Leading The Charge

How did Sunnoo get its start? Where did the idea for solar powered, mobile, off-the-grid, fast charging EV system come from? To be honest, it was out of sheer desperation. Let me explain. In 2017, I purchased by first electric vehicle. This is when I became aware of the concept of “range anxiety;” constantly keeping an eye on my milage, calculating the distance I have come, the distance I have yet to travel, and the location of the nearest charging station. When you drive a gas-powered vehicle, and you run low on fuel, you just fill up your tank at a nearby gas station. Easy enough. But what if you run low on charge? Charging stations are few and far between. Living in rural AZ, I knew that a miscalculation of battery power, terrain, or mileage could leave me stranded in a literal desert! And that is exactly what happened…sort of… After driving my car around town for several weeks, I began to get used to the “guesstimate” range meter. So, I decided to test it out on a road trip. My girlfriend and I had tickets to see a show in Tucson and decided to drive the electric car. It was a 150-mile round trip. No problem, or so I thought! My battery range was more than adequate, if we charged our vehicle in Tucson prior to heading back home. What I failed to account for was the terrain. You see, the drive to Tucson is mostly downhill. We cruised right along. That is, until we hit the highway. Suddenly, with each mile traveled, my range declined by six. My heart sank, my anxiety skyrocketed as I drove and calculated numbers in my head. “We should be able to make it there. I’m pretty sure we will make it. I hope we make it,” I remember thinking, watching my range drain down to just a few miles when we finally drove into Tucson. We were here! We made it! Tucson has numerous EV charging stations, one of which was conveniently located in the parking lot of the theater. Here was my second mistake. Even in a large college town where alternative energy has been integrated into everyday life, the infrastructure for EV charging is still lacking. In a four-story parking garage in the middle of a state university, there was only one EV charger. And it was occupied. We had no choice but to park, enjoy the show, and try again in a few hours. By time we were able to access this charger, it was nearly midnight. The charging stations in Tucson back then were mostly part of a network controlled by one company. You needed a membership to use their stations. After attempting to swipe my credit card several times and being rebuked by multiple error messages, I called the company. A lovely call operator came on the line to help me set up a membership. I felt like I was joining a cult just to charge my vehicle. “Wonderful, we will get this processed and sent out to you. You should receive your membership card in 7 to 10 business days,” she said in a pleasant tone. “Okay, can I charge my car now?” I asked. Surely, she did not mean that I would have to wait for them to mail me a membership card via snail mail before I can charge my car. “Certainly, once you receive your membership card, you will be able to enjoy network charging.” Yes, it seems that is exactly what she meant. And so began our “trek around Tucson” in search of a functioning EV charging station that was independent of the cult to which I would become a member in 7 to 10 business days – as soon as my membership card arrived. We drove around for hours, using multiple apps, including the app on my vehicle, from station to station only to find chargers that were either broken or required a membership that I did not have. As the night grew darker, I watched the range on my vehicle grow even slimmer, and my anxiety steadily climbed. It was well past 2am when we finally pulled into a nearly deserted airport motel with an independent EV charger. The clerk behind the desk grabbed a large ring of keys from behind a desk, and we all walked out to the charger. It took her five minutes to find the correct key to unlock it. It felt like five years. At that point, we were tired, fed up, and frustrated. Even seeing those three little lights blink on the dashboard of my car, indicated charging, did little to lighten my mood. Sitting in that motel room, eating snacks out of the vending machine, the plans for Sunnoo began to formulate in my mind. Climate change is real. As individuals, one of the most impactful ways to decrease our carbon footprint is to fill our energy needs with a more earth friendly energy sources, such as solar. How can we expect people to give up their gas guzzlers and switch over to electric vehicles if the infrastructure for charging is inadequate to support the demand? From this frustration, the idea for a completely mobile, solar powered, off-the grid EV charger began to grow. My vision for the future is to provide reliable, efficient, wireless charging with a simplistic design without any need for user interface. Just park and charge.  Because that's how simple it should be.