
[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01]: I can visualize what seven years looks like.
[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And therefore, oh, we've got to get all this done by then.
[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, heck.
[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, right.
[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to move quickly.
[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Whereas when you go, oh, it's 12 years away, you go, oh, okay, I've got loads more time.
[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, I'm going to take my foot off the gas.
[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_01]: The urgency is not quite there.
[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And also it aligns the sort of the UK with the rest of the world.
[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And this is my second point.
[00:08:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I think it robbed the UK of leadership.
[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not a fan of Brexit in any sense, but the one positive I saw from it was the ability
[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_01]: for the UK to set ambitious goals independently of the EU.
[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Without Brexit, we wouldn't have set the 2030 goal, I don't think.
[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, that forced or pushed the UK to be the world leader in the targets,
[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_01]: the regulations.
[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And that sort of attracted a lot of investment, a lot of growth, a lot of ambition of going,
[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_01]: oh, okay, well, you have to do that in the UK.
[00:09:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Therefore, right, let's invest and make this happen.
[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think by pushing that message back, that goal back to 2035, I think that removed
[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_01]: the ambition.
[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_01]: It removed us from being the leaders and aligned us with the EU.
[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, everyone goes, oh, well, okay, you're now aligned with the EU.
[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll follow what the EU is doing.
[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that was a really unfortunate decision.
[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't fully understand the reasons for it or why.
[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_01]: But we've certainly seen a change in momentum, a change in sort of investment of, oh, okay,
[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_01]: yeah, we don't need to get this done now.
[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_01]: We've got a little bit more time.
[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And that kind of has robbed us of a lot of momentum.
[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that, and this was highlighted by the Select Commons Committee, where the government
[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_01]: communication on the benefits and the impact of the EVs was a sort of a, it wasn't there.
[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_01]: It really needs to be a very clear, concise, positive message that, okay, we've got this
[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_01]: change.
[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_01]: We have to do it.
[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to go through it together.
[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And we haven't seen that from the government or certainly the previous administration.
[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And we saw a lot of sort of like, oh, we're going to do this.
[00:10:21] [SPEAKER_01]: No, we're not.
[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we are.
[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_01]: No, we're not.
[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And that created uncertainty.
[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, you think, oh, it's just politics.
[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_01]: It's just Westminster.
[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But actually, these things really do trickle down into, you know, companies and their ability
[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_01]: to deliver things and to sell things to customers.
[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_01]: So it has had, I think, a really significant and negatively unintended consequence, which I
[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_01]: don't think is what they wanted.
[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And as someone that is right in the middle of this space, are there any specific incentives
[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_00]: or indeed support measures that you think governments should be implementing to help
[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_00]: increase that mass adoption of EVs?
[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: What's missing?
[00:11:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Anything that you think could redrive that?
[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think one of the things, I think there's, there are two things.
[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: The government has a number of levers it can pull.
[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think his policy and incentives are two massive levers they can pull.
[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And we've seen this in the early days that if they pull the right levers, they pull the
[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_01]: right regulations, they can create massive markets and they can drive investment and they
[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_01]: can drive growth.
[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And we saw this at the start of the rollout of EVs.
[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_01]: There were clear incentive plans.
[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, okay, you can get, you can get a discount on your vehicle, on your electric vehicle.
[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_01]: You can get a discount or a grant for installing a charge point.
[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And that really did stimulate the market.
[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, and that was like, and that enabled the early adopters, enabled companies
[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_01]: like ourselves to, to build and deliver products because we were selling thousands a month and
[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_01]: getting these products into customers' hands.
[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And that really built the market.
[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_01]: My concern is that they've, the, the, the government only had us.
[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_01]: The problem is the government only had a certain size of financial bucket.
[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore we use that up and therefore they're now going, okay, well, how can we use
[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_01]: our sort of innovation buckets to, to stimulate further markets?
[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And the, the, the problem with that is, is potentially we've drawn incentives too early
[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_01]: from the sort of the mass market.
[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore we're now at the point where we go, oh, actually is an electric vehicle cheaper
[00:12:43] [SPEAKER_01]: than a petrol based vehicle?
[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Potentially, potentially not.
[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_01]: It's, it's on the cost parity moment.
[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And is that really going to drive the, the migration to electric vehicles and the decarbonization
[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: of the grid?
[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Potentially, but you know, there's more that we could be done.
[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to look at things like where, where could incentives be cleverly deployed?
[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Is it public charge points?
[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Is it home charge points?
[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Is it community charging?
[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Is it tax rebates on vehicles?
[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_01]: What about the reduction of VAT on public charging?
[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Is there something we do cleverly with R and D tax credits to help companies developing technology
[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_01]: in the UK?
[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Or what about one of the markets that we've seen grow because of the government is the
[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_01]: electric bus market.
[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_01]: That's very much sort of London centric at the moment, but how can we roll that out into,
[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_01]: into other UK cities, UK towns and rural areas?
[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_01]: What about the coach operators?
[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Small family businesses, they've got say 10 coaches.
[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_01]: How are we going to, how are we going to encourage those companies to decarbonize and go and move
[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_01]: to electrification?
[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_01]: So there's a lot of work already going on within governments, government departments, such as
[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Desnez, Ozev, Department for Transport on these topics.
[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Ultimately, we need to decarbonize transport for the benefit of the globe.
[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_01]: That's fundamentally what we need to do.
[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to cut our carbon emissions.
[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, how can the government really lay out their ambitious goals into the policy
[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_01]: and the regulations?
[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Now, obviously, we deploy and manufacture charging stations and we operate them for customers.
[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_01]: So we would love to see incentives within that domain.
[00:14:34] [SPEAKER_01]: But maybe it's on the incentives or on the tax imports of the vehicles to make them cheaper
[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_01]: for customers, or maybe it's tax incentives on the bus companies.
[00:14:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So there are a number of policy and financial areas that the government can focus on.
[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_01]: A couple of other ones, the grid side of things, the infrastructure.
[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_01]: How can we speed up grid connections?
[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_01]: What can we do to shore up the things like offshore grid connections?
[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_01]: How can we reduce the planning process from 15 years down to, say, five years?
[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_01]: How can we speed up the infrastructure rollout?
[00:15:11] [SPEAKER_01]: But as I said, I think one of the potentially the most powerful tools that the government
[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_01]: could deploy is a communication.
[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_01]: It's very easy for the government to say, oh, we've deployed this infrastructure grant.
[00:15:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Brilliant.
[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_01]: But actually, why?
[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Why are we having to do this?
[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_01]: We've got a once in a generation problem.
[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_01]: We have to solve.
[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_01]: We have to reduce our carbon emissions to prevent global warming.
[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's a global scale problem.
[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We have to do our part.
[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Electro-transport is a massive generator of carbon emissions.
[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, how can the government say, well, actually, yeah, we need to electrify.
[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to decarbonize transport.
[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And this is how we're going to do it.
[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that positive communications, those clear communications, that will begin to turn the tide.
[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_01]: For example, with the smart meters there, you've all seen the adverts on UK TV about Albert Einstein singing the benefits of smart meters.
[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_01]: But where's that for electrification of transport?
[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Where's that for decarbonization of industry?
[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Where's that for the industries out there, the carbon intensive industries?
[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_01]: How are we going to electrify steel plants?
[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Those sorts of things.
[00:16:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I think there is so much that the government is doing for that benefit, but they don't shout about it.
[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that clear, consistent messaging is important.
[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's not always politically easy, but I think there does need to be this clear view that we're on a journey and we have to do it together.
[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And it is going to be tough.
[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And when there's silence, that's often when the dissenting voices fill the void.
[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And we can't allow that.
[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think if there was one thing the government could do, it would be really focus on the communication side.
[00:16:59] [SPEAKER_00]: And one of the things that really stands out to me is that despite all the challenges that we're talking about here, many large corporations are indeed transitioning to EVs.
[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So what are the key drivers behind this trend?
[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, let's be blunt.
[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_01]: It's cost.
[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Manufacturers or large corporations, they exist to make money and they either make money by selling things at a profit or reducing their costs.
[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And we've got clear evidence that electrification of their transport fleet significantly reduces their cost.
[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, it becomes sort of like almost a no-brainer for these large organizations to make, oh, okay, yeah, of course it makes sense to electrify.
[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Why wouldn't I?
[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Why wouldn't I?
[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, we're originally seeing last mile depots as the first to electrify.
[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Now we're beginning to see the middle mile and the large HGVs beginning to electrify because they can see the clear cost benefits of it.
[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're in the fortunate position where we've got a very large and very strong customer base making that transition.
[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And people then go, oh, okay, ah, they're making that transition.
[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, it's obviously working for them.
[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, it could work for me.
[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_01]: We're seeing that corporations, all of our customers go on a journey and they begin to see that actually, okay, let's test the water with these electric vehicle things.
[00:18:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And oh, actually, oh, it really is good.
[00:18:32] [SPEAKER_01]: They really are great to drive.
[00:18:34] [SPEAKER_01]: They really are operationally useful.
[00:18:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Mechanically, they're cheaper to run than the diesel vehicles.
[00:18:41] [SPEAKER_01]: My costs are going down.
[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, actually, right.
[00:18:44] [SPEAKER_01]: How can we scale this out?
[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think it's really many corporations have tested it and tried it and they've gone, yeah, that works for us.
[00:18:53] [SPEAKER_01]: That is a significant cost saving for us.
[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_01]: And therefore, they're rolling it out at scale.
[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's great.
[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And that needs to be celebrated.
[00:19:03] [SPEAKER_00]: And something else I think we should highlight as well is how EO charging assists large corporates.
[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm talking about big names such as Amazon and Tesco in electrifying their fleets and ultimately reducing their carbon emissions as a result.
[00:19:18] [SPEAKER_00]: So how are you seeing or how are you at EO charging assisting corporations like this?
[00:19:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So we work closely with the customers and we take them on a journey.
[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, every customer starts with, oh, okay, I'm going to trial one or two chargers.
[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to trial one or two vehicles.
[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, let's see how it works.
[00:19:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, and that's good.
[00:19:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And then from there, their ambitions begin to grow.
[00:19:43] [SPEAKER_01]: And EO will support them on every step of the journey.
[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So we offer the full turnkey solution where we can help customers design and plan their fleets.
[00:19:53] [SPEAKER_01]: We can help design their depots.
[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_01]: We will do all of the electrical installations.
[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll manage all of the grid upgrades, the grid connections.
[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_01]: We will install hardware.
[00:20:05] [SPEAKER_01]: We can build and supply your own hardware, our own hardware if you wanted.
[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Or we can build in third-party hardware.
[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_01]: We can get the site up and running.
[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we can provide all of the sort of the charging infrastructure through our software service.
[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_01]: So we've got a number of tools within our software platform where fleet operators can see what vehicles are plugged in, how much energy they're taking, the consumption, etc.
[00:20:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And then, but for a lot of these customers, electrification is not the end goal.
[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Their business is really moving people or boxes from A to B.
[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's their core business.
[00:20:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And so they don't really care about electricity.
[00:20:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Some people within their organization do, but at a top level, they don't.
[00:20:51] [SPEAKER_01]: So what we provide is a sort of an assurance, a business assurance that actually, okay, what you've installed is business critical infrastructure.
[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_01]: And we know that if your charging stations don't work, you can't move your customers from A to B in the morning.
[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And so we have a 24-7 support service and combined with our software offering where we can offer a 99% uptime guarantee.
[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And we can guarantee that, oh, okay, we can monitor the system and say, oh, that charge has gone down.
[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to get a man on site, an engineer on site to resolve that problem.
[00:21:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And we can do that within 90 minutes.
[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_01]: We have the SLAs with our local contractors and we can provide that business model to guarantee to our customers that, yeah, your vehicles will go out in the morning.
[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And so, but once they've done that, once they've got satisfied with their charging infrastructure is working as expected, they then want to do more.
[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_01]: They want to go, well, actually, this is working really well for us.
[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_01]: We want to add more shifts or we want to add more vehicles.
[00:21:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we go, okay, well, you can do that.
[00:21:58] [SPEAKER_01]: But if you go for a grid upgrade, then that's going to cost you hundreds of thousands of pounds, take you two years to get it rolled out.
[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_01]: What we can do in the meantime is we can do advanced energy management.
[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_01]: So we can optimize your charging patterns so that we can make sure that all of your vehicles are charging them by charging them at different points in the night.
[00:22:20] [SPEAKER_01]: We can manage the amount of power going into the vehicles.
[00:22:22] [SPEAKER_01]: We can prioritize different vehicles.
[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_01]: So we can provide this sort of energy management optimization layer on top of what they've already got.
[00:22:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And then that's great because then that allows them to do more with what they have they've got.
[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they finally go, well, actually, I've got all of, yeah, I've got a big, I've got a big bus depot.
[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_01]: All my buses are charging overnight, but during the day, no one's using it.
[00:22:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Therefore, can we flex the assets a little bit more?
[00:22:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, we're building into a payment system.
[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, maybe our customers can open up a, they've got a bus depot, but next door there's an ambulance station.
[00:22:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Could the ambulance service use the bus depot chargers during the daytime?
[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're beginning to build out these use cases so that our customers can really flex and optimize their assets to their benefit,
[00:23:14] [SPEAKER_01]: but then also the benefit of others and whilst provide guaranteeing that they can still do their core business of moving people or boxes from A to B.
[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's that full sort of guaranteed optimization that we can provide.
[00:23:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And we do that through many different ways.
[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_01]: But that's fundamentally what we do.
[00:23:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Love that.
[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Incredibly cool.
[00:23:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And one of the things I try and do every day on this podcast is get people thinking differently about the role of technology in their lives.
[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So what role do you see new technology playing in the transition to electric vehicles, particularly in addressing concerns like range anxiety?
[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I know that is a huge one right now.
[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_00]: But what do you see there?
[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_01]: So looking back over the last six years, it's really interesting to see how far the industry has progressed.
[00:24:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So when I first joined, we had vehicles with like a 20, 28 kilowatt hour battery and you plug it in and four hours later it's charged.
[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And you're like, oh, wow, great.
[00:24:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Quick charge time.
[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_01]: But it only took 40, 60, 80 miles.
[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, back then, range anxiety was real.
[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_01]: It was like, oh, my goodness.
[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Is there another charging station in the next 80 mile radius from me?
[00:24:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And but now you buy a car and you're talking about 120 kilowatt hour batteries.
[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_01]: So they sort of like triple the battery size and they've quadrupled the range.
[00:24:37] [SPEAKER_01]: They've improved the efficiency of the vehicles.
[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_01]: So and that's just within six years.
[00:24:42] [SPEAKER_01]: You're seeing a sort of a quadrupling of range.
[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And I know again, next six years, who knows what benefits that will bring?
[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_01]: They're talking about new battery technologies, different style motors, a greater play on aerodynamic efficiency.
[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And you're seeing vehicles being advertised with a 600 mile range.
[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And you go, that's that's unbelievable.
[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_01]: That's incredible.
[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_01]: That's OK.
[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And in the real world, you may get two thirds of that.
[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_01]: But that's still 400 miles.
[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Wow, that'd be amazing.
[00:25:12] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think the range angles, you know, the vehicle OEMs have done an amazing job on building out the capabilities of the vehicles and that the pace of change and development within automotive industry is incredible.
[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And every two, three years, they bring out new vehicles with better of this, better that.
[00:25:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And that will continue because that's in their DNA.
[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_01]: That's in their nature.
[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I think the thing that will continue to also run in parallel with that is the charging technology.
[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So again, six years ago, it was common to have a single phase AC charger at seven kilowatts.
[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And you might see that on the public forecourt.
[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_01]: If you're lucky, it might have been three phase and you might have had 22 kilowatts.
[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_01]: But now you pull up at a service.
[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you pull up service stations and you've got a whole bank of 10, 350 kilowatt chargers.
[00:26:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And you're like, wow, my vehicle can only charge at 100 kilowatts.
[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_01]: So already you're beginning to see such charging infrastructure appear that is more advanced than some of the vehicles out there.
[00:26:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think this race, this technology race between charging infrastructure vehicles will begin to solve that range anxiety.
[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_01]: But range anxiety was a buzzword sort of six years ago, six, three years ago, is now beginning to move towards charger anxiety.
[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, I know there's a charger there, but when I get there, will I be able to use it?
[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Will my vehicle charge and will it be available?
[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Will my vehicle charge and will it be available?
[00:26:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think the charging, the charge point operator industry, the public charge point operator, mobility operator,
[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_01]: that is the industry that will face the sort of the greatest scrutiny now.
[00:26:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Because, ah, how do I ensure that my charges are up?
[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And how do I detect when they're down?
[00:27:05] [SPEAKER_01]: For some charges, you can plug in and it charges, but then it stops after a minute.
[00:27:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And you go, well, how is that flagged up to the operator?
[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_01]: You say there's going to be advanced diagnostics put into the charge line operators.
[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_01]: There's going to be a greater focus on reliability to try and remove that charger anxiety.
[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's a complex chain.
[00:27:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Plugging in, when you had a vehicle charging, being filled up with petrol, you had the vehicle and you had a pump and a local tank of petrol.
[00:27:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And you moved it from the local tank into the petrol tank of the vehicle.
[00:27:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you've got the electric vehicle.
[00:27:42] [SPEAKER_01]: You've got the charge point connected to the grid.
[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_01]: The charge point talks to the car.
[00:27:46] [SPEAKER_01]: The charge point talks to probably one charge point operator who then may need to talk to five or six different mobility operators to unlock the charging station.
[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_01]: And then you've also got a customer involved who has to pay with an app or a card.
[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_01]: So there are a significant number more.
[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_01]: The charging ecosystem is significantly more complex than the refueling ecosystem.
[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, you're going to have to, these interactions between these different parties are going to be, they're the ones who are going to be challenged.
[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And there's going to be a lot of focus on reliability, how proof of ownership and proof of charging and viability of who do I talk to and who's going to authorize this.
[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And how do you then present feedback in a meaningful way to the customer to explain what's gone wrong?
[00:28:36] [SPEAKER_01]: So I think the charge, I think range anxiety, we're probably on top of, but I think charger anxiety is the one that's going to receive the greatest focus over the next few years.
[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Just like our smartphones, you see so many people nervously wandering around the floor of shopping malls, desperately looking for a charge for their phone.
[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00]: It's charge anxiety is everywhere.
[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You've already mentioned some great examples, especially around the changes in charging and the speed and levels at which that happens.
[00:29:06] [SPEAKER_00]: But how else have you seen EV technology evolving in recent years?
[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And are there any other advancements on the horizon that you're most excited about?
[00:29:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Like you want to jump out of bed in the morning?
[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I think we're at an inflection point in industry in the sense that up until now, we've been using a protocol for charging called 2051.
[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the interface, that's the protocol between the vehicle and the charging station.
[00:29:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's very simple.
[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_01]: It's based on analog electronics.
[00:29:36] [SPEAKER_01]: It's probably designed 30, 40 years ago.
[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's very simple and very reliable.
[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's built this entire sort of industry that we've got now.
[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_01]: But it's very limited.
[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_01]: It's very limited on how we get information out of the car and advanced use cases.
[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore, there's a new protocol appearing and a new hardware technology called 15118.
[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the next generation protocol between the charging station and the vehicle.
[00:30:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And the protocol is really just how the charger and the vehicle talk to each other.
[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_01]: But what it allows, it allows an internet link between the charging station and the vehicle to be set up so that we can pass over huge amounts of data now.
[00:30:16] [SPEAKER_01]: We can set up complex mechanisms for payments where it unlocks things like vehicle to grid technology where the vehicle's energy from the vehicle's battery can be pushed back into the grid.
[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And it unlocks a whole set of use cases that we've not been able to do before.
[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_01]: So, for example, within the fleet industry, one of the key things is like, oh, which vehicle is plugged into which charger?
[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And at the moment, with the existing technology, we can't, we don't know.
[00:30:46] [SPEAKER_01]: We can't say.
[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_01]: We don't know which vehicle is plugged into which charger.
[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_01]: With the 15118, we will be able to say, oh, right, that vehicle's now plugged into that charging station.
[00:30:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And it requires 30 kilowatts of power to get fully charged overnight.
[00:31:01] [SPEAKER_01]: That then unlocks.
[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, well, what if I hook that into my smart chart, into my smart route planning?
[00:31:06] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore, oh, okay.
[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I know vehicle A needs 30 kilowatts.
[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Vehicle B needs 10 kilowatts.
[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And vehicle 3C needs 100 kilowatts.
[00:31:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I need 150 kilowatts overnight.
[00:31:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm going to take that energy at the most cost-effective time and charge the vehicle at the most cost-effective time.
[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_01]: So we're on the cusp of, as this technology is beginning to roll out, we now get, that unlocks a whole new set of use cases.
[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're going to see different use cases appear for different segments.
[00:31:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So plug and charge for public charging.
[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to see vehicle to grid in fleets and depots.
[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to see smart charging appear.
[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And so this new technology really will unlock a whole new set of functionality for many different customers.
[00:31:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And that is quite exciting.
[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And seeing which different segment is going to use which different use case.
[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's quite surprising which ones they're choosing.
[00:31:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And you said earlier in our conversation that large corporations are transitioning to EVs, but largely driven by cost savings.
[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_00]: So for anyone still sat on the fence, is there anything else you'd like to share around the financial sense behind the transition to EVs for businesses, especially in absence of current government incentives?
[00:32:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Because there is so much up for grabs here for business leaders, isn't there?
[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're seeing, we've talked a lot about sort of fleets and depots, but I've got a lot of friends and colleagues who, you know, work for companies.
[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_01]: And those companies have pushed out, you know, fleet cars, electric cars across their fleets.
[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're seeing that because A is incredibly tax efficient at the moment.
[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And also the total operating cost is really low.
[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_01]: And so therefore they're seeing commercial benefit for their sort of almost like private drivers or their salesmen and their management staff and general staff.
[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_01]: But also they're seeing that it makes a lot of sense for their operating vehicles and their vehicles that, you know, move their business around.
[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And also we're beginning to see a number of new avenues appear in the energy markets.
[00:33:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Installing charging infrastructure and applying for grid options capacity is not cheap.
[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And so what we're beginning to see are we're beginning to see some advancements where actually, okay, if we can connect up your vehicles and install the infrastructure and we can look at the long-term goal, let's take a 15-year contract.
[00:33:29] [SPEAKER_01]: We can do charging as a service.
[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore we, you know, EO will take the financial risk of the 15-year infrastructure play.
[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_01]: But actually all you guys, all the customer needs to do is just a monthly as a service fee.
[00:33:44] [SPEAKER_01]: So they would pay X hundred pounds per month per charger.
[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And that would pay for, that would allow them to receive all of the infrastructure enabled for their vehicles and their business at a low upfront cost.
[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, there is no upfront cost.
[00:34:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So therefore we do what, you know, charging as a service and we provide all the infrastructure.
[00:34:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And then if we can connect those to the energy markets, then that brings down, okay, if we can enable smart charging linked to the fluctuations of the energy market and we can provide a service to the energy markets, then again, that can bring the total cost down for the infrastructure even lower.
[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_01]: So there's, there are a number of new business models beginning to appear and EO are rolling out charging as a service and infrastructure as a service to new customers.
[00:34:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're beginning to see certain customers go, actually, that makes a lot of financial sense for us.
[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's independent of government grants and policy, but it's because let's take that long-term view, 15-year view, 10-year view.
[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And over that time period, we can make this really cost-effective for you.
[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_01]: So we're beginning to see those sorts of new business models appear.
[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And again, so that's a, that's a very exciting sort of change in the industry.
[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I cannot thank you enough for shining a light on this and the great work that you're doing here and how your, your electricity and the solution is being used by some of the world's biggest businesses and fleet operators.
[00:35:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think something well over 30 countries around the world, it's just phenomenal what you've achieved.
[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_00]: But in exchange, I'm going to see if there's something we can do for you here, because some of the biggest names in business, VC, funding and tech have either been guests or maybe, maybe just maybe listened to this podcast.
[00:35:35] [SPEAKER_00]: So is that a person you'd love to have a private breakfast or lunch with?
[00:35:39] [SPEAKER_00]: He or she might just hear this and see what we can manifest here.
[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Going back to my sort of motoring heritage, I would love a conversation or breakfast with Adrian Newey.
[00:35:50] [SPEAKER_01]: So the, the, the great designer of Formula One cars over the last 30 years.
[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'd love to ask him, how has he been on top of his game for 30 years?
[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_01]: He's built championship winning cars with Williams, McLaren, Red Bull, potentially Ferrari or Aston, depending where the rumors go now.
[00:36:10] [SPEAKER_01]: How has he remained on top and how does he inspired his teams to work with him to deliver these cars year after year after year?
[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And being on top of that, how do you manage your, how do you manage your family life?
[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you manage your mental health?
[00:36:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And how do you continue to drive your, your industry to the peak every day?
[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that would just be a really fascinating conversation to, to, to meet with Adrian, have a, have a breakfast or a beer and just pick his brains as how he works.
[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, I'd find that really interesting.
[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, hopefully through the power of a podcast and six degrees of separation, somebody, a friend of a friend of a friend might just pass this on to Adrian.
[00:36:56] [SPEAKER_00]: We could put it out into the universe.
[00:36:58] [SPEAKER_00]: That'd be amazing.
[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you very much.
[00:37:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And for everyone listening just wants to find you or your team online, find out more about anything we discussed today.
[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe have a conversation with you.
[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Where would you like to point everyone listening?
[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_01]: So our obvious starting point is our website, www.eocharding.com, but I'm active on LinkedIn.
[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and we would happily discuss any of these topics in much more detail.
[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I love how you're designing and manufacturing EV charging stations and hardware agnostic cloud-based charge point management software.
[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_00]: We didn't talk much about that, but it's such an important point.
[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_00]: But more than anything, what's going on in the industry, how you see it progressing and evolving?
[00:37:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I'd love to get you back on next year, see how things are continuously evolving and more advances in technology.
[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_00]: But just thank you for sharing your story today.
[00:37:49] [SPEAKER_00]: It's been a real pleasure and thank you very much for the opportunity.
[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_00]: So what stood out to you most from today's conversation with Richard?
[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Was it addressing charge anxiety or was it discussing how advanced technologies like vehicle-to-grid and smart charging are reshaping the EV landscape?
[00:38:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's clear that the future of electric vehicle infrastructure is evolving rapidly.
[00:38:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And I cannot thank Richard enough for highlighting how EO's charging end-to-end solutions are helping corporations reduce cost, optimize fleet operations, while also preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
[00:38:27] [SPEAKER_00]: And it really did spell out a clear need for government policies and strategic incentives.
[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_00]: It remains critical in accelerating EV adoption.
[00:38:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But despite those challenges, innovation continues to drive progress in this space.
[00:38:41] [SPEAKER_00]: But what steps will you take to be a part of that EV revolution?
[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, if you want to learn more about EO charging and their innovative solutions, you know where to go there.
[00:38:50] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to talk with me about it, if you want to offer a different side of the conversation, email me now, techblogwriteratlook.com.
[00:38:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Remember, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, just at Neil C. Hughes.
[00:39:02] [SPEAKER_00]: But that's it for today.
[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_00]: So I will speak with you all again tomorrow.
[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And hopefully you will all join me once again.
[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Bye for now.
[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Bye.