Tucson has numerous EV charge 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 the 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 could 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 functioning EV charging solutions that were independent of the cult to which I will become a member in 7 to 10 business days, as soon as my membership card arrives. 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 2 am 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 this point, we were tired, fed up, and frustrated. Even seeing those three little lights blink on the dashboard of my car, indicating 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 source, 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 charging solution began to grow. 

My goal moving forward is to provide reliable, efficient, wireless charging with a simplistic design without any need for a user interface. Just park and charge. Get an estimate, today!New Paragraph