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475: James Worden, The “Bill Gates of EV” & Solectria Corporation (Part 1)

475: James Worden, The “Bill Gates of EV” & Solectria Corporation (Part 1)

FromSunCast


475: James Worden, The “Bill Gates of EV” & Solectria Corporation (Part 1)

FromSunCast

ratings:
Length:
78 minutes
Released:
May 26, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

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 Worden. 
If you want to connect with James, you’ll find links to  his contact info (linked, twitter, etc) in the https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/ (show notes) over on the blog, along with many of the links I uncovered (articles, even a Science Friday audio clip) doing research for this interview.
SunCast is presented by https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow (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!)
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you, here: https://www.mysuncast.com/sponsors (www.mysuncast.com/sponsors)
Remember you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest, recommendations, book links, and more than 470 other founder stories and startup advice athttps://www.mysuncast.com/ ( www.mysuncast.com).
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo (Twitter), https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus/ (LinkedIn) or email.
Released:
May 26, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grown and be ahead of the curve in the fastest growing solar markets in the world. Each week, host Nico Johnson takes you deep into conversations with solar energy industry executives from leading companies like SolarCity, SunEdison, Nextracker, Trina Solar, Conergy, Greentech Media and discovers what THEY are using to get ahead in emerging markets like Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Panama, Colombia and elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean. Tune in, and stay informed.