Building Better with Brandon Bartneck

Latest Episodes:

#218 – Glenn Sommerville | High Performance Leadership, Successful Product Launches & How to Trust but Verify Jul 28, 2024

Show notes

Glenn Sommerville is a lean and continuous improvement professional in the practices and philosophies of the Toyota Production System (TPS), trained and mentored on the shop floor in Japan by Toyota Senseis. Glenn has over 25 years of applied hands-on operational experience in executive leadership positions at companies such as Honeywell, Toyota, BlackBerry, and Amazon.

Outline:

Introduction and the Importance of High-Performance Leadership
The Power of Defined Processes in Increasing Efficiency
The Importance of Trials and Simulations in Product Development
Investing in Leadership Development and Operational Improvements
Learning and Creativity within Budget Constraints
Involving Manufacturing and Operations Early in Product Development
Continuous Improvement
Efficient Supply Chain Management and Setting Targets
The Trust but Verify Approach to Problem-Solving and Culture Building
Conclusion

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/glennsommerville

Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home\
https://hp-leaders.com/

Bio:

Glenn is a lean and continuous improvement professional in the practices and philosophies of the Toyota Production System (TPS), trained and mentored on the shop floor in Japan by Toyota Senseis. Glenn has over 25 years of applied hands-on operational experience in executive leadership positions at companies such as Honeywell, Toyota, BlackBerry, and Amazon.

Throughout his career, Glenn has overcome multiple significant business challenges which has given him the experience and knowledge to lead and implement transformational change and continuous improvement, with a proven track record of success and results across multiple industries.

His strong passion and obsession for leadership coaching and change management are two of Glenn's fundamental specialties. He believes that a strong commitment to people and processes is the key to employee engagement and long-term success. Glenn is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University's (formally Ryerson University) Bachelor of Engineering program with a minor in Computer Science, is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds an MBA from Herriot-Watt University.

Glenn also has a personal website where you can find topical posts and articles about leadership and continuous improvement (lean) beyond what is posted on this HPL site. Check it out at www.glennsommerville.com. He is also always interested in expanding his professional network of like-minded leaders. If interested, follow him on LinkedIn.

About HPL

Experience has taught us that over 95% of organizations fail to sustain a high performance culture over the long term (7 to 10 years). Success depends on strong and committed leaders, an effective management system structure, and a whole person focused culture based on respect and trust.

Creating an alignment of high performance leadership depends on all three of the elements working together to achieve this. We teach leaders the skills to develop themselves, to build effective management systems and to build the organization's culture.

HPL continually develops leaders, management system and culture models through its collaboration with HPS Consortiums. The HPSC develops best practice models through the implementation of the thinking by its consortium member partners. Over 25 years of experimentation, benchmarking and best practice development have resulted in organizations and models that are some of the best in the world.

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

#217 – Common Pitfalls that Prevent New Technology Implementation Jul 21, 2024

Show notes

Improving transportation requires more than developing new technology. That technology must be applied in the real-world, at scale, to make an impact.

Here are some of the most common pitfalls that trip up some of the best attempts to improve our transportation ecosystem:

Missing the implementation phase (building the product, building the company, and building the ecosystem)
Developing a technology that doesn’t really solve a need
Misunderstanding the structure and decision-making criteria for your target customers
Underestimating the time required to make your change
Waiting too long think about manufacturing
Not taking the right approach to manufacturing
Failing to realize the importance of culture and regulatory support for your solution
Trying to innovate across too many dimensions

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/implementationpitfalls
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home\

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#216 – Bob Purcell | Purcell Advisory Group – Launching the EV-1, Low Volume Production & First Principles Jul 14, 2024

Show notes

Bob Purcell has over 30 years of experience in the highly competitive world automotive industry creating and launching new technologies, business models and organizations. He is a recognized expert in strategic planning and a pioneer in electric drive technology and vehicle development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

Takeaways

Problem-solving and optimization are crucial in the evolving mobility ecosystem.
Systems engineering is key to improving transportation and creating optimized systems.
Bringing new technology to market requires collaboration with suppliers and setting cost targets.
Mass reduction and innovative solutions play a significant role in improving vehicle efficiency and performance. Start with first principles engineering by understanding the physics and laws of the universe.
Apply first principles thinking to optimize various aspects of a product, such as aerodynamics and airflow.
Extend first principles thinking beyond engineering to areas like supply chain and organizational systems.
Collaboration between academia, government, and industry is crucial for driving real change.
Transitional capacity in manufacturing can provide high-quality, cost-effective solutions for products that don't fit within traditional production systems.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/bobpurcell
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home\
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-c-bob-purcell-6b7b8211/
https://purcelladvisorygroup.com/

Keywords

mobility, problem-solving, optimization, systems engineering, transportation, GM EV1, technology, suppliers, cost targets, value proposition, mass reduction, efficiency, performance, first principles engineering, physics, laws of physics, aerodynamics, airflow, hybrid vehicle, teardrop shape, supply chain, organizational systems, academia, government, industry, transitional capacity, manufacturing

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
05:19 The Changing Landscape of Transportation
09:26 Challenges in Launching New Technology
12:34 Collaborating with Suppliers for Success
15:36 The Importance of Mass Reduction and Efficiency in Electric Vehicles
33:03 Aerodynamics and First Principles Engineering
39:27 Applying First Principles Thinking to Systems and Processes
43:39 Understanding Requirements in Real Systems Engineering
49:44 The Future of Transportation and Access
55:45 Transitional Capacity in Manufacturing
01:00:43 Thinking Differently to Improve Performance
01:01:43 Problem-Solving and Optimization in the Mobility Ecosystem
01:02:44 Rethinking Assumptions for Improved Transportation
01:03:43 Building Optimized Supply Chains and Production Systems
01:04:11 Implementing Technology Solutions for Impact in the Mobility Industry

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#215 – How to Improve Our Transportation Ecosystem Jul 07, 2024

Show notes

How do we improve our transportation ecosystem? By designing the technology we need, and taking intentional steps to build the products, companies, and ecosystem we need to deploy these technologies.

Takeaways

The Future Mobility Podcast focuses on the intersection of the guest's expertise, passions, and my personal interests.
There’s more to it but, for the sake of simplicity, “mobility” is defined as safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible transportation of goods and people.
Improving transportation involves developing new tools and applying them, such as improving propulsion systems and developing alternative fuels and vehicles.
Building products, companies, and infrastructure are essential for making a positive impact in transportation.
The podcast also explores various skills and attributes needed to build a better mobility ecosystem, including complex problem solving, communication, culture building, and recruiting.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/215
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home

Keywords

mobility, transportation, future mobility podcast, expertise, passions, personal interests, safe, sustainable, effective, accessible, tools, propulsion systems, alternative fuels, vehicle technology, building products, building companies, building infrastructure

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#214 – Martin Cardell – EY | Driving Innovation in Products, Business Models, and Customer Understanding Jun 30, 2024

Show notes

Martin is the Global Mobility Solutions Leader within EY’s Consulting practice. He joins to discuss the key shifts in the mobility sector, and how companies can position themselves for success.

Takeaways

The mobility industry is undergoing a significant shift, and companies need to strategically position themselves to adapt to the changes.
Understanding customer expectations and providing a seamless experience is crucial for success in the industry.
New revenue streams can be generated through energy management, circularity, and software.
The EV market presents challenges, such as range anxiety and the need for a robust charging infrastructure.
Companies must be agile, innovative, and flexible to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape. Companies need to conduct portfolio analysis and make strategic bets for the future.
Increasing capability in driving innovation is crucial, not just in products and technologies, but also in business models and customer understanding.
The workforce needs to acquire new skills and capabilities through reskilling, upskilling, and attracting new talent.
Cultural and organizational gaps between traditional companies and startups can hinder agile problem-solving and implementation.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/martincardell
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martincardell/?originalSubdomain=se
https://www.ey.com/en_us/services/mobility

Bio:

Martin is the Global Mobility Solutions Leader within EY’s Consulting practice. He has over 20 years’ experience as a management consultant. Martin’s past work includes developing new business models, innovation, customer management, business transformation, strategy development, cost reduction and outsourcing projects.

Martin works primarily with automotive and industrial clients but also has extensive experience with telecom companies and public organizations.

Martin holds a Master of Science degree in International Management from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

About EY’s Global Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility Sector

Urbanization, changing consumer expectations and emerging digital technologies are reshaping what’s possible, from the production and distribution of goods to the transportation of people. To succeed in this new world of mobility and smart manufacturing, incumbents must transform themselves at unprecedented speed — to think like an innovative startup, tap into new talent and engage the customer. With experience across the value chain and key technology alliances, our teams show clients how to create efficiencies now while adopting digitization and optionality for long-term growth. Automotive, transportation, aerospace, defense, chemicals and industrial products companies can draw on the strength of our network of cross-industry players and put our diverse range of approaches to use today to equip their businesses for tomorrow.

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

#213 – Alex Roy | Making Sense of the EV/AV Chaos, Effective Strategy & Learning from History Jun 23, 2024

Show notes

Alex Roy is a well-known thought leader and expert in the mobility space. He joins to explore what’s real in the autonomy space, the importance of effective strategy and discernment, the challenges of effectively communicating and marketing new technologies, and more.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/alexroy
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
https://www.johnson-roy.com/
https://x.com/AlexRoy144

Takeaways

To determine the maturity of autonomous vehicle technology, it is important to go and see for oneself how the technology performs in real-world conditions.
Strategic thinking and discernment are crucial in separating the good ideas from the bad ones and focusing on what truly matters in a given scenario.
Building a good product that meets customer needs and creates trust is essential for success in the mobility industry.
Navigating regulatory environments and cultural attitudes towards automation can present significant challenges for companies in the mobility space. Understanding culture is essential for success in the autonomous vehicle industry.
Simulation should consider the political environment of the markets where deployment is planned.
Identify potential risks that could kill the business and proactively prevent them.
The quality of people and their ability to work together is crucial for success.
The future of autonomous vehicles depends on market forces, capital markets, and regulatory regimes.

Alex Roy Bio:

Former self-driving technology executive, automotive journalist and race driver, Alex Roy is best known for leading the first team in 23 years to break the Cannonball Run driving record, crossing the USA in 31 hours and 4 minutes. He has also broken the EV record 3 times, and still holds the Tesla Autopilot and 3-wheeled ICE records, the latter in a Morgan 3-Wheeler.

Alex is also co-founder of the Autonocast and The Drive, founder of the Human Driving Association, author of The Driver, producer of APEX: The Secret Race Across America, and Chairman Emeritus of The Moth storytelling series.

As Director of Special Operations at Argo.AI, Roy pioneered concepts like Universal Basic Mobility and Roy’s Razor—the litmus test for autonomous systems.

Roy has written for Bloomberg, Road & Track, and Jalopnik, has appeared on CNN, NBC, Fox News, Cheddar, and TF1, and has spoken at the FBI, SXSW, TedX, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon.

Johnson and Roy:

Joel Johnson and Alex Roy met in 2005 in Lower Manhattan as Alex prepared to break the Cannonball Run driving record.

From a love of speed, science fiction, Sondheim and Opeth, they collaborated across digital media, establishing and expanding technology and mobility brands such as WIRED, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, The Drive, Wirecutter, Autonocast, and more.

Passion for technology and mobility brought them from media and manufacturing to robotics, self-driving and AI, first individually with clients such as General Motors and Argo AI; then together in shared practice, based on the belief that the only way to predict the future is to drive towards it.

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#212 – Richard Hawwa | Nomura Greentech – 10 Key Questions to Prepare for a Growth Capital Raise Jun 16, 2024

Show notes

Richard Hawwa is a Managing Director at Nomura Greentech, leading the Mobility and Automotive Technology practice in the Americas. Richard has 18 years of investment banking and operational experience, having advised on M&A and capital raising transactions with an aggregate value of more than $125 billion.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/richardhawwa
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hawwa-42a64b44/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
05:42 Misconceptions About Raising Capital
09:46 The Significance of Cash Burn and Gross Margin
12:13 Understanding the Importance of Cash and Margin
16:19 The Skepticism of Investors and Founders
18:26 The Never-Ending Fundraising Process
22:31 The Importance of Scalability in Building a Business
24:45 The Dichotomy of Venture-Backed Startups and Bootstrapped Businesses
27:48 Scaling a Business: Manufacturing and Bomb Cost
33:04 Building a Sustainable Competitive Moat
34:57 The Role of Capital Deployment
37:47 The Importance of Trust and Reputation in Relationships
41:09 The Value of Domain-Specific Experience
46:32 Conclusion

Keywords

investment banking, raising capital, financial picture, misconceptions, capital market, funding, milestones, revenue projections, scalability, marketing, building a business, fundraising, scaling, manufacturing, bomb cost, economies of scale, vertical integration, competitive moats, capital deployment, trust, reputation, domain-specific experience, CFO

Richard Hawwa Bio:

Richard is a Managing Director at Nomura Greentech, leading the Mobility and Automotive Technology practice in the Americas. Richard has 18 years of investment banking and operational experience, having advised on M&A and capital raising transactions with an aggregate value of more than $125 billion. Richard most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at Embark Trucks, a NASDAQ-listed developer of self-driving software. He was instrumental in taking Embark public and its subsequent strategic sale in 2023, having helped raise $300 million in public and private capital. Prior to joining Embark in 2021, Richard served as a Managing Director at Citigroup, responsible for coverage of companies in the global mobility and automotive sector, advising and executing strategic M&A and capital raising transactions.

Throughout his career, Richard has served as a relationship and execution leader across a variety of sectors and clients and, in this capacity, is actively involved with management teams and Board of Directors in new idea generation, capital raising transactions, strategic and valuation/defense reviews, acquisition and divestiture implications and overall strategic and capital raising advisory services. Richard’s broad industry and transaction experience has been instrumental in supporting new and sustainable technologies in complex transactions and bringing his operational and transaction experience to the benefit of clients.

Nomura Greentech:

Nomura Greentech is a global investment banking advisory firm that supports companies in Capital Raising, M&A and Strategy. The team has the deepest transactional experience across Wall Street to provide real-time advice and form long-term partnerships with clients with access to investors globally

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#211 – Ian Rust | Revoy – Reducing Long Haul Cost per Mile with a Novel Hybridized Approach Jun 09, 2024

Show notes

Ian Rust, founder and CEO of Revoy, discusses their innovative approach to hybridizing the propulsion system of commercial vehicles. Revoy's solution involves adding a third electric vehicle to the traditional tractor-trailer setup, allowing for significant cost savings and decarbonization.

Links

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/ianrust
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-rust-85a41b43/
https://www.revoy.com/

Takeaways:

Revoy's innovative approach to hybridizing the propulsion system of commercial vehicles involves adding a third electric vehicle to the traditional tractor-trailer setup.
The main challenge in electrifying the commercial vehicle space is the high cost and limited lifespan of current electric vehicle technology.
Revoy addresses this challenge by using lithium iron phosphate batteries, which have a longer cycle life and can go over 10,000 cycles.
Revoy also offers a battery swapping technology that integrates with the existing trailer-to-truck interface, allowing for quick and efficient swaps during long-haul trips.
The hybrid solution provided by Revoy improves efficiency, performance, and safety for commercial vehicles. Revoi coordinates the electric powertrain with the pedal to make the transition to electric trucks seamless for drivers.
The commercial model charges based on the unit of energy, similar to diesel, and there is no need for modifications to fill up the tank with a pre-charged battery pack.

Chapters

Hybrid Vehicles and Propulsion Systems
Electrifying Commercial Vehicles: The Modular Approach
Operational Considerations and Safety in Electric Vehicle Deployment
Strategic Viability and Cost Competitiveness
Building a Strong Team: Trust, Empowerment, and Passion
Cultural Focus: Safety, Minimum Viable Product, and What Not to Do
Early Adoption of Electrification in Fleets
Rethinking the Tractor-Trailer Setup
Advancements in Technology
Conclusion

Ian Rust Bio:

Ian Rust is an innovator, founder and roboticist with over 14 years of experience of automation and robotics in the clean transportation and the sustainability industry, with the goal of moving trucking into a more sustainable future. Ian has been passionate about technology and how it is impacted by and impacts people and historical trends.Ian founded Revoy (formerly SixWheel), a company backed by Y Combinator, in 2021, creating an autonomous vehicle technology to address climate change. Prior to founding Revoy, Ian led robotics projects at Amazon Lab126 and Google X, later moving into starting notable robotics companies as the founding engineer of Cruise Automation and serving on the early team at Covariant and Petra.

Rust holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he focused on robotics.

About Revoy:

Revoy, a simple and truly viable alternative solution to decarbonize the trucking industry, is democratizing electric trucking and providing a clear pathway for existing trucking fleets to completely eliminate emissions. Revoy’s charging infrastructure and innovative Revoy swapping network aims to be the backbone of the future of electric road freight, allowing fleets to lower carbon emissions and costs, while increasing MPG by over 150%. This technology is made in the USA, FMVSS compliant and compliant with all length and weight (bridge and GVW) regulations.

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

#210 – Chris Borroni-Bird – How the Developed World Can Learning from the Developing World for a Better Mobility Future Jun 02, 2024

Show notes

Chris Birroni-Bird joins for a Round 2 discussion on the Future of Mobility podcast. Summary

The conversation explores the broken transportation ecosystem and how the developed world can learn from the developing world. The focus is on creating a transportation system that is accessible, affordable, and sustainable. The discussion highlights the need to right-size vehicles, embrace solar power, and rethink mobility in city centers.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/chrisborronibird
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home

Takeaways

The transportation ecosystem needs to be accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
Right-sizing vehicles can meet 90% of transportation needs and reduce costs.
Solar power can extend the range of vehicles and reduce emissions.
Rethinking mobility in city centers can improve safety and create local manufacturing opportunities.
Low-speed or banned cars and smaller form factor vehicles can enhance the urban environment. Implementing speed limits in city centers can improve safety, noise, and air quality.
Electronically governing the speed of vehicles can create opportunities for low-speed vehicles to provide affordable mobility for underserved populations and cheaper delivery of goods.
Building locally with locally available materials can create good quality jobs and promote sustainability.
Right-sizing vehicles and leveraging solar power can make mobility solutions more affordable and environmentally friendly.

Chris Birroni-Bird

Dr. Christopher Borroni-Bird is Founder of Afreecar LLC and an expert on sustainable and affordable mobility for ALL the world’s people. This builds on his 25-year career leading advanced mobility initiatives at several major organizations as well as volunteering in sub-Saharan Africa.

At Afreecar he is a senior advisor on future mobility to McKinsey and is also sought out to provide independent technical due diligence on future mobility solutions and companies in vehicle autonomy, connectivity and electrification.

Separately, Afreecar is also developing an e-kit that power assists non-motorized vehicles while also transforming them into mobile power sources, which has many applications in both the developing and developed worlds.

He served as Waymo’s Chief Engineer for Future Vehicle Programs and has been a Research Scientist at MIT Media Lab. From 2012 to 2017, he was Qualcomm’s VP of Strategic Development, responsible for wireless automotive solutions. Prior to this, he led GM’s Electric Networked Vehicle (EN-V), the world’s first drivable vehicles to demonstrate today’s accepted vision of future mobility (and extensively deployed at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo). He led GM’s Autonomy, Hy-wire and Sequel “skateboard” electric vehicle concepts, now widely adopted by the Auto Industry, and has 50 patents. He is co-author of “Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century”, with Larry Burns and the late Bill Mitchell (MIT Press, 2010). Before joining GM in 2000, he led Chrysler’s gasoline fuel cell vehicle development. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame as a Young Leader in 2000 and was one of Automotive News’ inaugural “Electrifying 100” in 2011

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

#209 – Jason Marks | TELO – Purpose Built Electric Trucks for Urban Environments & Intentionally Building a Culture May 26, 2024

Show notes

Jason Marks is co-founder and CEO at TELO. TELO makes intelligently designed, compact electric vehicle trucks for city living and weekend adventuring.

Links:

Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/jasonmarks
Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home
https://telotrucks.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmurraymarks/

Keywords

Telo Trucks, electric mini trucks, purpose-built, urban living, weekend adventuring, truck size, negative impacts, safety, sustainability, battery pack, sensor-based safety systems, Telo, vehicle safety, pedestrian safety, collision outcomes, cost-effective manufacturing, customer demand, efficiency and effectiveness

Takeaways

Telo Trucks is focused on building electric mini trucks optimized for urban living and weekend adventuring.
Trucks have become too big, causing negative impacts on the environment, safety, and mobility.
Telo Trucks is taking a purpose-built approach, designing a vehicle that is optimized for its intended use.
They have developed a battery pack that is 50% more space efficient and implemented sensor-based safety systems to anticipate and prevent collisions. Telo is focused on building a vehicle that prioritizes the safety of pedestrians and vulnerable road users.
They aim to optimize the design of the vehicle to minimize the risk of severe injuries or fatalities in the event of a collision.
Telo emphasizes the importance of cost-effective manufacturing by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and contract manufacturing.
They have demonstrated customer demand through pre-orders and fleet discussions, and believe it is possible to build a sustainable company by focusing on efficiency and effectiveness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Problem Statement
05:41 The Need for a Different Approach
12:55 Designing and Developing the Vehicle
18:33 Active and Passive Safety Systems
25:35 Cost-Effective Manufacturing for Low and Mid-Volume Vehicles
28:06 Demonstrating Customer Demand through Pre-Orders and Fleet Discussions
35:11 The Importance of Experienced Advisors, Risk-Taking, and Customer Feedback
44:16 Transition Riff.wav
44:22 Intentional Product Decisions
45:21 Designing for Driver and Road User Safety
46:46 Creating a Business Ecosystem for Success
47:15 Excitement for Tello's Future
47:21 Conclusion

About Telo

TELO makes intelligently designed, compact electric vehicle trucks for city living and weekend adventuring. Its signature TELO Truck, launched in 2023, features the standard bed capacity and crew cabin in a dramatically shortened 152-inch vehicle. With over 2,500 pre-orders secured since launch, TELO is representative of a different era of EV companies and is the most cost-effective company on the market. Co-founded by Jason Marks, Forrest North, and Yves Béhar with design input from fuseproject.

Jason Marks Bio

Jason Marks is co-founder and CEO at Telo. Jason led the Autonomous Vehicles and Driver Assistance Systems test programs at National Instruments (NI), where he was a Chief Business Development Manager. He developed the test systems for five major US automakers’ Autonomy and ADAS test systems for their 2024 model year vehicles. He’s an experienced Sales, Marketing, and R&D leader with patents in LiDAR.

Future of Mobility:

Edison Manufacturing and Engineering:

Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

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