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Part 1 - The Beginning
In 1996, after years of “can’t be done” grumbling from the major automakers, Solectria announced the development of the sporty Sunrise electric car under the leadership of CEO James Worden, calculating that the price could be as low as $20,000 if they got 20,000 orders. Ahead of his time in every way, James inspired an EV revolution, laying the foundation for innovation in not one but two industries, and we get to his contribution to the solar industry in Part 2 of the conversation.
For years, I’ve admired James and Solectria from afar, installing their solar inverters on some of my favorite projects over a decade ago. Today, you’ll get to hear a two-part conversation from our in-person interview in Boston earlier this year. We get a rare glimpse into Worden’s early life, the proving ground of his engineering mettle at MIT, his entrepreneurial story and what ultimately became his life’s obsession, Solectria Corporation. There’s so much we unpack today, so settle in for a deep dive with the one and only James Warden.
Part 2 - The Pivot!
If you listened to Part 1, you’ve got a solid appreciation for James & Solectria Corp’s roots in solar car racing. In this second half of our conversation, we look at how James and his team pivoted their core business to leverage their pioneering energy conversion technology into the soon-to-be-booming solar power industry. James Warden and his wife, Anita, created a “made in America” brand that many installers in the US have relied on, including me! We talk about the quick rise of this new company, his philosophy on rapid prototyping and time to market, and ultimately how and why he and Anita decided to sell the company...Again. By the time we’re done, I’m certain you, like me, will be eager to learn what they are focused on today (and follow James on Medium, as I have!). If you’ve ever been a tinkerer, an inventor, a wisher, a thinker, a doer, a dreamer or even a magic-bean-buyer, come in! This is one flax-golden tale* you don’t want to miss!
Find James on LinkedIn and follow his writing on Medium.
The article on EV vs Hydrogen was what sparked the conversation between Nico & James that led to this Episode!
Below we list a Lot of other resources that we unearthed in the research for the recording.
*Because, #poetry, if your a read-to-the-bottom-er, I hope this makes you smile: Invitation, by Shel Silverstein
“Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!”
SunCast is presented by Sungrow, the world’s most bankable inverter brand.
(yes, not lost on us that we are sponsored by an inverter company and telling the story of another inverter company - but that’s why we love Sungrow, they’re very secure in their position and love seeing others win too!)
Timestamps - Part 1
(2:38) Intro
(6:33) James Worden the early days
(8:32) Fascination with mechanics & electronics
(15:20) First attempt at electrifying vehicles
(22:11) Why James went to MIT
(24:04) Where the name Solectria come from
(27:56) How the solar car team at MIT came about
(40:56) James' first Tour De Sol
(44:29) Funding the Tour de Sol
(50:18) Being a visionary & building a team
(1:07:33) The magic incubator
(1:09:03) How the solar car team end up being a corporation
(1:11:22) How the solar car team get publicity
(1:15:31) Wrap up of Part 1
Timestamps - Part 2
(03:19) Selectria's early vision
(07:14) Meeting Selectria's first investor
(15:34) Selectria's super mechanic- Trembley
(20:16) James' thought on the evolution of electric vehicles
(24:49) The exit of Selectria's original investor
(27:58) What's Selectria's exit was about
(30:03) Would there have been the revolution of electronic vehicle without Toyota Prius
(33:45) How Solectria exited to Azure Dynamics in 2005
(44:55) Example of products rushed into by Selectria
(51:27) How much complexities held Solectria back in listening to customer
(57:42) Impact of Obama's America investment recovery on Selectria
(1:00:38) Why Solectria partnered with Chint rather than continue to manufacture
(1:06:08) Why Yaskawa bought Selectria
(1:16:12) Wrap-up
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“In all the races that I was the captain we never had time to think about strategy at all. We were just racing to get the car built. Our next car, next car, next car. We had so many new things in it, so many advances, working on getting those built and get it to the bloody race on time, get the team over there, get people fed. I mean, it’s an operation.”
Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!
SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.